Spotlights swept frantically across the entire club, finally converging upon the golden tower of glasses.
All of the club's staff members stood up, bells in hand, and began to cheer.
“Champagne!!”
The unified chant, accompanied by the driving beat of the music, pushed the atmosphere to its first climax.
Some excited female guests cheered as well, joining in.
This was a ritual unique to host clubs.
When a patron ordered a high-priced champagne tower, it would trigger the venue-wide “champagne call” ritual.
On one hand, the big spender enjoyed kingly treatment; on the other hand, it was also a high-profile display of the top host’s popularity.
The manager handed the first opened bottle of champagne to Nakamori Sachiko.
“Go, Imagawa-kun. This is your moment of glory.”
Nakamori Sachiko took the bottle and passed it into Imagawa Ori’s hands.
Imagawa Ori took the bottle and walked up to the champagne tower.
She raised it, and golden liquid poured from the mouth, flowing into the topmost champagne glass.
One bottle of champagne could fill six champagne glasses.
Thus, the wine quickly overflowed, streaming down the glass walls, then spilling over from the three glasses on the second layer and flowing into the layers below.
Bottle after bottle of champagne was opened.
The golden waterfall cascaded down layer by layer, dyeing the entire crystal pyramid in glorious color.
Fine bubbles continuously rose and burst beneath the lights.
“Wow—”
Some female guests let out gasps of amazement.
After all, not everyone was as wealthy as Nakamori Sachiko; some scrimped and saved just to come to the club and search for value in life.
Later, Kiryu Kazusuke joined in the pouring as well.
The twenty bottles were quickly emptied, and the thirty-six glasses on the bottom layer were perfectly filled.
“Nao! Nao! Nao!”
“No.1! No.1! No.1!”
The staff began shouting Imagawa Ori’s stage name.
Imagawa Ori stood before the champagne tower, her face flushed with excitement and joy, bowing repeatedly to the crowd.
She savored this moment of being the center of attention.
She savored the glory brought by money as well.
Taking the topmost glass from the tower, Imagawa Ori walked back to the booth.
“Nakamori-san, thank you for your great affection.”
With a perfect professional smile, every gesture exuded the confidence and charm belonging to a No.1.
Nakamori Sachiko also stood, calmly receiving the glass.
She cast a sidelong glance at Kiryu Kazusuke. *So? Can you make Imagawa-kun the focus of the entire venue, surrounded by countless people?*
The cheers gradually subsided.
From beginning to end, Kiryu Kazusuke had not paid any attention to Nakamori Sachiko’s gaze.
On the faint red screen that only he could see:
【Imagawa Ori’s Worldline Converged】
【Reward: Surgical Incision Suturing — Advanced】
At the same moment his personal information updated, he suddenly felt something both foreign and familiar.
They were still the same hands.
But he now instinctively knew the most stable grip for a needle holder, the minute differences in resistance as suture needles of varying curvature passed through skin and fascia…
These hands seemed born to hold a needle holder.
…
Just when everyone thought the ceremony was about to conclude, Nakamori Sachiko raised her glass, signaling the entire venue to quiet down.
The music softened accordingly, and the manager sensibly handed over the microphone.
All eyes focused on her once again.
It was time to end this farce.
Nakamori Sachiko looked straight at Imagawa Ori, the possessiveness in her eyes undisguised.
“Imagawa-kun.”
“Have you thought about that request I made to you before?”
“As long as you’re willing to agree…”
“I, Nakamori Sachiko, will open another ten-layer champagne tower for you, right here, right now.”
The corners of her lips curled up slightly, the very image of a victor.
Her words fell.
In an instant, everyone gasped.
Even the staff who had been vigorously shaking their bells stopped dead.
An eight-layer champagne tower was already a legendary sight.
A ten-layer tower—what kind of concept was that?
A ten-layer champagne tower, based on the most stable square stacking method, required stacking upward from the bottom with 100, 81, 64, …, 9, 4, and 1 glasses, totaling 385 goblets.
This meant at least sixty-five bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal champagne!
At the store’s price of two hundred thousand yen per bottle, that would be thirteen million yen!
That was enough to buy a nice apartment in the center of Maebashi City.
Tonight, Nakamori Sachiko had already spent over four million yen to win Imagawa Nao; now, she was going to add another thirteen million yen.
Even during the bubble economy, such reckless spending was rare.
The manager’s breathing grew rapid.
If this deal went through, his quarterly performance target would be completed in one go.
He wished he could rush over right now and press Imagawa Nao’s head down—no, kneel and beg her to agree to Nakamori Sachiko’s condition.
The other male hosts in the club had red-rimmed eyes.
Their feelings could no longer be described as simple envy; it was jealousy, resentment, and profound self-doubt.
Why?
She was just a woman in men’s clothing.
While they had to force smiles at portly middle-aged women for nomination fees of just a few tens of thousands of yen.
This world was too unfair.
Imagawa Ori’s heart was also pounding violently.
The commission from the eight-layer tower was roughly 1.5 million yen; if the ten-layer tower was added, her income tonight alone would exceed six million yen!
This was precisely why she came to the nightclub to keep those lonely women company!
A single nod, and it would all be hers.
Yes, she knew very well that once she agreed to Nakamori Sachiko, went home with her, and satisfied her, this biggest patron would likely never appear at Kagura Club again.
But so what?
Tonight’s earnings would completely cover any future losses.
The temptation was truly too great—so great she could barely breathe.
Kiryu Kazusuke’s eyes were red too.
He looked at Nakamori Sachiko—or rather, at her slightly plump thighs wrapped in dark stockings.
Just as Imagawa Ori was about to open her mouth to agree, Kiryu Kazusuke suddenly leaned in beside her.
This gave Nakamori Sachiko an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
But she didn’t stop him—after all, no one had ever resisted the temptation of money before her.
Kiryu Kazusuke leaned forward slightly.
“Dr. Imagawa.”
“If I’m not mistaken, today is your period, correct?”
“Nakamori-san wants to take you home, doesn’t she?”
“By then, a woman driven mad by desire and left unsatisfied—what do you think she’ll do?”
His whisper was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.
Imagawa Ori immediately calmed down.
Given Nakamori Sachiko’s obsession with her…
If she really agreed, if she roused her interest only to leave her unfulfilled, it wasn’t hard to imagine how furious this woman, utterly empty and lonely, would be.
For a moment, everyone held their breath, gazes locked on Imagawa Ori.
All waiting for her to nod and agree.
Nakamori Sachiko watched leisurely, waiting for her prey to submit completely.
A few seconds later.
Imagawa Ori took a deep breath, raised her face, and resumed that cold, ascetic demeanor.
Stepping forward, she took the microphone from the manager.
“Thank you very much for your affection, Nakamori-san.”
“To receive your favor is the greatest honor of my life—I, Imagawa Nao.”
“But I am very sorry.”
“I cannot agree to your request.”