desiderata877

Chapter 23: As People

Grandpa: We came to Japan, and allowed them all to live here, but we were unable to shake off our worries for a very long time. I stole the research institution’s precious “experimental tools,” the “results of their results.”

Tom Collins: When we first came here, we didn’t dare take one single step outside. We were frightened. We wondered what would happen if those people from the laboratory followed us….

MC: But the researchers never came, right?

Grandpa: Right. I don’t understand why, but they’ve never been to the mansion even once.

Tom Collins: After a long time had passed, we were finally able to take our first steps outside this place.

Grandpa: When I left the bar in your care, I went to England directly to confirm what had happened. However, when I arrived, the research facility was vacant, and I have no idea what happened to the researchers.

MC: So maybe those people are the culprits we’ve been looking for?

Grandpa: We don’t know for certain if they are the ones who destroyed our bar, but we cannot deny that possibility. However, I do wish this is all just needless worry.

MC: But if it is those people, why would they wait until now to do anything?

Tom Collins: Maybe they’ve been looking for us all these years, and have only recently found us. I really don’t want to think of that possibility. Speaking of which, Master, were you about to meet with Mr. Jeremy?

Grandpa: No. Like before, Jeremy’s whereabouts are still unknown.

MC: Jeremy?

Tom Collins: Our other lifesaver.

Grandpa: Your grandmother and I couldn’t help this many people escape by ourselves. We received help from Jeremy, another researcher, a confidant of mine.

Tom Collins: Master, Ms. Sumire, Mr. Jeremy….Thanks to the three of them, we are able to live our lives this way. The time we spent here after taking our first steps outside went by in a blink of an eye. I was surprised by my first look of the outside world, and then Master prepared a job for all of us…

MC: And that was when he created the bar….

Grandpa: Precisely. I wanted them to live their lives as humans, not as subjects of human experiments. Your grandmother is the one who decided we should open up a bar. Everyone is named after a cocktail, so why not a bar?

Tom Collins: When we first started, we made nothing but mistakes, even more than you.

MC: That’s what Blue Moon said, but I just couldn’t believe it.

Grandpa: How many glasses did Salty Dog break again? Haha, this really takes me back.

MC: Was everyone able to get the hang of things quickly?

Tom Collins: Not at all. When the bar first opened up, we had never worked a day in our lives. We were so nervous every time a customer came. We were scared of people…

Grandpa: But Tom Collins and Moulin Rouge quickly adapted to their new world.

Tom Collins: Nevertheless, Salty Dog just dove into every new experience he could find.

MC: As for everyone else, did you drag them into this new world? And did they get used to things right away?

Tom Collins: No, there were many twists and turns because nobody had good feelings towards humans.

Grandpa: A lot of things really did happen back then, huh

Tom Collins: But it was quick for everyone to get used to people since they were working the counter frequently, and now 6 of us rotate being in charge.

MC: Tom Collins, Moulin Rouge, Salty Dog, Tequila Sunrise, Emerald Mist, and Martini, right? Even though all that happened to you in the past, you work at the bar, and you all have your own jobs in the daytime… Just, wow…

Tom Collins: At the risk of his life, Master protected us all. That’s why I’m so grateful to him. We all are.

MC: That’s why you all respect my grandfather so much; I understand now. And that’s always why the bar is so precious to you. I want to properly manage everyone’s precious bar. Because you are all precious to me!

Grandpa: Those are such happy words! I have high hopes for you!

MC: I promise!

Grandpa: That’s the end of that story. Shall we open the bar back up tomorrow? It’s already late, have a good sleep.

MC: Right. Good night, grandpa, Tom Collins.