I died and was reborn into an Otome game!? (Hiatus)

Part 12

One. Two. Three. All in a row.

Hypothetically speaking, Jayne is a little too young to be taking shots at a pub, but it's not like the pub cares. She's at the age where she can legally work, as long as you're not too young they'll serve you. Money is money.

"Ah!" She slammed the shot glass on the bar, "Woo!"

"I see you're getting frisky on a Tuesday night."

Jayne rolled her head to look at the mob character talking to her, "Mind your damn business mate, unlike you, my life actually has some significance to this world. You're nothing, trash, you could die and nothing would happen in this world."

He scoffed, "It seems you're not the nice drunk."

"Oh... on the contrary, I'm friendly to those who are not judgemental to me."

He looked her up and down, "Aren't you a bit young to be here, where are your parents?"

"Fuck should I know, they sold me into child labour and are taking my coin." She took another shot.

He laughed, "Easy there pal, don't want to drink too much yourself."

"Don't tell me what to do, If I die, I die, if we fail, we fail, but screw your courage to the sticking-place." She took a swing of whiskey she also ordered.

The man tilted his head, "What?"

"Oh screw off you uncultured swine." She took another swig.

"What's got you troubled?" He seemed to genuinely ask.

"What makes you think I'm troubled? Huh?" She pointed accusatively.

"Oh well, I don't know, maybe it's because you've come into a tavern alone on a Tuesday and are drunk before eight o'clock, just speculation though."

Jayne glared daggers into him, but it melted into tears and she began to cry, she rested a head on his shoulder.

"I hate my life."

The man didn't know what to do, so he awkwardly patted her head, "Don't we all?"

"I mean... all I wanted was to have a bit of fun, you know? I have... or had, two friends who I thought would be compatible with each other, in another life they would've been, I tried playing matchmaker, and it ended up with someone dying, I am officially the worst matchmaker in the planet." She lifted her head and downed the last of the whiskey, "I drink in his name." She raised the glass to the sky, toasting to heaven.

The man had to blink multiple times to process what she just said and her sudden change in attitude, he took a breath in to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

"Anyway," She began telling her life story to this stranger, "After that shitshow, we moved to the capital, a new life, a new journey, but I don't like it, I don't like being here, if it wasn't for my friend... I would be long gone."

"What do you mean?" He leaned on the bar.

"Well..." She leaned in close to him, whispering, "I'm sort of...wanted, if that makes sense, I ran away from home and people are looking for me, and being in the capital doesn't really help to keep a low profile."

"And where are you from?"

She scoffed, "As if I'd tell you, boy." She poked his chest playfully. This was the first time she really took in his features, he looked quite young, "You yourself look a little young to be hanging in a tavern."

He chuckled and look to the side, "I'm here on a trip, observation."

"Observation?" She repeated mockingly.