Finally finished my first fic! Took longer than I thought.

[-x-]

"Time to mix drinks and change lives."

That was a phrase Hajime Hinata was so used to hearing every night for the past two years of being an underage bartender.

He entered his work still clad in his Kodaka High uniform after the longest study session of his life. Finals suck ass.

"Welcome to Val- oh Hajime, you look like you went through hell," a woman commented on his appearance, "Exams, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah… it does feel like that," the student replied. "My school demands too much from their students to be honest. Being a prep school and all that…"

"Heh, don't worry too much about it," Hajime went behind the counter and donned an apron, "I've seen your grades, you're gonna pass this exam."

"It's really not about passing, more so acing it. I need a good paying job to help me and my dad. Instead of barely being able to pay rent and expenses, even with me being a working student."

"Oh, I know how that feels. So speaking of jobs, do you know what kind of career you'll pursue?" she looked at him in curiosity, "Quick tip: don't study anything that you don't enjoy."

"Yeah yeah. Everyone says that. 'You won't last long doing something you hate', 'You'll hate yourself for picking this job or that job,'" he waved her off, "You don't have to repeat them. And I don't know yet. Maybe I'll get an offer midway through college or something."

"I know it sounds annoying, but trust me," the woman insisted. "I'm speaking from experience here, don't limit your freedom in choosing which job you want. Pick whichever you're interested in."

"Whatever you say, senpai. Right now, I'm interested in surviving."

That was Julianne Akaei, his avid-smoking co-worker. Calling her Akaei or Jill is fine. But do not call her Julianne, big chance she'll give you a stink eye and most likely ruin her mood. Her twin brother only told him a vague explanation why but never the full context. Bullying, supposedly.

She's a half japanese, half french woman in her late twenties with jet black hair and wearing her bartender uniform. She often has an indifferent expression on her face and maintains a cool aura around her.

"Where's Boss?" Hajime asked.

"She went to a board meeting about JTC bars getting canned. Hopefully we don't get included in that." She walked towards Hajime and patted his head, "Then again, we do have the Star Bartender in our employment, so we're probably fine."

"Hey! Watch it!" he swatted her hand as she chuckled at him, "Wait, where's Gil-senpai?"

"Your giant cowlick just never goes down does it?" he ignored that question, "Gil's still on vacation with his girlfriend in Panama, he's coming back next week. So it's pretty much just the two of us until Boss returns."

"Oh yeah, now I remember…"

Before they could continue their conversation, the entrance door opened. They both looked and saw a familiar face enter the bar.

Minato Naegi, father of two radically different children and the nicest patron the bar ever had. He was ridiculously average and never seemed to not radiate like an afternoon sun.

"Welcome to Valhalla, Naegi-san." the boy smiled to see one of his regulars. "You're pretty early tonight."

"Ahaha, I just got out of work earlier." the smiling man walked to the counter and sat down in front of Hajime. "Can I have my usual drink?"

"One Moonblast coming right up."

Hajime got to work. First he pulled out a bottle of Adelhyde and poured four ounces in the shaker. Then, he poured a half-ounce of Bronson Extract and Flanergide to add some spice and bitterness.

Next was adding an ounce of Karmotrine into the mix. Finishing up by closing the cap and blending the liquid with the precision and grace of a professional.

He grabbed a glass and poured the drink elegantly.

"Here you go."

"I really do wonder how you make mixing a drink so mesmerizing, Hinata-kun," he grabbed the glass and took a sip, "Still the same perfect blend and flavor, thank you."

"Dunno what you're talking about Naegi-san, I'm just mixing it like Akaei-senpai or any average bartender would." he waved off the compliment.

"I don't think any average bartender could blend a drink as perfect as yours," the man continued to bombard him with compliments, "The cocktails you make are on a whole 'nother level compared to others, heck, even your grace and movements could be used as a hypnotic tool."

"Gotta be honest. I don't really think I'm that grea-" he got smacked upside the head, "Ow!"

"Can you learn to take a damn compliment already?" his senpai demanded, "It's so annoying when you're so humble but clearly the best mixer out of all of us here!"

"I'm not that good though..." Jill readied another smack, "Wait, wait, wait! Maybe I am decent… I mean good! Good! Please don't hit me again, it friggin' hurts…" his arms were attempting to block the hands from hitting his skull.

They both paused when laughter came from their client. Jill bowed her head and calmly walked back to her spot on the counter. Both sported back their professional face.

"You kids really act like you're siblings, you know that?" the man jested, "The two of you remind me of my own kids, just with a big age difference."

"I apologize for that Naegi-san," Hajime cleared his throat, "I'll make it up to you with another drink."

"It's fine really, but I will take you up on that offer," Minato thought for a bit then decided, "Well, can I have a Bad Touch?"

Jill's eyes bursted open at the request. He can see that her professional facade was cracking again. 'How does she find this amusing or even remotely funny?'

"Alright, a Bad Touch," Hajime glanced back again at his senpai who was trying not to burst out laughing. 'Seriously… everyone I work with is a weirdo to some extent…'

He pulled out a clean shaker out of the shelf and started to carry out his job. 'An ounce of Bronson Extract, two tablespoons of Powdered Delta and another ounce of Flannergide.

Add two ounce of Karmotrine, and a finishing touch of crushed ice. Mix well and voila.'

Grabbing a glass and pouring the green liquid inside. "One Bad Touch served."

"Thank you Hinata-kun," the man sent worried glances at Jill and wondered for a bit if the other bartender was okay but dismissed the thought, "I can't believe someone actually named a drink 'Bad Touch'... In any case, this is still a good cocktail."

"Right?! *ahem* Right? Why would s-someone do that?" a bewildered Jill asked.

Another customer went in. This time it was one of Jill's regulars. A buff police woman with short blue hair in a bob. Sei Asagiri was her name, if he recalled correctly. She went and sat down in front of Jill.

'Good, at least that'll keep her distracted from her atrocious humor.'

"So, how's the family, Naegi-san?" he started up the small talk, "are Makoto-kun and Komaru-chan doing well?"

Having Minato as a customer for almost a year let him see a peek into his homelife. The man has already described his family as being ridiculously average like himself. Despite that, Hajime found it quite interesting to know people like the Naegis. They're so damn normal that they stand out.

"Thanks for asking," the man cannot stop his politeness sometimes, "They're doing pretty well. Schoolwise, Komaru could use more studying while Makoto's grades never go above or below a 'B.' At home, they're livelier than ever, being teenagers and all that. Makes Fuuka scratch her head more frequently."

"Sounds like fun. But... a pain at the same time." He bluntly commented on it.

"It could be. A few weeks ago, Makoto was chasing Komaru for taking his bag of chips. They passed by the living room and Makoto accidentally slipped and crashed into the TV."

Hajime showed a pitying expression. "That must've sucked."

"Luckily, Makoto was completely unharmed. Although, I had to go to the store and buy a replacement. Had the kids clean up the residue glass and carry out the old one as punishment."

"Damn, that's pretty lenient. How often do these types of accidents actually happen?"

"Oh, a bi-weekly basis." Hajime was questioning how Minato was even surviving… his wallet must hate him.

The bartender did feel a little bit envious of them. Not to say that his dad wasn't lively, but having an entire happy family doing shenanigans together made him feel like he was missing out.

The Naegi patriarch downed the rest of his drink and exhaled loudly.

"Well, I'm just about done here for tonight. I have quite the long day tomorrow, so I need to get going," Minato rose up and smiled at Hajime, "See you next time, Hinata-kun."

"Please come again." Hajime said while waving at the man.

He pondered over his last conversation. It wasn't like him to be jealous of families of all things. True that his home life wasn't the most joyous, but that doesn't mean he disliked it. His dad can be pretty caring.

Despite that, seeing how the Naegi children were being treated made his heart ache. To this day, he mulled over the idea of his parents not despising each other and having a normal family.

Sadly, life never goes the way you want it to.

His body shuddered when he felt a gaze land on him. He noticed that his co-worker was staring at him.

"Oi kouhai, mind serving my friend for a bit, I forgot to check if those cats dislocated the antenna on the roof again."

"Why don't I go check myself?" Hajime snapped out of his trance and asked.

"Hajime… for the past two years you've worked here, not once have you fixed the antenna properly," his senpai pointed out, "To be fair, we haven't really taught you how to, but I don't care. Plus I don't want another repeat of last ti-."

"F-Fine! Fine… go ahead. I don't want another one either. Just saying, I'm not the one to fully blame for that." he glared at her and returned to his default snarky self.

"Is that animosity I hear? Not that you can really say anything about it," she flicked his cowlick, "Be back in a few."

Her shoes clicked against the cement flooring. She pulled the door handle and entered the staircases. After she disappeared, Hajime faced his client clearly looking interested in that interaction with his senpai.

"You get along really well with Jill-san don't you?" Asagiri-san commented, "I feel like you have the same chemistry that she has with her pseudo-sister."

"Should I be happy about that or worried?" Hajime nervously asked, "Actually scratch that, I'm worried."

"Aw, you shouldn't be, Jill-san is a great person! Though... she can be a bit abrasive at times," she toned down her volume, "She's still honest and very kind-hearted."

"I feel like I'm the exception here. I haven't really seen her being all that 'kind-hearted,'" he pointed out using his fingers as exaggeration.

The bartender tried to recall any instances where she was remotely sympathetic with him. None really came to mind. All she's done was tease him and berate him. Maybe when she gave him birthday gifts. Or… he was just too fucking dense.

"She treats you like an older sister would."

"..."

"Jill-san saw the troubled expression you had and helped." Asagiri-san added more evidence, "She asked you to serve me drinks here instead of sending you upstairs where you can potentially worsen your mental state."

'Shit, she's right. She could be chatting with her good friend here but chose to do some mindless chore. Or maybe she just doesn't trust me at all cuz of last time.'

"Maybe you're right about that. Maybe..." the teen was still in denial about it, "A-Anyways, would you like another drink?"

"Oh sure, can I have a Bloom Light please?" she readily took the offer.

Hajime took that as a sign to get back to his craft. He grabbed his third clean shaker of the night. This time, taking his ingredients from the 'aged' compartment.

He added two ounces of Adelhyde, a spoonful of Powdered Delta, an ounce of Flanergide and one-and-a-half ounce of Karmotrine. The teen cracked some ice and stirred the drink with graceful perfection. Afterwards pouring it into a vintage glass. No spills were made.

A sound of clapping came near the entrance. A man sporting a white fedora and suit walked towards the counter. Koichi Kizakura, in all his mustache and goatee glory, sat down next to the policewoman. The Hope's Peak Academy's scout grinned at him.

"You look like you're putting on a show with those fancy moves there kid," Koichi said, "Why not start lighting the drinks on fire while juggling knives shirtless next time?"

"...I don't think I will Kizakura-san, seems kinda dangerous don't ya think? And why do I have to be shirtless? Can I not just mix drinks like a regular bartender?"

"Oh humor me sometimes kid, being cynical only makes you a stick in the mud," the man insisted, "And nobody, and I mean nobody, likes them."

Hajime rolled his eyes as a response. Not like he cared about being one. Cynicism has helped him a great deal in his life. From dealing with annoying classmates to ignoring/judging the hell out of weirdos on the streets.

Even handling some of the interactions(drunken stupidity) of his regulars, especially the one he was dealing with at the moment.

"Still saved my ass a bunch of times so I'll keep at it."

"*sigh* Do what you want kid, just don't blame it on me when it comes back to bite your ass," he took off his hat, "Anyways, I'll take my usual."

Hinata went auto-pilot for this one. Considering the amount of time Kizakura spends in the bar per week, aka literally being there every night when it's open, he didn't need all that much focus.

"Sorry for ignoring you Asagiri-san, since I have to deal with this drunkard," he pointed at the man responsible for 50% of his ordered drinks, "How're Hoshii-san's injuries?"

"It's been healing pretty well, she'll be able to move without the sling by next week," she sipped her drink, "This tastes much better than Jill-san's, no offence to her work."

"Let's just hope she didn't hear that," he said while mixing up Kizakura's cocktail, "Even if she did, she wouldn't lay a finger on you." 'Or couldn't to be exact.'

"I suppose you're right about that." Asagiri-san stared down at her drink.

"Going back on Hoshii-san. Any news about her attacker?" he asked.

"The assaulter got fined 400 thousand yen and sent to jail for a year for attempted murder and robbery."

Hajime gave her a quizzical look. That was a very tolerant ruling of the judge to allow a criminal who attacked a VIP in her own home. He wasn't as close as Jill was to Asagiri and Hoshii, but that didn't mean he couldn't call bullshit. Did they not hire their best lawyers?

"I'm surprised he wasn't sentenced for life considering he attacked a daughter of a CEO."

"Turns out that man has friends in high places." her tone sounded bitter as she glided her finger on the rim of the glass.

Again, in Hajime's opinion; Bull. Shit. Then his other client spoke.

"Connections can go far in terms of leniency in the court of law," Kizakura interjected, "I've seen some Yakuza leaders and high-profile criminals go unpunished 'cuz they managed to 'persuade' the judges."

"Justice can never be served properly, can it?" he paused then slid the man his Fringe Weaver.

"Unless they're caught with their pants down by ten witnesses. No," Koichi laid his chin on his hand and his drink with the other, "And even then, those same ten can be bought off."

"Corruption runs far in the current system, Hinata-kun," the blue-haired woman slumped her shoulders and sighed, "Unless we rebuild it from the ground up, nothing can really be done. Doing my job properly is all I can do."

Mood certainly sunk. But then like a metaphorical hero, Jill came back from the roof. The back door squeaked open and abruptly got shut. Hajime moved aside while Jill reclaimed her spot.

"What's gotten you people down?"

"Apparently, the judge was very lenient at Hoshii-san's attacker. Man only got a year of jail time instead of the usual ten." Hajime reiterated.

"Oh yeah... that bullshit..." she grumbled.

"We can't do anything about it now. The judge already made the ruling," Asagiri-san said, "Let's just be happy that Sutera-chan is recovering well."

"Can't complain about that."

Their conversation devolved into more lighter topics. Things like gossip around the city, which celebrity's acting on this new blockbuster or Kizakura's alcohol issue. That last one was brought up constantly but the scout waved their concerns off each time.

Hajime started to drift off in his own thoughts. He still made sure to give his takes if asked but otherwise tuned out their exchanges.

Worries about his future began bubbling up once again. His old man and him were certainly far from being well off. Barely sustaining their lives at the moment.

Their financial problem started when his parents got divorced. Only being seven years old, he hadn't been able to comprehend the repercussions. His dad fought tooth and nail to gain full custody of him.

From what he can recall, his dad recorded some footage of his mother abusing him. Perhaps he got some of their past neighbors to be witnesses. His mom never paid attention to her volume.

And it really wasn't all that pretty before that. Constant fights were ever present in the Hinata household. Furnitures smashed, bruises inflicted, mental health degraded. He never figured out how his parents actually got together. They were both toxic and revulted each other.

Fortunately, their lawyer won them the case. His old man gained full custody and the hag got sent to prison.

The divorce certainly did more good than harm. But without their second source of income, things got rough. His father was forced to take on two jobs. Additionally, him being afflicted with an alcohol problem magnified their money dilemma.

Beer bottles were scattered around an apartment that wasn't made for two people.

This issue continued but one unforseen positive result came out of it. He uncovered his talent for mixology due to his dad offhandedly suggesting that he 'wanted something fancier.' So the next day, he bought cocktail ingredients.

Sure, throwing money into ingredients rather than full bottles made things a teeny bit easier on their pockets. It also made their place much cleaner too.

By age twelve, he could already mix and blend most complex drinks. Though, mistakes were basically prohibited unless he wanted to waste money. Efficiency and precision were key; so, his skills flourished.

Gladly, he only ever made two errors in total. And that was when he was still learning how to shake properly and pour into jiggers. Compliments from his dad came by more and more once he got used to it.

He knew that feeding into his dad's addiction wouldn't help later on, but he cooked up a plan. Since he was the one providing the drinks, he could also limit it. So that he did.

His life took another turn when his dad got into a car accident.

Being fourteen at the time meant that he couldn't legally get a job. His relatives wouldn't dare help his dad because of some drama that happened. He had to take action.

Payments needed to be paid or the worst was to come. Thus he did what any reasonable kid would. Find a job.

Yeah... he wasn't really the brightest but it paid off.

In one of the days he was job hunting, he got reported to the police for falsifying his resume and age. An officer recognized him while he was buying a can of soda from a vending machine. A chase happened but once he managed to wriggle out of the officer's sight, he took a turn by a sketchy alley and found an open door.

To reiterate, he wasn't the brightest. Going into a random building, in a random alley despite what adults told him beforehand. What he wasn't ready for was the place being a bar.

He was slightly concerned that the owner and employees forgot to close and lockthe door, but right now he was marveling at the amount of drinks, ingredients and equipment they had.

From the most low-priced liquor to the more costly booze, his eyes were darting from each bottle of alcohol on the shelves. This was his heaven.

Never in his life had he seen an actual bar being a minor and all that. Then, an itching sensation overcame the teen. He had to try and make a drink.

The logical part of his mind was screaming not to do this very legally-questioning act he was about to perform, but his emotions reigned supreme.

Two hours flew by without his conscience, the sun already set and he was having the time of his life.

Eventually, someone else went in.

[-x-]

~Flashback~

"What the hell is a kid doing here?" a woman asked herself, intrigued, "How did he even get in?"

Hajime hasn't noticed she entered, being too engrossed in mixing. He was currently making a Zen Star. It was a drink that required the same amount of ingredients all around; two ounces each of Adelhyde, Bronson Extract, Flanergide Karmotrine and two tablespoons of Powdered Delta.

All on the rocks and mixed well, strained afterwards into a stemless glass. The result was a remarkable blue fizzing liquid ready to be consumed.

The woman was astonished by the skill carried out by the brown-haired boy. From the jigger pouring to the ice cracking, she couldn't take her eyes off.

His hand grabbed the glass and he took a swig. Swallowing the drink with a satisfied expression, the boy exhaled in delight.

That was a first for the woman, seeing someone content after drinking a Zen Star; one of the most bland and sour drinks ever created. Wait, did the kid just drink alcohol?

"It's illegal to drink underage y'know?" she finally gained his attention. Like a deer caught in headlights, he simply stared at her until the realization sunk in.

Hajime panicked on what to do, almost dropping the Zen Star from his hands. His mind worked overtime to try and explain why he trespassed into private property, used their equipment to make cocktails and drink alcohol.

"Um… u-uh. I-I…" the teen couldn't form words out of his mouth.

"Pass me the drink," that caught him by surprise, "I wanna try it."

Not having a reason not to, he laid the glass on the counter for her to take. A bead of sweat dripped down his face when the liquid touched her lips.

Moments passed and she bore a dreamy expression. Every gulp reminded her of the best of times in her life. Winning the national championship, celebrating last New Years Eve with her closest friends, getting into a new relationship; all those things combined hit her like a truck.

The woman hadn't realized that the glass was now empty. Her vision felt off and blurry, she reached out to her eyes and felt liquid. She was tearing up.

"Are you alright?" the boy now rid of his panic asked her gently with concern present on his face. He reached down the counter to give her a napkin. She took it immediately.

"It's really not like me to cry like this," she wiped her eyes while snorting in mucus forming in her nose, "The hell did you even put in that drink?"

"The ingredients for a Zen Star...?" he felt like that was a trick question but still answered with full honesty.

"Seriously?" she was dumbfounded, "You made a Zen Star this good? How many times did ya practice making it?"

"Oh, this is actually the first time I made one," he said straight-faced, "My dad says it's a waste to make, too many components used."

She simply stared at the teen for that.

"My god kid… you might have some talent…" then, an imaginary lightbulb lit up in her head "Hmm, I think we should test this out." she pointed to the shelves and cabinets, "Use anything you need."

"Wait, you're just gonna let me? I can use the equipment and everything? You're not gonna report me for trespassing? Why are you letting me do this? Is this some sort of test?

"Damn kid, you gotta breathe," she ordered him, "There's no test and I'm not reporting you. Don't worry about it, I own this place. And now, I wanna see you in action."

He didn't sense any mal intent or deception from her. Either she was insanely good at fooling people or she was telling the truth. He gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps she was simply very impulsive and carefree. Not that he can tell much from this confrontation so...

He got to work.

[-x-]

~Present~

At the time, he didn't realize what it would result in. But in the future, it gave Hajime a place he would sooner call his home rather than his dingy and tiny apartment.

He laughed at the thought, having to convince Boss to hide him from the officer chasing him was easier than he thought.

Another thing he didn't expect was asking for employment and being accepted instantly once he revealed his situation. Bless her for being kind-hearted and understanding. Though, it partly might've been his latent talent.

It didn't take him long to get used to working there. His co-workers were nice people. Gillian being the cool dude and his sister Jill being a pain in the ass but very caring.

He respected them both greatly to this day. They welcomed his presence pretty well in fact. Teaching him the ropes on how the bar works, the shifts, the turns for cleaning, etc.

The only thing that was remotely unwelcoming was an offhand comment Jill made about how they're 'accepting children as employees now.' Imagine her surprise when he first made a cocktail in front of her. He had unintentionally showed her up in front of her best friend.

She wasn't happy about it but accepted their skill gap.

Soon afterwards, he got to pay for his dad's hospital bills. And things mostly returned to normal. Mostly. His old man can only work one job now. So, he continued his bartending work.

He got way less sleep but hey, sacrifices needed to be made to have a roof above your head.

"Hajime, stop sleeping on the job, your customer wants another drink." Jill snapped him back to reality.

The teenage bartender noticed that Asagiri-san had left for… something. He wasn't paying attention at all. Kizakura was mocking him. Bastard...

"H-Huh? Oh right…" he grabbed a clean shaker and paused, "Um, senpai, which drink does he want?"

"Do you not listen?" his colleague scolded while the scout snickered, he'll get back at him, "He wants a Piano Man. Also, I'm gonna take my break now."

Hajime scurried before Jill lambasted him again. His colleague walked off to the exit, leaving him to deal with a jackass.

Just for spite, he added the ingredients necessary for a Piano Woman instead. He'd have to pay with his own pocket if Kizakura doesn't drink it but it was worth the risk.

All aged one ounce of Adelhyde, an ounce of Bronson Extract, two tablespoons of Powdered Delta, three-quarters of Flanergide and a half-ounce of Karmotrine.

"Here." Hajime slid a glass filled with a very similar-looking liquid to the Piano Man.

"...Hey kid, this isn't what I ordered." he said, recognizing the difference after one sip.

"Is it not? Oh my bad."

"..."

"..."

"Are you really not gonna fix it?"

"Nope. Don't plan on it."

"Really gonna treat your favorite client like this? That's bad for business y'know?" Kizakura complained.

"You'll come back regardless." he bit back.

"Not like I can complain, all your drinks are top notch."

"So, now you're complimenting me?"

"Kid, learn to take praise. Life gets easier like that."

"I don't wanna get an inflated ego."

"Doesn't help that you single-handedly saved this bar from closing."

"Don't you own that title?"

"But it's you that made me come back."

"..."

"..."

"This is stupid."

"Well, you started it in the first place. Anyways, get me a Suplex instead. I'll leave after I finish it." he ordered the bartender.

"Alright then…"

'Gil-senpai's creation… should be easy enough… two ounces of Bronson Extract, one and a half ounces Flanergide and another ounce and a half of Karmotrine. Add some rocks then shake."

He poured the golden liquid into an old-fashioned glass. The teen set the shaker by the sink and washed his hands, then dried them up later with a clean white towel.

The two sat in silence, not bothering to bicker or complain. Hajime reached for some glasses to wipe spotless.

Squeaks from the wipes and ice clinking were the only thing heard. Classic comfortable silence reigned them.

This only happened once in a blue moon.

If he was being honest, it weirded Hajime a little bit. This was very unusual for the man in front of him. It wasn't as if it wasn't welcome, he was simply used to the bullshit-spewing banter he regularly got.

Then Kizakura finished his drink and spoke.

"I think I'm down for the night. Gotta start the scouting work for next year's batch." he stood up.

"Don't you only have like... a month before next year starts?" Hajime raised an eyebrow.

"No worries kid, I already have them located. Just gotta send the letters to the students and do some small paperwork to pass to the headmaster afterwards."

"Are you gonna leave now?"

"Again, not good for business to ask customers if they're 'gonna leave now.' but yeah, I am. And kid…?

"Yeah?"

"Here's the payment," he fished out his wallet, and per usual overpays him, "And here's your letter of admission."

Kizakura placed the letter over the bills. He stood up and casually walked off.

"What?! Hey! Don't just fucking walk off like… dammit he's gone," he nearly pulled out a handful of his hair then but decided not to, "What the hell… just dropping something that could change my life and taking off without a care."

The teen clearly didn't know what to think. His mind was jumbled. The revelation was far too quick. The cheeky bastard planned this to happen...

On one hand, his future and survival was all but secured. Any and all graduates of Hope's Peak Academy Main Course were set for life. There wasn't an entrance exam, the only way to get in was to receive an invitation letter by the school's scout or win a nation-wide lottery.

But on the other, he just couldn't believe this was happening. He got the chance to hone his talent for three years in the best school on the planet. Bartending was always a hobby turned job he enjoyed, now he has the chance to do it for as long as he wants to.

He could be dreaming for all he cared. Hajime pinched himself for certainty.

His dad would be stoked about the news. Graduating from Hope's Peak Academy practically guaranteed your success into society. Which meant: no more financial worries.

Would he be proud of his son? Yes, along with the fact that he would use that opportunity to spite his ex-wife in jail. Visiting her to simply shove that fact in her face.

And that doesn't really bother the teen all that much. His mom was kind of a… bitch for a lack of a better word.

Hajime felt some stinging on his palms, not realizing that his nails were piercing through his skin, blood dripping down on both his palms.

Yeah, he needed to calm down soon before he caused himself more self-injuries.

Fortunately, his senpai returned from her break.

"You alright there, kouhai?" she looked awfully worried, "Why are you bleeding? Did you drop another glass?"

"No, it's just… I'm conflicted right now." he pointed to the pristine, custom-made admission letter with the Hope's Peak logo.

Hajime twisted the faucet and washed off the blood.

His hands recoiled at the prickling sensation, but he pushed through it. He turned the faucet off, wiggling his hands to remove most of the remaining water.

Then, he opened a cabinet that contained black towels to which he dried off his hands. Multiple crescent-shaped wounds were now present.

He glanced back to Jill holding the unopened letter, sporting a delighted expression on her face

"Oh my god, Hajime! I knew you could do it!" she ran up and pounced on him. Somehow turning into a bear hug and squeezing the brown-haired boy's life out.

"What's happening here?"

Another person entered the bar, a woman to be more specific. Hajime, Jill and Gillian's Boss and owner of Va11-Hall-A: Dana 'Red Comet' Zane, former Ultimate Wrestler. Still wearing her usual button up white shirt and striped purple slacks. An ahoge was also sticking out of her white hair.

Do not underestimate this woman because of her physique, nature and gender. Some unfortunate clients have already learned the hard way.

Jill got off of Hajime and brushed the wrinkles on her uniform. "*ahem* This kid got admitted into your high school, Boss." If Hinata wasn't paying attention, he could've easily missed the slight rise of the edge of her lips.

Not that it mattered when it turned into a full-blown toothy smile. She approached him and he suddenly felt a shudder run down his spine.

With his average at best reaction time, he didn't see Dana's zooming arm latched onto his neck. He was forced to his knees by Dana's headlock. Not to mention that he was now suffocating and his facial color was quickly changing.

To add more spice to it, Dana gave him some noogies.

A flash of light made him close his eyes momentarily. Once he got his vision back, he could see a very pleased-looking Jill with her phone directed at them.

"Oh man this is one to hang in display here." she pocketed it, "Also, Boss, I think you should let go now, he's turning purple."

His chest collided with the cold cement. Dry coughs turned into heavy breathing as he rolled on the floor gasping for air.

"Hehe, I may have gone a little bit too far…" Dana scratched her face in nervous-laughter.

'No shit you did! I nearly died!'

"Anyways..."

'You're just gonna move on?!'

She wrapped her arms around his chest and lifted him up effortlessly. Setting him straight and brushing off the dust from his clothing.

Hajime readjusted his green tie once he recovered from the near-death experience. "Boss, you realize that there were plenty of other methods to celebrate this instead of nearly killing me, right?"

In Dana's defence, she did look somewhat flustered but she never gave much thought. Instead, she proceeded to lay both her hands on Hajime's shoulders and stare right into his eyes.

For a second there the teen felt as if he was going to receive one of Dana's patented finishing moves, he shuddered at the thought.

But then two things happened, her face softened into a smile and his face got slammed into her chest. The young bartender went into shock by the fact that his face was being cushioned by a pair of very soft bosoms.

"B-Bosh, wha' da 'ell ah' yu 'oing?!" he screeched while muffled by his employer's bust.

"Your reward for getting into Hope's Peak, that's what! You said there's other methods, I say this is one of 'em!" Hajime would have never imagined in his life being rewarded by getting smothered by breasts, especially from his Boss!

It doesn't help that out of the corner of his eye, his senpai was just there staying still and doing nothing about it. She should know if this was a typical award from her. Why is she even allowing this?! These women are dating each other for god's sake!

Another minute of his hormones overflowing, he was finally released from a voluptuous hell.

"Can't I get a simple 'congrats' next time instead?!" he cried in hysteria about it. Flailing his arms around for emphasis. He would notsurvive another second if he had more people like this in his life.

"Not in this building, you aren't!" she laughed off his demands, "I'm just proud of you! Getting into Hope's Peak by being my employee!" she playfully jabbed his right arm, not realizing the force she put in.

"OW!" he rubbed the afflicted spot.

"Shouldn't you be excited too? I mean, you're basically set for life now." Jill crossed her arms and leaned her hip to the counter.

"True, but things are happening way too quickly for my brain to properly process them." his fingers fiddled with the edge of his apron.

"Oh, don't be like that. It'll sink in eventually." Dana said.

"Boss, I don't know if you realize but, you're way too laid-back."

"And, you're too stiff! Loosen up! You're a teenager, not an adult. You shouldn't have to be mature for your age. You know what? Why don't we have fun and celebrate? I'll go order some chicken wings. Jill, you handle the drinks and snacks." She pulled out her phone and started contacting a local restaurant, not bothering to wait for his reply.

"Don't we have drinks here already?" Jill jerked her thumb towards the shelves of beverages they have.

"No! We gotta buy some from the store or it doesn't feel like a party!" That... really didn't make a whole lot of sense, but he couldn't really cross her. She's too boneheaded and intimidating. A really scary combo… "And take Hajime with you for help." Of course she's volunteering him without consent.

"Fine... kouhai, let's go." she walked off to the exit without waiting for him. Hinata scurried to remove his apron and catch up.

"And don't forget to close up!"

[-x-]

'Not gonna lie, that was pretty fun.'

Walking home from his celebration party which he would describe as 'disorganized chaos,' Hajime reminisced on the shit that his co-workers pulled. Downing a whole bottle of Whiskey together made Dana batshit crazy and Jill surprisingly only tipsy.

Of course, like a transformed responsible boy, he didn't consume any. He stuck to his newly favored 100% freshly-squeezed orange juice.

Not that Dana didn't try to coerce him to drink by threatening to cut his salary, he simply knew better.

Plus, if he did drink, he wouldn't be in any state to go to school. Let alone have the mental capacity to concentrate because of a hangover.

It was hilarious to see Dana and Jill of all people sing their hearts out while crying to Kenshi Yonezu's 'Lemon.' He knew busting out the old karaoke set was an excellent idea.

As revenge, he also took a photo that he's likely going to send to the bar's group chat. That included some regulars as well.

Speaking of the group chat, his boss already sent the message attached to a picture of the Hope's Peak letter. His other senpai and a multitude of their regulars congratulated him. Still not used to the praise, he got flustered.

One of them even offered him a free erotic service for his accomplishment, but he flatly refused.

This day will probably go down as one of- if not the best day of his pretty shitty life.

Turning his life upside down in one fell swoop.

When Kizakura comes back to the bar, he wouldn't mind crushing the man with a bear hug… that made him pause.

'I really am being influenced by them…'

Finally arriving at his building, which wasn't a far off walk from the bar, he pulled his keys out and entered. Not bothering to announce himself, he removed his shoes and placed them by the side.

It was your usual small japanese apartment, one bedroom, bathroom/toilet and kitchen.

Creaky wood groaned at his steps. Glancing at his passed out father on the table, hand on a semi-empty bottle, he sighed and pulled out clean clothes from his dresser. A quick shower sounded delectable at the moment. So he got on that.

Sliding the door open with as little noise as possible, his feet felt the cold touch of the bathroom tiles. He laid his garments by the sink and stripped down. Putting his nose close, his uniform reeked of alcohol and sweat.

He recoiled and lobbed it at the laundry basket. It wasn't the best decision, since he forgot to grab his phone out. Hajime decided to leave it there for now and entered the bath.

Twisting the handle to the max, he felt steaming water on his scalp. It flowed through his skin until it reached the white floor. He grabbed the wash cloth and bar of soap and started scrubbing.

While cleaning himself off, he thought on how he was going to go about announcing the news to his dad. Would he dance around the subject or just state it bluntly?

The first option didn't really appeal to him all that much. In this situation, how would you even skirt around the subject that is a Hope's Peak admission letter? You can't, period.

Only making the second one the most viable option.

Now how would he phrase it? 'Hey dad, I received an admission letter for Hope's Peak Academy' wayyy too direct. 'Yo dad, um... I kinda received this letter of admission here and…' too casual, maybe he should just roll with it.

Being about done, he rinsed himself one last time and left the bath. Pulling the cabinet door open, he picked up a clean white towel and dried his body.

After he dressed up, he noticed that it was already halfway past four and that he wouldn't get enough sleep. Not that he sleeps much anyways. A nap would have to do the job.

Throughout the day, excluding Sundays, he took naps whenever he could. Breaktime, Lunch, Afternoon Break, After School, he had to take advantage of what little rest he could get.

Sunday is when he recovers those missing hours by sleeping all day long. Though, his homework has to be done in advance, so… you can't win 'em all.

Deep grunts echoed in the apartment, guess his dad woke up. Here goes nothing...

"Hey dad, I got some big news for you." he opened up his bag and passed the big news.

His father rubbed his eyes and froze up. Hajime assumed he noticed the elegant emblem. Then he pulled out the paper and unfolded it. His silence and straight-faced expression became one of joy and excitement.

For the nth time tonight, Hajime got put in a headlock, at least he could breathe this time. But that doesn't make it any better!

"Hajime, you make me goddamn proud!" Tatsuya Hinata roared while ruffling his son's hair. Smiling wide as he downed the beer bottle laying on the table. This was accompanied afterwards by a powerful burp.

"Dad! Don't do that right next to my face! It's disgusting!"

"Oh lay off will ya? You just got into the most prestigious school in Japan!" his dad countered, "This should call for a celebration! Think you can skip today?"

"No, not really. I got finals coming up this week," the teen didn't really find it alluring to party twice in the span of six hours, he needs his rest. "But, we could probably do it by the weekend"

"Shit…" he clicked his tongue, "Well, saturday night it is then."

"Yep, just gotta be patient," Hajime affirmed, "a week isn't much time, you'll get your cocktails eventually."

"Can I at least get one? Just as a teaser?" the younger Hinata was already walking off to prepare his futon, "C'mon Hajime, don't do me like this. Pleaseeee?"

Outright ignoring his father's wishes, Hajime Hinata finally got some shut eye after this rollercoaster of a night.

[-x-]

I first thought of this AU by asking myself: What kind of talent does Hajime have? Well, Fuyuhiko and Nagito's FTEs say that he has an aura of some sort that relaxes people. What kind of people have those auras? Therapists and Counselors. Then I dug deeper, I thought of Bartenders and how they could make people talk about their lives while having a glass. And here we are.

This includes a small crossover of Va11-Hall-A with some characters and mechanics added because I don't know jack shit about mixology and this simplifies things.

I was inspired to write by a deleted fic Fatalityapples wrote called 'Super Danganronpa Slice Of Life: The Class 77, 78 and 79th's Mutual Life Of Bullshit' (which if u read and downloaded it, let me know. I'm desperate to reread it), MixnSpice's 'Farewell to Thee, Normality' and KtyouVsWriting's 'Discovery.' Thanks for the great fics guys!

Anyways, thanks for reading this long-ass prologue. Next chapter will get into Hope's Peak and Class 77-B.