[Minato Ward, Tokyo — Present Day, 6:47 PM]
In a cozy coffee shop no larger than thirty square meters, painted in muted blue-grey tones, the kind of place that seemed magnetically designed to draw in high schoolers and university students alike.
"This… is really delicious."
"Mmn, whether it's the milk-to-foam ratio or that rich, velvety texture coating your tongue—it's absolutely yabai."
Cradling their cappuccinos with both hands, the female students in their sailor-style uniforms radiated that unmistakable youthful energy as blissful smiles spread across their faces.
"The drinks are amazing, sure, but that's not the real reason this place is always packed, is it?"
"Everyone comes here for…"
A petite girl sporting a perfect hime-cut winked mischievously, her gaze drifting toward the beverage preparation counter.
There, a young man with sharp features and an air of cool indifference worked with machine-like precision, sifting cocoa powder over a mountain of whipped cream.
As his metal latte art pen traced an elegant feather pattern across the surface, a steaming mocha with an intoxicating aroma was completed in his hands.
Not just those few female students—nearly every woman in the café found their eyes drawn to the young man stationed at the drink counter.
"Here you are, please enjoy."
At the service counter, Togawa Sakiko stood wearing a white headscarf and a pale pink apron, deftly sliding a sealed cold brew into a paper bag printed with an adorable cat-paw logo.
She offered a slight bow, presenting the order with both hands extended.
Even now that her family's fortunes had crumbled to dust, the refined etiquette drilled into her since childhood allowed her to handle customer service with flawless grace.
Dabbing a few droplets of sweat from her forehead, Togawa Sakiko found herself—like every other female customer in the shop—stealing glances at the young man nearby while waiting for the next drink.
Kazama Haru.
Because the shop itself was modest in size, they were the only two employees on shift.
Togawa Sakiko managed front-of-house, while Kazama Haru, perpetually stone-faced, focused solely on crafting beverages.
If she recalled correctly, Kazama Haru had started working here around the same time she had.
The proprietress had interviewed them simultaneously, asking only a handful of basic questions before breaking into a knowing smile:
"Please, both of you must work at my little shop—salary is completely negotiable."
"I'll schedule you two together. Such an ikemen-bishoujo combo is bound to bring all the young people flocking~"
* Ikemen-handsome
Bishoujo-Beautiful
Though her ingrained pride made Togawa Sakiko less than enthusiastic about such customer-facing work, the endless rejections citing age restrictions had left her with virtually no alternatives.
Besides, this was infinitely better than delivering newspapers through rain and typhoons.
And just as the proprietress had predicted, once they started working, the new coffee shop—already surrounded by high schools and universities—rapidly cultivated a devoted customer base.
Initially, most of the female patrons came purely for Kazama Haru's face, though certainly a respectable number showed up for Togawa Sakiko as well.
They didn't particularly care about drink quality; simply existing in the same space as Kazama Haru while sipping something made them feel blessed.
But it wasn't long before they made a startling discovery—the drinks here were somehow equal in value to Kazama Haru's devastating good looks.
More precisely, the drinks Kazama Haru made.
Those long, elegant fingers of his seemed to possess some kind of magic; even following the exact same recipes the owner provided, whatever he created was simply more delicious and universally beloved.
Once customers caught on, they began timing their visits around his work schedule.
Which explained why the shop was absolutely slammed right now—patrons from what should have been two separate shifts had congregated all at once.
"Togawa-san?"
It took Kazama Haru calling her name twice before Togawa Sakiko snapped back to reality.
"Ah—! I'm sorry."
After a quick apologetic bow, she hurriedly reached for the steaming drink in the young man's hand.
In her haste during the exchange, Kazama Haru's fingers inadvertently brushed against the back of her hand.
That faint, electric sensation made Togawa Sakiko shiver almost imperceptibly—but she couldn't afford to dwell on such strange feelings.
The customer line had grown long. She needed to pick up the pace.
"Togawa-san, if you're tired, feel free to take a break." A rare hint of concern flickered across Kazama Haru's typically impassive face.
"No."
Her eyes caught the beads of sweat trailing down Kazama Haru's cheeks, and Togawa Sakiko spoke with firm resolve. "Kazama-kun's workload is already heavy enough. I refuse to become an unnecessary burden. Besides—I can totally handle this!"
Togawa Sakiko lightly patted her somewhat round, pretty cheeks, forcing herself to rally.
Through their seamless, almost telepathic coordination, the dreaded "evening rush" finally passed.
"Haru-chan~ See you tomorrow~♡"
As a familiar gyaru regular—all golden-brown ringlets, black crop top, and dangerously low-rise jeans—blew a kiss toward Kazama Haru, the shop finally welcomed a rare moment of peace.
Outside, darkness had swallowed the city whole. The clock read 9 PM.
Even without customers, relaxation remained a distant dream.
The beverage counter splattered with milk stains, trash cans overflowing with cup sleeves and packaging… and a battlefield of debris scattered across the floor awaited them.
Their eyes met. Exhaustion and helplessness reflected in each other's gazes.
They smiled.
Kazama Haru grabbed a rag to wipe down tables while Togawa Sakiko crouched to collect the trash littering the floor.
After another round of frantic cleaning, the shop sparkled like new, and it was finally time to head home.
"Kazama-kun, otsukaresama deshita." *Good work
Togawa Sakiko exhaled a long, weary sigh, untying the pale pink apron the manager had specially prepared for her before offering a small bow to Kazama Haru.
For someone who'd been raised in luxury, this level of work intensity was clearly not something she could adapt to overnight.
"Togawa-san, please wait."
Kazama Haru's voice stopped Togawa Sakiko mid-stride as she headed for her locker.
"Um, is something wrong?"
She turned, her amber eyes clouded with confusion.
Togawa Sakiko didn't dislike this taciturn colleague of hers.
In fact, she felt genuinely fortunate to be working alongside someone like him.
Over two months of shared shifts, though their conversations remained sparse, a considerable unspoken understanding had quietly blossomed between them.
Not only that—Kazama Haru would occasionally hand her tissues to wipe away sweat during busy hours, or remind her that the floor had just been mopped and to watch her step…
For Togawa Sakiko, who had plunged into darkness, this kind of genuine, unfeigned kindness brought her a warmth she'd long forgotten existed.
Compared to that apartment littered with beer cans, reeking of alcohol and despair, perhaps somewhere deep down, she wished she could stay here just a little longer.
"This."
Clink.
With the gentle sound of ceramic meeting wood, Kazama Haru placed a steaming cup before Togawa Sakiko.
Black tea?
The familiar fragrance made Togawa Sakiko's delicate nose twitch involuntarily.
"According to Chi-san, next week we'll be rolling out a new lineup of tea-based drinks to expand our menu."
Kazama Haru pressed his palms together in a small gesture. "This is something I blended based on my own interpretation. Honestly, since it's my first attempt at tea drinks, I'm not entirely confident."
"If you wouldn't mind, Togawa-san—would you be willing to taste it and offer some feedback?"
"Eh? Is that… really okay?"
Togawa Sakiko stared blankly at the black tea, and right on cue, her stomach chose that moment to remind her of its emptiness.
Come to think of it, she'd rushed straight here the moment school ended.
Hours of nonstop work had left her borderline hypoglycemic, nearly tripping over herself several times.
And the black tea Kazama Haru offered just happened to be her absolute favorite.
Once a connoisseur who'd savored only the finest blends, poverty had long since stripped that pleasure from her life.
"The temperature should be just right. Please, go ahead." Kazama Haru gestured invitingly.
"Then… itadakimasu."
Driven by the intoxicating aroma wafting up and the gnawing hunger tormenting her stomach, Togawa Sakiko eagerly lifted the teacup.
Her movements remained elegant, almost unconsciously graceful.
If it's Kazama-kun's handiwork, this tea should definitely be delicious.
With that thought, Togawa Sakiko extended her pale pink tongue and took a tentative sip.
A soft, lingering tea fragrance, accompanied by a touch of honey—sweet but never cloying—traveled from her tongue to her taste buds, blooming like flowers.
"Oishii!" *Delicious
Togawa Sakiko's amber eyes lit up instantly, a heartfelt exclamation bursting forth.
"Kazama-kun, this taste—it's even better than the teas I used to treasure at home…"
The words caught in her throat.
Indeed. Dredging up those old memories now would only seem meaningless.
Noticing the subtle shift in the blue-haired girl's expression, Kazama Haru smiled gently and smoothly interjected: "Is that so? I'm glad. It means a lot that you like it, Togawa-san."
"In the future, I might experiment with more unusual blends like this. Togawa-san—would you still be willing to be my official taste tester?"
"Eh."
Togawa Sakiko, still drowning in the painful gulf between past and present, suddenly looked up. A ripple stirred in her eyes as she met Kazama Haru's gaze.
Just now, while savoring his black tea, the sweetness from the honey had briefly made her forget the bitterness saturating her life.
If she could always have something like this to support her going forward… she might actually survive these dark days.
And so—
"Yorokonde, desuwa!" *I'd be happy to!
Under the surge of emotion flooding her heart, Togawa Sakiko unconsciously slipped back into her ojou-sama speech pattern.
"That—um, speaking like that, isn't it rather…"
Seemingly mortified at using such refined language in a workplace setting, Togawa Sakiko's composure crumbled into flustered panic.
But Kazama Haru, as if he hadn't noticed a thing, simply collected the tea set and began untying the apron from his waist.
"Kazama-kun—see you tomorrow!"
Marveling at Kazama Haru's quiet thoughtfulness, warmth spreading through her chest, Togawa Sakiko offered one final bow before slipping out of the coffee shop.
Ding.
[Skill "Beverage Blending" has been upgraded to LV4 (Master)]
[Quest Complete: Personally brew black tea for Togawa Sakiko to relieve her life stress]
[Reward: 1000 Wish Points have been credited. Please check your inventory!]
Gazing at the system panel hovering before him, Kazama Haru's expression remained perfectly calm. He pulled his trench coat tighter against the autumn chill and set off toward home.