The words didn't even make it out before he cut her off.
Halfway out the door, Yuu pauses, turning to face the girl glaring at him with a sullen expression and cold eyes.
Suddenly, he narrows his eyes, flashing a friendly, familiar smile.
"Honestly, I don't like judging a woman by her body, but your scrawny, unappealing figure really doesn't even spark the urge to be a sneaky jerk or a coward. The rumors aren't entirely wrong—at least in terms of charm, you do lose to that transfer student, Natsukawa."
"So, relax. For the club activities ahead, let's get along well!"
*SLAM!*
He shuts the classroom door, leaving the girl alone, wrapped in cold, silent air.
"…"
After a long pause, a heavy breath, as if suppressing rage, breaks the silence.
"Tenkuji… What a pity I agreed to let Hiratsuka-sensei give you the club funds, even though it wasn't true… Hah, great job."
The cold, indifferent mutter fades into the deepening twilight.
Soon after, the black-haired girl leaves the classroom. Locking the door, she walks quickly, her face expressionless, radiating a "don't approach me" aura.
Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner, diagonally across from the classroom.
"I was just trying to avoid that crowd, but who'd have thought, dodging around led me to such an interesting development~"
Silver-blue hair sways gently as the girl rises from leaning against the wall.
A moment later, she suddenly spreads her left hand in front of her face, her right hand behind her as if ready for a relay, thighs tightly crossed, waist twisting forward, striking a bizarre yet captivating pose.
"Yes, human connections are like gravity! Meeting through the pull of fate—this is destiny's choice!"
After that baffling declaration, she hums, skipping cheerfully toward the stairs.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
At Angel Cafe
Due to the Service Club business, Yuu arrives at his part-time job, Angel Cafe, half an hour later than scheduled.
Stepping through the orange twilight, he pushes the door open and enters.
"Welcome—oh, it's Tenkuji-kun, you're finally here."
"Sorry, a teacher held me back to talk, so I'm late." Smiling at the owner behind the counter, Yuu heads to the staff room.
The owner smiles gently, stroking his mustache: "No worries, no worries. It's not busy today, I can handle it… What do you think of the shop's decor? I had it redesigned on purpose."
"Pretty nice, huh?"
Yuu glances around, gives a brief impression, and heads to the staff room to change.
"Eh? That's it? I was pretty proud…"
Disappointed by his indifferent response, the owner's mood lifts when Yuu emerges in his well-fitted, handsome waiter uniform: "Ah, the days I missed are back… Tenkuji-kun, thank goodness you're here. Otherwise, my last motivation to keep this shop open would be gone."
"Boss, it's not that dramatic, is it?" Yuu replies with faint amusement, noticing no customers and starting to wipe tables with a cloth.
Meanwhile, the owner brews coffee, musing: "I'm serious. If you couldn't come back, I'd probably close the shop, travel the world, and search for the secret of the ultimate coffee, right?"
"What, a café au lait variant?"
Grumbling, Yuu thinks for a moment, then says teasingly: "What if I said I wanted to quit now…"
"No way! Tenkuji-kun, you promised me!"
The owner panics. Though a middle-aged man, he looks as flustered as a child: "Everything's ready! If you leave now, I'd be in big trouble!"
Yuu laughs, hiding his regret: "Relax, just kidding."
"Phew, thank goodness…" The owner sighs, patting his chest.
Soon, the rich aroma of coffee wafts over, white steam rising. The owner sets the coffee on the counter, calling: "Tenkuji-kun, no rush with work. Have some coffee and take a break."
"Thanks, Boss."
After quickly cleaning the tables, Yuu tosses the cloth into the sink, washes his hands, and sits at the counter.
"Come on, try my proud coffee blend!" The owner grins confidently. "During your summer break, I honed my brewing skills, you know!"
"Then I'll gladly accept." Lifting the cup, Yuu takes a few sips, pursing his lips to savor it for a few seconds. "…Compared to before, the richness and purity of the aroma have improved. The acidity, bitterness, and fragrance blend harmoniously in the mouth, like natives of Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, and Kilimanjaro dancing joyfully together. This is mid-level expert quality."
"Expert level?" Though confused, the owner catches the praise and doesn't overthink it, stroking his mustache with satisfaction.
"Hmm, hmm, if it suits your taste, that's good enough~"
"By the way, Tenkuji-kun, you've gotten sharper. You used to not give such precise reviews, and now you can even tell where my beans are from… Tell you what, if I ever retire, I'll hand this shop over to you!"
Though joking, the owner suddenly realizes mid-conversation it's not a bad idea.
Yuu just shrugs, smiling resignedly.
"Boss, I can only eat and drink, not make coffee."
What can he do? His Cooking skill covers desserts but not drink-making, tea brewing, or coffee brewing. He really can't do those.
But maybe because chefs need a keen sense of taste, his tongue is more sensitive than before. He can distinguish ingredient quality and types. Whether he'll unlock something like a God's Tongue or Super Smell at max level, who knows.
Even if he could, he wouldn't become a barista or open a coffee shop—seeing the owner's face alone tells him running a shop is more exhausting than imagined.
"Well, we'll think about the future later!" Ignoring Yuu's subtle rejection, the owner bends down, pulls a job application resume from behind the counter, and places it beside the coffee cup.
"I've interviewed this kid, and they'll start officially next week. As their senior, you'll need to teach them the ropes!"
"Leave it to me, don't worry."
Sipping coffee, Yuu picks up the resume, scanning from the photo to the name with a calm gaze.
"So, isn't this kid cute? They're from your school too."
Leaning on the bar, the owner chuckles: "So, at the cafe and school, they'll have to call you senpai. Don't you youngsters love being called 'Senpai!' by cute girls?"
Yuu mutters: "I'd rather be called Onii-chan…"
"What?"
The owner doesn't hear clearly, and Yuu quickly clears his throat to change the topic.
"Nothing, I'll teach them well."