A Beautiful Model In My Class Comes To The Coffee Shop Where I Work Part-time Only When I'm On Shift - Chapter 40

Episode 40: Lemon Tart

In the end, what we ordered were the coffee blend, iced café latte, and the lemon tart, which had become a specialty of the shop.

The lemon tart had lemon slices arranged on top, presenting an undeniably adorable appearance. Was this the kind of dessert that would stand out on social media?

“Wow… this is so cute. Hey, can I take a picture?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Before eating, Shizuku captured the lemon tart in a photo.

“I’ve been thinking of putting more effort into my social media lately. Well, I’m just taking pictures like this, though.”

While saying so, Shizuku put away her smartphone, and I tilted my head.

“Oh, did you already post it?”

“Nah. I’ll edit it later and then post it. If you post in real-time, some people might try to find you specifically.”

“Is that so…?”

“In reality, there was a girl among my model friends who experienced something like that. She posted a picture of her having dinner with friends, and someone managed to identify the dish and the restaurant and showed up uninvited.”

In this day and age, celebrities have to be cautious about such things. It’s unimaginable for ordinary people.

“Fans are truly appreciated, but there are some who take their enthusiasm in the wrong direction. But it’s not like those people necessarily have ill intentions.”

Shizuku stirred her cafe latte with a straw. Her manner seemed as though she was carefully choosing her words.

“No one thinks they’re hurting others. Of course, the ones who take action are at fault, but no matter how much you try to caution them, those who don’t understand won’t understand. And those who don’t understand people’s feelings won’t stop even if you ask them to, right?”

“That’s true…
I remembered the people who got banned from Cafe Mellow.

They didn’t get banned just because of one incident. Despite repeatedly asking them to stop, they ignored it and continued to cause trouble, which ultimately led to the ban.

Fundamentally, their sense of living is different. That’s the only way to explain it.

“If you can’t do anything about the other person, you just have to be careful yourself, right? To not lose to unfairness, you have to protect yourself as much as possible.”

“Yeah… I think that’s right.”

The world doesn’t run on just good intentions. I may not fully understand the world Shizuku lives in, but I can understand that she’s fighting hard.

“Alright, let’s stop with the gloomy talk and eat the tart, okay? And the coffee too!”

“…Yeah.”

As Shizuku said, we didn’t need any more gloomy conversations right now.

I first took a sip of the coffee blend. Its fragrance spread gently, escaping into my nostrils. Yes, it’s delicious. But…

“It’s too easy to drink, isn’t it?”

“Huh? Isn’t that a good thing?”

Seeing me disappointed, Shizuku tilted her head.

“No, it’s not that it’s bad. It’s really delicious but…”

I struggled to find the words. It’s undeniably delicious, but it lacks something. It’s too round, lacking any sharp features. I prefer it a bit bitter, with a stronger taste. And some people might prefer it with a bit less acidity.

“Can I have a bit?”

“Sure.”

Shizuku took a sip from the cup.

After pondering for a while, she nodded in agreement.

“I see, it’s certainly delicious, but it feels like it appeals to everyone. I personally prefer something a bit stronger and more bitter. A bit less acidity would be good too.”

“…I see. That’s true.”

The phrase “appeals to everyone” perfectly described this coffee.

There are many people in the world who don’t like coffee, especially black coffee. But surely, this coffee would be easy for them to drink.

Until now, I had only been thinking about accommodating people’s preferences. This coffee at the shop was completely different from my ideal, but it was making many people happy. Knowing that there’s this path, I felt happy.

“Everyone’s favorite taste, huh… I should taste it properly and remember.”

“The cafe latte here is delicious too, you should try it.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I accepted the glass Shizuku offered and took a sip from the straw. The flavor of coffee mixed with the slight sweetness of milk. I usually only drink black coffee, but occasionally, something like this isn’t so bad.

“It’s certainly delicious…”

As I was about to return the glass, I realized.

Could that have been… an indirect kiss just now?