A Beautiful Model In My Class Comes To The Coffee Shop Where I Work Part-time Only When I'm On Shift - Chapter 41

Episode 41: The Usual Spot

“…W-What’s wrong?”

Shizuku calls out to me as I freeze up.

There’s a faint blush on her cheeks. She seems to have noticed the indirect kiss as well.

“Well, uh, you see, um…”

Words fail me. My thoughts whirl around, leaving my mouth hanging empty. I have to say something. Even though I think that the words come and go like bubbles, disappearing before I can grasp them.

“…Hehe, oh dear!”

Suddenly, Shizuku bursts into laughter. Unable to grasp the situation, I become even more confused as to why she’s laughing.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t expect you to be so flustered.”

After a good laugh, Shizuku slowly regains her composure.

“You were teasing me?”

“I haven’t teased you in a while, so I thought I’d give it a shot. But hey, even I felt nervous, you know? It was my first indirect kiss with a boy.”

“Me too…”

My face feels hot. I press a wet towel against my cheek, trying to cool down.

“Juntaro, you’ve never had a girlfriend, right?”

“No.”

“Did you ever want one?”

“It’s not that I didn’t want one… but I’m not good with words, and I couldn’t bring myself to try.”

It’s a pathetic story, but I had given up on that sort of thing.

“…And now?”

“Now?”

Shizuku asks me with a serious look.

I don’t even know what’s become of me. It’s my own heart, yet I don’t understand.

Shizuku and I lock eyes.

Yes, there’s something I feel I must confront.

◇◆◇

Afterward, we visited several cafes.

I think we had a good time. However, it’s undeniable that we were both somewhat absentminded, thinking about something else.

“…It’s already evening.”

Shizuku murmurs as she looks up at the crimson sky.

The summer heat has abated slightly, offering a bit of relief. If the temperature stayed like this all summer, it wouldn’t be so daunting, but that ideal probably won’t come true in our lifetime.

“What should we do now? I want to spend a little more time with Juntaro.”

Shizuku says with a meaningful tone.

“There’s one more place I want to go to.”

“Where?”

“The usual spot.”

With just those words, Shizuku seems to understand where I want to go. Without saying anything, she walks beside me.

We return to the city and get off at the familiar station in Jimbocho.

When I say “the usual spot,” it naturally refers to Cafe Mellow. Its historic facade exudes a gentle warmth. This place really is the most calming.

“Oh, it’s not open today.”

“Yeah, the owner said she had something to do.”

Using the spare key entrusted with me, I unlocked the door with the sign “close” hanging on it. As I entered, the lingering aroma of coffee tickled my nostrils.

“…Shizuku, can you still drink one more drink?”

“Eh? Uh, yeah…I totally can.”

“Then please sit down and wait.”

After I showed Shizuku to her usual seat, I stood at the counter.

The counter was already prepared to brew coffee.

It must have been Utahara-san. She must have been concerned about us, because she closed the shop for the day.

“…So she knew we’d come here. Haha, thank you.”

I chuckle softly as I start boiling water.

I feel a strange sensation now. My mind is sharpened, and it feels like my field of vision has expanded.

I place finely ground beans in the dripper and pour water over them.

I’ve practiced making coffee diligently, day after day. Still, it’s only been a year or so. I haven’t had much experience serving others. Compared to the owner, I’m still quite inexperienced.

But it’s me who wants to satisfy Shizuku. It has to be me. Even if it were the master, I want to be Shizuku’s number one.

When the three-minute timer goes off, I stop pouring water.

It’s a nearly perfect drip.

“All right…”

Then I transfer the freshly brewed coffee to a specially prepared cup.

“Sorry for the wait.”

As I say this, I place the freshly brewed coffee in front of Shizuku.
The delightful aroma of coffee fills the air, and her cheeks relax slightly.

“…It smells just like the coffee I always drink at this shop.”

“I brewed it with you in mind. Please, have a taste.”

“…Thank you.”

And so, Shizuku takes a sip from the cup.