A Beautiful Model In My Class Comes To The Coffee Shop Where I Work Part-time Only When I'm On Shift - Chapter 5

Episode 5: Coffee Brewing Lesson

“Did you come right away?”

“Yeah, I wanted to drink the coffee here.”

When Shizuku said that, I felt happy. When the coffee at this shop is praised, I feel joy as if it were my own accomplishment.

“Ah… sorry, I should guide you. This way, please.”

“Thanks.”

The number of customers is slow to begin with, so there are few times when it is noticeably busy, but at this time of the day, when the store is about to close, the number of customers drops dramatically, perhaps because they cannot stay for long.

In the quiet atmosphere, I led Shizuku to the table farthest in the back.

“Have you decided on your order?”

“Pfft… it’s a bit funny being addressed with honorifics by a classmate.”

“…Can’t be helped. At least the posture has to stay the same.”

“I get it. Then, can I have the same hot coffee as yesterday?”

“Certainly.”

I returned to the counter and conveyed Shizuku’s order to Utahara-san.

“Got it, same as yesterday, right?”

“Yes, please.”

“…By the way, since we have a customer and no one else around, how about I show Kamisaka-chan how to make coffee? She seems interested.”

When she said that, I looked towards the table, and there was Shizuku, looking at us with a restless expression. When our eyes met, she hurriedly hid her face with the menu. As Utahara-san mentioned, it seems she is indeed interested.

“There are no other customers, so why not call her over?”

“…I understand.”

I went to the table and spoke to Shizuku.

“If you’re interested in how coffee is made, would you like to watch the master up close?”

“Really? Is that okay?”

“The master said it’s fine.”

“Yes! I tried making drip coffee by myself yesterday, but it didn’t taste as good as the one I had here…”

“Ah, I went through the same thing at first.”

Returning to the counter, Utahara-san had everything ready and was waiting.

“Thank you for coming today. As I recall, you were Shizuku Kamisaka, right?”

“Yes. The coffee here is so delicious that I came back again.”

“I’m delighted! I’m Yumi Utahara. I’m the owner of this shop. Jun-kun is always a regular here.”

Shizuku bowed her head in response to Utahara-san’s slight bow.

“Did inviting you to watch bother you?”

“No, not at all. I’ve been curious since yesterday because I’ve never had such delicious coffee…”

“Hehe, then maybe I should show you around~”

Pleased with the compliment for the coffee, Utahara-san, in a good mood, placed the coffee beans into the coffee mill.

Just for clarification, a coffee mill is a tool used to grind coffee beans into a powdered form.

“Shizuku-chan seems to like beans with a strong bitterness. The one I used yesterday was Mandheling, a dark roast. It has low acidity, a gentle bitterness, and a strong richness.”

“Dark roast… Manderin?”

Seeing Shizuku tilt her head, I added an explanatio.

 “Dark roast refers to beans roasted for an extended period.”

Roasting, which involves heating and drying coffee beans, is called “roasting.” There are three main stages: light roast, medium roast, and dark roast. As it gets darker, the bitterness becomes stronger, and a fragrant aroma develops. Conversely, light roasts have a strong acidity and fruity flavor. The choice of roasting level depends on the compatibility with the beans, and it’s not a matter of good or bad.

“Mandheling refers to the type of bean. Coffee characteristics vary depending on the bean type.”

“Oh…! That’s interesting.”

Shizuku’s eyes sparkled with interest. If she’s intrigued by this conversation, she has the potential to become a coffee enthusiast.

“But, isn’t it quite a coincidence to like the first coffee you tried among all the varieties?”

“No, it’s not a coincidence. It seems the master can tell what kind of coffee a person would like just by looking at them.”

As I said that, Utahara-san proudly puffed out her ample chest. Honestly, I found this story hard to believe at first. However, seeing her accurately guess the preferences of new customers, I came to understand that it’s true.

“It’s mostly intuition. But since taking over this shop, I’ve never been wrong about people’s preferences.”

“Amazing… it’s like a superpower.”

“Keep praising me more~!”

Overwhelmed with joy, Utahara-san started wriggling around, and I had to cough. Startled, she quickly composed herself.

“Um… so, next is grinding, okay?”

Utahara-san started turning the handle of the mill.

“Like this, we turn the selected beans into powder. Did you know the taste also changes depending on the coarseness of the grind?”

“Oh, really…”

“If you prefer a strong bitterness, it’s better to grind finer. About the size of granulated sugar, I’d say.”

Saying that, Utahara-san pointed to the sugar on the table.

“That way, it won’t be too bitter, and the flavor will be smooth.”

The ground coffee powder was placed in a dripper with a paper filter.

“First, we pour hot water to moisten the beans and wait for a bit. Then, set a timer and…”

Utahara-san prepared the kitchen timer, setting it for three minutes.

“What’s this timer for?”

“The time to pour water. During these three minutes, we pour almost continuously to finish extracting the necessary amount.”

Utahara-san then slowly poured hot water onto the beans. Shizuku exclaimed, “Huh!?” as she watched.

“Even though there’s only three minutes, you’re not pouring it all at once!?”

“Ah, if you pour too much water at once, the coffee compounds will fall down before being properly extracted. So, we don’t pour it all at once. Instead, we pour water slowly without stopping for three minutes.”

The kettle Utahara-san held was continuously pouring a small amount of water. The trajectory it drew resembled thin threads. I still couldn’t do it like her. Pouring water as thinly and continuously as possible is more challenging than it appears. Being overly conscious of making it thin could cause interruptions, and pouring too much could spoil the flavor. To achieve a constant flow, I practice late into the night.

“…Alright, it’s done.”

As Utahara-san said that, the kitchen timer’s alarm sounded. What’s impressive about her is that she maintains a consistent water flow, keeping it steady for three minutes, finishing the extraction perfectly.

“Here you go, Shizuku-chan.”

Saying that, Utahara-san handed the freshly brewed coffee to Shizuku.

『Afterword』

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