A Beautiful Model In My Class Comes To The Coffee Shop Where I Work Part-time Only When I'm On Shift - Chapter 7

Episode 7: Praise

“You’re being taken care of, Juntaro.”

After Utahara-san returned to the counter, Shizuku murmured with a smile.

“…I’m grateful for that.”

She was always at her own pace and elusive.

So, I didn’t know she thought of me as a little brother.

Although I never thought she disliked me, I never expected her to care about me this much.

“Now that I have your permission, we can continue to talk here.”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

“Hey, could it be that you’re not happy about it?”

“No, I’m happy to talk with Shizuku. But I’m worried about boring you until I get better at talking…”

When I said that, Shizuku looked surprised for a moment and then smiled.

“Don’t worry, just talking with Juntaro gives me energy.”

“Is that so…?”

“Talking with Juntaro boosts my self-esteem. You praise me a lot.”

Am I really praising Shizuku? I’m sorry I have no recollection of that.

“I don’t think you’re that bad at talking. In fact, the slow pace of our conversation is refreshing. People around me always talk so fast… especially the important people at the office, they always speak rapidly. Thanks to that, I can’t even express my opinions.”

“Maybe they talk fast because they’re busy?”

“Could be, right? They walk fast too, always in a hurry.”

Perhaps recalling someone at the office, Shizuku burst into laughter. When she laughed, I found myself naturally smiling too. Even though she claimed she didn’t want to be a model, I think she truly has the talent to captivate many people.

“Oh, by the way, does this place serve both meals and desserts?”

Shizuku opened the menu on the table.

“Any recommendations? I’d like to try something next time I come.”

“Ah, in that case… I recommend the Napolitan and Nut Cookies.”

“Hoho, why is that?”

“I’m in charge of making those dishes.”

“…Eh?! Juntaro makes them?! That’s amazing…!”

I had been entrusted with several dishes and desserts from the menu. Especially, the Napolitan and nut cookies had received good feedback from customers, and people who visited in the evening often ordered them. While Utahara-san was skilled at brewing coffee, she wasn’t particularly good at cooking. Therefore, before I arrived, orders for items other than coffee were rare. She still seemed a bit frustrated about that.

“I’ll order them next time I come then.”

“Since they have received good reviews, look forward to it.”

As we chatted, Shizuku’s smartphone on the table suddenly vibrated. It seemed like a message notification, but what caught my eye was the time.

“Ah, it’s from my mom… Wait, it’s already this late?!”

It’s 8:55 pm. It was already time to close the shop.

“Time flies… we didn’t talk enough.”

“Isn’t it just right that we don’t have enough to talk about? It gives us something to look forward to next time.

“…I guess that’s true.”

Seeing Shizuku preparing to leave, I remembered that I had Modern Japanese literature printouts from Akira-chan, aka Mamiya-sensei.

“Shizuku, here.”

“Oh, is this by any chance the printout from the last class?”

“Yep, it’s from Mamiya-sensei. Oh, and she has a message too.”

“A message?”

“Don’t work too hard and hurt your body.”

“Ahaha, Akira-chan is unexpectedly kind, huh?”

With a happy expression, Shizuku received the printout from me.

“Thanks. Working too hard, huh… I’ll be careful.”

“Is it busy lately?”

“Yeah… well, I actually got cast in a drama audition.”

As she said that, Shizuku scratched her cheek. Despite it being good news, she didn’t seem too happy.

“I mentioned it during the day, but I’m not really interested in dramas or movies… but since I got the role, I have to do it. Even if I wanted to decline, it would inconvenience those around me…”

“That sounds tough… I can feel it just by listening.”

“I’m just happy to have your sympathy. If I said this to someone in the same industry, they’d probably think it’s sarcasm.”

For some, appearing in a drama is a dream. If Shizuku, who dislikes it, were to be known, she would undoubtedly attract resentment.

“Well, if I’m doing it, I’ll do my best. I’ve decided that much.”

“I see…”

“If I manage to pull it off, will you praise me again?”

“Of course. As much as you want, if that’s okay with you.”

“Great. With that, I can work even harder.”

Shizuku poked my shoulder with her finger and then headed towards the register.

“Thanks for the coffee. I’ll come again.”

“Sure! You’re always welcome.”

Having completed the payment, I decided to accompany Shizuku to the front of the shop.

As she left, she turned back and, with a skillful wink, waved her hand towards me.

“Well then, see you at school.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Shizuku walked away. Anyway, I’m glad she seemed to have become more positive.

“I need to work hard too…”

Slapping my cheeks to boost my spirits, I flipped the “OPEN” sign on the door to “CLOSE” and returned inside the shop.

“Oh, you flipped the sign. Thanks~”

While expressing gratitude, Utahara-san gestured for me to come over. Wondering what was going on, I approached the counter, and there I saw the tools for brewing coffee all set up.

“I thought that maybe talking to Shizuku-chan got you all fired up. I thought I’d give you a little guidance on brewing coffee after a long time.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah. You want to make coffee that can comfort Shizuku-chan, right?”

“…Yes.”

Utahara-san is really good at reading people’s emotions. She must have noticed that I’m inspired by Shizuku’s efforts.

“Alright, let’s practice each step one by one. First, let’s start with lightly roasted beans.”

I ground the beans prepared for me using the mill. Having someone I respect watch me directly is both intimidating and grateful.

Placing the ground beans on the paper filter, I started brewing coffee using the exact same steps as Utahara-san had shown me before. Once finished, I handed the cup to trahara-san.

“Please taste it.”

“Sure, here goes.”

My heartbeat was loud with nervousness. The sensation was there. The timing was minimal, and I should have been able to pour the water relatively finely.

“Mmm… I see.”

After sipping a bit, Utahara-san nodded and set the cup down.

“You’ve grown, Jun-kun. It’s a big difference from a year ago. Your efforts are clearly paying off.”

“Really!”

“The flavor is clean, and the richness comes out well. But if you’re serving it in a shop, there’s still a bit to go.”

“A bit more… What’s lacking?”

“To be blunt, experience, I guess. It’s natural for the brewing method to change slightly depending on the condition of the beans, not just the type. But besides that, you also have to consider the changes in the beans’ state due to storage methods and time.”

“The state of the beans…”

“The way you’re brewing now is perfectly logical, and there’s no mistake in it. But, like people, each bean has its own personality.”

I quickly understood that this personality wasn’t about the type of beans.

“Even with the same type of beans, they change little by little depending on the storage method and time, so there’s no one-size-fits-all brewing method. In other words, you have to read the mood of the beans in front of you.”

“I see.”

I still don’t understand that level of change. The personality of beans, huh? Will the day come when I can understand it?

“But I didn’t expect to teach you about the personality of beans this soon… You really put in a lot of effort. Well done, well done.”

“Thank you very much.”

Being praised by Utahara-san warms my heart. I’ll continue to do my best. To brew delicious coffee and to be a worthy conversation partner for Shizuku.