A Beautiful Model In My Class Comes To The Coffee Shop Where I Work Part-time Only When I'm On Shift - Chapter 9

Episode 9: Smooth Talker

“By the way, can I order the Napolitan Juntaro was talking about?”

“Hmm? Oh, of course.”

“Great. I was really hungry, you know.”

“It’ll take a bit, is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

I stood up and went to the counter. Utahara-san, who was brewing coffee for another customer, tilted her head as she saw me return.

“What’s up? More coffee?”

“No, Shizuku ordered Napolitan, so I came to make it.”

“Oh, I see.”

I headed to the stove in the back of the counter, preparing ingredients and a frying pan. While sautéing ingredients like bell peppers and sausages, I added pasta that had been boiled longer than the recommended time, ensuring a chewy texture to better absorb the sauce.

The base flavor was ketchup. However, to avoid monotony and enhance the taste, I added tomato paste, garlic, and consommé. A touch of red pepper flakes. I used freshly grated garlic, not the tube variety, for a refined flavor.

“Let’s see…”

I shook the frying pan, coating the pasta with the ketchup mixture. Once evenly coated, I simply sautéed until a fragrant aroma filled the air. After seasoning with salt and pepper, the Napolitan was ready.

After confirming it tasted fine with a quick taste test, I plated it and headed towards Shizuku.

“Sorry for the wait, here’s your Napolitan.”

“Wow!”

“There’s powdered cheese too, feel free to sprinkle it on.”

“Thanks! I’ll enjoy this!”

Shizuku twirled a generous amount of pasta onto her fork and took a bite. Surprised by the heartiness of her first mouthful, she suddenly lit up.

“Delicious!”

She continued devouring the Napolitan with enthusiasm. As someone who took the order, it was quite satisfying to see her enjoy it so much. When she reached about half, Shizuku sprinkled the powdered cheese on top.

“Ah… this tastes like happiness.”

Her eating speed increased. In the end, she finished at the same rapid pace.

“Phew… it was delicious. Thank you for the meal.”

“If it was good, then I’m glad. Did it satisfy you?”

“Honestly, I wanted to eat a bit more, but I have to maintain my figure. I try not to eat too much at night to keep it in check.”

“…Professional indeed.”

“Maintaining the figure is crucial for a model… It’s advice I got from senior models, though.”

“……”

While it fits the image that models restrict their diet, I wonder if it’s truly healthy. Seeing her work so hard every day, I can’t help but wish she could eat a bit more.

“You’ve done well as a model for a whole year. Honestly, I thought you might not make it at first, thinking you wouldn’t become popular.”

“That’s true… I had confidence in my appearance, but I never thought I’d succeed as a model. So, it was surprising when jobs started pouring in so quickly.”

“…Just a simple question, but didn’t you ever think of quitting school despite being so busy?”

It seems like with such success, there are countless possibilities for her future. As an outsider, I only know what’s visible.

“… It feels like there must be some reason, so I wanted to ask.”

“…It won’t be in vain, I think.”

“In vain?”

“You never know what might happen in the future. For example, what if I had a terrible accident and got disfigured? There’s a possibility I couldn’t model anymore. If I had quit school and focused solely on the entertainment industry, losing that means of survival.”

Though Shizuku spoke in a joking tone, the content of her words was far from humorous.

“Also, in the modeling world, the experience of attending school is essential. Most of my fans have probably attended school. So, to avoid drifting too far from their perspective, I plan to keep going to school.”

“…You really are amazing, Shizuku.”

Shizuku is not just focused on the immediate, but she has a clear vision for the future. She doesn’t entertain the thought of quitting just because she’s busy. This attitude is likely not easy to emulate.

“Hehe, when Juntaro praises me, I feel more energized. While being praised for the results is naturally pleasant, people who praise your efforts are rare.”

Seeing Shizuku happily smiling, I felt a slight pain in my chest. Shizuku is truly putting in a lot of effort. However, it seems that those around her only care about the results, not the effort she’s putting in. Understanding that it’s work, it still feels like at least those close to her should acknowledge her efforts.

“If Shizuku gains energy from my praise, I’ll praise you as much as you need. I’ll keep praising you for others as well, for the rest of my life.”

“!?”

There was a brief silence. Then, Shizuku suddenly realized something and checked her phone.

“Oh no, it’s this late again.”

Looking at the clock in the shop, it was almost 8 PM. And we need to start getting ready to close the store.

“S-See you! Juntaro! I’ll be going to school tomorrow!”

“Y-Yeah, see you.”

After settling the bill, Shizuku hastily left the shop. There wasn’t a need for her to leave the shop in such a hurry.

“Hehe, Juntaro, you really know how to charm people.”

“Huh?”

For some reason, Utahara-san was grinning. Was I involved in the reason why Shizuku left in such a rush? Well, it’s unclear.

◇◆◇

After closing time, I left the Café Mellow. The moment I was kindly praised, I felt a tight sensation in my chest, as if it was constricting, and tears welled up unintentionally. Why does he say the words I desperately want to hear?

“Phew… calm down, Shizuku. Surely Juntaro doesn’t have any ulterior motives.”

Juntaro sincerely supports me. It would be disrespectful to interpret it in a twisted way.

(But… saying “for the rest of my life”―)

Whenever I recall those words, my heart starts racing. Even if I remind myself not to misunderstand, Juntaro’s kind words immediately fill my head.

“A life with Juntaro by my side…”

Will he brew coffee for me every morning? If I continue my career as a popular model, having him as a full-time husband could work, right? But then, I also want to see Juntaro working at the café…

“What am I thinking…!”

I slap my cheeks to dispel those thoughts.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll work even harder…”

To keep receiving praise from Juntaro―