The Natural Goodness of Man

“Yamaguchi is pretty gloomy, isn’t he?” 

“Hmm. But, you know, he’s not Yamaguchi but Shiozaki.” 

“Details, details. It doesn’t matter.” 

“…”

For some reason, I found myself at a cafe with Kanade-san and Honjo-san.

◇

As usual, I was heading towards the school gate to go home alone when I saw a crowd of people.

“Which high school are you from?” “Can I get your contact information?” “Will you go out with me?”

In the center of the crowd was a familiar face…

“Ahaha, despite how I look, I’m actually a girl.”

“…”

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for you, Aoi-kun,” she called out to me, causing the surrounding girls to whisper among themselves before dispersing.

“…Do you need something from me?”

“Yes, I thought I’d give you some advice since it seems like you’re having a hard time.”

“…I’d rather you leave me alone.”

“What are you talking about? Isn’t this about our relationship?”

“…What kind of relationship are you referring to?”

“Rivals in love?”

“…Haa,” I sighed, but she ignored me and started walking.

I considered walking in the opposite direction, but fearing it would cause trouble later, I reluctantly followed her.

“…”

“What’s with that awkward distance? Come on, let’s walk closer together.”

“…No, thank you.”

“Typical married man, keeping your guard up so tight.”

With that, we entered a cafe with a nostalgic atmosphere. Kanade-san casually called out to the person who seemed to be the master, “Is our usual seat available?”

The master nodded silently. No matter what he did, he always seemed so natural and composed. It felt like a scene from a drama.

We sat by the window, and Kanade-san handed me a menu.

“…Thanks.”

“I really like the Wiener coffee here. Oh, by the way, Wiener coffee doesn’t actually have little sausage pieces in it.”

“…I know that much.” (Wait, Wiener coffee doesn’t have sausages in it?)

“Really? I thought some high schoolers might have that misconception.”

“…Then I’ll have orange juice.”

“Heh, cute,” she said, snapping her fingers with a flourish.

Then, the man who seemed to be the master approached us.

“…What can I get for you?” he murmured in a deep voice.

“We’ll have a Wiener coffee and an orange juice, please.”

“…I apologize, but we used up all the sausages for breakfast,” he said earnestly.

“…Tanabe-san, Wiener coffee doesn’t actually have sausages in it,” Kanade-san retorted.

I glanced at the man and saw a badge on his chest that read “Trainee.”

…So he’s not the master! And why is someone who looks like that a newbie!

“Ask the master how to make it,” Kanade-san suggested.

“…Yes, I understand,” Tanabe-san, the new trainee, replied slowly as he walked away.

“It seems your relationship with Marin has been exposed,” Kanade-san noted.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“It was bound to be discovered sooner or later. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“…I’m not really concerned. The biggest issue is that my best friend, who had feelings for Marin, found out. That’s the real problem.”

“That’s quite the predicament. Thank you, Tanabe-san,” Kanade-san said as she received her coffee and took a sip.

“…Here’s your orange juice.”

“…Thanks.”

“Hmm. Well, you have a best friend like, so you should be fine.”

“…No, sorry, but we’re not best friends.”

“Well, I’ve been rejected. But let’s set that aside for now. Do you believe that humans are inherently evil?”

“…What’s this all of a sudden?”

“Just answer the question.”

“I’d say yes, humans are inherently evil. Is this about the theory of innate depravity?”

“That’s not exactly the original meaning, but for this discussion, it fits. I see, you believe in the inherent evil of humans. Why is that?”

“…Well, because people instinctively know what’s wrong and, even if they know it’s wrong, they still do it. Bullying exists even in kindergarten. The mere existence of laws shows our true nature, and no matter how strict they are, someone always breaks them. It seems to me that this inherent evilness is part of our nature.”

“There’s some truth in that. Perhaps we are instinctively aware of evil and learn about justice later. I agree with you to some extent, but I also believe that it’s because of this inherent evil that we can strive to be just. We have the potential for it. The scariest thing in the world is a person who commits evil while pretending to be righteous. In comparison, someone who knows their actions are wrong but does them anyway is almost endearing.”

“Yeah… I get what you’re saying.”

“But you don’t quite agree? By the way… is the person pressed against the window a friend of yours, Aoi-kun?”

I turned to look at the window and saw Honjo-san pressed against it. When our eyes met, she walked into the cafe.

“What are you doing here, Aoi?” Honjo-san asked.

“Just chatting with a friend.”

“Oh, are you Aoi-kun’s friend?”

“Ah, yes… I am…” Honjo-san said, blushing like a schoolgirl.

She squeezed herself into the seat next to me, clearly determined to stay. When Kanade-san revealed she was actually a girl, Honjo-san’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“Really!? That’s amazing…”

With that, the focus of the conversation shifted back to me.

“You’ve got it rough, huh, Aoi,” Honjo-san commented.

“…Yeah, kinda.”

“Well, if you ever need anything, you can always come to me. Whether it’s as your loyal supporter or just as me, I’ll help out.”

“I appreciate that.”

“You’re quite fortunate with the people around you. Do you still think humans are inherently evil?”

“…Yeah, I guess people can be both angels and demons.”