I gradually became accustomed to the unfamiliar environment, and within a week I was able to handle my

part-time job to a certain extent.

　Basically, his main job is to serve customers, and he is not entrusted with
the job of making orders. As Amane is aware of his inexperience, he is
relieved.
　He has not yet been allowed to make coffee for customers, but he has been
given instructions on how to make coffee in the backyard during his free
time. This coffee shop is obsessed with coffee, so they do not allow any
compromise in taste.
　They say that the temperature and time of the hot water used for
extraction varies depending on the beans and the fineness of the grind.
Since they have decided that this is the taste they want to serve to their
customers, they make me practice until I can reproduce that taste.
　However, once you learn the extraction time, how to use the equipment,
and the timing of stirring, you will be able to produce consistent coffee, so
you will be able to do it with a lot of practice, even though you have been
instructed to do so.
“Yes, it's delicious.”
　With a small number of customers and orders settled, I left the floor to
Souji and Ohashi to receive instruction from Miyamoto.
　The coffee is brewed with a siphon, which has the appearance of a coffee
shop, but it seems to have been fine.
“But as far as I could tell from watching it brew, the beans need to be stirred a little more, and the
extraction could be a little shorter.”
“I do use a timer. ......”
“I'm not used to using this equipment, and I'm being very careful, so it's taking a little bit of time. Maybe
that time loss is making you a little more astringent.”
“I'm sorry. I'll take care of it.”
　They are not harsh with me, but rather polite and gentle in explaining
things, but I guess the lack of confidence in serving people is one of the
reasons why it takes so much time.
　In addition, the siphon flask is made of glass, so I am concerned that if I
bump into it and drop it and break it, I may .......
　Miyamoto, perhaps seeing through this, smiled lightly and said, "I was
afraid to touch it in the beginning, too, because I was afraid I might break
it.
“As long as you don't drop it or handle it roughly, it's fine. Fujimiya-kun is very careful with things.”
“Then that's fine. ......”
“That horse there, ...... Rino, cracked it on the first day, so I think Fujimiya-kun is being careful.”
　I think I heard something very badly restated, but I pretended I didn't
hear it.
“Well, everyone makes mistakes, and you won't be scolded if you break one or more, so don't worry. If
you break more than one piece of stone at once, the owner will scold you with a troubled look on his
face.”
“You sound as if you've experienced it.”
“Because Rino did.”
　Amane smiled vaguely back at Miyamoto, who muttered with a nostalgic
look and voice, "The owner's face was twitching at that time.
(It must have been a snarl.)
　I know that there are not that many siphons in the store, and the fact that
multiple siphons were damaged at once would have been a problem for the
business.
　The siphons in this store are made by Wenhua's favorite maker, and I don't
even want to think about the amount of damage that would be incurred if
they had to replace several of them.
　I promised myself that I would be careful, and sipped my own coffee that I
brewed while I was making Miyamoto's. The deep, bitter taste on my tongue
was a delight.
　A deep bitterness spreads across my tongue.
　The coffee is light and smooth, and the bitterness does not linger on the
tongue forever; it is mild but has a deep, rich flavor.
　Amane does not like coffee with strong acidity, but this coffee was very
easy to drink, with a good balance of bitterness, acidity, and a hint of
sweetness from the bean itself.
　However, I felt that the astringency and bitterness were stronger than the
one that Mae-Miyaumoto brewed for me as a model, so I reminded myself
that it needs to be improved.
“Oh, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it!”
　As I take a break from ordering, Ohashi comes in from the floor. In his
hand is a tray and a used plate, which he has probably come to clean up after
the customers have left the restaurant.
“Fujimiya-chan, give me a bite.”
　Ohashi put the plate in the sink and came to ask for it, and the next
moment, Miyamoto grabbed Ohashi by the neck and pulled him away from
Zhou.
　It was so brilliantly done that for a moment he could not understand what
had happened.
“Hey, you know, Fujimiya has a girlfriend. Fujimiya has a girlfriend, so don't do anything that could be
misunderstood.”
“Oh, I'm sorry, come to think of it, I think I said something like that. I have a lot of older brothers, and
they don't mind doing this kind of thing, so...”
　Miyamoto must have stopped him, since he had lightly explained the
circumstances of working. Ohashi also retreated with an open and honest
attitude.
　Ohashi, smiling at Miyamoto, who did not hide his dismay, seemed very
friendly to him, even though they were just co-workers. This is something I
have strongly felt over the past week, but I am wondering if I should ask
him.
“You two are very close.”
“Well, we've known each other since childhood. I've been by your side for twenty years now.”
“I guess you could say we're related.”
“Isn't it awful?”
　Ohashi, who is grumbling and chopping at Miyamoto's side, screams when
he is pinched in the side, but he immediately punches back, taking
advantage of the fact that he is not visible to the customers here.
　The ease with which he did this could not have been achieved overnight,
and I was convinced that this was why he was so friendly with them.
　However, I can't help but feel that they are close even for childhood
friends, but I tilt my head and wonder if this is the kind of distance between
male and female childhood friends.
　I know Ayaka and Souji are dating, so I can understand the distance
between them, but the distance between Miyamoto and Ohashi also smells
rather similar to those two.
　I don't think they've gotten to know each other well enough to point this
out, and it would be rude to inquire whether they are dating out of
curiosity.
　So, although I was curious, I didn't pursue it and just watched their
lighthearted exchange.
“By the way, what kind of girl is Fujimiya-chan's girlfriend?”
　Ohashi, who had managed to get rid of Miyamoto's hand, asks innocently,
and Amane looks up at her.
“What kind of, you might say, ...... kind and nice girl...”
　It's hard to explain what kind of girl Mahiru is, if you ask me.
　People from the same school would understand without saying, but Ohashi
is a college student and has no connection to Zhou's school, so it is hard to
understand without explaining.
　However, if I were to tell someone outside the school who has never seen
her in person that she is a girl called "Angel Lady," they would either laugh
or be turned off, so I can't explain it to them either.
　On the other hand, if I tell them what Amane thinks Mahiru is, they will
probably be favorites of my boyfriend, and I may end up falling in love with
her even though I didn't intend to.
　So, I used a common expression, but it didn't seem to satisfy Ohashi, and
his lips twitched with a "mmm" look.
“Well, looking at Fujimiya-chan, I think she's probably a messed up nice girl too, but just saying she's
nice doesn't really convey the information...”
“Well, that's what I think too, but anyway, she's a nice girl who works hard. I mean, do you really want to
know so much about a person's girlfriend's personality?”
“That's right. Girls love to talk about love, no matter how old they are. Love stories are also welcome.”
“Girls...”
“Daichi, you got a problem with me?”
“No, nothing?”
“Well, well, well. ......”
　Ohashi comes even closer to Shu, who is sipping his coffee, which has
begun to cool, while quieting the two, who for some reason seem to be on the
verge of a fight, with a subtly prickly atmosphere, probably due to
Miyamoto's words.
“Let's put that aside. Fujimiya-chan is a serious person, right?　That
Fujimiya-chan seems to be in love with her, and I'm curious about her
existence.”
“I'm curious...”
“Hey hey hey, you're not bringing him?”
“I've told her not to come, at least until she gets used to the part-time job. That's too bad.”
“Ew.”
　Ohashi makes a cute, dissatisfied sound, but I'm not going to give in here.
　In the first place, I don't know why they let him bring her to his part-
time job, or why he's so ready to visit her. It's not supposed to be a quirk to
be told by the senior staff at work, starting with Itsuki.
“Well, let's believe that one day she will be able to see it. By the way, is she cute?”
“Objectively, or from my point of view?”
“Both?”
“I think it's incredibly cute from an objective point of view. From my point of view, you're prettier than
anyone else.”
　I should answer honestly and without falsehoods here, so I answer as
simply and passionately as possible to avoid excessive infatuation.
　Mahiru's looks alone are good enough for anyone with different tastes to
say that she is beautiful, and that part is non-negotiable.
　From the boyfriend's point of view, Mahiru's cuteness is not her looks, but
her behavior and the pampered appearance she shows only to her lover.
(It's not that he's trying to be cute, but he's cute all the same.)
　He is very cute in the way he sulks when he is jealous of a girl, or when he
pulls the hem of his dress when he is lonely, or when he head-butts Mahiru
to hide his embarrassment after his embarrassment explodes.
　If Mahiru had intended to do this, it would have been considered
mockingly cute, but because Mahiru does it without any real intention,
there are times when Zhou's heart does not hold out. It would be easier for
Amane to deal with it if she did it with an aim, but since she does it
naturally and from her heart, her heart is always shaken.
　
“Oh no, I've been made fun of.”
“You asked me if you were a big fan of lovey-dovey: ......”
“Eh, because you're working part-time for her, right?　I thought she must
be a very nice girl. You mean the kind of girl who makes you want to devote
yourself to her, right?”
“For her, it's a little different. I'm only doing it because I want to. It's my own decision.”
　I'm going to have to deny it here.
　I'm not going to take on a cause for Mahiru, even if it is for Mahiru's
happiness.
　Even if he understands that this leads to Mahiru's happiness, it should not
be for Mahiru's "sake," as if he is placing a part of the responsibility on her.
Amane is doing this of his own volition and for his own sake. Even if the
result is for Mahiru's benefit, this was non-negotiable.
“I can't say it's for her sake. I want to do this on my own, and as a result of my actions, I'm making her
feel lonely. I'm a selfish person.”
　Mahiru respects Zhou's choice and accepts her being away from him, but I
understand that I am still making her lonely and placing a heavy burden on
her.
　That is why I am always grateful to her and can strive to achieve my goals
as soon as possible.
　Both Ohashi and Miyamoto blinked in admiration at Shu's assertion that he
never wants to think of her as the reason he is having a hard time or
struggling.
“You're a serious guy, aren't you?”
“You're nothing like Rino.”
“Why is she putting me down?”
“You switch around too much. How many months did your last boyfriend last?”
“Shut up, it's none of Daichi's business who I go out with. I'm not taking anyone's boyfriend, and I'm not
going out with you. Don't be so stingy with me just because we're childhood friends.”
“...... Oh, yeah, well, I'm sorry about that...”
　Miyamoto, who had been poked hard, raised his eyebrows slightly and
averted his gaze somewhat painfully, but Ohashi, not noticing this, returned
to the floor in a somewhat bad mood.
　Miyamoto, who had been looking at me with a faint clinging look, noticed
Zhou's gaze and changed his expression to his usual calm eyes and meekness,
as if nothing had happened.
“...... Uh, Mr. Miyamoto.”
“Hmm?”
“I'm sorry, I'm just, uh...”
　I'm sure this happened because Amane said something unnecessary, and my
eyes are downcast, but Miyamoto is laughing it off with a light, karate-like
wave of his hand.
“Oh, it's okay, it's okay, it's not Fujimiya's fault. It's been that way for a long time, and I think it's too late
for me to say this or that.”
“No, no, it's not that.”
“FUJIMIYA”
“Yes.”
“The human heart is a tricky thing. I know it all too well.”
“...... yes”
“You don't care that much. No, don't worry about it.”
　Whether it was to blow off Zhou's worry, or whether he had already given
up on the idea, Amane didn't know.
　What was certain, however, was that Miyamoto's eyes scrutinized him for a
moment, as if he were in pain.
　Whether he knew how Amane was feeling or not, he said in his usual
expression, "I'm going to the floor, so please clean up," and left the kitchen
in a simple voice with no emotion attached.
　Souji returns with a tray of dishes and a wry smile on his face.
“......I don't think it's any use telling Miyamoto-san, he's that guy who's prepared for a different vector
than Fujimiya.”
　Souji, who was probably near the counter and seems to have guessed what
was going on, laughs and shakes his head loosely while lowering his
eyebrows as if he was troubled.
　Souji seems to know about the situation between the two of them, as he
puts down the used dishes and says that he is concerned about them in his
own way.
“I don't feel comfortable digging into people's circumstances too much, but am I right in my
imagination?”
“I'm not Fujimiya, and I can't see into your head, so I don't know, but maybe.”
“I don't know how to judge ...... because I'm not the type of person who's around people like that.”
　If this evil guess is true, I can tell even after listening to a little bit of
the story that Miyamoto must have had a very difficult time.
　He has been dealing with other men who are not him, and he has changed
his partner many times. It must be very painful for him to be kidnapped by
someone who never turned towards him, but remained in close proximity to
him as a childhood friend.
　I thought it would be rude of me to speculate about his feelings, but even
so, just imagining it makes my heart ache.
“Let me tell you something so that you don't misunderstand me, Mr. Ohashi is not a bad person. He's just
a little bit easy to fall in love with and easy to cool down.”
“That much?”
“I've been working here since my freshman year, and Ohashi-san has been here since before that, but as
far as I know, he's had five or six boyfriends over the years. I don't have multiple boyfriends at the same
time, but they all changed from one to the other.”
“Oh, ......, you're so irresistible!”
“She's a soft and fluffy beauty on the outside. On the inside, she's a rather open and caustic person.”
　She is a tall, slender model with a sweet, fluffy face, and she is a neat and
tidy woman as long as she doesn't talk. When she opens her mouth, she is the
type of person who is rather high-spirited and talks about the lower half of
her personality, so there is a big gap between the two.
　She is cheerful and friendly, but you would never guess her personality
from her appearance. I even have an evil guess that this might be one of the
reasons why her boyfriend was taking over for her.
“...... Did Mr. Miyamoto also keep quiet and keep an eye on that male history?”
“I suppose she would.”
“That's also ......”
“...... Well, it's not for us to say this or that, and at this rate, we'll be able
to handle it, won't we?　After all, the only one who can understand and take
care of Mr. Ohashi is Mr. Miyamoto. I'm sure it will all fall into place. I'm
sure Mr. Ohashi will cry to me.”
　Souji, who seems to have no intention of losing his position as a senior
and junior colleague in the workplace, makes a really simple assessment.
　Perhaps it's because he's seen this kind of exchange many times before,
but this calmness makes Amane realize that there's nothing he should
meddle in even though he and Miyamoto aren't that close.
　Rather than worrying about this and that and making things worse by
meddling, it would be better to watch their choices and see where they end
up. Sometimes it is important to push back, but it can also trigger a
breakdown of the relationship. Amane is not close enough to him to take on
that responsibility.
“Well, Miyamoto-san and Ohashi-san will be fine, he said. What do you call this kind of thing, a cracked
pot with a cracked lid?”
“Chino, that's rude. ......”
“Who's a spelling bee?”
“Gee, Mr. Miyamoto.”
　Miyamoto looks over at Souji with a carefree yet overbearing smile, as if
he has inadvertently been asked something he probably shouldn't have been
asked. Or rather, he is glaring at him.
“Chino, you wash the siphon. And the filter.”
“[...... woosu]”
“Fujimiya, should you go too?”
“Ha, ha.”
　As Zhou, too, was following with a twitch, saying that he must not go
against this, he heard Ohashi's amused voice, "Ah, Daichi newcomer snoring
- I'll report it to Itomaki-chan." as if he had returned from the floor or
came to check up on him.
“I didn't...outsiders, please don't get involved...”
“I don't want to be told by someone who is snoring at me...”
　This strong hit is understandable, since it is not snoring but Amane and
the others' own fault, but Ohashi, who does not know what is going on, pokes
at Miyamoto in a teasing tone, which naturally hardens Miyamoto's attitude.
“Ohashi, you take that kind of attitude, and Miyamoto becomes stubborn too.”
“.......”
　While cleaning the dishes and utensils that had been ordered, I sighed in
unison at the low volume of arguing voices coming from behind me,
conversing so that they could not hear me.