[How's Tokyo? Sleeping soundly?]
The message from her mother, sent six hours ago, was displayed on Line, but it merely changed from "unread" to "read" without any reply.
Perhaps silence was also a kind of answer.
Iseri Nina forgot how many times her finger had briefly lingered on the numeric keypad before exiting the chat box. She blindly and frequently refreshed her message list, opening one chat group after another, or browsing interesting news from all over Japan, or intensely searching for discussion forums of her favorite bands, and even arguing with strangers online over various disagreements...
The night was inadvertently torn to shreds by the sunlight, and by the time she noticed the timestamp on her phone screen, it was almost six in the morning.
'Oh no, I accidentally stayed up all night.'
The moment she realized she hadn't slept all night, a strong wave of drowsiness instantly washed over her.
Iseri Nina immediately felt her eyes dry and scratchy, a chill started to spread through her body, and she couldn't help but yawn.
She felt a bit weak and wanted to immediately hug her pillow and sleep.
But she had promised Sakura Sojiro to get up early today and go with him to report to the new school...
Iseri Nina struggled out of bed, rummaged through the suitcase on the floor for a pair of cotton socks, and pulled them onto her cold feet.
'So tired... I should have gone to bed earlier.'
She mumbled softly, then found a black hoodie and shorts from her suitcase and changed into them.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of water splashing from the bathroom outside the room. The sound quickly stopped, and the pattering of slippers on the floor followed.
Across the hallway and the entrance, Sakura Sojiro's voice was indistinct.
"I'm leaving."
The door closed.
A few minutes later, the guest room where Iseri Nina was staying opened, and she poked her head out of the crack in the door, cautiously peeking around.
The Sakura Residence was different from what she had imagined, filled with a sense of desolation and loneliness.
From moving in yesterday afternoon until now, Iseri Nina had not seen any sign of "Sakura Futaba."
Sakura Futaba was Sakura Sojiro's daughter.
Her room was at the very end of the second-floor hallway, but she almost never left her bedroom at any time of the day.
Even dinner had to be prepared by Sakura Sojiro and placed outside her door, and after a while, he would go upstairs to retrieve the empty plates and bowls.
It was as if an invisible ghost lived there, silently clearing away all the food that was brought... oh, offerings.
It was just like "Hanako-san of the Toilet"...
At this thought, countless famous horror stories immediately popped into Iseri Nina's mind, sending shivers down her spine.
Did that gentle and reliable uncle have some conflict with his daughter?
Iseri Nina, with her backpack on, tiptoed out of the guest room.
Her gaze vigilantly fixed on Sakura Futaba's room, she slowly backed away.
She backed into the living room, the entrance, and then cautiously turned the doorknob.
Click. The front door opened, and half of Iseri Nina's body quickly fumbled outside, as if she were on guard against any supernatural event that might erupt at any moment.
But even after the door of the Sakura Residence closed, she didn't detect any abnormalities.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and a thin, hazy sunlight fell upon the streets and alleys of Yongen-Jaya. Early-rising sparrows chirped on a low wall, and the neighbor's brown Siamese cat stretched lazily on the bluish-gray eaves before lying down again, its lake-blue eyes listlessly gazing down at the street below.
In the middle of the street, Iseri Nina, equally listless, yawned and began to walk, the blue sky and white clouds reflected in her lake-blue pupils.
A milk delivery person, pedaling hard, rode past her on the concrete path, the chain rattling with a continuous clatter.
Just listening to it, one could imagine the carefree and stylish feeling of pedaling and cycling at full speed.
Iseri Nina felt a fleeting envy for no particular reason.
Because she knew that such delivery people always had to carry a watch, and their job was to deliver milk to every customer before breakfast time ended.
At some point, when people living in the city woke up was no longer determined by when the first ray of sunlight appeared, but by when work and study began. When they went to bed was no longer determined by when drowsiness struck, but by whether the day's tasks were completed.
After leaving the Sakura Residence, Iseri Nina couldn't remember the location of LeBlanc, so she politely asked a traffic police officer on duty at the intersection ahead.
Then she, with her backpack on, re-entered Yongen-Jaya.
Those who stayed up all night, when exposed to the sun, always shed some drowsiness and became briefly energized.
It was only after breakfast, and then after noon, that the constantly accumulating drowsiness would rush in and overwhelm reason, punishing every reckless person who defied the night with insatiable sleep.
After a series of twists and turns, they finally found LeBlanc at a rather secluded alley entrance in the tea house.
The location of the shop felt no warmth, with a layer of corrugated iron on the opposite side of the narrow alley, next to a tightly shut izakaya and restaurant.
Inside the alley, old single-story houses were haphazardly arranged, with messy graffiti on the peeling concrete walls. A few elderly people chatted about their simple lives by an open-air staircase. Passing by utility poles covered with advertisements, a strong Showa-era atmosphere permeated the air.
The "LeBlanc" coffee shop. The sign was not conspicuous, without the light pollution of LED lights, just a simple, plain wooden board. Located in such a desolate place, it made one doubt whether it could attract any customers.
Iseri Nina stood at the shop entrance for a while, imagining several possible conversations.
"Excuse me." And then, saying that politely, she pushed the door open and entered the coffee shop.
Warm-toned light filled her vision, an oily, viscous sheen flowed over the surfaces of the wooden furniture, and the aroma of coffee permeated the air.
Kurusu Akira, in his work uniform, was meticulously brewing a latte behind the counter.
Sakura Sojiro stood beside him, hands clasped behind his back, holding his breath in concentration.
Iseri Nina instinctively softened her movements, leaning on the back of the sofa, surveying her surroundings.
Everything here presented a warmth utterly opposite to that of the Sakura Residence.
Clink. The porcelain cup gently touched the counter, making a soft sound.
"Iseri, you didn't have breakfast, did you?"
Kurusu Akira, with somewhat unfamiliar technique, latte art on the freshly made latte, and the finished product was surprisingly beautiful. A pale white hexagram pattern floated on the light brown liquid surface.
Then he carried the coffee out from behind the counter and gently placed it in front of Iseri Nina.
"I added a lot of milk, so it shouldn't be bitter. Want to try it?"
"I... I like lattes!"
Iseri Nina looked at Kurusu Akira, who was so close, and for a moment, she stammered.
This young man, also studying alone in Tokyo, was wearing a freshly ironed white shirt today. He was thin, his hair was messy, but his back was perfectly straight. He wore a pair of large, thick, reflective, flat-lens round glasses on his face. At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, like any ordinary middle school student one might see on campus, but upon closer inspection, one could discern his delicate features. If he took off his glasses, he would undoubtedly be a "Tokyo hottie."
He was clearly gloomy yesterday, but how did changing his clothes change his demeanor today?
Iseri Nina primly placed her hands on her knees, unconsciously sitting up straight.
Kurusu Akira looked at her strangely, thinking she was trying to put him off. "Tell me what you really think."
"I just like lattes!" The girl's speaking speed unconsciously quickened, and her tone even rose a little.
To be honest, Iseri Nina, seventeen years old, a second-year high school student—had zero dating experience and zero experience interacting with handsome men.
"Please enjoy." Kurusu Akira, who had just learned hospitality etiquette from Sakura Sojiro fifteen minutes ago, immediately began his first practical application of theoretical knowledge.
Iseri Nina felt her fingertips tingling, unsure if it was from the fatigue of staying up all night or the shyness of interacting with a stranger. She could clearly hear her own heartbeat.
So she quickly lowered her face, while softly saying, "Thank you so much..." Then she carefully picked up the porcelain cup and took a small sip of coffee.
"How is it?"
"Mmm... it's delicious!"
"What makes it delicious? Can you tell me your thoughts?" Kurusu Akira, working in a coffee shop for the first time, observed the 'experiment subject number one' in front of him with an inquisitive gaze, making her feel even more uncomfortable.
Sakura Sojiro, who was wiping a glass behind the counter, suddenly interrupted them, "Amamiya, you can't question customers like that."
Kurusu Akira's expression immediately turned serious. For this hard-won job, he decided to treat it with his whole heart and would not miss any useful techniques. "I'm all ears."
Sakura Sojiro put the glass down and then looked at Kurusu Akira. "Every customer who walks into a coffee shop isn't paying for so-called 'craftsmanship' or 'culinary skills.'"
"In a coffee shop, customers spend money to buy a sufficiently comfortable experience for their time. In this leisure experience, 'deliciousness' is always an accessory, not the main theme."
"An excellent barista isn't judged by how expensive the coffee he sells, but by how well he takes care of the customer's mood while they drink coffee."
"Drinking coffee should be a two-stage enjoyment. The first stage is when you bring the cup to your mouth, drinking a small, condensed, ethereal blend of smell and taste. The second stage is after you put the cup down, savoring a warm, comforting feeling."
"..."
Kurusu Akira listened very carefully, and Sakura Sojiro spoke very seriously.
The hands on the wall clock in the shop kept ticking.
A coffee shop is indeed a magical place, capable of quickly immersing one in a blissful calm, allowing them to fully concentrate on anything.
For example, Iseri Nina, who had just finished her latte, was now happily sleeping on the table.
A soft snore emerged, causing the two conversing individuals to stop their discussion about coffee.
Sakura Sojiro found a clean work uniform in the kitchen and quickly walked out from behind the counter, draping it over the sleeping Iseri Nina.
"Once she wakes up, we'll go to Shujin together."
He looked at Kurusu Akira with a gentle gaze, "After all, without a guardian who can be contacted at any time, many things at school would likely become very troublesome."
"I seem to have received too much help from you."
"You enjoy the process of making coffee; that alone is enough."
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