"I'll go with you two later."
Just as they were about to leave, Daiki Miyamura walked into the living room and made the announcement, causing both Akira and Shouko to look at him in surprise.
Before Akira could ask, Daiki explained calmly, "I just remembered that Andō-san happens to have a rare day off today. I don't want to bother him, so it's fine if I go along with you instead."
"...," Akira thought, suddenly feeling as if signing a publishing contract was turning into a full-on family outing.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Then I'll call Shouko." Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialed her number.
The call connected almost immediately. After Akira explained the situation, Shouko hung up. Barely five or six minutes later, she showed up at his doorstep, fully dressed and ready.
Shizuka Miyamura also tidied herself up quickly. Daiki drove them according to the location Akira had sent, and in about ten minutes, they arrived at their destination.
As soon as Akira got out of the car, his gaze swept across the nearby shops before settling on a café at the corner of the street.
It was a low, single-story building with light gray concrete walls left unpolished, giving off a raw, textured feel.
The wide, spotless glass windows at the front were framed with dark raw wood, allowing the warm yellow glow from inside to spill outward.
By the entrance, a small cluster of slender bamboo swayed gently, their shadows rippling across the glass. A narrow wooden cypress sign hung above the door, with the words "That Café" carved onto it.
"This must be it. Let's go," Shizuka said after a quick scan.
A brass bell jingled lightly as Akira pushed open the door, and at once, the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans mixed with the dry scent of cedarwood rushed to greet them.
The off-white diatomaceous earth walls gave the space a clean, calming look, while several plain paper lanterns floated overhead, their soft light spreading hazy patterns.
"Welcome," the barista behind the counter greeted coolly, dressed in a grayish-brown linen apron.
Akira gave a polite nod before quickly looking around. There were only a handful of customers inside, and the person they were waiting for hadn't arrived yet. He guided the others toward the window seats on the right.
The walnut-colored tables and chairs were simple but warm, with black ceramic cups scattered across them, faint rings of coffee stains still lingering on the rims like irregular crescent moons.
"Dad, let's wait a bit. She's not here yet," Akira said, eyes still fixed on the entrance.
"No hurry," Daiki replied calmly.
"Do you two want something to drink? I'll order," Shizuka said, standing with Shouko. Since the table only had four seats, and Akira still needed to discuss things with the editor, she decided to sit separately with Shouko and try the desserts instead. With Daiki watching over the contract details, she felt at ease.
"Whatever," Akira said distractedly.
Shizuka glanced at him again.
"I'll have the same as Shouko."
Nodding, she walked with Shouko to the counter, where the menu was displayed on a movable wooden board slotted into the wall. Orders were placed there, and drinks would be brought over afterward.
The barista soon brought two drinks to Akira and Daiki's table. Akira glanced at his watch — the editor was already five minutes late.
After hesitating a moment, he pulled out his phone, muttered something to his father (whose expression remained unchanged), and stepped outside to make a call.
"Beep… beep… beep…"
"What's going on…?" Akira muttered as the call went unanswered. Was this some kind of prank? Still, he dialed again.
This time, the line connected.
"Hello? Who is it…?" A groggy, half-asleep voice answered.
Akira froze. The tone sounded oddly similar to Shouko's sleepy mumbling that morning…
"Didn't we agree to meet at That Café this morning to discuss the contract?" he asked patiently.
"Ah! It's that late already?! Why didn't my alarm go off!!"
"...," Akira stared at the phone in disbelief.
"Sorry, sorry, Teacher! Please wait ten minutes! I live nearby — I'll be there soon! Ten minutes, I promise!"
Before Akira could reply, the call was cut. With a black line on his face, he went back inside and ordered another glass of juice identical to his own — for her.
Now he was convinced. The other party was definitely not reliable. She gave off the air of someone who had just graduated and hadn't yet been tempered by the real world.
Although, Akira reminded himself, in his previous life he too had only just graduated college. Still, her flustered energy was hard to ignore.
"How was it?" Shouko asked curiously when he sat back down.
"She overslept. She'll be here in twenty minutes." Akira spread his hands helplessly.
"Oh, okay." Shouko turned back to her cake, unconcerned. As long as Akira wasn't stood up, she didn't mind.
Ding-a-ling…
The door opened ten minutes later, the bell catching Akira's attention.
A young woman with round-rimmed glasses hurried inside, slightly out of breath, beads of sweat visible on her forehead. The customers and barista alike turned to look.
Her eyes found Akira's — then quickly shifted to Daiki beside him. For some reason, she froze, turned around, and stepped back outside to call Akira.
"Teacher, where are you sitting? I don't see you anywhere," her voice asked in confusion.
"By the window on the right. Two people — one big, one small," Akira replied dryly.
Their eyes met again across the café, and Akira could see the shock flash in hers.
"Teacher, you're… you're still a minor?!" she blurted.
Akira's appearance had matured a little over the past two years, but to any discerning eye, he was still clearly a teenager.
"Yes. Come in first, let's talk about the contract," Akira said, cutting straight to the point.
"R-right… Teacher, do you or your guardian want anything to drink?"
"No need. I already ordered for you."
"You've troubled yourself! You've troubled yourself!" she said awkwardly, smoothing down the ends of her hair while fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
After hanging up, she re-entered the café and headed directly toward them.
"Hello, I'm Kazeno Jun, an intern editor from Futaba Publishing!" She gave a quick bow to Daiki Miyamura as soon as she reached the table.
"Intern editor?" Shouko muttered softly from the back table, tilting her head. She didn't even know such a role existed.
Shizuka looked equally curious and surprised.
"Hello, Daiki Miyamura," Daiki responded politely. "Please, have a seat."
"Mm-hm, thank you."
Although Daiki's tone was calm, his presence carried a quiet authority that made Kazeno Jun nervous. It reminded her of her own father's intimidating aura. Combined with the guilt of arriving late, her anxiety only grew stronger.
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