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"Sakamoto-kun, what a coincidence."
Shiina Hiyori's voice was soft and ethereal, like a feather brushing by, yet it carried a peculiar penetrative power, clearly reaching Sakamoto-kun's ears.
Sakamoto-kun slightly raised his gaze, his eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses calmly falling on Shiina Hiyori.
He recognized her, the calm and focused silver-haired girl from the library, his "book friend" who loved mystery novels.
"Shiina-san."
Sakamoto-kun nodded slightly, his posture elegant, his voice clear and calm,
"Good afternoon. What can I get for you?"
His response was natural and appropriate, as if he were simply greeting an ordinary customer.
Shiina Hiyori's purple eyes flickered slightly, her gaze sweeping over the menu board above the counter, without much hesitation:
"A black coffee, with extra sugar. Thank you."
Her voice was still soft, then, changing the subject, her gaze calmly met Sakamoto-kun's eyes behind his glasses:
"Also, please give me a condensed summary of 'The Maltese Falcon,' if your establishment has one."
'The Maltese Falcon,' Dashiell Hammett's hard-boiled classic, filled with terse dialogue and complex conspiracies.
She was testing Sakamoto-kun's reaction.
Sakamoto-kun's eyes behind his glasses seemed to flicker slightly. He didn't directly answer whether he had the summary, but instead smoothly operated the ordering screen, his voice still steady:
"One black coffee, confirmed. As for 'The Maltese Falcon'..."
He slightly turned his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the kitchen curtains,
"The 'falcon' that Detective Spade pursued was essentially a phantom of greed. Truth, like the bitter base of black coffee, reveals its true flavor unadorned. Shiina-san, this 'condensed summary' might already be in your cup."
A faint glimmer of light flashed in the depths of Shiina Hiyori's purple eyes.
Sakamoto-kun's reaction was indeed interesting.
This keenness and wit far surpassed ordinary people.
She nodded slightly, not pressing further, but instead posed another, more direct question:
"Sakamoto-kun, you're working here, presumably not for personal points, right?"
Her gaze was calm and sharp, as if trying to penetrate Sakamoto-kun's elegant and composed exterior.
Sakamoto-kun didn't evade at all. As he sent the order information to the kitchen, he candidly replied:
"Personal points? That's not the goal. I simply wanted to conduct a field investigation."
He leaned slightly forward, his body close to the counter, lowering his voice a few degrees, with a kind of frankness like sharing a secret, yet clear as day:
"This school, with its numerous shops, forms a self-contained system. Its operational model can only be understood by participating firsthand, to grasp its inherent logic."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the bustling students in the coffee shop,
"Observation is the first step to understanding rules. Shiina-san, you must be well-versed in this."
Sakamoto-kun pointed out her "observational" behavior, with a hint of unspoken understanding.
His posture was open, yet it made him seem even more unfathomable.
Shiina Hiyori's purple eyes narrowed slightly.
Field investigation? Grasping the logic?
Sakamoto-kun's objective was indeed not simple! He was studying the "rules" of this school itself!
Just as she was about to ask another question, Sakamoto-kun had already turned slightly, his gaze passing over her shoulder, looking at the spot not far behind her,
"Shiina-san, your black coffee will be served shortly. Now, could you please step aside? There are other customers behind you."
His posture was still elegant, but the implication of dismissing her was clearly discernible.
Shiina Hiyori understood instantly. Sakamoto-kun had already given enough information and had also revealed her intentions.
To press further would only appear to be pestering and would only cause annoyance.
Her purple eyes were calm and unruffled, and she nodded slightly:
"Understood. I apologize for the interruption, Sakamoto-kun."
With that, she no longer lingered, turning away from the counter, her steps still composed, as if the sharp exchange just now was merely an ordinary order.
Kamuro Masumi had been staring intently at the direction of the cashier.
She watched Shiina Hiyori and Sakamoto converse smoothly, saw Sakamoto's calm demeanor in handling the situation, and then Shiina Hiyori's serene figure as she left. A strong impulse surged within her.
She wanted to go too!
She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, stood up, and quickly walked towards the cashier.
Standing before Sakamoto, Kamuro Masumi maintained a calm expression as she looked at Sakamoto:
"One... latte. Thank you."
Sakamoto's gaze fell upon her, his eyes behind the black-rimmed glasses calm and unmoving.
He nodded slightly, operating the ordering screen with fluid movements:
"One latte, confirmed."
His voice was clear and peaceful, betraying no hint of abnormality.
However, just as Kamuro Masumi thought the conversation was about to end—
Sakamoto slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting her purple eyes:
"Kamuro-san, please wait a moment."
He, he remembers me?!
That brief, awkward encounter at the convenience store.
He actually remembered my name.
An indescribable flutter instantly dispelled her previous hesitation, causing her fair cheeks to flush slightly.
But then, a sense of loss quietly crept into her heart.
She had been rapidly running through all sorts of questions in her mind—why was Sakamoto working? What was his relationship with Sakayanagi? Did he know about Sakayanagi and Ryuuen's scheme?
But it seemed Shiina Hiyori had already asked the most crucial parts of these questions.
And Sakamoto had answered so openly.
What else could she ask?
Kamuro Masumi looked at Sakamoto's calm, unmoving face; she didn't want the conversation to end so simply!
"Sakamoto-kun..."
She hesitated, her voice tinged with inquiry,
"How did you get this job? It's only the third day of school; do you have some connection to this store?"
She tried to find a new topic to broach.
Sakamoto's fingers, which were operating the ordering screen, paused slightly.
He didn't answer immediately, only raising his gaze to look calmly at Kamuro Masumi, his eyes so deep they seemed to see through people's hearts.
After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice low and magnetic:
"Kamuro-san, in this school—"
He paused slightly, his fingertip lightly tapping the ordering screen, emitting a crisp "beep" sound,
"Points can buy anything."
After speaking, he said no more, simply sending the order information to the kitchen, then nodded slightly, indicating that Kamuro Masumi could leave.
Kamuro Masumi stood frozen.
Points can buy anything.
She instantly understood that Sakamoto had bought this job with points for his "field investigation."
Seeing Sakamoto's posture, no longer speaking and bidding her farewell, Kamuro Masumi could only suppress the turmoil in her heart, softly said "Thank you," then turned and walked back to her seat, feeling somewhat disappointed.
Soon, two cups of coffee were brought over by an ordinary Waiter.
A deep, rich black coffee was placed in front of Shiina Hiyori, and a latte with dense foam was placed in front of Kamuro Masumi.
Sakamoto still stood behind the cashier, his posture tall and straight, his gaze calmly sweeping across the coffee shop.
After he changed into the cashier's uniform, that professional and understated elegant demeanor seemed to attract quite a few new glances.
The popularity of the coffee shop seemed to have quietly increased by a few points because of his presence.
Shiina Hiyori picked up the black coffee, brought it to her lips, and took a small sip.
Bitter with a hint of sweetness.
The pure, unadorned bitterness mixed with the sweetness of cane sugar instantly spread across her tongue.
Her purple eyes lowered, looking at the bottomless black liquid in the cup.
Sakamoto's words echoed in her mind—
"Truth is like the bitter base of black coffee; unadorned, it reveals its true flavor."
This sweetened black coffee seemed to be the best footnote to Sakamoto's words.
Kamuro Masumi also picked up her latte; the sweet aroma of the foam temporarily masked the coffee's bitterness.
She sipped slowly, the warm liquid sliding down her throat, bringing a hint of warmth, yet unable to dispel the chill and confusion in her heart.
What exactly was Sakamoto planning?
She unconsciously looked up, her gaze falling on Shiina Hiyori, who was quietly savoring her black coffee across from her.
Shiina Hiyori seemed to sense her gaze, and slightly raised her eyes, calm and unmoving, like a deep pool.
Their gazes briefly met in the air.
No words.
Only the aroma of coffee permeated the air.
This unexpected event, which began with tracking Sakamoto, had now evolved into a bizarre scene of two girls from different classes, each with their own thoughts, silently confronting each other amidst the fragrant silence of coffee.
The target they were tracking now stood in the halo of light at the cashier, like an elegant enigma, radiating a heart-pounding glow.