The next day, early morning.
Morning light slanted into the room through a gap in the curtains, casting a golden band of light on the floor.
He Xi Qian Yu stood by the window, having observed the street for ten minutes. Slaughter yawned lazily in his mind: "Those idiots in black suits are finally gone..."
"Morning." As he walked down the stairs, Dong Xiang was wiping the coffee machine with her back to the door, her movements not pausing in the slightest. She said without looking up, "Newcomer training starts at seven."
Manager Yoshimura Gongshan walked out of the storeroom and smiled gently: "He Xi-kun, good morning. How was your rest last night?"
He Xi Qian Yu smiled and nodded in response, his gaze sweeping over the already prepared coffee utensils.
...
At exactly ten o'clock in the morning, the doorbell rang crisply. A familiar figure pushed open the door—a black-haired youth wearing black-rimmed glasses, clutching several thick literary books.
He walked familiarly towards his usual seat by the window.
It was Jin Mu Ken.
"What would you like?" He Xi Qian Yu showed his signature smile.
"A latte, please," Jin Mu Ken replied softly.
He carefully placed the books on the table; the top one, "black goat's egg," had slightly curled corners, clearly having been read many times, with several colorful sticky notes tucked between its pages.
"Tsk..." Slaughter let out a disdainful snort in his consciousness. "The bookworm who clocks in on time at ten... even his breathing carries the musty smell of a library..."
"Are you the new staff member?" Jin Mu Ken suddenly looked up, his eyes slightly tired from long nights, but a hint of curiosity flashed in them the moment they met He Xi Qian Yu's gaze.
"I just started yesterday," He Xi Qian Yu leaned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the books on the table. "I didn't expect you to also like Takatsuki Izumi-sensei's works."
"Ah, yes..." Jin Mu smiled shyly, instinctively pushing up his slipping glasses with his index finger. "Her narrative style is very unique..." As he spoke, his fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the book pages.
When He Xi Qian Yu returned with the coffee, Jin Mu was writing something in a notebook. As he got closer, He Xi Qian Yu caught a faint scent of ink mixed with laundry detergent—the most ordinary college student smell.
"Your latte." He Xi Qian Yu placed the cup down, the ceramic cup making a crisp "clink" as it met the wooden tabletop.
"Thank you." Jin Mu looked up, then hesitated before lowering his voice to ask, "Um... are you a student at Kamii University? I think I've seen you near the Faculty of Literature..." His gaze flickered, as if afraid his question was too abrupt.
He Xi Qian Yu's fingers imperceptibly stiffened for a moment. Slaughter let out a sharp laugh in his mind: "Ha... recognized? How interesting..."
"Yes, I am a student at Kamii University," He Xi Qian Yu replied with a normal expression, "but I'm in the Faculty of Pharmacy."
Jin Mu's ear tips instantly flushed red: "Sorry, I'm always so clumsy..." He awkwardly lowered his head, his fringe falling over his forehead.
Outside the window, sunlight danced across Jin Mu Ken's book pages through the glass. He sipped his coffee slowly, looking no different from any ordinary college student engrossed in the world of literature.
He Xi Qian Yu's gaze fell on the title page of "black goat's egg"—a pink sticky note neatly placed in the corner, with "Kamishiro Rize recommended" written in delicate handwriting, accompanied by a small heart.
"Oh... a book recommended by Gluttony..." Slaughter's voice, tinged with a hint of playfulness, echoed in He Xi Qian Yu's mind. "A tool for teasing prey... that guy cherishes it like a treasure..."
"Boys in love are always like this," He Xi Qian Yu responded in his consciousness, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Including you?" Slaughter's voice suddenly drew close, like a whisper in his mind.
"Of course, if I had a girlfriend." He Xi Qian Yu turned and walked towards the counter, the back of his white shirt gleaming slightly in the sunlight. "Unfortunately, I'm still single." His tone was light.
"That's truly a shame..." Slaughter's voice gradually faded, leaving a lingering, meaningful aftertaste.
...
When the coffee shop's clock pointed to ten thirty, the doorbell rang crisply again, and a blond youth burst in, his hair slightly damp with sweat from running.
"Jin Mu—!" Yongjin Hideyoshi called out, stretching his voice, his loud tone causing several customers to look over.
He rushed to Jin Mu Ken's table in three strides, his sneakers scuffing urgently on the floor.
"Another noisy sparrow..."
"We must tolerate the differences of our guests; it's basic etiquette." He Xi Qian Yu maintained a polite smile on his face.
"Terrible etiquette... it's torture for the ears..."
"Keep it down, Hide." Jin Mu Ken awkwardly adjusted his glasses, his voice embarrassed. "You're disturbing the other customers."
...
After Yongjin Hideyoshi left, the corner of the coffee shop seemed to quiet down considerably. Jin Mu Ken sighed in relief, pushed up his glasses, and refocused his attention on the open "black goat's egg."
The sunlight warmly enveloped him; the previous commotion felt like a minor interlude.
He had just turned a page when the crisp sound of the doorbell once again broke the tranquility of the coffee shop.
Her earrings reflected a cold light in the sun, and her white dress made her figure appear slender and tall.
Kamishiro Rize entered gracefully, the hem of her white dress rippling like water. Her gaze fell precisely on the corner seat, and a perfect curve formed on her lips.
Jin Mu Ken felt a gaze on him, and his fingers, turning the page, paused imperceptibly. He didn't immediately look up, but his back instinctively straightened a little.
Kamishiro Rize did not walk towards the counter, nor did she choose the empty seat next to Jin Mu Ken.
She walked directly to a booth diagonally behind him, a spot where she could clearly see Jin Mu's profile while maintaining a subtle distance from him.
"A cup of Blue Mountain, please." Her voice was not loud, clear and pleasant, reaching the counter distinctly and drifting into Jin Mu Ken's ears. That voice seemed to carry an indescribable penetrative power, causing Jin Mu Ken's fingers, holding the book page, to tighten slightly.
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Jin Mu Ken felt his throat dry. He picked up the already lukewarm coffee, took a small sip, trying to hide his discomfort.
He dared not look back, only trying to maintain his posture of looking down at the book, but his page-turning movements became stiff and slow.
The sticky note on the book page, "Kamishiro Rize recommended," now seemed particularly glaring in the sunlight.