The rainy season had finally arrived. That said, Nagasaki rained a lot normally anyway.

Thinking like that, I left my home in the light rain and headed for the Evening Rain Café.

But speaking of customers, it was the same as usual.

Iida-san, the bank salesman who had found this store by chance, would visit once a week.

However, maybe because he didn’t have a good affinity with the Owner, after Iida-san left, or rather every time he came over, the Owner would be in a bad mood.

Really, I don’t think he is someone suited for the hospitality industry.

I was worried about the Owner’s attitude and asked him about it once. Why did he decide to open a coffee shop? His answer was simple, to polish his senses.

It seems he was still active as a calligrapher while he managed the cafe, it might be a stimulus for inspiration.

But since customers didn’t come most of the time, I didn’t know whether it was effective or not.

 

I can only say that he is a wonderful employer.

If there was something I didn’t understand while studying, I could ask him. If it was raining at night, he would pick me up at the station if I told him beforehand that I was coming over. (Although he would still say that he had gone shopping.) He would even send me back to the station on the way home, and if the last train had left, he would bring me to my apartment by car. He also paid me 1,500 yen per hour. I felt like a salary thief.

 

Today, I brought a gift to express my daily gratitude to the Owner.

It was something I had bought at the pottery market one month ago.

It had already been a month since I thought about wrapping it up carefully and passing it to him.

I kept making excuses to myself that I was busy balancing study and my part time job.

 

It was past 5pm.

Because it was going to rain until morning, I decided to leave home early.

 

When I reached the store, the Owner got angry that I didn’t contact him before coming over.

I wonder if it’s not convenient for him today?

 

「Well then~, what’s the work for the day?」

「There’s no need.」

「Please consider it my own selfishness.」

 

It’s unusual, it seems that the store won’t be open today even though it’s raining.

Outside was getting dark, but the sign board saying we were open hadn’t been put out.

 

「Then, pardon me–ah!」

 

I almost forgot the gift.

Although he seems to be in a slightly bad mood, I had written in today’s date on the thank you note and decided to hand it over.

 

「Owner, this, please have this.」

「What?」

「I bought it at the pottery city, I liked it at first glance.」

 

I thought about what I should do if he told me he didn’t need it. But the Owner received it.

He opened the package silently.

I didn’t think he would open it on the spot, so my heart started thumping.

 

As I expected, the Owner showed a subtle reaction.

The Owner frowned his eyebrows and stared at the mugs in the box.

I had chosen a red and black pair. While they were coloured in their primary colour, it still looked like it was from Nagasaki. Cherry blossom petals made from molded plaster were attached to it leaves were hand drawn. It was a very pretty item.

 

「I thought that it would be good to use it when you spend time with her,.」

 

But when I said that, his frown grew deeper. Was my care unnecessary?

 

「Her……?」

「Um, I’m sorry. The email address from last time, Yohko-san I mean……」

「Yohko……? Ahh, that’s, she, she isn’t.」

「!」

 

Uwa~, I’ve done it now.

It seems the Yohko-san in his email address isn’t his girlfriend. Is it an unrequited love? That is a little sad.

 

I made a timid apology to the Owner, who seemed to be a little angry.

 

「Um, I didn’t mean anything bad. That is, I’m sorry.」

「Why are you apologising?」

「No, it’s my own misunderstanding, sorry for making you angry.」

「I’m not actually angry.」

 

The Owner picked up the black mug and muttered that it was a good item.

Because he stopped frowning, I felt relieved.

 

He offered the other red mug to me.

 

「This, you can use it here.」

「Eh?」

「I already told you. I don’t want to use the Nabeshima porcelain.」

 

That’s right. The scary thing is that all the tableware here is mostly Nabeshima porcelain, a high quality ceramic. The Owner used them everyday.

When carrying them, there were times when I couldn’t concentrate on the delicious food and drink because I was scared of dropping and damaging them.

 

「Then, thank you for letting me use it.」

 

The mug I gifted the Owner was lined on the shelf in the rest area.

 

I was relieved that his mood seemed to have recovered when suddenly there was a knock on the door to the employee rest area.

 

「Sensei, I know you’re there. It’s almost time!」

 

The voice of a woman could be heard from outside. I was surprised and almost jumped on the spot.

Had his friend (?) come over?

Looking at the Owner’s face, he had a frustrated expression.

 

「Sensei, the flight time is coming soon. ……I’m coming in!」

 

As she said that and came in, I saw a familiar woman.

This person was the beautiful onee-san who had come to the store previously. She was wearing the same clothes tonight as well.

 

「Ah, you are–?」

「I’m an employee here.」

「Eh……that’s surprising.」

 

The beautiful onee-san was surprised when she saw me.

It seems she was surprised that the Owner had hired someone.

 

「Have we met before?」

「Yes, we’ve met before.」

「An incredible coincidence. May I ask your name?」

「Yes. I’m Hidaka Otome.」

「Ahem……!」

 

The Owner cleared his throat and interrupted the conversation.

The beautiful onee-san searched her bag and handed me a business card.

 

「This is who I am.」

「!」

 

–Miyabi Publishing, Fifth Editorial Department, Nanase Yohko.

 

I was shocked when I saw the business card.

 

「T-This is.」

 

My fingertips trembled as I held the business card. As for why–

 

「Is this the publisher that is publishing books by Shinonome Yohko-sensei!?」

「Yes, that’s right.」

「I knew it!! I, I’m a big fan of sensei, I’ve also bought a copy of her latest book in the “Detective Nakajima Kaoru” series that was released last month.」

「Oh, thank you.」

 

Nanase-san seems to be an editor. She would come over to Nagasaki once a month for work.

 

「Um, Nanase-san, may I ask you something?」

「Sure.」

「Have you ever met Shinonome sensei?」

 

Accepting my impolite question, Nanases-san gave a deep smile.

Whether she had or not, it was hard to tell from her expression.

 

「–Unfortunately, I haven’t.」

「I see.」

 

I thought it was already great to have met an editor of the publishing company that published the books by Shinonome-sensei, further coincidence probably wasn’t possible.

 

「I’m sorry for pushing such a question on you.」

「Don’t worry about it.」

 

Somehow, I thought that she was a nice person with the composure of an adult.

In the future, I would also like to become a woman who could wear such a cool suit.

 

Looking at the business card again, I noticed something.

My goodness, Nanase-san’s first name was Yohko-san.

 

Is the Owner’s unrequited love Nanase-san?

Finding that out, I had an uncertain feeling. What is this kind of feeling?

 

「Hidaka-san, is anything wrong?」

「N-Nothing!」

 

I quickly shook my head and picked up my bag that I had placed on a chair.

I felt that I was bothering them and that I should leave here as soon as I could.

 

「Um, I, I’ll be heading home!」

 

The Owner told me that it was dark outside and said that he would send me to the station, but I declined as he had visitors.

 

You two young people should take it slowly! I left the shop after saying that.

I felt like the Owner was shouting something, but I didn’t want to stay there, so I briskly left the store.

 

It suddenly started raining and I took out an umbrella as I went down the Dutch Slope.

 

The umbrella was something I had bought at the shopping mall today and I had been feeling quite happy when I came, but on the way back, for some reason my heart felt heavy.

 

–Surely this depression is due to the rain.

 

I decided to think of it like that.

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