It was raining today.
In the evening, I contacted the Owner and headed for the Evening Rain Cafe cheerfully.
It seemed the Owner was busy today. Usually he would come to pick me up, but today he just said to be careful on my way.
Getting on the slightly crowded tram, I changed to a different line on the way and got off in front of the city hospital.
Full of spirit, I climbed the Dutch Slope, wet with rain.
On rainy days in summer, it was very humid.
By the time I arrived at the Evening Rain, I was sweating. Wiping my forehead lightly with a handkerchief, I entered the shop from the back door.
「Good evening~~.」
I called out, but the Owner wasn’t in the rest area or the kitchen.
But, since the air conditioner was on, he should be somewhere.
The Evening Rain was two stories high, so he might have been hiding upstairs.
I thought it was all fine, so I started cleaning the floor.
While I was doing that, the Owner came over.
I was surprised because he came over in a rush. His face had a stiff expression and I was a little scared.
He quickly approached me and poked my forehead.
「If you’re here, call out for me!」
「I-I’m sorry!」
I thought it wasn’t a good idea to go upstairs without permission, so I didn’t try to check if he was there.
But, I didn’t have to speak with him directly, I could have messaged or called him by phone. I reflected on it.
「I’ll be more careful from now on.」
「……No, thinking about it, I’m sorry I was upstairs.」
「It’s not Owner’s fault.」
Apparently he was worried that I was late. He also tried to call me several times.
I had left my smartphone in my bag in the rest area so I had never noticed it.
「I should have picked you up after all.」
「No, no, not at all!」
When I asked if he had been busy, he suddenly turned away.
He didn’t want to say it.
That was fine, so I changed the subject. I decided to ask about today’s menu.
「Today is milk seki and coffee.」
「No way, double drinks!?」
「Nagasaki milk seki’s aren’t a drink. It’s a sherbet-like dessert.」
「Is that true!」
I didn’t know that.
A normal milk seki is a drink made with egg yolk, sugar and milk, but it seems that Nagasaki’s milkshake is made with sherbet and ice. He said he would make some now.
I went to the kitchen to watch the preparation.
The ingredients were egg, sugar, milk, vanilla essence, condensed milk and ice.
First, put the egg yolk and condensed milk into a bowl and mix with a whisk. Then add sugar, vanilla essence and stir further. Finally, mix the shaved ice with everything else, you get a Nagasaki-style milk seki.
Putting it into a long glass, it was decorated with canned cherries.
The Owner handed me a freshly made milkshake, telling me to eat it.
Sitting on a chair in the kitchen, I quickly tried it.
I scooped up the cream coloured, light snow-like sherbet with a spoon.
The gentle flavour of milk spread through my mouth before disappearing in an instant.
The sweetness was moderate, it looked rich but it wasn’t that rich.
On a hot night like today, I thought it was the perfect ice confectionery.
That said, milk seki is now less commonly used and milkshake is now used more often.
It has a long history and seemed to have first appeared around the late Taisho to early Showa era.
On a hot summer day, a coffee shop came up with a way for hill climbers to cool down.
It spread through Nagasaki and become a confectionery loved by the locals.
「I often used to drink milk sekis that my grandmother made when I was a kid. No way, so it was sherbet!」
After I became a high school student, I think I stopped drinking them because I was getting fat.
Looking back at my adolescent years 1-2 years ago, it was a hard time.
Was the last time I drank it in junior high school? I missed it.
「Thank you very much, it was delicious.」
The Owner didn’t reply to my words but handed over a sheet of paper with the menu to put up.
I received it and told him I understood.
As I put up the piece of paper on the wall that read <Today’s items, milk seki and coffee> I heard the sound of the door opening.
When I went to meet the customer, it was a familiar face.
「Uwa~, Nanase-san! Welcome.」
「Good evening, Hidaka-san.」
The customer who came over was Nanase-san of Miyabi Publishing.
Today, she was wearing a smart suit as usual.
She had been caught in the rain and was using her handkerchief to wipe away the drops of water with a troubled expression.
「Would you like to borrow a towel?」
「Yes please.」
「Okay.」
I brought a towel over form the back room and handed it over to Nanase-san.
Guiding Nanase-san to her seat, I introduced today’s menu.
「Today’s menu is milk seki and coffee.」
「Are both drinks?」
「No, the Nagasaki milk seki isn’t a drink but a sherbet.」
「Oh, is that so?」
「Actually, I only just found out earlier.」
「Oh right. Hidaka-san’s parents are from Tokyo.」
Oh. Did I tell Nanase-san that my parents were from Tokyo?
I tilted my head in puzzlement, but I couldn’t remember.
The Owner may have mentioned it.
Although I was distracted for a bit, I went to the kitchen to tell the order.
「Owner, we have a customer.」
「Understood.」
「It’s Nanase-san」
「!」
When told the Owner who it was, his eyes immediately widened.
He told me to stay here and quickly went out.
Looking back, I had a complicated feeling.
I’ve never seen someone come to meet me like that.
As I thought, Nanase-san is probably a special person to the Owner.
Looking at her again, Nanase-san is a beautiful and calm adult lady.
The Owner looks good next to her as well.
I unconsciously gave a long sigh.
As I was preparing coffee, the Owner returned.
He started to make the milk seki silently.
Next to him, I used the shaved ice machine to shave the ice.
Nanase-san was very pleased with the milk seki because she wanted something cold.
She said the calories were high, but she ate it happily anyway.
The Owner watched from nearby.
Seeing the two of them like that, I couldn’t help looking out the window.
The rain that was falling wasn’t likely to stop.
I finally felt how painful unrequited love could be.
But right now, I’m at work. It isn’t a time to be immersed in sentiments.
I picked up the empty cup and tried to leave the young couple together, but was held back by Nanase-san.
「Hidaka-san, do you know about film adaptation for Shinonome-sensei’s detective series?」
「Ah, yes! I was really surprised.」
When I bought the book with banners around it without thinking, I was told that there was more information on the official website.
「But, I’m also interested in the signature event.」
「Come to think of it, that was planned.」
Yes. On the banner wrapped around the books, it said a Shinonome Yohko fair was going to be held.
If you bought two books and sent in an application ticket, you would enter a lottery for a signed book.
「What does Shinonome-sensei’s signature look like?」
「Shinonome-sensei rarely signs things, this will be the first time a fair will be held.」
「Then, it’s very rare.」
「Yes, the winner will be very lucky.」
「Then I’ll do my best and buy 10 copies–.」
「You don’t have to buy that many!」
For some reason, the Owner suddenly said that from behind me.
A copy of the book costs 1000 yen or so, but it’s a paperback book, so the price isn’t that high. It’s an amount I could manage with my pocket money. Still, the Owner told me to eat delicious food instead with the money.
「That’s true, Hidaka-san is slender, so maybe you should eat more.」
「No, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been putting weight on recently……」
Since I started working here, I’ve gained about 5kg because the Owner keeps making confectionery that are too tasty to not eat.
During the summer vacation, I had wanted to walk up and down the Dutch Slope. I was afraid to step on the scales.
「Are you the type who looks thinner in clothes?」
「I-I guess?」
I wish I had more meat on my chest and hips like Nanase-san!
I didn’t have to compare by looking at myself. Reality was harsh.
This time, I took her glass and went back to the kitchen.
I washed the dishes used for cooking and cleaned the coffee maker.
I decided to concentrate on cleaning up the kitchen so that they could spend as much time together as possible.
The rain had yet to stop.
The sound of the heavy rain seemed to sweep my heart away.