It had been two weeks since I started working at the Evening Rain Café.

I’ve learned how to brew coffee and was also studying about Nagasaki’s traditional confectionery.

I also had two dresses that I could wear at work sent over from my parents’ home.

One was a dark brown dress and the other was light blue.

If rainy days continued, I would wear them on alternating days.

 

My cleaning was perfect and there are delicious confectionery as well.

 

Still, no customers ever came!

 

Recently, the owner also started coming over to the employee rest area.

Over there, it was easier to notice when customers came.

Even when I first arrived on a rainy night, I remember that it took him a while to realise.

 

「Customers, they’re not coming~.」

「That’s because it’s troublesome to go outside when it rains.」

「Those words just deny the whole concept of this cafe.」

 

I waited for customers while carrying on this fruitless conversation with the owner.

 

On a plate in the rest area, there was a confectionery called “Kousakou”. At first glance, it looks like Rakugan.

They were in bite sized portions and I picked up one it the shape of a flower to eat.

 

「–Mm?」

 

I noticed that it wasn’t as powdery as Rakugan.

It felt crispy and melted away in my mouth as it disappeared.

It was a delicious sweet and I felt it was something I wanted to savour.

Looking at its beautiful shape, I felt the commitment of the confectioner who made it.

If you ask me, the ingredients seems to be different from Rakugan.

Whereas Rakugan is made from glutinous rice and sugar, Kousakou was made from roasted rice flour, sugar and starch syrup.

The sugar gave off a fragrance in my mouth, so I thought it was a wonderful name.

 

Kousakou seemed to be a traditional sweet that was brought along the sugar road. I took notes while listening to the owner’s story.

 

「Sugar Road, it’s a name that makes my heart flutter.」

 

At my reaction, the owner just nodded without any expression.

The time went by quietly.

Because I had time while waiting, I wrote up a report for class.

Fortunately, if I had something I didn’t understand, the owner would guide me to the correct answers. As expected, of a teacher. (Although he was a calligraphy teacher.)

 

I finished my report and when I looked at the clock it was half past nine.

The rain wasn’t likely to stop yet.

 

「One way or another, I wish a customer would come.」

「I don’t really mind.」

「But, I’ve prepared confectionery and beverages but no one is coming, I feel lonely.」

 

At least, I suggested, change the opening times to when it was raining during the day. However, the owner said that it would then no longer be the “Evening Rain”.

The mysterious concept of this cafe was hard to understand.

 

「As for me, I feel like I’m stealing money, I feel distressed–」

 

Maybe because of my repeated complaints, the owner put a Kousakou into my mouth. I fell silent.

It was sweet and delicious!

But the happy feeling was only for a moment as the sweet in my mouth disappeared like snow.

I then realised.

 

「W-What are you doing!」

「Considering how long you quieted down for, the duration of the Kousakou is too short. Maybe a Castella is needed.」

「I’ll keep quiet if I can have one.」

 

I gave a big sigh and sank into my seat tiredly.

If I knew I would have so much time, I would have brought in the new publication by Shinonome Yohko sensei. I would have read it three times already.

I had been busy recently and hadn’t had the time to send any fan letters. I plan to think about what to write in my idle time here.

As the owner took note of my sullen expression and frown, I heard the clanging of the bell that was hung at the entrance.

At the same time, a voice saying ‘Good evening’ could be heard.

 

「J-Just now, the sound of the door opening, did I hear someone say ‘Good evening’!?」

「Certainly.」

「Customers!?」

 

I stood up and looked at the owner’s face.

 

「I will go meet them!」

 

I ran towards the entrance without waiting for a reply.

The person who had entered was a young man in a suit. He looked to be around the same age as the owner.

 

「Good evening, welcome!」

 

As I called out, the man gave a nice smile.

It seemed it really was a shop, furthermore, it was open. He had entered quite nervously.

That feeling, I understood it well.

To make it easier for customers to come in, the sign should be made bigger and the number of lights outside increased.

 

I showed him further in.

Today’s menu was Kousakou and coffee. As it was the only item, he ordered it with a smile.

 

The man looked around and made a comment about the cafe as he smiled.

 

「This is an interesting cafe, in various ways.」

「Yes. It seems to be the owner’s style.」

 

Then, for a short while, I talked with the customer.

It seems he was a businessman that was looking for a place to avoid the sudden rain and came here.

 

「Actually, I just arrived here from the head office in Tokyo. It really rains a lot in Nagasaki.」

「Yes, I was surprised as well. I always keep a folding umbrella in my bag.」

 

As he worked in sales, he was good at making conversation. Unintentionally, our conversation kept going.

I heard a sound from behind and when I looked over, the owner had his arms folded with a grumpy face.

 

「If an order has been placed, make it as soon as possible.」

「I-I understand.」

 

I was too happy about having my first customer and lost myself.

Wages. I thought to myself that I had to work hard for them and left immediately.

 

I brewed the coffee, placed the Kousakou into a pyramid on a plate and placed it onto a kitchen cart.

Returning to the customer, I saw him talking with the owner.

To keep a conversation going with the owner, who was hard to talk with, this salesman is too amazing! I thought. As expected of a professional.

 

「Sorry to keep you waiting. Today’s items are Kousakou and coffee.」

「Ah, thank you.」

 

I thought that the Kousakou would be too sweet for men, so I recommended the coffee black.

The salesmen onii-san wiped his hands with a hand towel before popping a Kousakou into his mouth.

Because the taste was different from what he had imagined, his eyes went wide.

I also had a similar reaction earlier, so I can understand his feelings.

 

「This, it’s intriguing. I thought that it was Rakugan, but it’s different from what I thought.」

「Yes, that’s right.」

 

Although I thought the owner would explain, when I glanced at his face for a moment, his mouth was shut tight. His eyes looked like he was telling me ‘You explain it’. I just repeated the words I was told before.

 

「I see, it’s a traditional sweet from Nagasaki!」

 

As far as Nagasaki was concerned, he told me that he had only known about the Castella.

I told him that these might be good as souvenirs.

 

「Confectionery from Nagasaki, thank you very much. I’ll make use of this topic when I meet with business partners in future.」

「That’s great!」

 

Because the owner told me that this wasn’t a very well known confectionery, maybe, not even people in Nagasaki would know about it.

 

「This place, do you provide any other confectionery s from Nagasaki on different days?」

「Yes, that’s right, right?」

 

Because I had never clearly been told the rules, I looked at the owner to confirm.

The owner simply nodded.

 

「Well, that seems to be the case.」

「Sounds good. This is a unique cafe. Pardon me, but I didn’t quite get the store name, may I ask?」

「Yes, this is the “Evening Rain Café”」

 

I told him about our business hours as well.

 

「Only on rainy nights, this is quite a strict condition.」

「I agree. Perhaps I’ve gotten used to the quietness. By all means, please drop by on a rainy night.」

「I understand. I will visit again.」

 

Ah, a regular customer!

 

I happily looked at the owner’s expression, but he was still grumpy.

 

I thought his face really isn’t suited for customer service.

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