Chapter 110: Another Beautiful Day Indeed
"May I see the menu first?" Vigne asked politely, her gentle tone carrying over the warm murmur of background music.
"Of course, miss." The manager, a man with silver streaks in his hair and the posture of a lifelong craftsman, handed her the menu with a professional smile.
Vigne flipped through the pages swiftly, her eyes scanning the handwritten descriptions of exotic beans and blends. After a brief pause, she passed the menu to Satania sitting beside her. "I'll have a cup of Blue Mountain coffee, please. Thank you."
No sooner had she spoken than Satania's voice broke the café's calm.
"Eh? Why is this 'Civet Cat Coffee' so expensive?!" she shrieked, the sound almost shaking the spoons on the table.
Gabriel sighed without looking up. "Tch. It's just coffee. You probably can't afford it anyway."
Satania puffed out her chest, eyes wide with wounded pride. "W-Who says I can't afford it! It's just eight thousand yen (52$) a cup, right? I can handle that... totally fine..."
Her trembling lips betrayed her. The corners of her mouth twitched as her eyes shimmered suspiciously. Please, at least try to hide your pain when lying through your teeth!
Kouya, sitting silently nearby, watched the scene unfold with weary amusement. He already knew where this was going.
"Master, I'll take one of those—" Satania raised her hand high.
Vigne nearly jumped out of her seat, covering Satania's mouth. "Don't be impulsive! Trust me, you won't like that kind of coffee."
Satania mumbled against her hand. "Eh? Why not?"
Vigne sighed, grabbed her phone, and quickly searched something. Then she turned the screen toward Satania.
Satania glanced down, skimmed the words—and froze. The blood drained from her face. "W-What?! It's made from cat poop?!"
Shut up!
Don't go shouting that in public! People are staring!
That was one of the most famous and unique coffees in the world! It might not make you immortal, but it sure wasn't poison. Okay, fine—it technically was cat poop coffee—but so what?! Even bird's nest soup was made of spit, and people treated it like treasure! Taste before judgment, you fool!
"You're trying to poison me, aren't you?!" Satania accused, pointing dramatically at the manager.
The poor man stiffened, a cold sweat sliding down his temple. He had run this café for over twenty years, but this was the first time anyone had ever insulted his menu like that. Something was seriously wrong with this customer's worldview.
Vigne flushed bright red and tugged Satania's sleeve desperately. "Please stop. Just pick another coffee, okay?"
"Fine! Then I'll have the same Blue Mountain coffee as you!" Satania crossed her arms with forced dignity.
"Manager, do you have milk coffee?" Raphiel asked, her soft smile instantly easing the tension.
"Yes, we do—both hot and iced. Which would you prefer, miss?" The manager relaxed slightly. This girl seemed normal enough—finally, a breath of sanity.
Raphiel tapped her lip thoughtfully. "Hmm... Then I'll have a slightly spicy one."
The man blinked. "...I'm sorry?"
His smile froze midair. Spicy? Since when was that a coffee flavor?
Raphiel tilted her head innocently. "No spicy coffee? Then what about extra spicy?"
The manager's jaw almost dropped. Who in their right mind would add chili powder to coffee?! Was this some bizarre foreign trend he'd never heard of?! He started questioning his entire career.
"My apologies, miss, but we don't serve that..."
Raphiel sighed in disappointment. "That's a shame. Even cream puffs come in super-spicy mustard flavor."
Wait. Wait a minute. You were talking about cream puffs this whole time?! Give the poor man his peace of mind back, woman!
"I'll have a milk coffee too," Gabriel muttered, half-asleep.
Satania slammed her hand on the table. "Gabriel! Why don't you order Blue Mountain too?! Let's settle this with a coffee duel!"
The manager blinked in surprise. A duel through coffee? How oddly poetic.
Gabriel gave her a bored look. "You planning to drown your face in the cup again?"
"W-What do you mean again?! That was an accident!"
Kouya massaged his temple. This café trip was going to destroy the poor man's sanity.
Finally, the manager exhaled and smiled. "Understood. Please wait a few minutes."
A short while later, he returned with their drinks, each cup steaming gently under the amber light. But before he could serve them, he noticed the redhead slumped over the table, face down.
"I can't... go on..." Satania groaned dramatically.
Vigne stood with arms crossed, looking like a strict instructor. "You can and you will."
"But if I keep going, I'll break!" Satania's voice trembled.
"You won't break that easily," Vigne said sharply. "You'll never find your limit if you stop now!"
"B-But—"
"No buts! Finish it! Or no pineapple buns tonight!"
Satania whimpered, tears pooling. "Uuuu... I'm gonna break... for real this time..."
The other customers had started whispering, curious about the dramatic exchange.
Meanwhile, the manager was frozen behind the counter. "W-What's going on here...?" he whispered to himself. The dialogue he'd overheard sounded terrifying.
Bullying?! In my café?! Were they forcing that poor girl to do something indecent?! Using bread as payment?! What kind of twisted school dynamic was this?!
No. He couldn't allow it. Not in his shop! That red-haired girl might be airheaded, but she didn't deserve this cruel fate!
His heart burned with determination—he would step in if needed.
But then—
"Manager, why are you just standing there?" Vigne asked casually, looking up at him.
He jumped. "Ah! N-No reason!" He quickly placed the tray down, face tense. "Um, well..."
"We're just studying here," Vigne explained, sliding a workbook toward Satania. "We have exams this weekend, so we came here to review. It won't bother your business, right?"
The man blinked, realization washing over him. 'Studying? That's all?' He felt his dramatic inner monologue collapse instantly.
"Ah, of course! Feel free to stay as long as you like," he said with a relieved laugh.
"Thank you, sir," Vigne smiled politely.
At the other end of the table, Takanashi Rikka adjusted her eyepatch and held up a small sugar cube with reverence. "Hero, hero, do you wish to wield the crystallized souls that bridge dimensions?"
Kouya sighed. "They're just sugar cubes."
Rikka blinked. "Huh?"
He took a sip of his Blue Mountain coffee, letting the rich bitterness linger on his tongue. It wasn't bad—smooth and bold—but not quite to his taste.
As he reached for the sugar, Satania suddenly stood again. "Gabriel! I challenge you!"
Gabriel didn't even look up. "You only use two sugar cubes. You're not qualified."
"Hmph! Then watch this!" Satania grabbed the bowl and dumped sugar cubes into her cup until the liquid overflowed.
"And milk! Coffee without milk is blasphemy!"
"Who's scared?!" Gabriel snapped. "Fine! I'll add more than you!"
Vigne smacked her forehead. "You two! Stop it! You're making a mess!"
Raphiel giggled behind her hand. "Such passion... I love watching them suffer."
Kouya exhaled through his nose. 'Another day, another headache.'
Behind the counter, the manager quietly polished a glass, gazing at the lively group. The air smelled of roasted beans and laughter, and though he didn't understand half of what was happening, he found himself smiling.
He looked out the window at the rain easing into a gentle drizzle.
"Ah... the third day since reopening," he murmured, voice calm and full of warmth. "Another beautiful day indeed."