Koharu-chan is a bit bad at recommending books #1

People looking for something come to "Cardi Bookstore," a small bookstore with an attached cafe, again today. Through books, someone's feelings move just a little. This is one such gentle story.

Characters
Koharu: A high school student working part-time. Kind and a bit of an airhead.
Makoto Kimura: The store manager. Quiet and sincere. Loves books and coffee.

Previous Episode

Chapter 1: The first step doesn't have to be the right one

On a rainy evening, the door to Cardi Bookstore opened quietly. The bell at the entrance rang with a small, clear sound.

The person who entered was a man in his late twenties. As he folded his wet umbrella, he looked around the store with a somewhat listless expression. He wasn't wearing a suit, but he had the look of someone who had walked in while still carrying the worries of his work in his head.

Outside the window, a streetcar slowly passed by on the main street in front of the station. The store is a little quieter than usual on rainy days.

"Welcome."

Koharu, who had been chatting with the store manager, Kimura, called out and then quietly observed the man. Although he had come to the front of the bookshelf, he wasn't picking up any books; he was just standing there.

It was the stance of someone who didn't know what to look for, rather than someone looking for something. After hesitating for a moment, Koharu approached him, keeping a respectful distance.

"Are you looking for something?"

The man looked up for just a second, then smiled in a slightly troubled way.

"Well... I'm looking for a book, or rather... I just want to clear my head a bit."

"Clear your head, you say?"

"Yes. At work... I was put in charge of DX promotion, but..."
He stopped speaking there.

Koharu thinks that the harder something is to say, the more silence falls after a short sentence.

"Honestly, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

Koharu nodded slightly. The man began to speak in bits and pieces. In meetings, words that sound important—like AI, automation, and data utilization—are thrown around a lot. His boss also told him, "Put together a DX proposal for next term."
But on the front lines, paper, Excel, and phones are still very much in use, and if anything, things are managing to get by just fine with them.

What should be added here to make it "DX"?
What is the correct thing to propose?

He says the more he thinks about it, the less he understands.

“Should I install some new tool? Or should I bring up the topic of AI? ...But I feel like all of those are too big of a deal for us...”
“I see.”

“I see.”

As Koharu nodded along, she gently traced the spines of the books on the shelf with her fingertips.

DX. Business improvement. Automation. Introduction to IT.

This shop has plenty of books that fit those descriptions. But right now, she felt that what this person wanted wasn't“a plausible-sounding answer.”

“Perhaps you don't have to decide on something big all at once.”

After saying that, she felt a little uneasy about her own words. Wasn't there a more perfect way to put it? Thinking like that was a habit of Koharu's.

At that moment, Kimura, who was brewing coffee at the counter, spoke without looking over.

“For DX, finding out where and who is struggling right now might be more important than introducing something new.”

The man looked up.
Kimura continued, watching the drops falling from the dripper.

“If you notice the things that the people on the front lines find a little troublesome every day, you might be able to see what needs to be done next.”

It wasn't a flashy way of putting it. But those words sounded strangely clear even amidst the sound of the rain.

The man smiled as if letting out a sigh.

“I see... I felt like I had to come up with‘a plan to change the company’from the very beginning.”

“Rather than changing it,” Kimura said quietly.
“It's more likefinding the places where things are getting stuckfirst, I suppose.”

While listening to those words, Koharu turned her eyes to a corner of the shelf. Then she pulled out a book.

“Programming, the First Step”

The man looked at the cover with a slightly surprised expression.

“...Programming, you say?”

“Yes.”

Holding the book with both hands, Koharu slowly chose her words.

“I think DX is often seen as suddenly building some big system... but I feel like if you know a little bit for yourself about‘how systems are made,’the way you see things changes.”

The man listens in silence.

“This book is like an entrance tolearning how to think about systems,” she says. “It’s not for automating your work right away or anything like that. It’s more of a book to help you take the first step toward‘being on the side that understands,’ so to speak...”

As she says this, Koharu feels a little embarrassed. She worries if she explained it well. But the man just smiles slightly, his eyes fixed on the book cover.

“I see.”
“Before trying to change the company all at once, I should first become someone who ‘understands’... is that it?”

The way he put it seemed to make perfect sense to him. Koharu nods, feeling relieved.

“I think it’s a good book for that first step.”

The man picks up the book and heads to the register with a slightly lighter expression than before.

Looking out the window, the rain has weakened before she noticed. After finishing the transaction, the man says while holding the book.

“I might have been putting too much pressure on myself to get the right answer from the start.”

Koharu smiles softly.

“Even if the first step is small, it’s still moving forward.”

The man bows, saying “Thank you,” and leaves the shop.
The door closes, and the bell rings softly again.
His back looks just a little bit straighter than when he first walked in.

Koharu lets out a soft breath as she turns her gaze back to the shelves. She still isn’t quite sure if she recommended it well.
But she feels like she was able to witness a moment where someone’s hesitation became a little lighter.

Behind the counter, Kimura is pouring a cup of coffee for Koharu. Its gentle aroma wraps softly around her.

Koharu-chan’s Recommended Books

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Cardi Bookstore