How to Enjoy Delicious Coffee: Acidity and Bitterness, Episode 11

With Mr. Yuki's wife, Akane, joining the shop staff, lunch efficiency improved dramatically.
Akane was not only efficient, but her explanations to customers were polite and pleasant.

Her father was in the kitchen, sitting on a high chair and doing work that mainly involved using a knife.
Unlike before, he seemed frustrated that he was only being entrusted with a portion of the work.
Akane came in at 11:00 and left at 13:00. We made sure to prepare a staff meal if she wanted one, and sometimes she would eat lunch before heading home.

*

I had started going to Natsu's shop about once every two days.

"Natsu, are you dating Himari?"
"...No."

There was a pause.
Could this be a case of them getting back together, or something like that...?

"Himari is incredibly beautiful, isn't she? Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"
"Who knows?"

He definitely knows... This is suspicious.
Oh well. Seeing him so blatantly avoid the topic was as good as confirming that Himari is someone special to Natsu.

Even though I could finally talk to Natsu normally, the distance between us wasn't closing.

"Oh, that's right. I'd like to buy some blend coffee beans."
"Yes, they're for sale. How many grams would you like?"
"How much do people usually get?"
"If you're drinking it between the two of you, I recommend buying 100g or 200g at a time. It's better when it's fresh."

In that case, I decided to buy 100g. I'd see how it went first, and then decide whether to get 100g or 200g next time. Since I'm coming here every two days, I can buy it in small batches.

"Actually, my father's fainting spells... the thing where his autonomic nervous system doesn't work properly after eating... it seems like drinking coffee after a meal is good for that."
"Ah, drinking a moderate amount of coffee after a meal does have health benefits. It's only for black coffee, but there is evidence for things like diabetes prevention and various other benefits."

Until now, I had thought coffee wasn't very good for the body.
Caffeine is addictive, after all, and green tea or black tea seemed healthier. I never imagined I'd start buying coffee for my father's health.

Natsu's new menu item hadn't been scrapped.
I had been asked by Natsu again to taste-test and give my opinion, and I was currently waiting for the prototype.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

What Natsu brought over was a soufflé pancake that looked like it would be hard to keep its shape. The soft, yellow pancake had a golden-brown surface and the two pieces were stacked as if they were supporting each other.
A round pat of butter on top was starting to melt, and it was garnished with cream and mint leaves on the side, dusted with powdered sugar...

"Yeah, it's standard, but it looks delicious!"
"Standard!!"

Natsu seemed shocked by my first impression.
Well, I suppose so. The person I'm talking to is famous in the creative world, and surely a total pro when it comes to this kind of appearance.

"No, look, I meant that there's no fruit or anything."
"I think the first impression you get when you see it is everything."

Natsu is feeling down. Oh, shoot. I should have just said it looked delicious...
Hoping to regain his trust with my reaction to the taste, I picked up the small container of maple syrup placed next to the plate.

“Oh, could you try eating it without the syrup first??”
“...Yes. You're right. I'm sorry.”

This was a tasting. I had to give my impressions of the flavor, so pouring syrup on it right away was definitely not the right thing to do. No doubt about that.

Since a knife and fork had been brought over, I tried to use them to cut it. This softness must be due to the meringue; as I pierced it with the knife, I heard a soft 'shwa' sound of the bubbles being cut.

It was soft enough to be cut easily with just a fork.
I put the bite-sized piece of pancake into my mouth. Even inside my mouth, I could hear the sound of bubbles popping again.

“...How is it?”
“Yes, well...”

I had already disappointed Natsu-san earlier, so I racked my brain to choose my words carefully.

“It’s very much like a soufflé pancake, and it lives up to expectations.”
“...And the taste...?”
“It’s normally delicious.”
“Normally...?”

Natsu-san repeated my words, then looked at me with suspicious eyes, saying, “No, that’s not your honest opinion, is it?”

“...I just don’t think this goes well with coffee.”
“That’s a harsh honest opinion... thank you...”

I wondered why she decided to serve soufflé pancakes at this shop. Natsu-san confessed that she thought this would keep customers from getting bored.

“Sweets that are long-term hits in Japan have a ‘fluffy,’ ‘melt-in-your-mouth,’ or ‘smooth’ texture, and are made using eggs.”
“What is that... who says that?”
“It’s quite well-known in the confectionery industry. In France, it’s hard for sweets to be accepted unless the texture is more complex, but it’s said that the Japanese people just love things that are ‘fluffy’ and ‘melt-in-your-mouth.’ Pastry chefs who finish their training in France seem to stumble over that. After all, shortcake originated in Japan, too.”

I wondered about that and thought back. Sponge cakes like shortcake, cream puffs, pudding, and castella certainly seem to fit what Natsu-san is saying, but I don’t feel like that’s all there is to it.

“Why does it have to be fluffy?”
“Because in Japan, dishes that require the stress of chewing aren't very well accepted.”
“Hmm... for example?”
“Japanese beef is overwhelmingly softer than beef overseas, and isn't softness considered a virtue?”
“World-famous Kobe beef...”

That might be true. Bread overseas is hard, too. In Japan, soft, chewy bread with high moisture content is preferred.
Why don't efforts to make things softer develop overseas? Does that mean they aren't looking for that??

“Natsu-san, there’s one more thing that bothered me. I don’t think this menu is suitable for running a shop by yourself.”
“That’s... I was planning to think about that later!”

No plan at all!!

“No, no, no, that’s impossible. To put it mildly, it’s reckless.”

Why would you decide to do a one-person operation with a menu that requires making meringue for every single order??

Hahaha, if I hadn't stopped her, the operation would have been a disaster.

Just then, the shop's cowbell rang. Seeing the person who walked in, I instinctively called out.

“Himari-san.”

I had a feeling something like this would happen someday.

Himari-san looks at me and smiles faintly, then asks modestly, "Is this seat taken?" I am sitting at the counter, the seat where I can watch Natsu-san work right in front of me.

"Of course! Please, go ahead."

Himari-san has the appearance of a businesswoman working in the city, just like when we first met. She wears modest silver earrings and a necklace, and her makeup is natural.

With the cute clicking sound of her heels, she sits down next to me. The way she moves until she is seated is so graceful that I think to myself how perfect she is.

"What brings you here today?"

Natsu-san looks at Himari-san in a way that is clearly different from how he looks at other customers. That gaze, I cannot tell if it is just looking at a close friend or if it is the look of someone in love.

"I came to drink some coffee. Actually, I have a meeting just a little further down the road."
"For work?"
"I hope it turns out that way, but who knows."

As Himari-san talks with Natsu-san while staring at the menu, her lipstick looks soft and fresh every time her lips move. I was captivated, thinking how rare it is to find someone on whom such red lipstick looks so natural.

There is no room for me to enter between the two of them, so I pour maple syrup over the pancakes placed in front of me. The yellow-sectioned soufflé pancakes are now decorated with a fox-colored, syrupy glaze, like makeup.

"Is that a new menu item?"

Looking at me, Himari-san leans in with curiosity.

"It's a prototype. Though, based on Ritsu-san's opinion, we concluded that it's impossible to make this a menu item."

The polite language has vanished from Natsu-san's speech.

"Haha. That's so Natsu. You made this prototype ignoring the budget and the plan, didn't you?"
"...I wonder."
"Right? Ritsu-san, what was wrong with it?"

Himari-san seems to enjoy asking about the flaws of the pancakes.
I just gave my opinion directly to Natsu-san a moment ago.

"There was nothing wrong with it."
"Eh?"
"If this were just a pancake on its own, it would be a delicious pancake. I don't think there are any flaws. It's just that it doesn't go very well with this shop."

Himari-san and Natsu-san are looking at me with surprised faces. They look as if they never expected me to defend this menu item.

"This pancake is a menu item for a shop that serves black tea or herbal tea. It wasn't a menu item that makes coffee taste better. That's what I meant by..."
"I see."

Himari-san nods as if convinced and places an order for a "blend coffee" with Natsu-san.

“Ritsu-san supervised this blended coffee for me. Ritsu-san has a talent for tasting, and she’s always helping me out.”
“No, no, it’s just a diner.”
“Did you have a job like that? Ritsu-san, I mean.”

I felt a jolt when Himari-san asked me that.

“No, I’m just in charge of tasting at the diner...”
“I see. So if you’re in charge of tasting every day, you learn to tell things like that.”

I knew she didn’t mean any harm. What Himari-san said was a fact; I just taste things every day, and I’m not capable of anything special.

I had forgotten for a long time. Sometimes, the words of someone who means no harm are the ones that sting the most.

Himari-san and Natsu-san were talking about work and their workplace.
Meanwhile, I just kept poking at my pancake.

The sweet, syrupy maple syrup and the soft pancake gradually disappeared from the plate. All the while, the two of them were happily chatting about people I didn’t know.

They say you’re like air, and that’s exactly what I am.
Even though I’m in the same space, I’m like a non-existent presence, just eating my meal all alone.

“Oh, look at the time. I have to go.”

Himari-san looked at her thin leather-strapped wristwatch, hurriedly grabbed her things, stood up from the table, and paid the bill.

“Thank you very much.”

Natsu-san saw Himari-san off just like any other customer.

“Sorry for the rush, I’ll be in touch.”

Himari-san said that one thing to Natsu-san as she was leaving and walked out of the shop.
The sound of her footsteps clicked away, fading into the distance.

“I’ll be in touch,” huh.

I had finished the first pancake on my plate and was starting on the second.
While staring at the pancake, which looked like a thirteen-night moon and which I had only just touched with my fork, I repeated those last words in my head while still gripping the fork.

I see Natsu-san every other day.
I’m here like this, consulting on Natsu-san’s menu.
Himari-san was supposed to be a former colleague, and there shouldn’t be any reason for them to be in regular contact.

Natsu-san cleared Himari-san’s seat and wiped down the table.

“Oh, that was a lot of pancake, wasn’t it? It’s okay if you leave some.”
“No, it’s not too heavy, so I’ll finish it all.”

This menu item will likely never be served in the shop.
That’s why I’m the only one who can eat this pancake here. Even though it’s just a prototype, it’s the only job Natsu-san has entrusted to me.

"Natsu-san, would you like to taste it? To see how it pairs with the coffee?"
"...Alright then, just a bite."

Natsu-san placed a small plate from the shop in front of my seat. It seemed she wanted me to put a slice on it. I didn't want to put too much on, fearing she might think I didn't really need it, so I placed a third of the remaining pancake on it.

"Here you go."

As I handed the small plate to Natsu-san, she said, "Thank you," took it, and put a piece in her mouth with a fork. While chewing, she seemed to be thinking about something, and she poured some hot coffee from the shop's thermal pot to check the pairing.

"Ah, I see. You're right... it would probably go better with tea than coffee."

Natsu-san nodded repeatedly.

"I'm sorry. I'm an outsider, so maybe that was unsolicited advice..."
"No, I was about to forget the essence of it. What I need is a menu that makes the coffee taste delicious, right?"

I felt saved by Natsu-san's words, but I no longer had the composure to enjoy the pancake as I had before.
I finished off the rest of the pancake on the plate in one go and stood up from my seat as if to escape.

"Thank you very much, Ritsu-san. Please let me try again."

I gave Natsu-san, who had seen me off with a smile, a smile I had worked hard to muster, said "Thank you for the meal," and left the shop.

As soon as I stepped outside, a humid wind blew past.
I held down my hair. My hair, which had grown out completely, became a mess.
I may not be able to become a beauty like Himari-san, but I opened my eyes to the wind, wondering if it was okay to keep looking away from myself.

I took my mobile phone out of my pocket and typed a message to Shota saying I wanted to get a haircut.
I realized I didn't have time to be hesitating.