Chapter Six: The Evaluation Meeting

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“So, SHIZUKU-chan, do you have a boyfriend or anything?” the host asked in a monotone, prompting a wave of laughter from the studio audience.

“Nope, not at all!” Shizuku replied, her voice bright and teasing. “What, are you trying to stir up some drama?”

“No way! Nothing like that!” the host shot back, feigning innocence as the laughter swelled.

Seated at the center of the guest panel, Shizuku flashed a radiant smile, perfectly in sync with the lively atmosphere around her. She’d mentioned before that appearing on variety shows was part of promoting her drama. Though she wasn’t used to this kind of work, she always said it was all for the sake of the drama.

“Now, SHIZUKU-chan, this is your first time acting, right?” the host continued. “How’s the filming set treating you? The drama’s about halfway through now—do you still get nervous?”

“I’m nervous every single time…!” Shizuku admitted, her tone earnest yet tinged with a nervous laugh. “I’m still so inexperienced, and if it weren’t for the kindness of the senior actors around me, I’m sure I would’ve broken down by now.”

Her words carried the weight of genuine feeling, unfiltered and sincere.

“That’s what she says, but… what does your co-star, Inamori-san, think of SHIZUKU-chan on set?” the host prompted, turning to the wildly popular actress, Inamori Reiko.

With a beauty distinct from Shizuku’s, Inamori carried herself with effortless confidence, even in the chaotic energy of a variety show. “Well… I think SHIZUKU-chan’s doing great,” she began, her voice warm but measured. “But there’s one thing I’m a little jealous of.”

“Jealous?” the host echoed, leaning forward with curiosity.

“SHIZUKU-chan’s passion is just incredible,” Inamori explained. “Even after

“Oh, wow,” the host responded, clearly impressed.

“Even after an exhausting day of shooting, she’s still buzzing around,” Inamori continued, a hint of admiration in her tone. “It’s like,  I’ve got plenty of drive myself, but my body just can’t keep up sometimes.”

“I hear ya!” the host chimed in, grinning. “I’m out there traveling across Japan for work, and my body’s like, ‘Nope, can’t keep up anymore!’”

“Isn’t that just because you’re getting old?” Inamori teased, her smirk sparking another round of laughter from the studio.

“Oh, wait, that’s not something we lump together, is it?” the host retorted, playing along as the audience roared.

Shizuku, perhaps flustered by Inamori Reiko’s praise, offered a slightly awkward smile, her cheeks faintly flushed.

“You’re really killing it, Shizuku,” I mumbled to myself as I stepped out of my room. Watching her shine like that stirred something in me, a quiet urge to push myself harder too.

Time to practice brewing coffee again today.

“Phew…” Shizuku let out a heavy sigh, sinking into her   after taking a long sip of her iced coffee.

“You okay?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice. “You seem even more exhausted than usual.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like I’m fishing for sympathy,” she replied quickly, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m tired, but it’s not like I’m at my limit or anything, so don’t worry!”

I couldn’t help but furrow my brow. Was I being too soft, hoping she’d rest before reaching her breaking point?

“Even when I’m tired, drinking the coffee here always perks me up,” Shizuku added, her tone brightening. “I’m totally fine!”

“…Alright. But don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” I said, my voice softer but firm.

“Yeah, thanks,” she replied with a small smile. “But it’s really weird, you know? No matter how tired I am, drinking coffee just fills me with energy.”

“Coffee does have a fatigue-recovery effect,” I noted, leaning back slightly. That burst of energy wasn’t just in her head. As I’d explained before, coffee had properties that dulled the sense of fatigue. It was the power of caffeine, the same  in energy drinks. In the right doses, caffeine could be a great help in daily life.

But overdoing it was a big no-no. Too much caffeine could cause dizziness or nausea, among other issues. It varies

“I looked it up a bit, and coffee also helps with fat burning, right?” Shizuku asked, her curiosity piqued as she leaned forward.

“Yeah, that’s thanks to a polyphenol called chlorogenic acid,” I explained. “It helps suppress  absorption and prevents the accumulation of visceral fat. Apparently, it can even help prevent diabetes and  , and it makes you less likely to gain weight.”

“Coffee’s getting a lot of attention for its health benefits—it’s an amazing drink,” I continued, then paused to give her a pointed look. “But like I keep saying, drinking too much can harm your body, so be careful not to overdo it. That’s a promise, okay?”

“…Who are you making that promise to?” Shizuku asked, tilting her head with a playful smirk.

“Huh?” I blinked, caught off guard. Wait, who was I making that promise to? For a fleeting moment, it felt like someone else had been speaking through me, and a chill ran down my spine.

“While Jun-kun’s busy  …” a familiar voice cut in, “can you two help me out for a sec?”

“What’s up, Master?” I asked, turning to Utahara-san as Shizuku and I both tilted our heads in curiosity.

Utahara-san placed a tray in front of us—or rather, a  , as we called the round serving trays waiters used in restaurants. On it were several containers, each holding coffee beans  slightly different shades.

“At our café, we periodically select the beans we stock,” Utahara-san explained, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. “Since summer’s coming and more customers will want iced coffee, I’m thinking of switching up  lineup.”

“Wow… so it’s not always the same beans?” Shizuku asked, her eyes widening with curiosity.

“Wait, really? Is that okay?” Shizuku’s voice wavered with a mix of surprise and excitement.

“Of course!” Utahara-san said, already bustling with preparations. “Jun-kun’s palate has gotten pretty refined, so I’d love to get a fresh perspective too.”

“Alright, let’s get this tasting started!” she declared, her movements brisk and practiced.

At Café Mellow,   began with checking the aroma of the beans. We leaned in, sniffing each of the five types laid out before us.

“…They all smell amazing,” Shizuku murmured, her tone almost reverent.

I wasn’t refined enough to identify bean varieties by scent alone. I could vaguely sense the differences, but my impressions weren’t much sharper than Shizuku’s.

“Shall we brew them?” Utahara-san suggested, already moving with the smooth precision of a seasoned barista as she prepared the iced coffee.

“You know, naming coffee beans is actually really tricky,” she remarked while working.

“Naming?” Shizuku echoed, tilting her head.

“Ever heard of Blue Mountain or Kilimanjaro?” Utahara-san asked.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of them,” Shizuku replied,  .

“Blue Mountain refers to rare beans grown in Jamaica’s Blue Mountain range,” Utahara-san explained. “But other beans grown in Jamaica? They’re usually just called Jamaican coffee.”

“Whoa…!” Shizuku’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Blue Mountain and Kilimanjaro are brand names, essentially,” Utahara-san continued. “Unless they pass strict quality standards, beans can’t carry those names. For beans without a brand name country, region, or farm name. But that can get clunky, so most cafés come up with their own original names.”

At Café Mellow, since we tailored blends to each customer, the menu simply listed ‘Mellow Blend.’ Coffee was the star of a café’s menu—especially the blend. It was like the face of the café, showcasing its unique character, much like the soup at a ramen shop or the roux at a curry place. Café Mellow’s blend, crafted with Utahara-san’s dedication, had earned quite a reputation.

“These five beans are specially selected for iced coffee,  Utahara-san noted, gesturing to the containers. “By the way, Shizuku-chan, do you remember what deep roasting is?”

“Deep roasting is… um, when the roasting time is longer, and it brings out a stronger bitterness, right?” Shizuku ventured, her voice tentative.

“Ding-ding!” Utahara-san beamed, clapping her hands. “I’m so happy you remembered!”

Shizuku shyly scratched her cheek, a pleased smile spreading across her face at the praise.

“By the way, roasting levels are broadly divided into three stages, but technically, there are eight,” Utahara-san added, counting them off on her fingers. “Light Roast, Cinnamon Roast, Medium Roast, High Roast, City Roast, Full City Roast, French Roast, and Italian Roast—ordered by shortest roasting time.”

That was the detailed breakdown of coffee roasting levels, each stage shaping the flavor in its own distinct way.

“Whoa, that’s a lot!” Shizuku exclaimed, her eyes widening at the list of roasting levels.

“You don’t need to memorize them all,” Utahara-san reassured her with a grin. “That’s something for café owners to worry about.”

With that, we began sipping the iced coffees. Each one hit my palate with a bold bitterness and rich depth—perfect for iced coffee.

“…Sorry, they all taste the same to me so far,” Shizuku admitted, her brow furrowing apologetically by the fourth cup.

“Can’t be helped,” I said, shrugging. “Even after a year of  , I still can’t clearly distinguish them either.”

“Exactly!” Utahara-san chimed in. “What matters most is finding the one that suits your taste.”

Like she said, the key was figuring out which bean matched your palate. Among the five, I’d already settled on my choice.

“…Oh, but this one’s delicious,” Shizuku murmured, her eyes lighting up as she sipped the fifth coffee.

pick too.”

“Whoa, we’re on the same wavelength!” Shizuku grinned, her enthusiasm bubbling over. “I can’t quite explain it, but… it’s strongly bitter yet easy to drink. This one’s my favorite.”

“What about you, Master?” I asked, turning to Utahara-san.

She gave a big nod, her expression resolute. “Yeah, I think this one’s delicious too. Well, it is Mandheling, so it’s no surprise it stands out.”

“I see,” I said, nodding. “No wonder it tastes so good.”

Shizuku tilted her head, noticing me and Utahara-san slump our shoulders. “Mandheling… that’s a  , right? So it’s a branded bean?”

“Yup, that’s right,” Utahara-san confirmed.

“Does that mean…  Shizuku ventured cautiously.

I nodded silently. Branded beans were generally pricey. Since they were produced in limited regions, it was only natural. Adding Mandheling to the lineup would make it tough to keep coffee prices where they were now.

“But no  ,” Utahara-san groaned, her expression troubled. A taste difference even Shizuku could notice wasn’t something to ignore. She’d always said she’d never compromise on coffee, and not using Mandheling here would go against her principles.

“…Thanks, you two,” she said, standing tall with newfound determination. “I think I’m gonna go for it.”

“That was bold, Master,” I remarked, impressed. “Looks like she’s  on stocking Mandheling.”

“Wait, isn’t that super expensive?” Shizuku asked, her voice tinged with concern.

“Yeah, it’s about twice the price of regular beans,” I replied.

Adding one more bean type wouldn’t bankrupt Café Mellow, but it was definitely a risk. To put it dramatically, Utahara-san was choosing to abandon stability. Her decisiveness amazed me.

“Being bold, huh…” Shizuku murmured, as if reminding herself. “It’s important, no matter what you’re doing.”

“Lately at work, I’ve been overthinking about getting criticized or trying to avoid mistakes, so I focus on doing things perfectly,” she admitted, her voice softening.

“Doing things perfectly, huh?” I said, nodding. “I get that. I’m still stuck following the manual myself…”

I could brew coffee well enough, but brewing with the drinker’s preferences in mind? That was still a long way off for me.

“But, you know…” Shizuku continued, her tone thoughtful, “breaking out of your shell is important, right? If you’re scared of getting scolded or messing up, you’ll never move forward.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” I agreed, meeting her gaze. “No doubt about it.”

At my words, Shizuku seemed to sink into thought, her expression a mix of resolve and quiet reflection.

I’d learned from our conversations that when Shizuku got like this, her mind was often on her work. At times like these

“Okay, I think I see it now!” she suddenly exclaimed, her voice brimming with realization.

“See what?” I asked, caught off guard.

“What my acting’s been missing… maybe?” She flashed a sly grin, her face radiating confidence. “Just watch, Juntaro. I’m gonna level up even more.”