Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 7. "First Day of Business - End"

Asahina Chiai's delicate eyebrows were slightly raised, and her emerald eyes were staring at Masumi.

"I always feel like Masumi-san has changed a lot."

"In what way? For better or for worse?"

"Of course it's gotten better. I feel like Masumi-san has become more mature."

"I feel the same way. When I was in Tokyo, I didn't shave once and some kids even called me uncle."

"I'm not talking about that kind of maturity." Qian Ai interrupted him with a smile, "Hey, Masumi-san, can you tell me about what happened in Tokyo?"

"There's nothing much to talk about. It's all boring stuff."

Masumi was about to answer like this, but her emerald eyes suddenly shone with brilliance. No one could refuse her request with such an expectant expression, so Masumi nodded half-heartedly.

He carefully considered his words, picked out a few things that he thought were interesting, and shared them concisely with Qian Ai.

They were nothing more than some minor incidents that happened in daily life. Apart from that, it was just the ordinary daily life in Beijing.

Working part-time, rehearsing, performing, drinking at an izakaya with band members after the live show, eating half-price bento in a low-rent apartment...

The world we enter with novelty and enthusiasm will also gradually become familiar and commonplace after the enthusiasm fades.

"I just thought Masumi-san could take care of himself. It's really hard to chase your dreams in a big city alone. I've thought about the scenarios you mentioned more than once."

"Huh? Why?"

"Do you still remember what you said to me on the day you left Kobe?"

Masumi shook his head honestly, "I can't remember."

Qian Ai nodded slightly as if she had expected it, and said with her lips parted, "The other day you asked me what kind of person I wanted to be."

Although they haven't seen each other for five years, she still remembers Masumi's words clearly.

"I want to leave proof that I'm someone special, so I'm going to Tokyo."

At that time, she was just a weak high school girl who followed the crowd and always tried to fit in with the ordinary people because of some painful memories. Therefore, she envied Masumi for being able to list what she wanted to do so freely.

"It feels so good to work hard for a goal." Qian Ai sighed.

"is it?"

"Well, I'm also working towards my goals now, and every day is fulfilling. I can understand your feelings."

Qian Ai said, supporting her chin with her hand.

"It seems like Masumi-san has always been very serious."

"Can you be serious just by sticking to life?"

“Having a clear goal and working tirelessly in life to achieve it is called seriousness.”

After saying this, the girl with emerald eyes smiled smugly, "How's it going? I can get full marks for this, right?"

"Well... actually, we're not even close to our target, and now we don't even have a target anymore..."

"Stop! This topic is too heavy!"

Qian Ai was like a director shouting "Cut" on the set, and urgently stopped his negative remarks.

Masumi didn't want to spread such a negative aura, so she changed the subject and asked, "By the way, how did you and Kamishiro meet?"

"Rin'in? She and I were classmates in high school. We were assigned to the same class in our freshman year."

"When I heard she lived in Fanxing, I was shocked."

"I see." Masumi nodded and asked, "So, in your opinion, what kind of person is Kamishiro?"

"Rin'in my eyes? Hmm..." Qian Ai lowered her head and thought for a moment, "She is a different and very special person."

"Someone special?" Masumi repeated.

Chiai nodded, and saw that Masumi was suddenly startled by her words. He must be thinking about the past, just like her.

"Yes, special." Qian Ai showed a nostalgic expression.

"I want to be someone who is needed, someone who doesn't run away, someone who doesn't rely on anyone. This is how Rinone answered Masumi-san's question."

The answer Rinyin gave her that day still lingered in Qianai's ears, and she couldn't get rid of it. In order to realize this wish, Rinyin was always giving her all, which was a far cry from her own drifting nature.

"Where's Asahina-san?" Rin asked back.

"Eh? Well, there's nothing in particular I want to be."

"How could there not be?"

"Sorry..." Qian Ai said subconsciously.

Her reaction made Rinne sigh softly, "It's troublesome, but are you okay?"

Rinyin said this frankly, and although it made Qianai a little frustrated, she didn't hate it. As if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath and said.

“Although I haven’t found something I like yet, I want to change, or rather, I want to become another person who is different from who I am now.”

"Really? Then you should just say it."

Rin's voice was stern and straightforward, as if she was firmly asserting herself. It made Chiai feel like she had gained the approval of the person she longed for.

She was obviously a completely different type of person from herself, more like her childhood sweetheart in Tokyo.

Because of this, Qian Ai wants to be friends with her.

Back to reality, Qian Ai said, "She is really a very special person. She is like this at school too."

"What's it like normally?"

"Hmm... She's a bit of a loner, always hanging out by herself. I've never seen her with any regular friends."

"Is she unpopular at school?"

Masumi subconsciously thought that she had been excluded, and that this had happened in his previous class.

During immature adolescence, beauty may also bring misfortune. Adults will unconsciously take care of her because of this beauty, while her peers will only think that she is different.

At a young age when she is not yet pursuing individuality, her actions will be particularly eye-catching, so once she makes a fool of herself, it will leave a deep impression on those around her, providing everyone with a legitimate reason to exclude her.

"No, Masumi-san is overthinking it."

After entering high school, the beauty of boys and girls has gradually become part of this world.

"Besides, Rin is an excellent student and has a very good reputation among teachers. You could say she's at the top of the student pyramid."

"At most, some girls who like to compare themselves with others will be a little unhappy and will avoid her intentionally or unintentionally."

"Boys all secretly praise her beauty, but because of her temperament, they don't dare to approach her. Rinyin also always deliberately keeps a distance from others."

"I asked Rinne later, and she said she just didn't want to get too close to anyone."

"But I think she gets along well with you guys."

"That was only for everyone in Fanxing. At first, Rin was really hard to get close to. She was a real iceberg beauty, especially when faced with boys confessing their love. She was nicknamed 'the ruthless hairpin girl'."

"Is it so exaggerated?"

"Of course."

Chiai and Masumi talked about some past events in which Rinone ruthlessly rejected her confession, a record that was constantly being broken even in college.

At first, it was hard to imagine Rinyin being very friendly with others. She came across as overly dominant, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe her as aloof.

"Compared to a few years ago, she has become much softer now. She no longer has that prickly feeling."

"According to her, it was all because of this store."

"Because of the stars?" It was just an ordinary coffee shop, and Masumi couldn't imagine that it had any magic that could change people.

"I'm not sure either. Mami-san spends every day with her, so she should know better."

"By the way, the most important thing is."

"what?"

"She's a great beauty."

"This isn't important." Masumi held his forehead.

"Isn't it important? Aren't you guys all visual creatures? Although girls are too."

Qian Ai supported her chin with both hands, revealing an expression of both longing and confusion: "I wish I could be as beautiful as Rin Yin."

She doesn't like the way she looks.

When I was young, some unpleasant things happened because of this.

"If I were a beauty of that level, I would definitely have the courage to confess to someone I like."

"Qian Ai is also very beautiful."

"Thank you. It would be nice if you could say that with a little more emotion."

"Seriously, I'm not the only one who's praised you, am I?"

"I've been called cute by female friends before, but that doesn't count."

Qian Ai pouted her pink lips, looking a little unhappy.

"Why?" Masumi was puzzled.

"Because girls are like that. No matter what happens, they'll always say you're so cute or so awesome. If you believe that, you're too naive."

This really shows that Masumi doesn't understand women's hearts.

"By the way, why are you suddenly asking me about Rinone? Could it be..."

Having said that, Qian Ai put her chin on the table and said in a low voice: "Brother Masumi, you, don't you like Rinone?"

"Of course not." Masumi denied without hesitation.

"Really?" Qian Ai narrowed her eyes suspiciously, like a cat circling around him, carefully observing Masumi's expression, and found that the other party's expression was still pale, so she let out a long breath.

"That's good."

The girl murmured softly, and although her voice was very low, Masumi still caught it keenly.

"Ok?"

"Nothing. I'm just worried that you might pursue her impulsively, get rejected, and then fall into a slump and never recover."

Qian Ai gave an impeccable smile.

"You have such a rich imagination." Masumi sighed.

The lips that were quietly blooming with a smile were slightly opened, revealing faintly the white teeth, and the girl's smile melted in the afternoon light.

"Mamaru, I'm so happy to see you again."

Masumi smiled back, "Me too."

"Are you studying fashion design now?"

“Well, I want to be a fashion designer.”

When Qian Ai mentioned her dream, her emerald eyes radiated motivation from within. She frankly followed her desires.

Masumi stared at her and said, "I'll cheer you on."

"Thank you, Masumi-san."

Qian Ai smiled and checked the time on her phone. "I'm leaving now. I'll come to play with you and everyone more often in the future."

"Eh? Chi'ai-chan is leaving now?"

After walking out of the lounge, Seno Asami handed her a transparent umbrella and said, "It's raining outside, be careful not to catch a cold."

"Thank you, Mami-san. Goodbye everyone."

Opening her umbrella, the girl with emerald eyes disappeared from sight.

"It was sunny in the morning, but it started raining in the afternoon."

Asami sighed as she watched the raindrops blur the French windows. "The forecast says it's going to rain until tonight. Looks like today's business is going to be canceled too."

“Although there aren’t many customers usually.”

"Is Fanxing's business situation not very good?" Masumi asked.

"It's not very good. We have 30 tables for guests, and it's rare that even half of them are occupied."

Fortunately, this piece of land belongs to the Miyazawa family, and there are not many employees in the store, so they can be fearless.

It turns out that the store is already so bad.

After roughly calculating the store's revenue, Masumi suddenly felt that his salary was a bit hot.

His father asked him to help out in the store, but it seemed that just making a few cups of coffee wasn't enough. He had to find a way to make the store popular.

At around four o'clock, Jiuyuan Weilai returned to Fanxing after school. Since there were no customers, he sat in a seat inside to study. The rustling sound of the ballpoint pen rubbing against the notebook was particularly clear.

The gentle spring rain adds to the beauty of the pot.

I passed by and saw Kuon Mirai open his Chinese textbook. There was this haiku printed on it, and the blank spaces were filled with meticulous notes. He's truly an excellent student.

Masumi raised his head and glanced out the window.

It was still a light drizzle in the afternoon, but it suddenly got heavier in the evening. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows were covered with water droplets, and each drop of rain reflected the street lights.

The light in the store suddenly dimmed, and even with the fluorescent lights on, there was still a dark and cold atmosphere.

Masumi realized that the atmosphere in the store was a bit off. It wasn't noticeable on sunny days, but it was particularly noticeable when the light was low.

I didn’t notice this before, but I developed this awareness after working in a coffee shop.

Logically speaking, except for those shops that focus on table turnover, most coffee shops will pursue a comfortable atmosphere that allows customers to relax, even on a rainy day like this.

You know, a rainy day, soft jazz, white noise of rain, a seat by the window in a coffee shop. Such a scene is a holy place for literary youth.

He had a vague idea.

At six o'clock, a customer came to the store, probably to avoid the rain, and ordered a steaming hot mocha and an egg sandwich.

The sandwich was made by Linyin, with a fried egg sandwiched between soft bread and paired with a sweet and sour sauce to avoid a greasy taste.

"Thanks for the hospitality."

Before leaving, he raved about the deliciousness of his coffee and egg sandwich.

At seven o'clock, the Starry Coffee Shop closes on time.

Kamiyo Rin started preparing dinner, and the aroma of frying steaks wafted from the kitchen.

Tonight's dinner is hamburgers and potato salad.

The fried hamburger meat has a slightly crispy surface, and the high temperature locks the moisture inside, making it delicious and juicy, with a strong meaty aroma.

"I'm starting." ×4
The first day of business has come to an end, and the second day is a regular holiday.

(End of this chapter)