It was a cold winter evening, and in front of a frozen fountain, a boy and a girl stood side by side. The boy held an umbrella to shield them both from the still-falling snow, though an observer could see that it was slightly tilted toward the girl to ensure she was fully covered—leaving the boy's left shoulder exposed to the snowfall.
Even as his shoulder grew colder and his sweater proved insufficient against the winter chill, the boy kept smiling, occasionally glancing at the girl beside him. In stark contrast to him, she maintained a blank expression—though it had softened slightly after he joined her—as she periodically checked her phone, expecting a message from her fiancé.
The girl, Kogane Sakurako, had been waiting for her fiancé for four hours by this point. She then noticed that the boy keeping her company, Hirano Ichiro, was typing something on his phone with his free hand.
"Erm, Hirano-san?"
"Hm? Yes, Kogane-san?"
"Do you want me to hold the umbrella while you use your phone?"
"Eh?… smiles reassuringly No, you don't need to, Kogane-san."
"Are you sure, Hirano-san?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Kogane-san."
"But you've already done so much for me, and you even lent me your scarf just a few minutes ago."
"Kogane-san… I'm doing this because I want to. Besides, it would be ungentlemanly of me to let you do any sort of work after you've been standing here for hours in the cold. So you don't need to trouble your pretty head about it."
"If you say so…"
Although Sakurako had acquiesced to Ichiro's reasoning, she still felt a bit troubled by the fact that, so far, she had been the only one on the receiving end. From having Ichiro hold an umbrella over her, to lending her his coat and scarf, and even giving her two delicious steaming hot meat buns—while she herself felt unable to return the favor at this very moment.
As Sakurako closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, troubled by the thought, Ichiro glanced at her and let out a small, amused sigh. Even though Sakurako had drastically changed her appearance from when he had first met her, she was still the same quirky girl he had fallen in love with.
Watching her trouble herself over such minor things, Ichiro began to reminisce about the past.
.
.
.
About a year ago
It had been a few days since Kazuo had first brought Sakurako to the café, and that was supposed to be the end of it—or so Ichiro had thought. That was usually how things went whenever Kazuo or the other chunni friends of Takeru brought someone they knew along.
So it was no surprise that Ichiro was, in fact, a bit shocked to see Sakurako elegantly seated at the counter where he usually worked—especially since she was his first love—as she quietly looked over the menu.
Still, Ichiro quickly put aside his surprise and offered his services once he thought she had decided on her order.
"May I take your order, Kogane-san?"
"Hm? Ah. Yes, please. I'll have this special hot triple and today's coffee blend—in that serving size."
The direction Sakurako pointed to led directly to a row of large beer mugs, usually meant for soft drinks or juices. Naturally, Ichiro couldn't help but point that out to her, wearing a slightly troubled smile.
"Kogane-san, you do know those mugs are meant for beer or soft drinks, right?"
"Huh?… They are?"
"Yes, they are."
Hearing that, Sakurako made a thoughtful expression, genuinely confused by this new information.
"How weird… I'm sure Father told me that the similar mug we have at home was meant for coffee when I was little."
"… Well, Kogane-san, I wouldn't mind serving you a cup of coffee in one of those mugs."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. In any case, is there anything else you'd like to order?"
"No, just that."
"Very well, then. I'll be back with your order as soon as possible."
And with that, Ichiro returned to his work at the café as usual—though this time, he had the extra task of recalculating the coffee portions for a mug that large.
That was their first interaction alone. And the first thing Ichiro noticed about Sakurako… was that she was quite a weird girl—but in a rather cute way, at least in his opinion.
As the two continued to share these small exchanges, they gradually grew more acquainted and comfortable with each other. For Ichiro in particular, he couldn't help but notice that his feelings for Sakurako were slowly growing as well.
Half a year ago
"…"
Reading the menu "… … … ?" tilts head "Is something the matter, Hirano-san?"
"Well… I can't help but notice that you've changed your hairstyle, Kogane-san."
"Ah! This? I was told by Kazuo-san that his brother—and my fiancé—Masahiko-san, likes this type of hairstyle. I thought that changing my hair might make it easier to get along with him. But I've yet to hear anything from him about what he thinks."
"… I see…"
As Ichiro heard Sakurako's answer, he couldn't help but let out a slightly disappointed tone, with a trace of suppressed annoyance toward Kazuo's brother.
After all, while he thought her current long, wavy hairstyle suited her and even gave her a somewhat mature air, Ichiro couldn't help but prefer her old semi-looped ponytail style. To him, it matched her personality far better—and was much cuter.
Of course, being someone raised in a high-class family, Sakurako had been taught how to notice changes in people's demeanor. She naturally picked up on Ichiro's disappointment, though she couldn't quite tell what it was about.
"Hirano-san, is something bothering you?"
"… Not really. I was just thinking that you're very thoughtful toward your partner, Kogane-san. And I couldn't help but…"
"But what, Hirano-san?" Confused tone
"…But feel that you've grown so much." Fakesobs
Tilts head "Is that so?"
"… … … Not really. But I do feel you give off a different impression with that hairstyle."
"I see. Thank you for your honest opinion, Hirano-san."
"You don't really need to thank me for that."
Ichiro gave a troubled yet amused smile at how serious Sakurako could be about some of his silly jokes.
"Anyway, here's your coffee, Kogane-san."
And as a way to break the conversation, Ichiro placed down the large beer mug filled almost to the brim with the Frappuccino blend that Sakurako had ordered.
"Thank you, Hirano-san."
As soon as the mug was set in front of her, Sakurako gently picked it up and took a big sip. At the same time, when Ichiro saw the amount of coffee decrease quite noticeably, he couldn't help but ask:
"Kogane-san, would you like me to bring you another smaller cup of coffee alongside your meal?"
"… Yes."
"Thought so. Then I'll take my leave and return as soon as possible."
"Okay."
And with that, Ichiro walked away and disappeared behind the kitchen door.
A few months ago
It was a quiet day, and Ichiro was enjoying one of his rare moments of slacking off during work. He had already finished everything that needed to be done, and with no one around to judge him, he took the opportunity to stretch out at one of the café's long seats, idly fiddling with his phone.
Dling dling dling
However, his short-lived break came to an end when he heard the familiar ring of the café's doorbell.
"Welcome to Niko's Café, how can I—? Hm?… Kogane-san?"
"Good afternoon, Hirano-san."
"Yes, good afternoon… Would you like to sit at the counter as usual, or would you prefer a table due to… the clothes you're wearing?"
"Hm… … … I will take a table, if you don't mind, Hirano-san."
"Very well."
Although Sakurako's visit was unexpected, it wasn't surprising to Ichiro. What truly caught him off guard were the clothes she was wearing. As far as he knew, Sakurako always wore at least three layers of clothing, and whether by choice or comfort, her outfits typically covered almost her entire body. With the exception of her head, the only skin usually visible was that of her hands.
So it was quite the surprise for Ichiro to see her wearing only a single dress—one that exposed a considerable amount of skin. It gave her a certain adult charm without crossing into anything unnecessarily suggestive. Still, for Ichiro, who was used to seeing Sakurako in her usual high-level "defensive gear," he suddenly found himself unsure of exactly where to look.
After guiding Sakurako to a table, he handed her a menu before asking his usual question.
"Do you want some time to look at the menu, or would you like to order right away, Kogane-san?"
"… I want to have a look before ordering."
"Understood. I'll come back after a while, or you can just call me when you're ready to order, Kogane-san."
"Okay… Hirano-san, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why are you avoiding looking at me?"
"No particular reason."
"Is that so?"
"That is so."
With that, Ichiro returned to his usual spot behind the counter, continuing to avoid looking directly at Sakurako. Her current appearance was… a bit too stimulating for him, and he had already promised himself he would never admit that to her—because, as he claimed, he was a self-proclaimed gentleman.
Still, he couldn't help but sneak glances her way. And with those glances, he noticed that her usually blank expression seemed more melancholic than usual. Ichiro had a guess as to why, but while part of him wanted to do something about it, he also felt it wasn't his place to meddle in the personal life of his crush. So, he decided he would simply support her in any way he could.
…
"…" intently looking at the menu
Clink
"Hm?"
Sakurako, who had been carefully considering her meal options, had her concentration broken by the sound of ceramic being placed on the table, followed by the familiar aroma of coffee. When she looked for the source, she saw a small cup of coffee set near her—and, looking up, she found Ichiro standing beside the table with his usual smile.
"Hm… Hirano-san, I didn't order this coffee…"
"I know. This one's on the house. I just thought you might want something warm since today's quite chilly."
"I see…"
Hearing his reasoning, Sakurako gently picked up the cup and took a small sip.
"…"
"… … …" scratching cheek "Kogane-san… I know this might be meddlesome of me, but if you want to talk about what happened today, I'll be all ears."
"… Hirano-san, thank you for your concern, but today was simply another failed attempt at a date with Masahiko-san."
"… Kogane-san, forgive me if I'm intruding into your private life, but why are you trying so hard to get along with… Kazuo's older brother, when he's constantly ignoring you?"
"… Why I try so hard to get along with Masahiko-san, is it?… If I had to describe it… it's because this is the least I can do to repay my family for giving me so many opportunities and warmth. So, even if my partner for life was chosen by my parents, I decided I would try to get along with them—even if they do not share the same view as me."
"… I see…"
Hearing that, Ichiro felt his anger toward Masahiko growing again—at how blatantly he ignored Sakurako even as she tried her best to reach out to him. But not wanting to cause a scene in his mother's café, and especially not in front of Sakurako, Ichiro swallowed his frustration and began thinking of a way to distract himself.
"… … … Kogane-san, if you're having trouble deciding on what to have, may I make a suggestion?"
"Of course, Hirano-san."
"Thank you. My mom's been trying out a new recipe for a sandwich, and I've been experimenting with a new coffee blend. Would you be interested in having both?"
"Hm… Yes, I'd love to try those new recipes, Hirano-san."
"Very well, then. I'll start preparing both and return as soon as possible. For now, please enjoy your coffee, Kogane-san."
"Nn." nods
And with that, Ichiro took his leave—while Sakurako's melancholy had mostly lifted, replaced with quiet anticipation for her meal.
.
.
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Back to the present
It had been more than an hour since Ichiro had joined Sakurako in waiting for her fiancé, yet there was no sign of his arrival—or even that he would be coming at all. Still, Sakurako clearly showed she intended to wait for Masahiko for as long as she could, once again sending him another message asking about his whereabouts.
Next to her, Ichiro remained standing, but unlike Sakurako—who had a surprisingly high resistance to the cold—he was doing his best to endure the creeping chill that had seeped into his body ever since he had lent her his coat and scarf. Between the two of them, however, Ichiro prioritized her health over his own without a second thought.
Once again, he found himself looking at Sakurako, quietly admiring her cute expression as a way to ignore the cold, when his phone buzzed with a notification—it was from Kazuo. But before he could check the message—
"Ah!"
Sakurako's sudden exclamation pulled his attention. He looked at her and followed her gaze toward the crowd. There, slightly taller than most of the passersby, was a familiar face.
"Hirano-san."
"Hm? Ah! Yes—how can I help you, Kogane-san?"
Without another word, Sakurako took off the coat he had lent her and neatly returned it to him.
"Hirano-san, thank you for lending me your coat and for keeping me company. I'll make sure to repay you at a later date."
"Ah… Sure."
After confirming that he had taken the coat, Sakurako gave a small, polite bow before trotting off in Masahiko's direction. Her movements seemed refined and calm, but Ichiro could tell she was in a hurry—so much so that she completely forgot to return the scarf still wrapped around her neck.
Ichiro watched as she disappeared into the sea of people. His gaze then fell to his coat, still warm from her body heat. Normally, he would have turned and left at this point—he had long accepted that he had no real chance with Sakurako since she was already engaged.
More importantly, he didn't want to pressure her, both out of fear she might come to hate him and from a genuine desire to respect her choices, even if he disagreed with them.
Yet… he couldn't bring himself to walk away. Not after replaying the sight of Masahiko in the crowd. It wasn't Masahiko himself he was focused on, but rather the figure walking closely beside him. For a brief moment, when a gap formed between the passersby, Ichiro had caught a glimpse—it looked like a woman.
"… This might be my chance. And besides… I've got a really bad feeling about this."
Ichiro closed his eyes for a moment, organizing his thoughts, feelings, and instincts. When he opened them again, his mind was made up.
"Yosh… let's confront that bastard."
And so, Ichiro began weaving his way through the crowd, moving in the same direction as Sakurako, toward Masahiko—ready for whatever might happen next.