Chapter 18: Workplace Bullying, I’m Angry!

As the door to the coffee shop closed with the chime of a bell, the counter lady greeted Akiba Sakura and Yuuma Tsuguo with a youthful smile as they walked in.

“Welcome~”

The interior of The Coffee Shop followed the same minimalist style as the exterior decor.

The environment was truly pleasant; it was clear the owner prioritized the atmosphere.

Sakura led Tsuguo to the counter, pretending to scan the menu.

‘Hiss… I don’t understand any of this at a glance…’

Sakura rarely drank coffee to begin with, and having not touched a drop in the more than ten years since her Rebirth, she had no idea what to order based on the names alone.

“Tsuguo… why don’t you order? I’ll have the same thing as you…”

“Sure.”

Tsuguo didn’t refuse.

Noticing the hint of embarrassment on Sakura’s face, he stepped up to the counter and looked at the menu.

“I’ll have a… Raw Coconut Latte then. Iced, with light sugar…”

“Understood. You two are a couple, right? During our promotional event, you can enjoy a 30% discount.”

“Ah, we’re—”

“Of course we are!”

Just as Tsuguo was about to clarify that they weren’t a couple, Sakura quickly grabbed his arm, pressing her chest tightly against his forearm.

“We’re definitely a couple~ Tsuguo and I are very much in love… Right, Tsuguo?”

Sakura looked up at him, her small mouth slightly pursed, putting on a pitiful, pleading expression.

“Uh… actually, we…”

“Tsuguo…”

Sakura shook his arm, her eyes widening slightly as a faint glint of tears appeared.

“…”

Looking down at Sakura in this state, Tsuguo felt his ears burn slightly.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, then he looked back at the clerk.

“Yeah, we are actually a couple… mm-hmm.”

“Great—you two look so good together~”

The clerk’s lips curled up in a sweet smile, as if she had just tasted something sugary.

She reached into a small cabinet under the counter and took out two keychains, gently placing them on the desktop.

“These are Couple’s Keychains for you. Please keep them safe—”

Both keychains featured a panda clinging to a stalk of bamboo.

The only difference was that one panda wore a necktie, while the other had a bow on its head.

“It will take a little time to prepare your drinks. Please find an empty seat while you wait. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or any of our staff!”

“Okay, thank you—”

Sakura immediately pulled Tsuguo toward the back of the shop.

She was desperate to leave the counter—not just because she wanted to get started on her New Plan, but because she felt like that clerk had already seen through their act.

‘That smile was sweet, but I can’t help feeling…’

Sakura shook her head, dismissing the thought, and pulled Tsuguo along to find a seat.

—

“Excuse me, we don’t serve suspicious individuals here.”

“Wait, wait! Don’t be so loud!”

Shortly after Sakura and Tsuguo left the counter, a girl with short yellow hair, wearing a mask and Pince-nez Gold-rimmed Glasses, pushed open the door and crept inside.

The clerk found the scene both hilarious and irritating, prompting her to call out.

Upon hearing the clerk’s voice, Momoka Aoi quickly ran to the counter and frantically pulled the mask down to her chin.

“It’s me… it’s just me!”

“Mhm~”

The clerk didn’t look surprised to see Aoi’s face.

Instead, she narrowed her eyes and continued, “Customer, please don’t try to get familiar with me. I have the right to refuse entry to any suspicious person.”

“Dammit… Little Mitsuki, stop messing with me… I’m here for something very important, so stop joking around…”

“Oh?”

The clerk—or rather, Shimizu Mitsuki—looked at the nervous Aoi, her expression turning subtle.

She leaned over the counter toward Aoi and whispered, “Could it be… because of those two customers who just came in?”

“Wait… do you have mind-reading powers?”

“…”

Mitsuki rolled her eyes, disregarding her professional image, as she recalled the features of the two guests.

“Regarding those two, the girl was very pretty. Her expressions were adorable when she spoke; she’s quite lovable. Plus, I’m a white-hair enthusiast… so her long, silver-white hair really hit the mark for me. As for the guy…”

Mitsuki let out a small, pitying chuckle.

“He’s tall and has a good build, but unfortunately, his hairstyle loses major points… Looking at him head-on, I couldn’t even tell what he actually looks like.”

“Yes, yes, yes… that’s them! So, where are they?”

Aoi was impressed by the clerk’s sharp intuition for detail and immediately asked in a low voice.

“Them…”

Mitsuki narrowed her eyes into slits, a sly smile crossing her face.

“I’m sorry, customer, but I cannot simply give away guest information. It’s a matter of personal privacy.”

“…”

Aoi frowned and glared at Mitsuki.

“I’m just asking for their location! How is that personal privacy?”

“I’m sorry, those are my principles.”

Seeing Mitsuki’s stubbornness, Aoi rolled her eyes right back at her.

“Fine, fine—after you get off work… whatever you want to drink is on me!”

“Now we’re talking~”

Mitsuki immediately relented.

“They went to the seats furthest in the back. After all, the seats out here are all full—”

“Oh… I see. Thanks for the intel. Well, I’ll—”

“Hey—wait!”

“Huh?”

Aoi, who had just pulled her mask back up and adjusted her glasses, was stopped by Mitsuki once again.

“What is it now?”

“I’m coming too—”

“?”

Mitsuki untied her apron and took off her work hat.

“Koizumi, cover for me for a bit, okay?”

“?”

The boy standing near the counter stiffened at the sound of Mitsuki’s voice.

“Sen… Senior, I…”

“Hurry up!”

The boy tried to refuse, but she barked the order before he could finish.

“Fine, fine—I’m coming…”

Mitsuki then pushed open the door behind her and went inside.

A moment later, Mitsuki reappeared in her casual clothes.

“Alright, Koizumi, this customer is a close friend of mine, so we get the discount~”

“Ah…”

The boy looked at Mitsuki with a troubled expression.

“Senior… this is…”

“Two Jasmine Lattes~”

“Senior… I…”

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard you, I heard you! Waaaah—”

The useless tears of a worker fell just like that.