Anteiku Coffee Shop.
It was already nighttime. The café was gradually emptying of customers and nearing closing time. The waiters working in the shop had begun wiping down the tables, preparing to call it a day.
However, just then, the door suddenly opened with a jingle.
"Ah, welcome..."
Hearing the bell, the waitress who had been tidying up hurriedly offered a greeting. Then she looked toward the entrance, and her eyes widened in fright.
The person who entered was a man dressed very strangely. He wore a black vest and trousers underneath, covered by a pitch-black trench coat and a cape draped over it. The lower half of his face was concealed by a triangular cloth like a mask, and he wore a triangular hat on his head. At that moment, the man walked into the café with a cane in his right hand.
"..."
Perhaps because the man's attire was too bizarre, no one present knew quite how to react. The man in black merely swept his gaze over them, then sat at the counter, raised his head, and stared at the elderly man before him.
"A blended coffee."
"Certainly. Please wait a moment."
The gray-haired old man behind the counter was not as shaken as the others. He simply smiled faintly and began making the coffee. Once it was ready, he handed it to the man. The man silently took the cup, drank a sip, and nodded.
"Well, sir? Does it suit your taste?"
"It's not bad."
As he spoke, the man set the coffee down on the table.
"I used to know a little girl named Chino. She also worked in a café. That little one was only an elementary school student, but the coffee she made was delicious. Your skills aren't bad either, old man. Unfortunately...