Night.
Greenwich Village lay west of Washington Square in New York. It was crowded at night, but the streets were narrow, making it feel packed.
Jessica sighed. "It doesn't have the same flavor anymore."
Hayato: ???
He had no idea what flavor it used to have.
Seeing Hayato's expression, Jessica explained, "This used to be the heart of America's counterculture. Since the end of the last century, it's been a gathering place for artists, radicals, and rebels. They imitated the Paris Latin Quarter and sought freedom. A lot of cutting-edge ideas and artistic trends were born here."
"Used to?" Hayato caught the word Jessica had used, along with the disdain in her voice.
Jessica said, "Now it's just a knockoff Disney, using fake bohemian style to attract and pander to culture. For real old-school Americans, the only thing left here that's still decent is the coffee."
Then the two went to Figaro Coffee, then Dante Coffee. Looking at the long lines and listening to the deafening rock music, they retreated in defeat.
Coffee was either for staying awake or for putting on airs.
It was so noisy that it felt more like a bar than a café. Forget Italian atmosphere—even top-grade Blue Mountain Coffee would taste nothing but sour and bitter here.
"So what are you doing?" Jessica asked again.
"Can't a couple just go shopping together?" Hayato said irritably.
"Are we a couple? We're just fuck buddies~"
Jessica said it with a cheerful, shameless smile. She linked her arm through Hayato's and leaned against him like a little bird.
"Don't suddenly act like this. It's terrifying."
Hayato looked at Jessica's retro features and hairstyle, along with that sweet smile. She actually looked remarkably like Audrey Hepburn.
Something stirred faintly in his heart, and he put an arm around her