Himeko: I could do that too

So, was this really the power of love?

Yes.

It really was love.

But do not get the object of that love wrong.

Jiang Yao's love was all food.

Of course, respect would be a more fitting description.

He respected all food.

And so, when his lips made intimate contact with the coffee.

When the coffee assaulted his taste buds.

Jiang Yao understood one thing perfectly.

Even with his standing and appetite as the Voracity Aeon.

He could not stomach Himeko's coffee.

This was no exaggeration.

Nor was it a case of "That's all an Aeon can handle? Seriously?"

It was simply because the coffee Himeko made tasted awful.

Yes, just plain awful.

Jiang Yao couldn't figure it out either.

He really could not.

Why, when Himeko used nothing but the finest coffee beans.

And followed more or less the same steps.

Did the coffee she made taste so awful?

Those whom Jiang Yao had fed wanted to ask him the same thing.

Why could he turn such ordinary ingredients into food that left people longing for more?

Anyway.

Jiang Yao had a feeling he might, perhaps, possibly spit it out.

The bitter, acrid flavor assaulted every taste bud in his mouth.

From top to bottom, head to toe, every part of him rebelled.

But who was Jiang Yao?

The Voracity Aeon!

Everything in the world had its own ways.

But cook it, and it could all be eaten!

I can't spit it out.

I absolutely can't spit it out!

What haven't I, Voracity, eaten?

What did I eat before?

True Stings!

Stellarons!

And what's this?

Nothing but one little cup of coffee!

And I can't drink it?

If I can't drink it, who can?

Who else but me, Voracity, could step up?

If I can't even finish one little cup of coffee.

How am I supposed to save face as the Voracity Aeon?

I'll lose every last shred of dignity!

So, fighting back his nausea, Jiang Yao gulped it all down in one go.

Because he absolutely did not want to drink it a second time.

He definitely would not be able to stomach that!

But I, Jiang Yao, have something to say too.

Across the entire universe, who but me could drink Himeko's coffee?

Oroboros?

Not even Oroboros could drink it! Doesn't have what it takes, understand?

Who's next?

IX?

IX wouldn't even bother responding, so who's next?

Aha?

Aha would just make you drink it, then mock you afterward: "Why did you actually drink it? Not even a dog would touch that!"

Next up is Yaoshi.

Yaoshi would say, "If I've done something wrong, please let Lan punish me instead of forcing Himeko's coffee down my throat."

Then no other Aeon would dare drink it.

So you really can't blame me for this!

After he finished it.

Jiang Yao looked awful.

So awful that he could no longer even hold his coffee cup steady.

His body swayed, his thighs trembling and cramping.

Like duckweed floating on water, he looked ready to topple over at any moment.

"Himeko, you made some great coffee. Don't make it again!"

Jiang Yao spoke through gritted teeth.

Who could believe it?

Who would dare believe it?

I'm the Voracity Aeon.

And one cup of Himeko's coffee nearly made me pass out.

I'm the fucking Voracity Aeon!

At that moment, Jiang Yao was falling apart inside.

Did it really taste that bad?

At that moment, Himeko was falling apart inside too.

Was this what love looked like?!

The onlookers outside the door were stunned.

As for whether Himeko's coffee-making skills had improved.

One look at Jiang Yao's pained expression gave them the answer.

But even while enduring such immense suffering.

Jiang Yao had still downed it in one go.

What did that prove?

His feelings ran deep!

"Are you... okay?"

After a long while, Himeko managed to squeeze out those words.

She felt as though she had no idea what to do with herself.

Without a doubt, Jiang Yao's reaction had left her feeling a little upset.

You were the one who asked to drink it.

But I don't seem able to live up to those expectations.

I can't exactly blame him, can I?

"I... I'm sorry."

"Leave it to me."

Jiang Yao's head was buzzing.

He had to do something.

Otherwise, the taste in his mouth would keep battering his brain.

He felt as though his brain stem had gone missing, and he wanted to throw up.

Himeko started to speak, then stopped, and simply stayed where she was.

Although she was very unhappy with Jiang Yao's expression after tasting her coffee.

The fact that he had finished it made her very happy.

Look at it another way.

At least he respects me, doesn't he?

He was the one who asked.

And he finished it too.

What more could I ask for?

In short, Himeko convinced herself.

And she began looking forward to what Jiang Yao would make.

That was right.

Jiang Yao began deftly selecting coffee beans.

Without a doubt, he was about to show off his skills!

Jiang Yao quickly settled on his choice.

Geisha Coffee Beans.

Originally from XXXXX, the green beans were bluish-green, while the roasted beans had slight wrinkles and smelled of grass and peaches; once ground, they offered floral notes, tropical fruit, and intense sweetness.

Just the thing to balance out the bitterness in his mouth.

He had to admit.

Himeko took her hobby very seriously.

Let's put the flavor aside for now.

Just look at this equipment. It's so comprehensive that even I can't find fault with it.

Maybe this is what they mean by poor students having the most stationery? Being terrible at something but loving it anyway?

In any case, Jiang Yao had no idea how she enjoyed the coffee she made.

Could her sense of taste be different from everyone else's?

I really want to lick her tongue. Just one taste would tell me whether it's different.

Putting those inappropriate thoughts aside.

Jiang Yao focused on making Pour-Over Coffee.

Actually, Geisha Coffee Beans were better suited to cold brewing.

But, sorry.

Jiang Yao could not wait another second.

Every tick of the second hand was torture.

So he decisively took the simpler route.

Normally, the water needed to be heated to 93 degrees.

But since the train was in space rather than on a planet.

The temperature needed to be raised accordingly.

103 degrees was just right.

Once the equipment was set up.

He began grinding the beans.

There was an art to grinding beans.

It called for a sense of ceremony too.

But right now, Jiang Yao's mind was filled with the anguished cries coming from his tongue and mouth.

So he dispensed with ceremony.

Efficiency came first in everything.

Of course, doing away with ceremony did not mean lowering the quality.

To avoid over-extraction, the beans needed to be ground to a medium consistency.

To keep the coffee's flavor consistent, this step had to be carried out precisely.

That might be very difficult for an ordinary person.

But for an Aeon, it was just right~

The grinding was complete.

He began brewing.

The simplest and fastest method, a three-stage pour-over, became his first choice.

He set the filter paper in place.

He lightly rinsed it until it was thoroughly wet.

Partly to help the filter paper sit snugly, and partly to make the extraction that followed go more smoothly.

It also helped warm the cup.

He poured out the excess water.

Then he added the coffee grounds.

Since he was not making coffee just for himself,

So Jiang Yao prepared an especially generous amount.

After all, quite a few people were peeking in from outside the door. Just because I haven't said anything, do you really think I don't know you're there?

Then he gently shook it to level the grounds.

The water temperature depended on the roast level.

At 103°, he settled on a dark roast.

Normally, the first pour used twice the weight of the coffee grounds in water.

But that was not a rule set in stone.

In practice, it varied with the weight of the grounds. The more grounds there were, the less water he used, reducing the ratio from two to one.

Getting that balance right was not easy.

This step allowed the dry grounds to fully absorb the water.

That prepared them for the next step: extracting the coffee beans' aroma.

Himeko watched Jiang Yao make the coffee step by step.

She fell deep into thought.

She was not sure whether she was imagining it.

But she thought, I could do that too.

Really... is there really no one willing to spare even a single "Power of Love" for this humble, pitiful, helpless little author? QAQ