Like a Flame, Burning Forever~

Himeko watched Jiang Yao's brewing process without blinking.

She rehearsed every step in her head.

She believed she could manage each one herself.

And without cutting any corners.

In other words, if Jiang Yao's coffee tasted as good as his cooking...

Did that mean she could copy his process and, even if she couldn't reach the same heights, at least avoid another embarrassing incident like the one earlier?

Himeko honestly wasn't boasting. She felt she could do it too!

Naturally, Jiang Yao had no idea what Himeko was thinking.

His attention was entirely on the coffee before him.

Once he finished pouring the water...

It was time for a brief bloom.

Unlike baristas who stuck to a fixed duration...

Jiang Yao determined the bloom time according to the condition of the grounds themselves.

Everything was done to ensure the brewed coffee tasted consistent every time.

Soon...

Jiang Yao began his second pour.

At this stage, he needed to increase the amount of water.

He also used a spiral pouring technique.

This was a highly advanced technique.

Rather than circling to push the grounds around or pouring rings around the center...

He poured according to the aroma the grounds were releasing and how thoroughly they had soaked.

This demanded considerable skill. His hand had to remain steady, since a slow, consistent stream could fully bring out the coffee's own flavors.

Of course, the most important test was his ability to judge the ingredients—or rather, the condition of the coffee grounds.

Otherwise, to an outsider, this approach would seem far too haphazard.

There was a certain beauty to making it up as he went.

That was exactly what Himeko thought.

To her, Jiang Yao's technique had already begun to look chaotic.

There was no way he could extract the coffee's aroma perfectly like this.

After all, the layer of grounds was thickest at the center.

Without proper extraction, its rich flavor would inevitably suffer.

Was this an aftereffect of drinking my coffee?

Himeko's thoughts inevitably wandered.

She assumed she was to blame.

But soon, Himeko noticed that the stream of water was very steady!

An even stream ensured even extraction.

That meant Jiang Yao wasn't fumbling his technique. He was doing this deliberately.

But why?

Himeko didn't understand.

Yet...

While she was pondering the deeper meaning behind Jiang Yao's actions...

Jiang Yao began the third stage of pouring.

This time, he poured directly into the center, then slowly circled according to the degree of extraction.

Once he had added enough water...

All that remained was—

"Just wait."

Of course...

Jiang Yao didn't simply stand around waiting.

The grounds made from Geisha Coffee Beans carried floral notes, tropical fruit flavors, and intense sweetness.

But that was nowhere near enough!

Jiang Yao knew full well there was "poison" in his mouth.

Without some potent medicine, he couldn't eradicate it.

So he also prepared Chocolate Powder and Light Cream.

His aim was to eliminate the aftereffects Himeko had left behind!

Just as Jiang Yao began preparing the "garnishes"...

The coffee aroma accumulated in the carafe began slowly spreading.

Sniff, sniff...

Himeko couldn't resist taking a deep breath.

The aroma was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Familiar because she had ground Geisha Coffee Beans to brew coffee before.

Unfamiliar because Jiang Yao's coffee smelled many times more fragrant than hers!

Wasn't this fucking ridiculous?

Himeko sank into thought.

She had clearly watched every step.

And she was certain she could do it too.

So why were the final results worlds apart?

Why on earth was that?

No matter how much Himeko thought about it, she couldn't find an answer.

Very, very soon...

Himeko no longer had any attention to spare for those questions.

The rich aroma of coffee filled her nose.

That intense fragrance made her swallow involuntarily.

Her gaze also locked firmly onto the dark yet clear liquid in the carafe.

No matter what flavor the beans themselves possessed...

The most fundamental taste of coffee brewed from plain grounds was inevitably bitter.

The only difference was the degree.

No flavorings such as sugar had been added yet.

And still, it released such a rich aroma, complete with floral and fruity notes.

Those scents should have blended together.

Yet she could distinguish each one clearly.

Now that was complexity!

Himeko shifted her gaze from the coffee to Jiang Yao's focused expression.

Then her eyes slowly traveled downward again.

The Light Cream and Chocolate Powder in Jiang Yao's hands were ready.

He only had to wait for the coffee to finish extracting.

Then he could add the "finishing touch."

The process didn't take long.

Once the coffee finished extracting...

Jiang Yao divided it into cups.

Two large cups, filled to the brim with coffee, were topped with Chocolate Powder and Light Cream.

Instantly, several aromas, mingled yet distinct, flooded Himeko's nose and rushed straight to the top of her head.

The beautifully presented coffee was still piping hot.

Wisps of white steam rose through the carefully arranged Light Cream.

It was like the exquisite figure of a graceful lady had been outlined.

Waiting for a suitor to claim her.

Himeko's shoulders rose and fell, her breathing growing slightly rapid.

A craving sprang from somewhere deep inside her, constantly tempting her to drain the cup in one gulp.

Himeko couldn't help taking a deep breath.

The distinctly layered fragrance filled her whole body once again.

Floral notes, fruity notes, the scent of cream, and even the bitterness of the coffee beans themselves were all there.

But the "colorful" aromas drew attention away from the bitterness, making it faint.

As though it wasn't "pain," but "regret."

Whatever dissatisfaction or curiosity she had felt...

All of it vanished in that instant.

Even the exhaustion of recent days seemed like nothing more than a long dream, soothed away without a trace.

"Please."

Jiang Yao gestured for Himeko to try it.

Then he gulped down his own like a thirsty beast.

He drained the Pour-Over Coffee in one go.

Table manners?

Elegance?

A sense of ceremony?

Those were all things people pursued to make the experience of savoring delicious food more enjoyable.

But after the targeted assault of Himeko's coffee...

None of that mattered anymore, okay?!

He couldn't ignore his current circumstances in pursuit of perfection.

He couldn't put the cart before the horse!

It was like babbling to a beggar on the verge of starvation about becoming an emperor and all that.

Would it help?

Giving him a steamed bun and a cup of water would be far more practical!

That was the situation Jiang Yao was in.

Himeko, however, paid no mind to the way Jiang Yao drank.

"Thank you."

She thanked him first.

Then she slowly picked up her coffee.

She savored the pleasure of the aroma filling her nose.

Then her alluring, delicate lips touched the rim.

The sweetness of the Light Cream launched the first attack.

Then she gently lifted her soft hand, and the coffee flowed into her mouth with the cream's smooth texture.

In an instant, the powerful aromas, blended yet distinctly layered, bloomed on her tongue like fireworks from the Naganohara Family.

The delicate fruity and floral notes, along with the coffee's own sweetness...

Perfectly balanced the beans' original bitterness.

Yet some of that bitterness remained.

Enough to let you know these were Geisha Coffee Beans.

Rich, yet not at all heavy.

The mouthfeel was perfect.

The flavor was perfect.

After one gentle sip...

Her tongue stirred.

Then came the second sip.

This time, she actually experienced an entirely different sensation.

Behind the silky texture of the cream...

The floral and fruity notes intertwined, becoming something entirely fresh.

They seemed to join the lingering flavor of the previous sip in a duet.

Like a carefully arranged musical score.

One passage followed another.

Each existed at a different moment, yet they converged in the same place.

Like a flame.

Burning forever~