One afternoon during lunch break, I went to the cafeteria to buy a can of coffee.
As I approached the vending machine area—
“Huh, she actually showed up today. That’s rare.”
I overheard a few voices. A small group of what looked like third-year male students were chatting nearby. Following their gaze, I saw a girl standing at the vending machine. Her soft wolf-cut hair had a faint reddish tint—there was no mistaking her. It was Misumi Ririka-senpai.
She seemed to be in the middle of buying something from the machine.
The guys kept talking.
“She hardly ever comes to school, huh?”
“I heard she hangs out with some shady people.”
“Such a waste, though. She’s gorgeous.”
I nearly clicked my tongue. What a bunch of jerks—talking however they please.
It was true that Misumi-senpai rarely came to school. She was just trying to graduate with the bare minimum attendance. For those who didn’t know her circumstances, it might seem strange that she was skipping so often. But that didn’t give them the right to spout baseless gossip.
I was about to step in when I noticed something—
Misumi-senpai paused for just a second and let out a quiet sigh. I only caught it because I often worked with her during our part-time shifts.
So she had heard them. But knowing her, she’d probably pretend she hadn’t. She was the kind of person who didn’t care what others thought of her. And above all, she hated hassle.
That was fine. Misumi-senpai didn’t need to deal with guys like them.
That was my job.
“Senpai, talking behind someone’s back isn’t a good look, you know.”
I called out to them.
“What if she’d heard you just now? That rumor about her hanging with dangerous people is totally made up—but what if it weren’t? Ever thought about what would happen then?”
The group exchanged uneasy glances. One of them even looked pale. Clearly, they hadn’t thought about anything before opening their mouths.
Eventually, they left with their tails between their legs.
“Good grief…” I muttered, watching them go, before heading toward the vending machine.
“Good work today, Misumi-senpai. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
I stood beside her as I spoke. She glanced at me briefly—then looked away without a word.
Silence. Then—
“Hey, you.”
She tossed a single coin into the slot.
“Don’t you have anything better to do than stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?”
So she had heard me after all. And for some reason, she sounded annoyed.
She pressed a button, and with a metallic clunk, a can of coffee dropped into the tray. She picked it up smoothly.
“If they start targeting you, don’t come crying to me.”
“I’m not scared of guys who whisper behind their hands like they’re sipping tea.”
I was from the sports club, after all. I prided myself on facing things head-on. If they wanted to start something, I’d be ready.
She collected her change, then inserted a few more coins. I thought she was buying another for herself—but instead, she said:
“Pick whatever you want.”
“...Huh?”
I blinked, not understanding right away.
“I’m treating you.”
“...”
So this was her way of saying thanks?
I looked at her face.
“What?”
She glared at me sharply.
“Ah—nothing. Thanks, really.”
I decided not to overthink it and just accepted the gesture. I pressed the button for my usual brand.
“Appreciate it.”
I took the can and cracked it open. The moment I took a sip—
“...You drank it, huh.”
“...Excuse me?”
Misumi-senpai smirked mischievously.
“Come on. You’re coming with me.”
She nodded toward a nearby cafeteria table.
We sat across from each other at the end of a long table, each with our own can of coffee.
When I glanced around, I noticed people whispering and sneaking glances our way. Well, of course they were—Misumi Ririka, the rarely-seen beauty, sitting with a guy? That was bound to get attention. Her aloof attitude only made her stand out more.
“So, if I were to say something like, ‘Sorry, I don’t have any money left,’ right now—”
“You wanna get smacked?”
“Yeah, figured.”
Even as a joke, I knew better. Judging by what just happened earlier, people would absolutely believe it if rumors started spreading. Better not tempt fate.
“So, what did you want, anyway?”
“Nothing. Drinking alone’s boring, that’s all. You were there, so I dragged you along.”
“Fair enough.”
That was reason enough for me. Not because she treated me, but because she was a senpai who’d always looked out for me at work. Keeping her company was the least I could do.
“Feels weird sitting face-to-face like this, huh?”
“Yeah, it does.”
She let out a quiet, amused snort.
At “Miss Me Blind,” we sometimes drank leftover coffee that would’ve gone to waste, but we were always either sitting side-by-side at the counter or one of us was standing. Sitting directly across from her like this was rare.
“You have any friends, Misumi-senpai?”
“Of course not.”
I had just been thinking she could’ve been chatting with friends instead of me. But she said it flatly, as if it were obvious. Given how she treated school, I wasn’t surprised—but still, she didn’t have to sound so proud about it.
“What about you?”
“Not many.”
After I quit soccer last summer, I’d practically reset my social life. Though lately, things were getting more lively again.
She suddenly frowned.
“This stuff’s really not that good.”
She set her can down a little roughly. Guess she didn’t like the taste.
“Really? I like it.”
“Oh? Are you saying this garbage is better than our café’s coffee?”
Now she glared at me like I’d just insulted her family.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that—it’s scary. And no, that’s not what I meant. I just don’t compare them.”
“Miss Me Blind” coffee was far better, of course. But when you’re standing in front of a vending machine, there’s no point complaining about something you can’t have. Context matters.
“The best coffee in the world is Grandpa’s. Second best is mine. Don’t mix them up.”
That was apparently her unshakable belief. It was nice to see her take pride in her family’s shop.
Misumi Ririka could be sharp-tongued, but she always called her grandfather “Grandpa.” Not “the old man,” not “my grandfather,” and never “the manager,” even at work. She was oddly inconsistent that way.
I smiled faintly at the thought.
“Guess I should learn to make coffee too—aim for third place.”
“Knock yourself out.”
Yeah, she didn’t seem to expect much from me.
“Hey, Sakura.”
We’d been quietly sipping for a while when she suddenly spoke up.
“If I ever take over the café, you—”
But then she stopped mid-sentence.
“What about me?”
“...Never mind. Forget it.”
She swallowed her words.
“Oh, come on, don’t stop there. Now I’m curious.”
“You’re annoying.”
She sounded thoroughly irritated—for something that was clearly her fault.
Then—
“Ah, Ririka! There you are!”
Two girls came rushing toward us.
“Jeez, don’t just disappear like that.”
“You finally show your face, then ditch us? Typical.”
They seemed to be her classmates.
Misumi-senpai grimaced and muttered, “So noisy,” just like she had with me earlier. But her classmates didn’t seem to mind at all. Guess this was normal for them whenever she came to school.
One of them finally noticed me.
“And you are…?”
“My coworker,” she replied simply.
I gave a polite nod in greeting.
“Oh, I see! You two must hang out a lot, then. Mind if we steal her for a bit?”
“Not at all. Go ahead.”
I answered without hesitation. Misumi-senpai shot me a look full of silent resentment.
“Thanks! You’re quick on the uptake. Come on, Ririka, back to class.”
Her cheerful classmates practically dragged her away.
“You’ll pay for that later.”
“Can’t. I’m off today.”
That was the last exchange we had.
“And she says she has no friends… yeah, right.”
I muttered under my breath.
As I watched her and her classmates leave the cafeteria, another familiar face appeared at the entrance—Minase Mishio.
She glanced around the cafeteria, then spotted me. Her face lit up, and though she didn’t say anything, she waved enthusiastically.
I raised a hand in response, and she started heading my way with a spring in her step.
“Now then, I wonder what she’s going to say this time.”
It was both a little scary—and a little exciting.
That was the thought that crossed my mind as I waited for Minase to arrive.
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