Chapter 44

This is a side story.

A story about the two of them after the conclusion.

It was a warm day, heralding the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

This happens every year. We know that the cold will soon return, but even so, the warm and pleasant weather feels good.

The icicles fell from the roof with a wet, water-laden sound.

As I watched them from the café window, the sound of the door opening caught my attention. The bell attached to the door rang out clearly and beautifully.

Drawn by the sound, I looked over. Seeing the figure approaching my table, a smile escaped my lips.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"That's fine. Were you busy?"

"No, I got caught by the commander this morning. Sorry I couldn't come to pick you up."

"It's okay."

Noah sat down in the seat across from me with a wry smile.

We had planned to meet today, and Noah was supposed to come pick me up at my place. But this morning, I received a letter asking to meet at the location instead. I was worried something had happened, but seeing that it wasn't a big issue, I sighed in relief.

We ordered coffee together when the master came to take our order. Then, we ordered the recommended pancake. The elderly master nodded with a gentle smile and quietly returned to the kitchen.

"What a nice place. It's so relaxing and has a great atmosphere."

"Remember how I told you before that the commander was asking around for café recommendations? When we were going to meet your colleague for the first time?"

"Yes, I remember."

"It was one of the places that came up then. I wish I could say I found it myself, but..."

"That's fine. I'm glad you found such a nice place for me."

Behind his thick fringe, I'm sure his purple eyes were narrowing in amusement. Seeing the corners of his mouth curve into a smile, I couldn't help but smile too.

"By the way, the meeting the other day. It must have been a lot of work to prepare for it."

He was referring to the meeting between our families that we held at my place a few days ago.

"It was a lot of work, but it was more fun than anything. I was more worried about any mistakes in the hospitality."

"There were no mistakes. Both of our parents were happy."

Hearing that, I sighed in relief.

Just thinking about it warms my heart. It was such a warm and kind day.

"What a wonderful family. I didn't expect your brother, who is studying abroad, to come back for the occasion."

"That just shows how happy they are about our engagement. They never thought I would get engaged, let alone be the first to marry among my siblings."

The meeting included both sets of parents and siblings. My married sister also came, and the women had a great time chatting about various topics—of course, including me.

The men talked about work and shared their hobbies. My father and brother seemed very satisfied with the calm and relaxed conversation.

"Here you are."

The pleasant aroma of coffee wafted up. Looking up at the voice, I saw the master placing the coffee in front of us with a smile. In the center was the pancake. He placed a basket of cutlery and left gracefully, which looked very cool.

"Here you go."

Noah immediately divided the pancake onto a small plate for me. The perfectly round pancake was thick, about half the size of a palm. Powdered sugar was sprinkled on top, looking as beautiful as snow. Accompanied by whipped cream and a bright red strawberry, the beautifully arranged plate was set in front of me.

"Thank you. It looks so beautiful."

Pouring honey generously, the sugar dissolved and disappeared. When I cut into it, it seemed like more than just honey was oozing out. Cutting it into bite-sized pieces and putting it in my mouth, the buttery flavor spread.

"Mmm, delicious."

The pancake was fluffier than I expected. The fine texture, like a soufflé, melted smoothly in my mouth.

"Yeah, it's delicious."

Noah, savoring the pancake, nodded in satisfaction. He picked up his cup with his long fingers and brought it to his mouth. Watching his fluid movements, I was captivated, and Noah exhaled in surprise after drinking the coffee.

"What is this?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's the best coffee I've ever had."

Hearing that, I picked up my cup.

The rich aroma was so pleasant. Taking a sip, a mild bitterness followed by a subtle sweetness lingered. It was surprisingly easy to drink, and I blinked in surprise.

"Really, it's so delicious."

"Maybe they sell the beans. Should we ask on our way out?"

If they do, I'll buy some too. It might require some skill to brew it this well, though.

The door opened again, and the bell rang.

The clear, high-pitched sound enveloped the space without being intrusive.

The customer who entered sat at the counter and placed an order, taking a book out of their pocket.

Looking around, I saw that the café was full of such customers. Many were there alone, and even those in groups spoke in hushed, calm voices. The atmosphere was very pleasant.

I put some whipped cream on the pancake and brought it to my mouth.

The sweetness was mild and easy to eat. The smooth cream melted with the pancake, but the change in texture made it delicious.

"You really enjoy eating, don't you?"

"You know I like that about you."

"Oh, you're saying it now."

Noah chuckled, his shoulders shaking.

Even though he had finished eating, Noah picked up his fork and speared a strawberry from the large plate, bringing it to my mouth.

Feeling my cheeks heat up as the strawberry was shaken in front of my mouth, my heart raced with embarrassment, and I glared at Noah lightly.

"You're still shy, aren't you?"

Noah's voice was sweet.

"Oh, do you need more cream?"

He coated the strawberry with cream and shook it in front of my mouth again. It looked delicious, and I knew it was, but it was embarrassing.

But knowing that this man wouldn't back down, I decided to open my mouth. The strawberry was sweet and tangy, delicious to the point of frustration.

Trying to complain, I couldn't because Noah was smiling so happily.

Every time I was drawn in by his smile, I realized how much I liked Noah.

The next chapter will be released on 2/17.

Thank you very much for your support.