Would you like a cup of tea? || Shigeo Kageyama

Rooibos Tea

A young middle school student sat quietly at the corner of the cafe, staring out the window with a listless gaze. A girl, similar to his age, glanced at him momentarily before standing up from her seat from the other side of the counter.

"Hotaru?" Her aunt looked at her in surprise as if it was rare for the younger female to suddenly get up from her seat.

"It's nothing, auntie." She sent a small smile at the older woman. As she approached the dark haired male, she noticed the way his presence seemed to blend in with the comfortable atmosphere of the cafe and yet also seemed to be very disconnected at the same time. By the time she reached his table, she held up a notepad. "Hello."

He looked up at her, seemingly almost startled. "Hello." He replied quietly as though he never spoke to other females before.

"I couldn't help but notice that you haven't ordered anything yet."

This made him panic a little. "Ah, well... I actually..." She now knew why he seemed so disconnected in this cafe. It was most likely his first time at a cafe - alone.

"There is nothing to worry about, my dear customer." Her words comforted him as he nodded slowly towards her, which made her smile a little. "Ahem... Then... For starters... Would you like a cup of tea?" The moment she finished her question, she let out a disarming smile.

He blinked and then minutely nodded. "Ah, but..." He seemed embarrassed. "I don't know which tea..."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. Glancing around the cafe and then at the clock, she then whispered in his ear. "Since there aren't many customers right now, you can taste test some of our teas." She then backed away, smiling at him brightly.

"Is... Is that okay?" The middle school student glanced at the floor, unsure of what to do.

"How about this?" Hotaru sat down across from him with an excitable gaze. "I will let you taste test our best blends today, but once every week, whenever you're free, come over at this time, maybe for thirty minutes or so, and you'll have to taste a new type of blend and give me feedback."

"Eh?" He blinked at her in surprise. "Are you sure that you want me to do that?"

"...Why not?" Hotaru glanced out the window and then back at him. "Instead of having a tea specialist come by to taste test, I would rather have someone like you do that. I don't even need to know your name. You don't need to tell me." She leaned against the chair. "Someone anonymous. Someone unfamiliar. Sometimes, isn't it nice to be with a stranger who you sorta know but don't know? A change in pace..."

"..." He only stared at her in a blank manner as he then fiddled with his hands.

She continued, leaning against her arm. "You can call me Taru."

"...Taru... To be worthy of..." He murmured to himself thoughtfully.

"And I'll call you Hope. Is that okay with you?" She stood back up from her seat and grabbed her notepad that was on the table.

"Eh? Hope?" He seemed to panic with the sudden nickname.

She laughed a little. "I haven't told you my real name, so it's fine if I call you Hope, right?"

"I... That's fine..." He stared at the table as if unsure.

She clapped once and then grabbed his arm gently. "Now that we got that settled, Hope, let's get you taste testing our best blends!"

He glanced down at her hand that held his arm before following her to the counter. By the time he realized that he was sitting at the counter, he already had an empty cup ready for him in front of him. "Eh...?"

"Welcome to my auntie's cafe, Keika Cafe, Hope!" Hotaru professionally poured hot medium dark brown liquid from the teapot into his cup from the counter. "As our first taste tester, I will be having you taste our special Rooibos tea. It's an herbal tea that has been known to alleviate headaches and other medical symptoms, so if you get lots of headaches, then this tea would be a good choice for you."

He glanced at the tea with uncertainty. "Is there a way to drink this?"

She handed him a container with sugar cubes and a cold pitcher of milk. "You can sip it plain... or you can add in sugar and milk until it's the way you like it. I personally enjoy it plain, but it's all about personal preference." She then smiled brightly. "It has no caffeine, so even if you drink it at night, it won't affect your sleeping."

He then took a hesitant sip. After a few seconds of silence and of him sipping, he could taste the slight nuttiness and earthy flavor of the tea. "This...is really easy to drink." He murmured to himself.

She beamed at his words. "Herbal teas tend to be easier on the body and easier for people to enjoy!"

He smiled at her as if a new world opened up for him. "I like it." He then flushed as if not used to stating his opinion.

"I'm glad you do." She smiled gently at him.