||ON BRAKE|| A Warm Cup of Spilt Ink||Rinsagi||

An Unexpected Encounter

  The smell of ground coffee was prominent in the decently sized coffee shop along with the lingering smell of jasmines. The flowers were purposefully situated on shelves near the full-length windows, as they favored the sunlight — the employees had to keep track of when they watered them which was usually every three to four days.

The rest of the workplace had other species of plants, from cacti to succulents, decorating all around the wood themed establishment.

Even with the aesthetically pleasing and comforting elements of the shop, Isagi was far from being calm.

"I don't understand why a small drink costs that fucking much. It doesn't say so on the menu." The man spoke in an aggressive tone and pointed to the wooden board on the wall right behind Isagi, displaying the prices of various drinks, pastries and other baked goods.

'Well you dumb fuck, you asked for so many pumps of add-on syrups to the point a sip of that drink is going to be enough to give you diabetes. Obviously it's going to cost a lot.'

Isagi tried so hard to plaster a disingenuous smile on his face and hide his hand which had automatically formed a fist behind the counter. He was adept when it came to handling customers but he was starting to get irritated. Anyone would've understood after he had explained twice, apparently not this guy.

"Sir, please watch your mouth. As I've explained before, you asked for extra pumps of vanilla and hazelnut syrups. Those are considered extra. That's the reason why the price is not matching up with the ones on the showcase." He restated a third time, hoping that the guy would finally proceed with the payment.

In the meantime, as Isagi was clarifying himself to his exceptionally understanding customer, the bell attached to the glass door of the shop jingled to alert that someone had entered the premises.

The early morning hours were relatively slow-paced, customers primarily being business professionals and students swiftly grabbing a cup of coffee before their work or classes, seeking a caffeine boost for the day ahead.

People who had stores on the same street also often dropped by the coffee shop for a visit. Isagi personally liked conversing with the woman from the flower shop just beside the rustic coffee place; she was sympathetic, conversional and overall a radiant person.

The café owner herself had an intriguing personality. She was extremely attentive and precise when it came to decorating but she had little to no knowledge about plants or flowers — Isagi was sure of that, he had seen enough plants wither away before the woman had gotten assistance from the florist next door.

From time to time, the flower vendor came over and inspected the plants, and Isagi observed his boss and her frequently relishing coffee together as well. His boss even had a special porcelain coffee mug with little honeysuckle flowers, the florist's favorite, set aside for her at all times.

It was endearing really.

There were a few more frequents that Isagi would see on a day to day basis, including the guy with black glasses. He consistently bored the appearance of a beloved young history teacher, admired by all the female students. To Isagi's astonishment, he had turned out to be a student himself.