Brewjutsu Kaisen

[prologue] : early essence

w/c: ~0.6 k

a/n: hello! i hope you're doing well ♡ ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ i wanted to write a cute lil coffee shop au bc i miss my days working as a barista lol. this heavily inspired by the cute lil fanart and comics i see tho. i wanted to expand on those a bit more. i hope you enjoy! ✧

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Suguru Geto

5:33 am

"That should do it," I murmur softly to myself.

I wipe my brow with the opposite end of the same rag I used to wipe the rim of the cup in front of me mere moments ago. The rich, early aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafts up, mingling with the subtle nutty fragrance of hazelnut syrup. This, I muse, was the fruit of my labor. I stayed up late into the night perfecting the hazelnut syrup concoction. Apparently, I'd do a lot more for a stranger than I had previously thought.

While our cafè does carry an extensive array of syrups, only a select few are crafted by hand. Judging by the outcome of this batch, I may need to add it to that exclusive list.

I study the cup of coffee before me, mentally dissecting its components. This order has been etched into my memory, not by choice, but out of necessity. When you have clientele as particular as ours, their preferences become ingrained whether you like it or not.

Blonde roast, ristretto shot with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla bean syrup swirled into soy milk with just the right foam—neither too wet nor too dry—steamed to precisely 63 degrees Celsius, and a staggering nine pumps of hazelnut syrup.

This was enough sugar to kill a man, and I was certain of it. I remain perplexed as to how anyone could consume such a sickeningly sweet concoction daily. Was he insane or is my palette immensely off? I had to go ahead and try it for myself. Perhaps it's surprisingly delicious.

I cradle the warm cup in my hands, steadily bringing it up to my lips with measured anticipation. I close my eyes, inhaling the brew once more. I give the cup a soft blow and–

"Good morning, Geto-sama!"

I startle, shuddering abruptly. My masterpiece flies through the air, finding its way onto my apron, and leaving behind a pronounced coffee stain in its wake.

Regaining my composure, I sighed inwardly seeing as half the cup's contents were splashed about on the floor. I fix my gaze upwards to see a bashful Haibara bowing apologetically.

"S-Sorry!" he stammers. "I didn't mean to startle you."

It's early, too early, for any staff to be present. Yet, somehow, Haibara has managed to sneak into the shop. I had opted not to lock the door this morning, trusting my ability to discern anyone's approach. Perhaps my trust was misplaced. There's no use in being upset or dwelling; it's time to play manager.

My expression shifts from irritation to warmth as I offer Haibara a reassuring smile. "Hello Haibara," I greet him. "No worries at all."

I move to the sink. I wet a rag, gently dabbing away at my coffee-stained apron. "You're rather early today," I comment, my back turned to him.

"It's already 5:36," Haibara responds matter-of-factly, as if this were common knowledge. "I suppose I'm running a bit late today, my apologies."

I knew I should've been better prepared for opening. Now, I won't have another opportunity to prepare another coffee for myself until later. "Oh, it appears you're right, silly me," I say casually as I continue to treat the stain. "Busy morning I suppose."

Haibara nods in agreement. "You're always working too hard, Geto-sama!"

I shake my head as I retire the rag. It's quite the opposite. I was so busy playing around with his coffee order, I neglected to tend to the shop's affairs. After rinsing and drying my hands, I release my bun, letting my hair cascade past my shoulders, "Hardly," I reassure Haibara with a gentle smile. Gathering my hair, I resecure it into a tidy bun. "You guys are the real stars of the show, really. Now, shall we get to opening?"