Shogo Kuriowa was having a fine morning.

He had been to Moonshine, a local coffee shop with some fine delicacies to boot. From the first time he walked into a coffee shop with his father, he developed a unique taste for coffee, even going as far as to write down in a notebook about all kinds of coffee beans he found. By the time he was eighteen years old, he had already tasted and had his own collection of all the world’s coffee beans. Being a collector like that made his old man, who himself was a coffee fanatic, very proud.

Most recently, however, he began to favour the taste of iced coffee. It was a new territory he never explored yet seemed very familiar with. Shogo’s life goal was to explore the wonderful world of coffee with all its different shapes and tastes. And Moonshine specialized in all things unique.

The sweet aroma surrounding the place; the chill music calmly seeping through the walls; the people snapping pictures of their drinks at their tables. It all captivated him enough to make him want to buy their entire menu. But like any person, he had restraints. He had to be logical about his new purchase decision. Purchasing a bad drink wasn’t anything new for a collector like him, but he wanted this time to be something special and good.

Everyone who walked through that shop ordered the same kind of drink they always get and walked out in the same amount of time they always spend  — the common cases of the habitual syndrome. Shogo wasn’t like that, however. He took his sweet time to pick just one drink, completely disregarding the “queuing theory.”

But, at last, after he was on the verge of being kicked out, he narrowed down his choices between a Chocolate Crunch or Mango Jelly.

“Uh, do you need help?” One of the two girls behind him said.

“Do I, I wonder?” He rubbed his chin in thought, then pointed at the Mango Jelly. “You see, this one seems to be interesting, but from that little description over there, I feel like I’ve had it before. And that other one— well, I have no idea what it’ll be like. I do want something new.” He sighed, “I don’t know. The choices are too hard.”

The guy dumbfounded the two girls. They grew suspicious of him. Was he pretending to act like he was in a crisis to attract someone like them? Perhaps he was just a guy trying to pick up girls. One of them thought so, she had encountered many guys to recognize this formula within him. But the other girl was already enchanted by his pretty face, even if his eyes were covered.

And why wouldn’t she?

Shogo wore a bright and innocent smile on his face, and that billion-dollar smile was enough to win her heart.

“Can I have your number?” She blurted.

“W-What?!!!” The other girl turned her head in surprise, before silently kicking her with her elbow.

“I-I mean, you can just buy the new one, then. I-If that’s…, that’s what you want, I mean…”

“Right!” Shogo snapped his fingers, “Why didn’t I think of that? Thank you!” He swiftly held the girl’s hand before bowing slightly to thank her.

The girl was speechless, glancing away from Shogo’s direction.

He ended up buying the Chocolate Crunch as intended. Following that decision, a loud exhale came from the line behind him, they were relieved that he was finally done.

“Hmm,” he took a sip out of the drink, “It is good! That’s very, very good. Wow, I’m impressed. Thanks for the recommendation!”

The girl still had no words to speak, she was lost in her own world.

Instead of asking the girls to hang out together, Shogo simply waved at them and walked out, happy with his drink like a child who had just received a Christmas present. 

“Wait—” Both girls were surprised. One couldn't believe that that guy really just wanted a drink and leave, and the other was disappointed that her charming prince had left. “T-That’s it?!!”

Shogo Kuriowa was having a fine morning and nothing was going to stop it.