The school just ended, in a final hope that boredom just lost its way in there, I stood at the gate, near the entrance, waiting for Koemi. I've waited for her so many times that it almost feels like a tradition. As the crowd of students thins out, Koemi appears from them, with a loud smile, while carrying her overweight bag

“Kazuki!” she calls me, her voice as energetic as ever. She handed me the bag, and I nearly staggered under its weight. “What did you put in here, bricks?” I asked, jokingly. 

“This is our chemistry experiment,” she explains to me, as if it was obvious. 

We begin walking towards the restaurant while I hold this heavy bag. “This is too heavy. Why do I have to carry it?” I glance at her, hoping for some sympathy.

“Come on, Kazuki. It’s not that bad! You work out don’t you?” she said, her playful nature shining though. I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. We continue walking, her cheerfulness contrasting with my grumbling. 

We approached the restaurant, Koemi unlocked the door and we stepped inside. The familiar aroma fills the air, instantly welcoming me back again. I placed the heavy bag on the floor with a relieved grunt. 

“Thanks for carrying it, Kazuki,” Koemi said, her voice filled with gratitude. “I’ve been thinking… What if we set up a tasting station outside? We can get feedback from our customers.”

I wipe my brow and nod, still feeling the weight from carrying it. “Yeah, sure. We could probably attract more people that way too. But are you sure?”

“Definitely,” she said with a determined grin. “If we make some tweaks, we could get even better results!” 

“Alright, let’s get everything set up then.” I agreed.

We began arranging the tables and chairs outside, setting up the station. Koemi is quick to take charge, her energy contagious as she works efficiently. 

“Let’s make sure we have everything before the customers start arriving,” she said, focused. “We’ll need to prepare samples and have some forms ready!” 

I watch her as she moves around. “I’ll take care of the sign and flyers,” I said, holding a marker and some paper. “Is there anything else I could do too?” 

Koemi thought about it for a moment. “We should also make sure we’re clear about what kind of feedback we’re looking for. I want to make sure we get useful comments too!” 

We continue to work together, I could see her having more passion for the project than me. I feel very confident as we continue to make lots of progress in our project. 

The restaurant has opened for the evening shift, and our first customer approaches the restaurant—a kindly elderly man who’s holding a warm smile. He eagerly sampled our stew and offered his feedback.

“You kids can cook!” He exclaimed, savoring each bite. “The flavor is rich and comforting. I could eat this everyday!” 

Encountered by his positive reaction, we continue to serve him samples. As we watch him leave, another customer approaches us. He's a middle-aged man who tastes the stew with a more critical viewpoint compared to the old man. 

“It's alright,” he admits, “but it is too salty. Maybe you need to balance out the flavors a bit more.”

Koemi took note of his feedback, her brow furrow in thought. “Ah, I see…” She said, trying to keep her frustration in cheek.

Finally, a young woman with a perceptive palate samples the stew. Her reaction is less favorable.

“This dish is interesting…” She said cautiously, “but there’s something off with the aftertaste. It’s not as pleasant as I hope it to be.”

Koemi leans and whispers to me, her voice tingling with concern, “This experiment isn’t right. The flavors aren’t coming out right.” 

I nod, feeling a pang of anxiety. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“We’ll figure it out…” She said, her determination still shining, though. “Let’s keep gathering feedback and see if we can find a pattern.”

As the shift progresses, Koemi and I continue to multitask between managing the restaurant and working on our project. I begin serving samples to customers after their meals, and Koemi and I gather their feedback, asking how they liked the food. While I’m working, I notice how determined she is as I watch her handle each customer with professionalism and grace. I do my best to assist her, from preparing additional samples to managing the feedback forms. Meanwhile, Tetsu, our companion, perches on the counter, providing emotional support with his calming presence.

Eventually, Koemi discovers something troubling. While preparing a new batch of samples, she notices that the container for the experiment has been mislabeled. This flavor enhancement we have been testing wasn’t coming through as expected.

“Kazuki, look at this,” Koemi said, showing me the container. “This is supposed to enhance the flavor, but it seems we might have been using it incorrectly…” 

I examined the container and compared it to the results. “So, you’re telling me… This whole time, it wasn’t accurate?”

“Yeah…” She replies with a sigh. “We might have to test it again.”

Despite the setback, we both felt a sense of accomplishment. The feedback from our customers, mixed, provides us a better understanding about our project. 

As we cleaned up the restaurant before heading upstairs, Koemi looked at me with a positive expression. “We might have to redo the experiment tomorrow, but at least we learned something today.”

I nod in agreement, still feeling upset over the mistake from earlier. “Yeah, I hope tomorrow is the correct one.”

Before I started walking upstairs, her expression softened. “Kazuki. I’m sorry about today. I know it is tough, but you really helped me a lot. Thank you!” 

I was taken aback by her sincerity. “Thanks, Koemi. I’m glad I’m your partner.”

Realizing what I just said, my words had Koemi’s face turn red. She looks at me, a soft form. “Thank you, Kazuki.”

Just then, Tetsu jumped in with a soft bark, breaking the tension. We both laughed, and the moment passed, leaving a warm feeling between us.

As I began heading up to Joe's apartment, I felt a strange sense of comfort and determination. Maybe Grandpa Takeshi is right about her, she really is a different person every time we are in the kitchen together.