As the staff on stage withdrew, the couples who had successfully advanced from the second round sweetly made their way up,
However, whether by coincidence or deliberate arrangent, Haruka Yuzan and Chiba Shimizu were standing at the very front of the stage. With a slight lift of their heads, the people in the coffee shop could easily see the two of them.
"No problem, Chiba...."
Glancing at the items arranged on the table in front of him, Haruka Yuzan asked softly. The color of the coffee beans was very dark, the gleaming luster reflecting onto the boy's face.
When it ca to making coffee and latte art, he was truly helpless; everything depended on the miss in front of him.
"There is a problem."
Who knew that Miss Chiba, who had always prided herself as a genius beauty, would shake her head, a stark contrast to her previous response.
"How could there be...."
"If you keep holding like this, then we're probably going to fail the third round, because I can't do anything at all..."
Her cold voice drifted faintly, and as she spoke, Chiba Shimizu glanced down at the large hand resting on her waist. Her fine eyebrows knitted slightly, her eyes filled with a helpless expression.
Ever since the beginning, Haruka Yuzan's large hand had not left her waist, and over ti, this annoying guy had been gripping even tighter, as though he wanted to glue the two of them together, never to be separated again?
Not everything was clear, but Miss Chiba knew one thing for sure: hugged so close to each other, she couldn't even pull her hands out, let alone make coffee—and it was her first ti....
"Ah?"
Startled, Haruka Yuzan followed Miss Chiba's gaze. Just by chance, his angle was obscured by her chest-supported shirt. Because he held the girl in his arms, one side pressed against his chest appeared halved in elevation, while the other remained perfectly intact.
Although his view was blocked, he still knew that Chiba-san was staring intently at his large hand.
"Actually, Chiba, I have a reason for doing this, you gotta listen to my excuses.... hardships, really...."
"What reason?"
"Now that it's the third round, we're in the final step. I'm just trying to make it look more convincing, so no one calls us out and spoils everything...." Haruka Yuzan said with a touch of heartfelt frustration, as if he alone was sober in a world where everyone else was drunk?
Yet, even as he spoke, that large hand continued to roam on the smooth waist of the young girl, showing no intention of letting go.
The body of the invincible young beauty, eh? Perhaps after today, there'd be no more such good opportunities.
"That's a very boring excuse,"
Feeling the offending hand on her body, Chiba Shimizu lifted her head and gave him a faint glance, "So, when can you let go of ?"
Her voice was very cool, those beautiful eyes seed accustod to it all. Aside from a fleeting mont of embarrassnt, there was mostly a sense of resignation toward the young man.
"Haha, then I'll leave the coffee-making to you! Chiba!"
Caught once again, Haruka Yuzan just laughed off, and despite having much reluctance inside, he still let go of the girl's body.
Chiba Shimizu diverted her gaze, thought for a brief mont, then picked up a disposable apron from the table, hung it around her snow-white neck, and prepared to start brewing coffee.
Seeing this, Haruka Yuzan naturally reached out to help her tie the apron strings around her waist,
"Chiba, let help you."
"Okay."
Chiba Shimizu nodded, not objecting, everything seeming so natural as if the two were a couple that had been together for many years.
Because it was disposable, the apron was one-size-fits-all, which on the young girl, seed rather small. The warm palms pulling at the straps outlined her tender waist, her perfection was beyond words....
The other couples were doing the sa, with so skilled girls even starting to brew using the prepared coffee powder early on.
Coffee beans, coffee powder, both are prepared by the coffee shop, providing more options for those couples who are not particularly skilled.
Compared to the ready-made coffee powder placed on the side, Miss Chiba carefully selected coffee beans, as only in this way can she ensure the freshness and high quality of the coffee.
After choosing the coffee beans, she did not hesitate a bit in front of the two types of grinders, and directly chose the gear grinder that was farther away.
The host, who was not far away, couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise upon seeing this scene, thinking that today's couple had co prepared.
Compared to the blade grinder, the gear grinder ensures more stable grinding.
Her slender fingers slowly placed the coffee beans into it, and now, Chiba Shimizu seed to have completely returned to her previous state of composure, her eyes calm like Autumn waters, without the interference of "outsiders," allowing Miss Chiba to imrse in her own world.
Seeing the diligent and beautiful girl bustling about, Haruka Yuzan quickly joined in. Although he couldn't do latte art, he had no problem with the sundry little tasks.
After all, isn't making coffee just about brewing coffee powder with hot water?
"If the water is too hot, the coffee will be over-extracted, resulting in a bitter taste. If the temperature is not enough, the coffee extraction will be insufficient, leading to a bland taste. The optimal water temperature should be between 88-94 degrees Celsius."
Chiba Shimizu said softly, while grinding the coffee beans.
The detail-oriented Miss Chiba, who always pursued perfection, had ticulous requirents for every detail.
"Okay."
Haruka Yuzan nodded, and then focused his attention on the constantly changing water temperature gauge.
Eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-nine...
Just as the water temperature hit the standard, the coffee beans in Miss Chiba's hands were also ground to perfection.
Two teaspoons of coffee powder, 180ml water—following this ratio, a cup of rich and thick coffee was extracted.
After the extraction, she stead the milk once, and then Chiba Shimizu imdiately picked up the milk that had been prepared early on to start the latte art.
Her slender, elongated fingers held the steaming pitcher, and pure white, sweet milk flowed gently out, forming creamy, milky ripples on the surface of the coffee. Even though it was her first ti, Miss Chiba managed to achieve perfection.
Lively, pretty, as if it was imbued with the breath of life's art.
As the final drop made its finish, Chiba Shimizu put the steaming pitcher aside. The coffee's white and brown waves reflected both of their faces,
"It's very beautiful, Chiba-san," said with heartfelt admiration, a complint that surpassed any fancy rhetoric, full of sincerity.
It seed Chiba Shimizu also let out a sigh of relief. As she was about to say sothing in response to the boy's praise, the sweet voice of the host appeared,
"Wow! Miss Chiba, did you previously study latte art?" the cute-looking host unexpectedly joined them upon seeing their finished product and couldn't help but show a surprised expression,
"Such beautiful latte art! Did you learn it in school?"
Indeed, ho economics classes at school would cover coffee and Western cuisine, but this year Haruka's class hadn't offered it yet.
The commotion also attracted the attention of other contestants on the stage, who turned their heads to look, their eyes filled with curiosity.
"No," Chiba Shimizu shook her head, answering very calmly.
"Wow! Then, does this an this is your first ti making coffee, Miss Chiba?"
"Uh-huh, yes it is."
Standing beside her, Haruka Yuzan didn't know why, but he also felt a surge of joy in his heart. His hand naturally rested on the girl's tender waist, bringing her into his embrace, and he said with a smile,
"My girlfriend, she's really amazing!"
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