Coffee has been brewed in Japan for over 300 years, and in that time, the seemingly simple service had been transformed into an art.
Beginner baristas only needed a few weeks of training to get behind the shelf, but that was only at the entry level.
You want to be a certified barista? Then get ready to lay down nearly a year of your life for the certification.
The point was that although baristas made it look easy, coffee making, at least on a commercial level, was no joke.
'Anyone with common sense knows this…'
So it was either Haru was purposely trying to embarrass him, or he was just dumb.
Kyle suspected he was both of those things.
He had a goofy smile on his face as he watched Kyle, already expecting him to either give up or fail miserably.
But he was in for quite the shock. Ever since their overcrowding issue when Akiko had to work overtime, Kyle had taken an interest in learning the art for himself.
That way if they were ever that short, he could sub in while she went on her break.
When you add that experience to his vampire speed and senses, which practically made his entire body a living sensor, he was bound for success.
"Watch closely, because if you blink, you might just miss it."
'Is this fool really going to go for it?' Haru laughed internally, as he imagined Kyle bathed in coffee from head to toe.
He relaxed properly in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, already thinking of what witty line to say.
Kyle grabbed the cup and began staring at it closely, not even attempting to make a move.
Tsumi was watching him as well, her elbows on the table and her cheeks resting on her palms as she waited.
Haru raised a brow and chuckled. "What's wrong, Master Kyle? Don't let the pressure of failure get to you, I'm sure you can do it."
'I knew he was all talk! He doesn't even know the first step to—'
Flick!
Kyle suddenly threw the teacup right at the ceiling, the white cup glittering as the overhead lights kissed its surface.
It was as though the world had slowed down just for him.
Haru was covering his head, afraid that the cup would crash on his skull while Tsumi's icy blue eyes were glinting with excitement.
The cup came down a second later, landing perfectly on the tip of Kyle's finger.
And then a sly smile appeared on his face.
Akiko clapped. "Kyle is currently our best performer when it comes to making lattes."
Sakura nodded, a light smile on her face as she watched him.
While Haru's mouth hung open. 'What the hell? How did he just do that?'
But Kyle was not done, he was merely beginning.
He tossed the cup back into the air, reaching for the extracted coffee with one hand and sticking the milk into the steamer with the second.
This time the cup landed on his elbow, a small flick of his arm causing it to whirl around.
His eyes were burning with intense focus, his movements so fast and ghostly that it was as though a phantom had descended to serve them coffee.
The dark coffee slid into the cup, filling up to just the right amount, and then Kyle tossed it up once more.
Eyes followed the cup of coffee as it came down even faster because of its weight.
Like he did last time, Kyle stopped it with his finger, but this time he was squatting right next to Tsumi so that she could see every single detail.
Then the next part was the latte art. It didn't matter how tasty your coffee was, if the art was shit, then the entire thing would be a zero.
Kyle raised the now steamed milk and poured it from above, slowly bringing the milk closer to the cup.
With a steady wave of his hands, several patterns burst into life, decorating the cup.
Akiko was still better than him in this area, but Kyle was decent enough to make it look more than decent.
When he was done, Kyle slid the cup over to Tsumi and bowed slightly. "Your coffee, sis."
Haru's mouth hung open, his mind still struggling to comprehend what he had seen.
Kyle tapped his chin with a long spoon and frowned down at him. "Mr. Haru, please close your mouth, do you want to swallow us whole?"
"Um, what?" Haru quickly sat up straight, looking slightly dazed.
"You seem to have enjoyed this more than the rest of us, Haru." Tsumi giggled, placing a hand over her mouth as she laughed.
Akiko nodded in agreement and began clearing the used plates. "It's only natural, he must be a fan of the boss, he had his eyes on him the entire time, some would mistake it for love."
Sakura stood quietly by Kyle's side, nodding to agree with them, then the three of them laughed, their cute voices warming up the café.
Haru smiled and held his chest. 'Give me something for the pain and let me die!'
First it was the food and now it was coffee, Kyle had one-upped him every single time.
And not once had the goofy grin he had on his face vanished!
'What the hell happened in the last months?'
From a good-for-nothing nobody to a wolf-class barista in the space of a month?
'I know he's a fake, I just can't prove it yet.'
Haru took in a long breath, trying to calm himself. The day was not over, there were still many ways he could bring Kyle dow—
'Wait, what is he doing?!' Haru's thoughts were interrupted by movement that nearly made him convulse.
Kyle smiled as he picked up a paper towel. "Tsumi, you have a little something on your lips."
"Really? Can you help me get it?" Tsumi tilted her face towards him while cradling her coffee in her hands.
Kyle leaned down a little and dusted off the crumbs, all while staring into Haru's eyes, his expression stoic.
Haru bit his lip, the veins on his head swelling to the point that they pulsed on his forehead.
'That's what you get for scheming around in my restaurant,' Kyle mused.
It was one thing to have a problem with him, but trying to make him look bad in front of Tsumi was one thing he would not take.
Although the old Kyle might have been a douche, Kyle was currently piloting this body, and he wasn't interested in suffering for another man's crimes.
"Alright." Tsumi got up to leave. "I had an amazing time, Kyle, I'll visit this place more often."
"Thank you for visiting—"
"Wait!" Haru got up and adjusted his tie, a predatory look in his eyes as he stretched forth his hand.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Miss Kato?"
Tsumi's brows creased a bit as she tried to remember what he was talking about.
Haru smiled. "The financial report… About time we saw how 'great' the café is doing."
It was time to expose Kyle for the fraud he was.
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A/N
Little announcement, I'm very busy with some stuff, so untill the weekend we will only have 1 chapter/day uploads.
But it will be back to normal by Saturday!
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