The Coffee Shop in a Different World Station

Halfway through the year, the city of Harpertown was also celebrating Navigator (Christmas) times this year.

Celebrating the birth of a saint and celebrating a new year, the festival is positioned as the biggest and most important event of the year for those living in this world.

Especially during the first half of Navida, from the middle of December until the day before Christmas, the entire city is engulfed in festive mood. It's the busiest time of the year.

A large tree decorated with colorful decorations is erected in the square of Central Street, the heart of the city, and nacimiento on the doorstep of shops and houses - coloured with leashes imitating the "tree of life” with the dolls of the Virgin Mary and Saints.

A play inspired by the birth of a saint performed in the city's playhouse is also an annual festive poem.

During Posada, the people of the city also make cheerful noises. Parties are held day after day everywhere in the city, and children, as well as adults, are taught to share their blessings.

The main part of this Posada party is the Piñata Split.

Aiming for a piñata hung high, blindfolded children tap it with a long stick in turn.

When it hits brilliantly and breaks the dull balls, the treats, fruits, nuts, etc. inside fall apart.

And when the piñata breaks, it's a classic that the broken person, as well as the children and adults who were watching around, get together in one go to fight. It was the fun at Posada's party that we all shared while trying to compete.

One afternoon back after the start of such a posada, Luna returned to the coffee shop 'Tsubame' after finishing her studies at my school.

Usually Luna returns home from the back entrance that leads to the kitchen, but sometimes today she enters the store from the front entrance with a "customer”. A doorbell hung from the front door of the "swordfish" sounded Karan Karan Karan.

"Welcome...... Ah, Luna, welcome back! It's rare to come back from here."

Nyarch, who was serving customers in the hall, finds Luna coming home and speaks up. Luna also returned her words to Nyarch as she took off her coat, taking a sigh of relief into the warming indoor.

"It's just now. I was with the teacher today, so I let him in here. Uh, is Mr. Takumi easy on you?

"Uh, wait a minute. You have to call me!

Saying so quickly, Nyarch rushes out to the kitchen.

Takumi's hand seemed empty, as it was also during a calm time after lunch peak.

Nyarch puts his hands up and shows a large circle.

"Oops, it sounds like it! This way, please."

"Apparently, it's okay. Doctor, please come this way."

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me."

The woman, called the teacher, arrived at the seat she had been led to by Luna. Slightly pull the hem of the monastic garment and get your home ready. Apparently he is also an associate of the Church, which is also the source of my school.

As she glanced around the store, she narrowed her eyes and smiled and spoke to Luna.

"It's a nice warm shop. Are you sure you're here to help?

"Yes, I will help you focus on washing and cleaning up after school"

"That's impressive. I'm sure it'll help in the future."

"Ha! Thank you. Thank you."

Luna, praised by the teacher, flinched with a tickling face.

Takumi from the kitchen greets the two of us who are interacting like that.

"Thank you for waiting. He was definitely Dr. Isabelle at my school, wasn't he? We're out of time. Luna always takes care of you."

Takumi, also a substantial guardian of Luna, had face-to-face knowledge with the woman Luna had brought. You did your best during the admission process to my school.

Seeing Takumi, who meets politely, Isabelle rushes to take a seat and bows her head.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so suddenly in your busy business."

"No, this is a good time to take a breather at this hour. Come on in."

Takumi prompts her to take a seat, and Isabelle hips back on her seat again. There came Nyarch with a silver tray in his hand. Pottery cups can be arranged in front of the three of them.

"Luna always takes care of you. Enjoy this."

White hot air was slightly rising from the cup of pottery. It's a traditional warm drink in this world, Ponche.

Ponche is a kind of fruit tea made by simmering with fruits, including naranja (orange) and piña (pineapple), dried fruits such as silvera (plum) and ooba (grape), as well as carnia (satokubi), sugar and spices, widely loved as a drink of posada. "The swordfish" also offered it as a menu for this period only.

Isabelle meets lightly before grabbing a thick cup of calm hues.

As I brought the cup closer to my mouth, the sweet and refreshing aroma tickled my nostrils. After enjoying the fragrance for a while, I breathe fu and include it in my tease mouth.

The sweetness smudged out of carnia and sugar and the acidity smudged out of fruit filled with lots of them stain the body with warmth.

Ponche, which is also said to have its own taste for each household, but the 'swordfish' ponche seems to have been slightly reduced in sweetness. Isabelle felt so comfortable with the balance between sweetness and acidity.

"Oh...... You're going to leak your sigh. It's delicious."

"It suits your mouth. Above all. By the way, what were you looking for today?

Takumi's eyebrows, asking Isabel, painted only a few letters of ha. I was worried that Isabel, my school teacher, had bothered to visit me under her guardian, Takumi, which might have been some trouble at school.

Isabelle waved hastily to quench Takumi's worries when she asked him for such a look.

"No, there's nothing to worry about Mr. Takumi. Mr. Luna has been studying really enthusiastically, and she's getting along with the other kids. You've been taking good care of the little ones, and this one is about as helpful as it gets. Rather, it depends on how busy you are today with your request…"

"Please, is it?

To unexpected words, Takumi leans her body forward.

Isabelle began to explain the situation to Takumi, even though she seemed a little hard to talk to.

"Yeah. I know Luna told you, we have a party every year for the Posada period, whispering in our school as well. It's not as grand as a party in the city, but with the help of the faithful, it was ready to please the children, including piñatas and party dishes."

I did hear from Luna about the Posada party at my school. Takumi also felt that Luna, who had not been able to participate in Posada's celebrations for the past years due to previous circumstances, was very excited about this party day.

Could it have been some trouble making it impossible to hold something...... Takumi listens to Isabelle as she slowly hammers.

"A favor is a treat I was serving at this party. In addition to the dishes we prepare at our school parties, we arranged francs (pudding) every year and with the courtesy of one enthusiastic believer. Before the big baked franc, the kids had their eyes shining.

In fact, however, I was contacted by someone inside you the other day, and they told me that they were ill and that they couldn't bake a franc this year. It was courteous of us, and I don't mean to burden you. So I was going to go ahead with this year's party without a franc... "

Luna broke in, beside Isabelle clouding her words like it was hard to say anywhere.

"I'm saying that everyone at school is sorry, but I can't help it, but it seems like I was really looking forward to it. Some kids sneaked up on me saying," I still want to eat my aunt's franc. ”

So hey, if you can ask me to make it for Takumi instead of my aunt... "

Luna seemed to want to do something about her school buddies feeling sorry for herself, so she told Isabelle to ask Takumi to try.

At first Isabelle thought that she couldn't force you to do what the children said, but when she saw the delight of the children until last year, she visited under Takumi with the thought of straw if she could please......

"It's just the poor family kids of kids who go to our school, and no one can satisfy themselves with sweet food from time to time. That is also why it is true that there are many children who look forward to Fran every year. I really wish we could have the franc ourselves, but we were short on manpower for minutes...

It's very painful to say you can't do this during your busy years, but can't you help us somehow for the kids? Of course, if it's costly, we'll do whatever we can... "

For the children, Isabelle bowed her head toward Takumi, repeating again.

Takumi stares at that figure with her hands on her chin.

You were worried that Takumi wouldn't reply, and Luna's mouth can also say a favor.

"I'm sorry I took the liberty of talking to you. But I did something for everyone who became friends with me. I'll do anything I can to help you, so can't you please?

When Luna said so, she took a seat and bowed her head deeply to Takumi.

To that voice and action, Takumi gives a face all the time. And while reflecting on myself I was totally thinking about it, I smiled and nodded back at the two of them.

"I'm sorry, I was just getting into some thinking. I was originally thinking of letting Luna have something on the day of the party, and if that's the story, I know we'd love to work with you.

"Ho, is that true!?

Isabelle rides herself forward a long time and asks Takumi for confirmation. Takumi nods, yes, of course, and then continues talking.

"It's rather an honor to hear from you. It's just that I was a little worried about whether I could make a" franc "or not."

"And you say?"

Isabelle puts her neck up in unexpected words. Takumi began explaining the intention.

"From what I've heard, I'm sure Posada Party's" Fran ”is something special for the kids. And it's also deeply linked to the memories of the person who makes the plug in every year...... isn't it?

"Yeah! Guys, hey,“ Aunt Fran ”says he wants some. I'm really dying to try it, too, because we all talk so much about it. But you can't this year..."

Takumi smiles gently at the soothing Luna. I can keep talking.

"Fran is a" taste for each home ”treat, just like this Ponche, so I honestly find it hard to make the exact same thing for me. If so, I would definitely like the memory of Fran in the children to be kept important along with the pleasant memory with that person. Then I was wondering if it would be better for me to prepare something different from Fran..."

"I see...... No, I'm really sorry you thought that through. But wouldn't that put an extra burden on you?

Isabelle asked anxiously, feeling that she might have taken up an impossible consultation.

But Takumi already seems to have one idea in mind. It's okay, I prefaced one thing and then started explaining the idea.

"Actually, even in my hometown there is an event called Christmas this time of year. Just like Posada, it's like a festival celebrating God's birth. A treat called Christmas cake is often served during this Christmas, especially in families with children, etc.

The celebration of Christmas and Posada is very similar, so I'm going to prepare you one this time. How about that? It's a sweet treat just like Fran's, so I'm sure the kids will love it "

Isabelle's ear also had a reputation for a treat called a cake served in this store called the "swordfish".

It was a cake that attracted my heart whenever the rumors of the faithful came to my ears, but I had to be cautious about walking out into the city and enjoying eating out in the position of nun, telling myself that Isabelle was distant.

I wouldn't be happier if I could get that cake. It is also my sincere desire to please my children, but I was also sincere in thinking that if I could enjoy myself with them, I would be happy with that.

Isabelle bows her head to Takumi as she manages to hold back the joy that springs from her heart.

"Thank you so much for your consideration. If you're not overburdened, I'd be very happy to ask."

"Yes, I did. We will do our best to prepare something that will please you all. Yeah, yeah, can I ask Luna for one, too?

"Ha, ha?

Luna's surprised not many voices turned over to her sudden call. Takumi speaks gently to her blushing in embarrassment.

"We were talking earlier about Luna helping us, but this is a corner opportunity, so why don't we make Christmas cakes together?

"Huh!? Oh no......!?

Luna was once again surprised by the words emanating from Takumi.

Luna doesn't have any cooking experience. But it's something that's never been done before to "live," something that really just "fills the stomach" like just boiling the grass on the side of the road.

Cooking to enjoy the taste, let alone for someone to eat, is completely inexperienced so far.

Sometimes I do want to try "proper cooking” myself, like Takumi and Roland. I'm pretty sure what a cool look Takumi and Roland look like when I'm helping them wash their plates in the kitchen. I also felt that if someone would be happy with the dish I made, it would never be so great.

Still, I thought it was a distant future story to cook myself.

Can you make a cake that will please everyone to me without knowledge, experience or, of course, skill...

Luna looks up at Takumi worryingly, no longer knowing what words to return.

Takumi, who sensed how Luna was like that, spoke gently.

"Mr. Luna would be fine. If you could make" together ”cake with the feeling of helping as usual, you would definitely do well. It's a corner opportunity, so why don't you do it?

To Takumi's words, Luna cruises often. Eventually, he uttered words looking straight ahead as he had decided to.

"Yeah, I want to try..., I want to try! Takumi, I know you'll fail a lot, thank you."

Takumi nodded twice, yeah, to Luna's words of strong will. And when I turned back to Isabel, I cut out the story again.

"So I'm going to prepare Luna's cake for you that day. I hope you will receive it in the form of a drop in from us. I take it personally, could you let me take this form?

In Takumi's words, Isabelle gives both palms a joyous look that goes hand in hand with Pong.

"Of course I am! Thank you very much for your inconvenience. Looking forward to your party day, Luna."

"Yes, good luck."

I'm not exhausted with anxiety if I can do it right, but if Mr. Takumi is with me, I'm sure he'll be fine. Let's do our best to please everyone.

Luna's eyes, vowed so to her heart towards “making her first cake," were filled with a light of determination that made her feel hopeful.