On a chilly autumn morning, the leaves rustled in the wind as Shuichi made his way to the quaint little café around the corner. The sunset colored leaves cracked under his black shoes with each step. Shuichi has always loved fall; the warm colors feels like a hug.
He never walks down this street. Lately he's felt the need to start going on small walks to stay active, the warm days are running out and he's doing his best to not waste them. But as he walked out of his house today, he felt an urge to go down the other street than the one he usually walks down. The sidewalk has more cracks and there's a hill, but there's a café at the end that he has been wanting to go to.
He's only gone two times but remembers that the coffee there had been really good. Shuichi drinks coffee on the regular but those were especially good and sometimes he finds himself craving them.
He reached the front of the store, there was a couple sitting in front. The door opened with a bell jingling and a potent smell of coffee gave Shuichi a bear hug. There was some quiet music playing, some simple piano melody.
A man was stood behind the counter that had a cash register brewing coffee. There was a display of donuts and cookies next to him, above his head was a sign written in chalk saying all the different beverages and sweets you could order and their prices.
It wasn't long before the man turned around with a kind smile "welcome! What would you like to get?" His hair was green, his sweater matched it. His apron was brown covering tan dress pants. Shuichi was drawn to his jewelry, the rings and bracelets he had on and the black necklace that was obscured by the apron.
"Could I get a small cappuccino with caramel syrup, please?" Shuichi walked up to the counter and drum-tapped on the wood. The barista, Shuichi had taken note of the name card saying 'Rantaro', walked up behind the register.
"Anything else?"
"No, that'd be it"
Rantaro pressed some buttons that Shuichi didn't know "It'd be $4.30" he smiled at Shuichi while making eye contact, which kind of unsettled him. Usually baristas and cashiers look dead inside and speak in a monotone voice; their posture complimenting their eye bags. Rantaro wasn't like that at all.
The price shocked Shuichi, too. That's the cheapest cappuccino he's ever gotten, but he didn't want to say that because maybe that would make the cafe raise their prices.
Rantaro turned away and made the order, while he was doing that, Shuichi looked around the cafe to notice any details he had missed; signs on the wall saying fresh, clean green leather booths with salt, sugar and napkins on the wood tables and a tip jar next to the cash register.
Rantaro interrupted his thoughts to give him the cappuccino, Shuichi said thanks and gave Rantaro a five dollar bill. His change was 70 cents, which he put into the tip jar.
"Have a good day!"
Shuichi smiled and nodded before leaving, feeling very satisfied with the cafe, the coffee better than what he remembered. The drink was really good, too.
