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This problem starts, like all of Nobuchika's problems, with something that isn't coffee.
“A lot of people really want tea,” Kunizuka remarks one day, and as it's getting colder and snow is starting to appear on the ground and the demand for warm drinks has increased, Nobuchika can't help but agree.
Also, people keep asking him for tea as well. And he's been thinking about it for a while.
“We can certainly afford it,” Shion tells him at their next meeting.
“I don't know anything about tea,” Nobuchika says.
“Well, people will just be happy it's there,” Shion says. “They don't expect the people at the coffee shop to be tea experts.”
“You'd be surprised.”
So Nobuchika orders a few different types of tea and trains his employees in how to make them. Which consists of him saying, “It's so simple even Kagari could do it.”
(Kagari can't do it. Kagari messes up the first order of tea he's asked to make by accidentally forgetting to put the tea bag in, and when Nobuchika finds out what happened, he can only stare at Kagari for a minute before saying, “How?”)
The tea isn't the most popular thing in the cafe, but it does bring in a few new customers. Nobuchika tries some tea, but he can't understand the passion for it.
“It's all the same thing,” Kagari tells him. “Ground up beans. Wet leaves. Hot water.”
“Please don't talk about our drinks ever again,” Nobuchika says.
In the midst of this small change to the cafe, Kougami returns home.
*
“I actually like tea,” Kougami says. They're lying in his bed, Nobuchika resting his head on Kougami's chest. Kougami keeps running his fingers through Nobuchika's hair and it feels nice, for both of them.
There are probably other things they should be doing, but neither of them wants to get up. It's been months. Months of Kougami working almost all hours in another city and Nobuchika also working all hours trying to distract himself from Kougami not being there.
“You like tea?”
“Yeah. Well, it doesn't wake me up, so I don't drink it a lot. But, tea,” Kougami says, “is a cultural staple.”
“It tastes like bitter water.”
“Gino.”
“What?”
“Some people say that coffee tastes like bitter water.”
Nobuchika sighs. “Those people are wrong, Kougami.”
“The train station coffee would beg to differ,” Kougami says. “Anyway, it's good that you have more people coming into the cafe, right?”
“Right.” Nobuchika closes his eyes and breathes in. He catches the faint scent of smoke and soap, and feels calmer than he has in a long time. Like he could spend hours here in Kougami's arms, not worrying about anything.
“I can't wait to spend all my breaks in the cafe,” Kougami murmurs.
“Mmm-hmmm.”
They fall asleep tangled in each other, and it just feels right.
*
“Akane-chan keeps glaring at that guy over there,” Kagari whispers.
Nobuchika glances at Akane, who is sitting at the window table and is, indeed, glaring across the cafe at someone. He follows her line of sight to a man sitting alone, writing in a notebook, with at least two other books lying next to it on the table. He has white hair and is well-dressed, which makes Nobuchika wonder if he's another professional.
This guy isn't new. Nobuchika recognizes him as one of the people who's become a regular since the introduction of tea to the menu. He doesn't understand why Akane is glaring at him. Akane has never glared at anyone in his cafe before.
“Maybe you should interfere,” Kagari says.
Nobuchika heads over to Akane under the pretense of cleaning off the tables. When he reaches the table next to her, he leans over and says, “You look angry.”
Akane blinks and the anger disappears, replaced by a sheepish look. “Sorry. Just...” She lowers her voice. “I don't like that guy.”
This takes Nobuchika by surprise. “Why?”
“Because he thinks he's better than everyone else,” Akane says. “He likes to argue for the sake of arguing, and always tries to show-off how well-read he is. He was in some of our classes, but he's a philosophy graduate student, not a law student. Which means that apparently, he's going to spend the rest of his life arguing for the sake of arguing.”
“Oh,” Nobuchika says. He doesn't really understand, but he'll take Akane's word for it. “That sounds...” He can't find the word.
“Annoying,” Akane says. “We don't talk.”
“Oh?”
“The last time we got into a debate that ended in a yelling match,” Akane explains. “It ended with him acting like he was offended that I got angry because he was so condescending. He said something like 'I thought you of all people would understand' and I decided I'd never talk to him again.”
“At least he isn't bothering you,” Nobuchika says, glancing over at the white-haired man again. He looks very unassuming.
“Yeah,” Akane agrees, but she still looks crestfallen. “I just wish he wasn't here so often.”
Nobuchika nods, but doesn't say anything because he can't really say he feels the same. This man doesn't bother him. And he didn't choose this career to mediate rivalries between his regulars. As long as they both keep to themselves, it should be fine.
“Anyway,” Akane says, “it's silly. Besides, I have to go back to work.” She stands up, offers him a bright smile. “Have a good day!” And then she throws her arms around him in a tight hug.
Nobuchika makes a choking noise, and hesitantly hugs her back. Akane is the sort of person who likes to embrace people upon saying goodbye, and Nobuchika still isn't used to it. Even though he should expect it, it always catches him by surprise. He's still a bit flustered by the time Akane heads out the door, and he returns behind the counter to find Kagari pouting at him.
“I wish Akane-chan would hug me,” he complains. “Would you give me a hug, Gino?”
“No.”
“But-”
“No, Kagari.”
“Fine.”
*
Kougami comes to the cafe during his lunch breaks. Now that he works nearby, he becomes a presence in the cafe again, and Nobuchika feels a bit lighter whenever he looks over to see Kougami and Akane sitting by the window. Sometimes, Dime sits at their feet when he's in, enjoying the occasional head scratches and hoping for bits of stray food to fall on the floor.
And then, one day, the white-haired man comes in, orders his tea, and catches sight of Kougami and Akane chatting. He heads over to them after he gets his drink and says, “Kougami Shinya. It's been a while.”
Kougami looks up at the man. “Makishima Shogo. I didn't know you came here.”
“Ah, well they've started serving tea, and this is a nice place to work,” Makishima says. “I've missed our discussions.”
Because it's the lunch rush, Nobuchika has his hands full with work. But he keeps one eye on the conversation unfolding at the window table.
“Akane,” Makishima says, inclining his head slightly.
“Makishima,” Akane replies, cold.
“I can make coffee if you wanna save Akane from that guy she hates,” Kagari says in Nobuchika's ear, causing him to jump and nearly spill hot milk all over himself.
“Don't be ridiculous,” he snaps.
“You keep looking at them!”
“You can't even make tea.”
“No fair, Gino,” Kagari says. “It was my first try.”
“Get back to the register,” Nobuchika says. He returns his attention to the drink he'd been making. By now, Akane has stood up and is saying her goodbyes. She walks out of the cafe faster than is normal.
Makishima takes the seat opposite Kougami, slinging his bag over the back of the chair and leaning forward, resting his head on his hand, his lips quirked upwards in a small smile.
Kougami seems a little annoyed, but they're talking, and Nobuchika only catches bits and pieces of the conversation. He hears some references to literature, something about “political upheaval” and at one point he thinks he hears Kougami say, “you're wrong” followed by laughter from Makishima.
And then, after what feels like too long, Kougami stands up and says that he has to go back to work. He heads for the counter, finds Nobuchika and touches his wrist to get his attention while he's foaming milk.
Nobuchika looks up and sees Kougami smiling at him.
Nothing is wrong, he thinks, because Kougami came back to him.
Kougami presses a small kiss to Nobuchika's lips and murmurs, “I'll see you later.”
And then he's gone.
Nobuchika finds himself glancing at the window table, hoping that Makishima has gone, too.
But he hasn't. Makishima is watching him. Nobuchika quickly looks away.
This can't continue.
*
But it does. Makishima finds Kougami whenever Kougami comes into the cafe and they get into long, drawn-out conversations. The more Nobuchika hears of these conversations, the more he feels like he's out of his league. They involve lots of references to philosophers, to great works of literature, to political theories. Everything that Nobuchika doesn't know and has never talked to Kougami about.
And the worst part is, Kougami seems completely absorbed in these conversations. His eyes light up whenever he and Makishima talk, even if they're not so much talking as arguing. One night, after work, Kougami brings up Makishima.
“Sometimes I think he's just playing devil's advocate for the sake of creating conflict,” he says. “But it does get my brain working. I've never actually properly talked to him before.”
“Why not?” Nobuchika asks, trying to keep his voice light.
“Akane doesn't like him,” Kougami says. “He's interesting, though. Very smart. Very passionate.”
“Oh,” is all Nobuchika can manage. He doesn't feel smart. He's passionate, but about coffee. Something that Kougami didn't really care about until he came to the cafe. And he probably doesn't care about it in the same way that he cares about all the things Makishima is passionate about.
He wants to tell himself to stop it, but his mind works against him, doubt latching in and holding tight, and growing and growing. It's always been one of his worst problems and typically, in fights between him and the irrational thoughts in his head, he always loses.
And he keeps thinking about how he saw Makishima watching him after Kougami kissed him. Something about the way Makishima had been looking at him, like he was analyzing him and making an assessment, left Nobuchika feeling cold. Unsettled.
If he holds Kougami a little closer at night, lingers a little longer when they kiss, it isn't because he feels like he's losing him. Not at all.
But Kougami just came back. And Nobuchika feels like he's slowly being pulled away.
*
Akane comes behind the counter during lunch rush the next week.
“Akane-chan!” Kagari cries. “How are you? Do you work here now? Have you given up your career as a lawyer to become a barista?”
“No,” Akane says, giving him a small smile. But when Nobuchika turns his attention to her, she becomes serious. “Ginoza, this needs to stop.”
Nobuchika starts another drink, turning away. “What needs to stop?”
Akane stands next to him, apparently content to watch him work while trying to hold a conversation. “That,” she says, jerks her head. Nobuchika follows her line of sight to the window table where, once again, Kougami and Makishima are engaged in animated conversation.
“Makishima wants something,” Akane says. “He's not a good person, Ginoza. He doesn't care about other peoples' feelings.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I don't trust him,” Akane says. “Have you seen the way he looks at Kougami? Have you seen the way he looks at you?”
He has. “Have you talked to Kougami about this?”
“No. Have you?”
“...no.” Nobuchika hands off a drink, starts on another. “I don't think Kougami would take it well if we told him to stop talking to Makishima. Especially if we don't have a good reason for saying that.”
“Intuition,” Akane says.
Nobuchika shakes his head.
“Maybe I can help?” Kagari chimes in. “You want Makishima out of the cafe, right?”
“That's not what I'm saying,” Nobuchika says, even though he does want that. In his most irrational moments, he's considered getting rid of their tea supply just so that Makishima won't have a reason to come anymore. But getting rid of tea just to get rid of one customer seems ridiculous. And he isn't going to try to run someone out of the cafe over a personal issue. It isn't good business.
“He's isolating Kougami,” Akane says. “He's always had his eye on him because Kougami is smart.”
“You're smart.”
“Yeah, but I'm less receptive.” Akane checks her watch and sighs. “I have to get back to work. But think about it.”
Nobuchika doesn't need to be told to think about it. He thinks about it too much.
Kougami leaves half an hour later, saying a rushed goodbye because he lost track of time. Nobuchika wants to tell him that they haven't had lunch since Kougami came back. He wants to ask whether Kougami actually likes Makishima. But he doesn't want to know the answer.
Then, Makishima comes up to the counter again. “Excuse me,” he says, breaking Nobuchika out of his coffee-making daze.
“Can I help you?”
Makishima tilts his head to the side, scrutinizing Nobuchika in such a way that Nobuchika feels like he's a specimen being dissected by some scientist.
“Actually,” he says, leaning forward, “you can.”
The cafe is quiet, rush over, meaning that Nobuchika has no reason to avoid this conversation, no matter how much he doesn't want to have it. “Okay.”
“Kougami is incredibly intelligent,” Makishima says. “Wouldn't you agree?”
“Yes,” Nobuchika says.
“You're with him, aren't you,” Makishima says.
“I am.”
“I wonder what Kougami is doing with a barista,” Makishima continues, his eyes searing into Nobuchika. “Surely, you can't give him the intellectual stimulation he needs in a relationship. You would only be holding him back.”
“Excuse me?” Nobuchika's hands curl into fists. He grabs his apron, bunches the fabric.
“What do you have in common?” Makishima asks. “What do you have to offer him?”
Nobuchika stares at him.
“I think,” Makishima says, “that I would be far more suitable for Kougami. Surely, given the facts I've just outlined, you can agree.”
On his worst days, Nobuchika can agree. But to hear someone else say those things to him makes him angry. “No, I can't,” he says. “If Kougami would rather have a relationship with you, then he'll be the one to make that decision. But I'm not going to stop seeing him just because you tell me I should, because you think you know what Kougami needs.”
“Hmm.” Makishima straightens. “Interesting.” With that, he pushes away and heads out the door, leaving Nobuchika standing there, staring after him.
“What. A. Dick,” Kagari says.
Nobuchika startles, having forgotten that Kagari was there, and was listening to the whole conversation.
“Seriously,” Kagari continues, “do you need me to, like, hurt him?” He actually looks concerned, which on him is rare. He's always joking.
“No,” Nobuchika says. “What I need...” What he needs is to not be thinking about this. But the cafe is practically empty at this time of the afternoon.
What he needs is to never see Makishima again.
What he says is, “I need to clean the espresso machine.” Which is usually a task saved for the end of the day but if it distracts him, Nobuchika doesn't mind doing it twice.
Kagari nods and for once doesn't comment.
Cleaning the espresso machine helps Nobuchika prevent an immediate freak out, but he can feel his emotions churning in his head, growing, waiting.
When he finishes he checks his phone and finds a message from Akane. It reads, “You, me, lunch tomorrow. Not at the cafe. Meet me outside at 12.”
*
Luckily, Kunizuka is working the next day, so Nobuchika feels fine leaving the cafe. He meets Akane outside. It's before Kougami and Makishima have arrived, and they walk down the street to a small noodle place. Akane leads them to a table near the back and after they've ordered, she confronts him with the reason why she's asked him to lunch in the first place.
“I heard about what Makishima said to you,” she says.
Nobuchika lowers his drink, carefully, so he doesn't spill it. “And how did you hear about that?”
“Kagari.”
“I'm going to--”
“He cares about you,” Akane interrupts him. “I think he's just grateful you haven't fired him yet even though he can't make any drinks. He was worried.”
“Hah. Kagari, worried?”
“I'm not kidding,” Akane says. “I'm worried, too. Are you okay? I know Kougami just came back, and this isn't ideal.”
“I'm fine,” Nobuchika says. Which is true. Now he's fine. He's just on the edge of fine. He knows that he'll tip over that edge very soon unless something happens to get rid of all the self-doubt he's been cultivating as a result of Makishima's presence.
Akane doesn't look convinced. “You should talk to Kougami.”
“He's busy,” Nobuchika says.
“Not too busy for you,” Akane points out.
Nobuchika sighs. Because he feels like he shouldn't be bothering Kougami with his trivial feelings.
“They're not trivial,” Akane says. “Your feelings.”
Nobuchika stares at her.
“You wear your emotions on your face sometimes, Nobuchika,” Akane tells him with a small smile.
“If Kougami likes talking to Makishima, I won't stop him,” Nobuchika says.
“He doesn't know Makishima said those things to you,” Akane says. “Besides, if he wants a philosophical debate he can talk to me.”
“Then why doesn't he?”
“Because Makishima has a way of getting under everyone's skin,” Akane says. “You were so happy to have Kougami back. I don't want Makishima to ruin that for you. And he's deliberately ruining it for you.”
“I don't know how to have this conversation,” Nobuchika admits. And he doesn't want to say it, but he's afraid. Afraid of how the conversation might end.
“It's not easy,” Akane agrees. “Look, Kougami's probably going to get tired of Makishima anyway. He's...a lot to deal with. And really pretentious. Sometimes I think Kougami's pretentious but Makishima is a completely different level of pretentious.” She offers him a reassuring smile. “The good thing is, you're not pretentious at all.”
“Yay,” Nobuchika mutters.
“Even if you get annoyed that Kougami still doesn't know the names of different coffee drinks,” Akane adds.
“It isn't hard,” Nobuchika says. He glances down at his half-eaten meal. “It's also not important.”
“It's important to you.”
“That doesn't mean it's important to him,” Nobuchika says.
Akane sighs. “You're different people. You don't need to have everything in common. You don't need to consider the all the same things important. You're allowed to be different. That's probably why you work so well together.”
“You just really want me to talk to Kougami,” Nobuchika says.
“I do,” Akane says. “I'm worried that if you don't, Kagari might do something drastic and possibly illegal.”
*
Kougami comes over to Nobuchika's apartment that Friday night and when they sit on the couch, says, “I think I'll spend the day at the cafe tomorrow. How does that sound?”
Nobuchika struggles not to bunch his hands into his sweater. “That sounds fine.”
“Just fine?”
Nobuchika sighs. “I won't be talking to you much, will I?”
“What do you mean?” Kougami moves closer.
“Kougami,” Nobuchika says, turning to look at him. “Sometimes I wonder if I can give you what you need.”
Kougami's brows furrow. “What?”
“I can't have an intellectual debate with you about politics, or philosophy, or literature,” Nobuchika says. “I haven't read most of the things you've read. I don't know how to debate the way you do, or to analyze things the way you do.”
“And I don't know how to make coffee,” Kougami says, “or how to hold a conversation about how much foam is too much foam, or the different types of beans, or brewing methods. But that isn't something you need from me, right?” He almost looks uncertain.
“No,” Nobuchika says. “No, I don't. If you had known all of that, I wouldn't have made you so many different types of drinks. I wouldn't have talked to you about them.”
“There you go,” Kougami says. “I don't need any of that stuff from you. I love you because you care about people, and you know what people need, and you want them to be happy. Because you're awkward, and passionate, and sometimes a bit harsh but that's okay. Maybe I didn't realize that I needed any of those things before I met you, but now I know that I do.”
Nobuchika's mind is stuck on one word. “Kougami,” he says.
“What?”
“You said...love?”
“Oh.” Kougami smiles. “I guess I did, Gino.”
Nobuchika stares at him. And then he says, “I think I love you.”
“You think?” Kougami laughs and Nobuchika blushes.
“You know what I mean, Kougami.”
“Say it again.” Kougami cups Nobuchika's face.
“I think I love you,” Nobuchika says.
Kougami makes a face. “Close enough. Are you okay, Gino? Because you don't need to worry so much.”
Nobuchika leans into Kougami's touch. “I can't help it. But this helps. This is good.”
Kougami presses a kiss to Nobuchika's lips.
“What I need,” Kougami murmurs, “is you.”
*
The next morning Nobuchika wakes in Kougami's arms, and he mentally thanks Akane for telling him to talk to Kougami. Because that talk was what he needed.
As they stand outside the cafe at the ungodly hour of 6am, Kougami, bunched up in his large winter coat, remarks, “I'm sorry about the whole thing with Makishima, by the way. He doesn't leave me alone.”
“Hmm?” Nobuchika glances at him.
“I mean, I like debating,” Kougami says, “but after a while...he is pretentious. And Akane doesn't like him. But I don't know how to tell him to leave me alone without causing a potential disruption in the cafe.”
“You're so considerate,” Nobuchika mutters, pushing the door open.
“I try,” Kougami says. Now that he's back, sometimes he helps Nobuchika with his opening routine—pulling the chairs off the tables, helping stock the espresso beans, organizing a few things behind the counter. “Akane says she misses non-pretentious lunches with me.”
“Huh.” Nobuchika would rather not talk about Makishima. He's just started to feel better about the whole thing.
Kagari arrives a few minutes later, far too energetic for such an early hour. “What's up?”
“Trying to find a way to have a non-pretentious lunch with Akane and Gino,” Kougami says.
Kagari's expression darkens. “Makishima.”
Kougami looks startled. “You look angry.”
“Gino,” Kagari says, “can't we just kick him out? You own the place!”
“What did he do to you?” Kougami asks, half amused, half serious.
“He-” Kagari starts, only for Nobuchika to cut him off with, “Nothing.”
Kougami looks between them, confused.
“I can't kick him out just because you don't like him,” Nobuchika says.
“But he--”
“I'm the owner of this cafe,” Nobuchika reminds him, “which means I can't be immature.”
“What's going on?” Kougami asks.
Kagari folds his arms and broods for a moment. Then his face lights up. “You can't,” he says.
“Can you please help us get ready?” Nobuchika asks. “We open in ten minutes.”
Kagari springs into action, and ten minutes later they open for their first customers. Kougami takes the window table and occasionally, when there's a lull, Nobuchika heads over to talk to him. And when they're not talking, Kougami settles in to read a book. And all is well.
Until half past noon, when Makishima shows up. He glances at the window table, sees Kougami, and then heads for the counter to order.
And that's when Kagari says, “Hey! You've been coming here for a while. It's about time I treat you to a free drink!”
Nobuchika turns to stare at Kagari.
“A free drink?” Makishima repeats.
“Yeah, we always make a special free drink for our regulars,” Kagari says, “and it's been weeks so you're a regular now.”
“I suppose a free drink would be nice,” Makishima says.
“Great! It's my special, the Kagari Killer, and it's going to blow your mind.” Kagari turns towards the espresso machines and Makishima heads to the other end of the counter to wait.
“Kagari,” Nobuchika says, but it comes out weak.
“Gino,” Kagari says, completely serious, “I've got this.”
Nobuchika closes his eyes and sighs. “Just don't break anything.”
“Roger!” Kagari starts the bean grinder, then grabs a paper take-away cup and starts filling it with ingredients. Nobuchika covers his face with his hand and watches through his fingers, fascinated but also horrified, as Kagari puts in a spoon-full of matcha powder, followed by two pumps of raspberry syrup, and then peppermint syrup, followed by mocha and caramel, and one teabag.
Then he adds the espresso, followed by boiling hot water. Stirs it, fishes the teabag out, and finishes the whole thing off with whipped cream. Finally, he seals the drink with a lid and hands it off to Makishima with a flourish.
“The Kagari Killer,” he says, grinning.
“Thank you,” Makishima says, turning away, towards Kougami's table, and taking a long gulp.
He chokes and almost drops the cup. Nobuchika lowers his hand from his face, now openly watching. Makishima whirls around, glaring at Kagari. “What on earth is this?”
“The Kagari Killer,” Kagari says, completely straight-faced. “Don't you like it?”
“This is the worst drink I've ever tasted,” Makishima snaps.
“Excuse me--” Kagari starts, mock offended, stepping forward. Now all the customers are looking towards the commotion.
Nobuchika places a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. “Sir,” he says to Makishima, “we don't tolerate rudeness towards our employees.”
Makishima stares at him, astonished. Then he shakes his head. “Touché.”
Strangely enough, he smiles to himself before turning around and walking out the door.
For a moment, everyone is quiet.
Then, slowly, the gentle noise of people having conversations in low-voices replaces the silence.
“Weird,” Kagari says.
“Kagari,” Nobuchika says.
“The best part is, it's decaf,” Kagari says. “Also, he took it with him.”
Nobuchika turns towards him. “Kagari,” he says, “please don't ever make that drink again.”
Kagari pouts. “But--”
“And,” Nobuchika adds, quieter, “thank you.”
Kagari grins. “No problem, boss.” And he practically bounces over to the register.
Seeing no other customers, Nobuchika makes his way to Kougami's table and sits across from him.
“I'm not sure if I should be impressed or terrified,” Kougami says, grinning. “Never mess with the people who make your drinks.”
Nobuchika can't help but grin back.
Akane joins them for lunch a bit later, and Kougami recounts the story of how Makishima was sort of scared off from the cafe. And as the three of them talk and laugh and eat, it everything feels good once again.
Being surrounded by the right people, all of them happy—this is what Nobuchika needs.