"I just thought that this café could be a place for love, and a place where lovers could meet. Not just coffee lovers per se, but also a place to meet new friends and lovers," Haru answered.
Kiyoshi glanced at him, "So there's a deeper meaning for it? You only told us that it's short, so it's easier to remember."
"That sounds so romantic though," the interviewer commented whilst also staring at Haru.
"Yeah, it's annoying," Kiyoshi jested.
And everyone in the room chuckled.
"So… why is it also a special place for you?" the lady shot her last question while facing Kiyoshi this time.
"It's where I met the love of my life," he answered with a gentle smile on his face.
"You, yourself, are romantic, Mr. Miura! How could you deceive us? You even said how annoying it was a while ago," she laughed softly.
"Can't I change my mind?" Kiyoshi shook his head and chuckled. "But thinking about what Haru has said earlier, the café is indeed a place where new lovers meet."
"Oh! You're Ms. Hashimoto Mei's boyfriend!" the lady's eyes widened upon realization, and the staff behind her whispered amongst themselves, agreeing to what she had mentioned. "It's really our pleasure to finally meet you," she grinned.
Kiyoshi nodded and smiled at her, and then the interviewer looked at Haru.
"What about you, Mr. Yagami? Have you also met the love of your life here? Perhaps, while giving the change or serving that person a cup of coffee, and then your hands accidentally touched? "
Haru let out a chuckle upon hearing her silly questions.
"Don't tell me she's the woman wearing a kimono in your latte art?" the interviewer gasped, and they all shifted their gazes at him.
However, Haru only shook his head sideways. "The woman in my latte art's… my deceased mother."
Everyone in the room was stunned in their seats as the joyful and warm mood had now turned cold and silent.
"She's been gone for a long time, and I've thought of learning this kind of art to commemorate her," he quickly added, perceiving the sudden change in the atmosphere. "And please, you don't have to apologize. It was a mistake on my part since I didn't point that out before you tried the coffee," Haru smiled kindly.
She heaved a breath before speaking. "I should still apologize. It was also a mistake on my end. But really, thank you for letting us know. I'm sure she's happy and proud to have a son like you," she told him, almost teary eyed.
"Yo, you haven't answered her question yet," Kiyoshi brought up to lighten up the mood once again.
But deep inside, Kiyoshi's heart was moved when Haru talked about his deceased mother, and he wanted to commend his courage just like what a big brother does. Even if what he said was pretty short, he began to wonder if their friend with the blood of a samurai would slowly open up more about his past.
"Back to the question," the lady finally had a smile on her face, "why is this café a special place for you?"
Haru pondered for a moment. Leaving behind his roots after witnessing the death of his parents to start a new life in Tokyo was too painful and grueling for him. He was honestly surprised that Junichi still took him under his care regardless of his brutal past. He then met Kyoko and Kiyoshi, and while working in Café Ai, he gained a few more friends.
Memories of his childhood would still haunt him in his sleep from time to time, but he has his father and his close friends. Despite only having a few of them by his side, they made life more bearable for him and made him feel less lonely.
"It's a place where I found peace and family," Haru uttered with contentment in his voice.
"You didn't state 'love', so Is it safe to assume that you're single?" she giggled while handing Haru a piece of paper and a pen. "Can I get your number then?"
He took these and wrote something. Kiyoshi peeked at what was written, and it made him chortle. "Nice nice."
Haru looked at the lady as she excitedly took back the piece of paper and pen from him. "Call us whenever your system needs some caffeine," he flashed a charming smile at her.
The other staff laughed from that unexpected moment and started teasing the interviewer, who in return, jokingly sighed in disbelief. They moved to the balcony of the café following the interview to take videos and photos of their outfits. It was nearing noon and the warmth and vibrant colors of the trees surrounding the shop were inviting to bask under the sun while white fluffy clouds lazily drifted on the blue sky.
Kiyoshi was the first one who posed for the cameras, and when it was Haru's turn, Ralmé's boss came to check the set. Emi was politely greeted by the staff, and she also took snaps of the behind-the-scenes as well as the scenic view of the metropolis from the balcony. She then took notice of Haru, who was being photographed near the railings before noticing Kiyoshi, who looked familiar to her. Kiyoshi was waiting on the corner for the other barista to finish, and they greeted each other when she passed by in front of him. Soon after, the two baristas went back to the first floor, and it was Kyoko and the two other baristas' turn to be interviewed upstairs.
Before the meeting ended, Kyoko was invited in front to promote her café, and as a sign of gratitude, she gifted each employee of Ralmé a box of cherry blossom macarons with five pieces each. They were very delighted to receive such a wonderful and pretty giveaway from the owner herself and gave her a round of applause afterward.
At exactly four, everyone went outside and stood in front of the shop for the photo op. The photo sequence started with Ralme's employees, followed by Café Ai's, a group photo of both, and finally, a group photo of Café Ai employees with Mei and Sakura.
The baristas all went back inside the café, while some people from Ralmé stayed behind to take more pictures and to help them with cleaning up. Meanwhile, Mei finally introduced Kiyoshi to their boss. Sakura, together with a few of the department heads, was also there and after some chit-chat, they bid their goodbyes to Emi.
Later on, the two other baristas left first while Nana, Ayaka, Mei, Sakura, and Haru waited for their ride inside the shop. While Kiyoshi and Kyoko headed to their respective cars, Haru took the opportunity to converse with Sakura, who was reading the menu and standing by the bar counter.
"So… how'd you like the cherry blossom menu?" he asked in anticipation whilst he leaned against the counter.
Sakura beamed at him while showing two thumbs up. "I wish I could try everything that's listed here," she flicked a look at that menu, "but I definitely love the cherry blossom latte. And your art, of course," and smiled genuinely at him.
"I'd give you a discount on your next visit, so you'd be able to try it all before the month ends," he showed her a dimpled smile in return.
"Oh, really?" her eyes sparkled in excitement.
"But first, I'd like to know what it is that you want to talk about early this morning," Haru finally inquired.