Isekai C-Mart Hanjouki ch 012 (1/2)

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The Inimitable Coffee?

I boiled some water on a portable gas stove. Since water drawn from the town well was better tasting than even ‘Delicious Water’ brand bottled water, I was using that.

Then I measured out four level spoonfuls of medium-grind powder.

I tried to pour the hot water exactly the way I had seen on YouTube.

Incidentally, mere seconds before quitting my job, I had hurled my smartphone at the ground and smashed it, so I had been going to a manga cafe on the other side to watch YouTube. Incidentally, all of my Amazon and Rakuten orders were also placed from the manga cafe.

As I poured out a thin trickle of hot water, a pleasant aroma began to waft upwards.

“What’s thaaat? What’s thaaat?”

As planned, the idiot elf bounced her way over to me, drawn in by the scent.

And, eyes glittering with antic.i.p.ation, she made the exact expression a dog makes when it’s hoping to get a treat.

“That smells kind of fragrant. Fragrant. Fragrant.”

The idiot elf pressed up against me and observed my hands closely.

Argh. So annoying.

I’m about to start the all-important second pour. So get your supple body off of me! You’re ruining my concentration!

“Is it a drink? A drink? A drink?”

Why was she repeating herself three times?

“I’m repeating things three times if they’re important.”

And why was she answering my thoughts?

“Master. Master. Master. What’s that? A drink? A drink from the other world?”

“Heh heh heh. This? This is only one of the most popular drinks in the world I’m from,” I said.

I was making coffee.

I had been taken with a sudden craving for coffee, so I had picked up the makings along with the day’s purchasing.

If all I had wanted was a simple drink, canned or instant coffee would have been easiest, but I figured it would be better to bring over the real deal.

So I had brought over a set of equipment: a coffee mill, a measuring spoon, a dripper, paper filters, and so on. And, of course, most important of all: coffee beans.

It was more for myself than to sell.

Maybe I could offer a coffee service, though.

However…

I had never made real coffee before, so I had needed to research how on YouTube.

And now, my studies were compete.

But maybe smas.h.i.+ng my smartphone had been going overboard? Oh, well. It’s not like I could have gotten reception over here. Could I? Was that really the case? Maybe I should test that soon.

I poured the hot water in a circle. Round and round in a circle was how to do it. I had seen that on YouTube.

“Hey, Master? Which is this? Brown or pitch black?”

“That’s the question all right. That’s coffee for you.”

“Oh, really? Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.”

The elf girl was fascinated.

She kept herself pressed against me and stared at my hands.

Actually, the back of her head was in my way. I couldn’t see my hands.

As the smell of her hair wafted up from her blonde head, I was reminded of the fact that she was a girl.

“I splurged a bit on the beans. They’re the most expensive kind,” I said, looking pleased with myself.

It felt really good, the way the elf girl acted when intrigued.

Well, I had expected this.

She would get fascinated by anything having to do with food. Because she was an idiot. An idiot elf.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm. So these are beans that are roasted and made into powder? What kind of beans?”

“What kind was it? ‘Ha–’ something. ‘Hawaiian Kona’. Wait…? ‘Hawaii Kona’? Anyway, it was the most expensive kind,” I said.

A luxury costing 2679 yen (tax included) for 200 grams.

“Most expensive?”

“In other words, the best kind.”

“I can’t wait can’t wait can’t wait to try it.”

That was something important? She had repeated it three times.

“Aah!!” the elf girl cried as if she had suddenly realized something, and she pushed away from me.

“Master. Tell me! You weren’t planning to do something nasty like drink this ‘kah-fee’ stuff all by yourself and not give me any? Were you?”

The elf girl moved a ways away.

She turned a damp-eyed gaze on me.

How low is your opinion of me?

Surely you don’t think me that much of a fiend, do you?

“Don’t worry. I’m the generous type. If you spin around three times and say ‘woof’, I’ll think about maybe giving—”