Backpack

Description

One morning.

Pipi was lying down beside the entrance of ‘NOERU’ after eating a full meal.

As soon as Lianghua came over, Pipi opened his eyes and wagged his tail.

“Hmm~? Wagging his tail… Could it be that Tomoya came to feed him?”

But Tomoya didn’t come out.

Lianghua came closer and closer, and Pipi’s tail wagged hard.

Lianghua tried to keep a distance from Pipi.

“Huh? Pipi remembered my footsteps. It’s quite smart…”

Lianghua approached Pipi from time to time…

At this moment, the door of ‘N0ERU’ opened, and Tomoya called her.

“What are you doing? Lianghua! I saw it in the store… You look very weird like this…”

“Hey, Tomoya! This Pipi seems to be very smart! Did you know…”

The two chatted as they entered the store. The door of ‘N0ERU’ closed with a bang…

Although other passers-by passed by from time to time, Pipi still slept in his own bed.

Then, Shengya came… Pipi wagged his tail again… He closed his eyes, as if he could really identify who was who by the footsteps.

“Pipi, good morning!”

As soon as Shengya called him, Pipi looked up and barked twice.

“You greeted people very well today, Pipi.”

Shengya walked into the store with a smile, and Pipi fell into a happy dream again…

That day, when Zhiya was chatting with Jingfan, he heard her complain that a male customer who looked very bad often came recently.

“Feeling bad?”

“Well, every time I go to order food… how should I put it… he will… look me up and down… and then drink up a glass of water.”

“Oh? He didn’t order anything?”

“Yes, he has come several times, didn’t you notice?”

“Um… sorry…”

“Ah! You mean that skinny guy with shoulder-length hair!”

Lianghua passed by the two and interrupted.

“Yeah, you know that too?”

“I know, he will do this to me… Last time I talked to Shengya and Kanae, he would look at them like that…”

Then, Lianghua waved and called Shengya and Kanae, who were busy, over.

When the two heard that they were talking about that man, they showed a very disgusted expression.

“That guy feels really bad… I get goose bumps all over my body whenever I think of him… Oh, Kanae…”

“Yeah, if he was a customer I could tolerate it, but since he didn’t order anything, he shouldn’t be considered a customer…”

“Tomoya, you really don’t have any impression?”

“Hmm… How come I’m the only one who didn’t notice it… I’m so sorry…”

“Maybe because we’re gay, so I’m a little slow?”

“Ah, but next time he comes, you have to tell me. I’ll go warn him!”

“Good! You’re worthy of being the acting store manager!”

Ryoka applauded, but Kanae and Jingfan looked worried.

“But, there are a lot of weirdos now… You have to be careful… Oh, Jingfan.”

“Yeah… Don’t be too stubborn… Tomoya.”

“If anything happens, as long as I get through the phone, help will come immediately…”

“Don’t worry! I’ve watched all of Bruce Lee’s movies…”

“And I’ve also been taking karate online courses for three months…”

The four wives were stunned to see Tomoya learning how to punch like Bruce Lee.

The first one to come to his senses was Lianghua.

“Yes! Yes! Let’s hand that guy over to Tomoya, the ‘karate master’… Let’s go back to work.”

The women went back to work.

Tomoya didn’t notice and was still talking to himself.

“And I’ve also watched the whole ‘man with seven wounds on his chest’. What? Where’s he?… Yeah… work… work… hahaha…”

Just a few minutes later, the man actually came into the store.

Jingfan immediately ran to Tomoya and winked.

Tomoya nodded, took off his apron, rolled up his sleeves, and walked in front of the man.

All the women were watching from a distance.

The man was thin, and it was unclear why everyone was afraid of him. But, in the next moment, Tomoya understood.

“Sir! You…”

Tomoya couldn’t say anything halfway through his words.

Because of the uncomfortable look under the man’s glasses, like a snake staring at a frog, Tomoya couldn’t move his whole body.

“Hehehe! You are Tomoya Asahina…”

The man’s voice sounded sharp and disgusting.

Tomoya felt as if his heart was caught by an eagle and was terrified that the man knew his name.

“This store is great! It’s not an idea that ordinary people can come up with to let these wives serve dishes here in a role-playing mode… You are really good, Tomoya Asahina. I have always wanted to have a good talk with you… Sorry, my last name is Yingyuan. You must remember it well… Hehehehe…”

The man said and walked out of the store.

All the women gathered around Tomoya who was standing there in a daze.

“Tomoya, are you okay?”

“Tomoya is really amazing, you should give him a good scolding!”

“No… I…”

“I really want to get closer to see Tomoya’s majestic figure.”

“You are amazing, Tomoya! I’ll go to the door and sprinkle salt now!”

“No… I…”

In the end, Tomoya couldn’t tell everyone that he didn’t say anything at all, and later, the man didn’t appear again.

Just like that, when everyone gradually forgot about the matter.

“Thank you for your patronage!”

After sending the customer out of the store, Jingfan came to Tomoya and said.

“Hey, Tomoya…”

“What’s the matter? Jingfan!”

“The customer who just left… said our coffee was delicious when he paid.”

“Oh~? Really?”

Tomoya smiled.

“Did you change the type of coffee beans?”

“No…actually…”

Actually, Tomoya just changed it before the coffee flavor faded.

(Is this feasible…?)

When the customer said it was delicious, Tomoya became more motivated.

“What? Tomoya…you seem very happy…”

“Hehehe…of course…”

Lianghua said while watching Tomoya laugh.

“What’s wrong, Tomoya?”

“Ah? Nothing, nothing…Hehehe…”

“Hey, you laugh like this…it’s disgusting…”

So, Jingfan explained to Lianghua.

“Oh, so it’s because the customer praised your coffee that you laughed like that…”

“Um-um… Tomoya, you didn’t add anything to the coffee, did you?”

“I, I didn’t. Why do you say that? I just want to make delicious coffee…”

“Um… um… Did you find any tricks?”

“Um, tricks…”

Tomoya told Lianghua about the effort he put into coffee today.

“Oh-…”

“How is it? Do you think it’s feasible?”

“Where did you… learn this from?”

Tomoya immediately shouted when he heard it.

“I, I didn’t, in fact, I also put in some effort! I bought a lot of books to read, and I would study coffee at home when I had time…”

“Sorry, sorry… I told you to ask my brother before…”

“You did mention it… but I still want to do it myself…”

Of course, Tomoya didn’t want to worry the boss who was still in the hospital.

But, in fact, the biggest reason was that after Tomoya had learned from the boss for three days, the boss said something to him.

‘I’ve taught you everything I can. The next thing that can influence the taste of coffee is your heart…’ When Tomoya heard this, he thought it was a simple thing.

But, the result has not been very smooth. If he asked the boss, the boss might teach him immediately.

But Tomoya really didn’t expect that he would be so attentive to coffee.

Now he understood what the boss meant by this.

In order not to lose the flavor of coffee….

And the care put into coffee is also the care for customers. Tomoya began to understand this. At this time, Shengya took the order.

“Tomoya, please give me two cups of American coffee.”

“Oh, okay!”

Then, Lianghua said again as if she remembered something.

“Hey, Tomoya, let Shengya taste the coffee you brew! She is very picky about food…”

“Ah? What’s the matter?”

Shengya didn’t know what was going on. Jingfan explained to her.

“Well… then please let me taste the delicious coffee you made.”

“Okay… come on…”

Tomoya immediately poured a cup and placed it on the counter.

Shengya picked up the cup and gently held it in his mouth.

After tasting the aroma of the coffee with his mouth, he drank it.

“How does it taste…?”

Tomoya looked at Shengya nervously.

“Um-hmm, 60 points… no… I’ll give it 63 points.”

“Ah… that’s it…”

Tomoya was very disappointed. Lianghua encouraged him.

“Ah, no. It’s good enough to let Shengya, who is so picky, give it 50 points. You really work hard.”

“Is, is that so? Hahaha… then my efforts have paid off…”

Tomoya scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

Then, Kanae ran over.

“Hey, what are you doing? The customer over there said that the coffee they ordered is not ready yet?”

“Oh~! Oops! Shengya, two cups of Americano, right?”

“Yeah, yes.”

Tomoya hurriedly prepared it. Lianghua smiled and looked at him and whispered to Jingfan.

“Hey, Jingfan, do you think Tomoya looks a bit like him?”

“Ah? Which him?”

Jingfan didn’t know who Lianghua was talking about.

“Hmm… They don’t look alike… But their actions, the way they talk, and the feeling… all remind me of ‘Taichi’…”

“Oh~!? Will, will it…”

Jingfan was very surprised.

Taiyi is Lianghua’s childhood playmate and Jingfan’s deceased husband.

To be honest, Jingfan had the same feeling as Lianghua several times. But she would subconsciously deny it.

Now after hearing Lianghua say this, Jingfan’s heart (really alike…) turned into certainty.

“Don’t you think so?”

“Well… I don’t think so…”

Jingfan still denied it.

This was to suppress a feeling that was beginning to awaken in her body.

That feeling that made her feel her chest tighten…

“Really? I always feel like talking to Tomoya is like an old friend I’ve known for a long time… That’s why I sometimes tease him…”

Jingfan just smiled.

That day, Tomoya was in a good mood (his coffee-making skills improved) all day long.

But when the business hours were over and everyone was busy cleaning up, he fell to the ground with a dizzy head.

A crack! !

“Ah? What!? What sound!?”

“Ah!? Tomoya! What’s wrong with you?”

Jingfan found Tomoya fainted and screamed in fear. , Everyone else ran to Tomoya’s side.

“Tomoya! You look so pale, are you okay!?”

“Oh no! Call an ambulance…”

Tomoya used a weak voice to stop Shengya who was about to make a phone call.

“I, I’m fine… It’s probably just anemia… I’ll just lie down for a while…”

Everyone lined up the chairs and let Tomoya lie on them.

“I’m sorry… I’ve caused you trouble…”

“It’s okay… Do you often have anemia…”

Lianghua asked worriedly.

“Yeah… I didn’t have it before… I sometimes have it after I went to college…”

Kanae said in a motherly tone.

“That’s from the time you lived alone. Have you not eaten well?”

“Well… I always eat bento from convenience stores… Or I eat outside… Sometimes I eat instant noodles when I don’t have money…”

“How can this be considered eating well!”

Kanae was scolding a child.

Everyone discussed that this was not good for Tomoya’s health. So, they planned to let Tomoya go to everyone’s home every week to have a good meal.

“… So Tomoya can have home-cooked meals for four days… How’s that?”

Tomoya reluctantly stood up.

“What do you mean? Of course I’m very grateful… But I’m sorry to do this to you…”

He said apologetically.

“Tomoya, what if you faint again after saying that!”

“Ah, Jingfan, why are you so excited?”

Jingfan’s face turned red after being teased by Lianghua.

“I, I’m not…”

“Well, okay. If you don’t mind, let’s start from today… It’s okay if you want to go to my house on the first day, but since Tomoya is in such a physical condition, how about going to Jingfan’s house which is closer to his home?”

Shengya and Kanahe nodded in agreement, and Jingfan also agreed.

“Then… I’ll obey your orders, and trouble you all. Thank you very much.”

Tomoya sat down and bowed to everyone.

When he was able to stand up and the store was cleaned up, everyone went home.

On the way home, Tomoya and Jingfan stopped by the supermarket to buy some groceries.

This made Tomoya feel like they were a newlywed couple.

(Actually, if you think about it carefully, Jingfan lives alone now… It’s just the two of us eating dinner, and after dinner… I wonder what will happen… Hehehe…)

Tomoya began to fantasize.

“… Ye! Tomoya!”

“Ah~? Yes? What’s the matter?”

“I called you several times, what’s wrong with you?”

“Oh~… No, nothing… Hahaha…”

“Tomoya… What do you want to eat?”

(I want to eat… you…)

Tomoya was very excited. It didn’t look like he had fainted from anemia just now.

“Tomoya… why are you so weird… you keep grinning…”

“No, I’m not… ah… anything is fine… simple is fine…”

“Um–hmm… I can’t cook anything that requires time now… how about potato stew?”

“Sure, I love it the most.”

For some reason, men love women’s potato stew the most.

The two left the supermarket and walked towards Jingfan’s house.

When they arrived at Jingfan’s house, Tomoya’s heart beat very fast.

Jingfan opened the door with the key.

“My house is very messy… please come in…”

“Sorry… to bother you…”

Tomoya walked into Jingfan’s house nervously.

“I… I’ll cook dinner now, you sit and watch TV.”

Jingfan walked towards the kitchen with a clatter.

Tomoya sat obediently and looked around.

Jingfan’s house was very tidy and not messy at all.

There was also a unique feminine smell in the house.

Tomoya looked at the closet and bookshelf, where there were several cute dolls.

Then, he found a photo on it.

He stood up and took the photo in his hand to look at it.

The photo was a photo of a man and Jingfan.

Jingfan was smiling happily in the photo, and her smile was the happiest smile Tomoya had never seen before.

Then, Jingfan came from the kitchen to the living room.

“Tomoya, do you want to drink something…ah~…”

“Yes, sorry…I just looked at it casually…”

Tomoya put the photo back in place.

“It’s okay~”

“Is the person in the photo…your husband Taichi?”

“Yes…Ryoka kept asking me to take the photo down…and told me to forget about this man who left me alone as soon as possible and find another boyfriend…”

Ryoka seemed like someone who would say such things. She could only say that because she was a mutual friend of Jingfan and Taichi.

“She…also asked me not to think too much…”

Jingfan shook his head.

“Well, no. Lianghua really takes care of me. For a while, I really stayed at home and didn’t go out. She would always ask me to go out… Now I have this job thanks to Lianghua… Oh, no, I’m still cooking. Dinner will be ready soon, please wait a moment.”

After saying that, Jingfan hurried back to the kitchen.

Seeing Jingfan’s happy look in the photo, and thinking of Jingfan’s lonely expression when she talked about her deceased husband, Tomoya’s mind was originally filled with