Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 100:31. "Daily Business at the Beach (End)"

August 8th (Thursday), just when Masumi had become accustomed to the business of Sea House and was unaware of it, the calendar quietly turned to the last day.

Thursday is the regular holiday for the main store of Fanxing.

It was Rin and Haiyue's turn to rest today, but the former was the type who couldn't rest peacefully, and she was also worried about leaving the latter alone in the store, so they simply went to Haizhijia together to watch their last shift.

Starting from the morning, in addition to people playing in the water on the beach, there were also more people staying under the parasols and looking at their mobile phones. Such guests could also be seen at the Sea House where Masumi was.

The reason is simple. The annual Summer Koshien tournament is in full swing, starting from Nishinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture, igniting the enthusiasm of the whole country.

The summer, melted by the sun, sticks to the wooden window frames.

The live broadcast on the mobile phone came out: Sendai Ikuei High School from Miyagi Prefecture defeated Tottori Commercial High School from Tottori Prefecture with a score of 10-0 and won and advanced.

"Masumi-kun, no prizes, guess which team do you think will win the Summer League this year?"

Asami used the bitten popsicle as a microphone and moved closer to Masumi.

"Osaka Kirikage."

"Yeah." Asami nodded. "That's not a surprising answer."

She took the popsicle back and took another bite.

Osaka Toin High School, located in Osaka Prefecture, is a famous baseball powerhouse in Kinki. It won the Koshien Spring and Summer Championships in 2012 and 2018.

It is also the winner of this year's Spring League.

"It's not just baseball," Kurokawa Mio interrupted, "the wind band club is also very strong."

The Osaka Toin Wind Band Club won the "National Silver Award" at its first national wind music competition one year after its establishment. It has since won the "National Gold Award" many times and is a strong wind band club in the Kansai region.

"When I was studying at the University of Music, there were classmates who were members of the Osaka Toin Wind Ensemble Club. The club believed in the principle of prioritizing strength over others. Even the head of the wind ensemble club failed to make the A group for three years of high school and was unable to participate in ensemble competitions."

She nodded in agreement.

"Ah, I know." Youyouzi raised her hand: "Sayuri Matsumura is from this school. I liked her very much when I was in junior high school."

"Your academic ability is not bad," Linyin said, "although it's not the top deviation value."

Qian Ai was surprised: "Wow, he's so good at academics, wind instruments, and sports. That's too abnormal."

"It's like the high school the protagonist of a young adult novel attends."

"No, no, no." Asami shook her finger. "The current trend is for high schools that were initially unknown to rise to prominence, like the Kitauji High School Wind Orchestra."

"So Seno, which team do you support?"

Masumi changed the topic from "Osaka Kiriin" back to "Koshien".

"Of course it's Omi," Asami answered without hesitation.

She immediately added, "Not only are they from my hometown, but my brother is in Omi. Their pitchers are really strong, right?"

"Ah."

Masumi nodded, and two figures suddenly blocked the sunlight. They were two girls in swimsuits with tanned skin and beautiful tan marks. They should be members of the sports club.

Seeing a guest coming, several people stopped chatting and Linyin walked forward to greet him first.

"Welcome to Starry Sky, what would you like to order?"

She handed the menu to the customer.

"Um... can you make curry beef rice for lunch?"

"can."

"Huh?" My companion looked surprised. "Want some curry?"

"What's wrong? Isn't it delicious?"

“After a swim, the rich, fragrant warmth of the curry sauce soaks into my cooled body. It’s just heavenly!”

"That's true, but can't you eat curry rice anytime? Since we're at the beach, I want to try something special."

Linyin listened silently for a while, and when she realized the time was right, she suggested, "In that case, why don't you two try our pan-fried fish dish?"

"Pan-fried fish... Does it have bones? I don't really like picking fish bones."

"We have both types, but even if they have bone, we choose fish with fewer bones. The bones are neat and easy to pick out."

She introduced slowly, "If the guests mind, we can also provide the treatment of removing the bones, but the dish will not look so good."

"Oh, no need to bother. We'll just order two orders of seared red sea bream."

"No problem, where are the drinks?"

"I want ginger ale, where's Akane?"

"Well..." The girl looked at the menu for a while: "Oh, there is iced espresso, then I'll take this."

"Do you need sugar in your coffee?"

"Well, a little syrup, please."

"I understand." Linyin nodded slightly and repeated the order: "Two pan-fried red sea bream, a glass of ginger ale, and a glass of ice-shaken concentrate, right? When do you want the drinks to be served?"

“Just bring it up with the food.”

"I understand, please wait."

Linyin accepted the order calmly, with the corners of her lips raised just a little, almost unnoticeably, showing a smile to the customer, then turned and walked to the bar.

A faint smile still hung on the corner of his lips.

Masumi calls this expression Rin's business smile, although it's really hard to call it a smile.

It was probably a weakened version of the forced smile when visiting suppliers.

It is a good thing to be serious when receiving guests, but if your expression becomes serious as well, it will make people feel nervous.

Although Rin was aware of this, the long business hours from morning to night made it impossible for her to maintain the same smile as when facing suppliers.

So he just raised the corners of his mouth and looked like he was smiling.

Although it was only a little bit, Masumi believed that the emotions she poured into it were definitely more than just a little bit.

Whether it is her dedication to maintaining the daily operations of the store, the way she receives customers even in detail, or examining herself and trying to overcome her inability to smile, Masumi, who is watching, can all feel her dedication to the coffee shop.

Perhaps what he said that night on Mount Rokko, "I want to continue this kind of dedication and reward for the rest of my life," was not just a sentimental statement to set the tone, but a very serious promise.

The girl in front of him truly intended to endure it one sentence at a time until the day came when it came true.

"Take your order, please."

Her thoughts were pulled back to reality by these words, and after she finished speaking, Rinyin walked into the kitchen.

She took out the prepared sea bream from the refrigerator, not a whole one, but two slices with the bones removed. She added 1% of her body weight in salt and wrapped it with plastic wrap to dry the moisture in the fish skin so that it could be fried more crispy.

Fish dishes are difficult to prepare and require troublesome preparation. Also, because the fishy smell does not match the atmosphere of the cafe, it is only a limited recipe at the Sea House.

She poured cooking oil into the pan, quickly fried the fish body over low heat, then turned it over and started frying the fish skin, paying attention to controlling the oil temperature to the point where bubbles appeared, and ensuring that there was always hot oil under the fish skin.

As the fish is gradually cooked, the aroma evaporates into the air.

The skin side of the fish is fried until it looks like the color of a Shiba Inu, revealing an attractive color.

Remove from the pan, place on a plate, and place small pieces of lemon on the side.

As the aroma of seared red sea bream wafted out of the kitchen, Masumi began preparing drinks.

He used a coffee machine to quickly extract a concentrated coffee liquid, then added ice cubes to the shaker, poured the coffee liquid into it, and added a little syrup.

Close the shaker and shake it evenly.

Mio Kurokawa shared the responsibility of making ginger cola.

The two sides move forward simultaneously, which is a tacit understanding developed since the start of business.

"I kept you waiting."

When the dishes were served, the two girls immediately picked up their knives and forks and took their first bite.

Masumi saw their reactions at the bar, his eyes widened, and he pressed his hands against his cheeks and said, "Woo~ So delicious."

The foam of the ice-shaken espresso releases a wonderful fragrant aroma, the taste is velvety and smooth, and the aftertaste is long-lasting.

"As expected, the Sea House was recommended by the seniors. It's really great."

Since the summer vacation, wave after wave of club seaside training and seaside teaching have accumulated popularity for "Fanxing" among the student community.

On the last day of business, the air warmed by the sun began to circulate, and more and more customers came into the store, and their shadows swirled on the wooden floor.

From the dining table area to the bar area, it was full of guests.

There were even customers queuing outside the door. "It's always packed every day."

Asami sighed with narrowed eyes as she watched the guests savoring their food and drinks with gusto.

"Is this the scene that Mr. Jingjian and little Rinone have been dreaming of?"

"Hmm." Rinyin said, parting her lips slightly, "I wish our store could be like this."

"It will definitely happen. Our store has been seeing an increase in customer traffic recently." Qian Ai picked up her phone. "The official account has also gained more followers."

In mid-July, at the suggestion of several female customers, Masumi opened an official account for "Fanxing" on Instagram.

The avatar is a Q-version maid hand-drawn by Mami.

Mainly posting photos of food in coffee shops and Masumi's coffee latte art.

Sometimes I will also follow the comments of fans and make some latte art patterns of popular anime characters.

However, the photo with the most likes was a group photo of several girls wearing Taisho-style coffee shop uniforms and Sea House summer dress uniforms.

After the peak dining time ended, as the customers left one by one, only around the bar where Masumi was, customers continued to come and buy drinks.

The live broadcast on the mobile phone started to sound again: This is the last summer league game of the day. Shimonoseki International High School from Yamaguchi Prefecture is gaining the upper hand in the game against Toshima High School from Miyazaki Prefecture.

Due to business hours, Asami only watched two matches: Sendai Yuei vs. Tottori Corporation in the morning, and Shimonoseki International vs. Tomijima in the afternoon.

"I feel like the level of both schools is very high. Will they become dark horses?"

Asami sipped her cold black tea while commenting on the match on the screen.

"Sendai Ikuei..."

Masumi watched the live broadcast of the match and recalled, "I remember that Yuki Sato was from this school. In 07, he set a record of 155km/h in the Koshien main draw, which has not been broken to this day."

"Yeah, if Sendai Yuei wins the championship, it will wipe out the shadow of the six northeastern counties' previous nine Xiajia victories."

Since winning the runner-up in the first Koshien, universities in the Tohoku region have failed to win the championship many times. To date, the region has still not won a Koshien championship, and is burdened with the tragic wish of "no championship for a century."

"It's just one battle, so we can't tell anything yet," Masumi said.

The two of them chatted about baseball. Kurokawa Mio stared at them with a faint gaze, her lips opened and closed several times, but she finally stopped talking.

Well, I'll cram in baseball when I get back.

Although Qian Ai didn't understand, she came closer to show her support and said, "Mami-san really likes baseball, and so does Masumi-san."

"After all, dreams are really dazzling."

"And every year, it's not an exaggeration to describe Koshien as 'an amusement park that burns people's dreams to ashes.'"

Just like the classic line in the comics:
"Koshien... huh? It really feels like a dream."

Asami said with a smile.

This time her smile had a hint of loneliness, exuding a fragility that made people want to protect her, and an unknown fire burned deep in her eyes.

"Masumi-kun thinks so too, right?"

Masumi nodded noncommittally.

The final result of the game was 5-0, and Xiaguan International won.

As the sun sets, basking in the sunlight at the end of the day, the last business day draws to a close.

There were no new guests, so everyone finished tidying up the dishes and was able to rest in peace.

"Wow, that's an astonishing number of people."

Qianai and Youyouzi collapsed on the table almost at the same time, sighing in pain.

Rinone hung the apron she took off on the back of the chair. Like Kurokawa Mio, she leaned against the chair without saying a word, looking very tired.

It wasn't just because of a busy day of business, but also because of a long-suppressed feeling of fatigue that was now surging from every part of his body.

As for Haiyue, she seemed to have little presence the whole day. Her eyelids were drooping the whole time, and she looked half asleep, which made Masumi wonder if she had secretly stayed up late playing with her phone again last night.

“I always feel like I’ve forgotten something very important.”

Asami said, hitting her shoulder.

"What's the matter?" Masumi asked.

"That's why I can't remember it because I forgot."

Asami showed a thoughtful expression: "...What on earth is it?"

"Take your time to think about it and pack up your things. It's time for us to go back to Fanxing."

After saying that, Masumi stood up from his seat.

Just then, the sound of powerful footsteps was heard on the floor.

A young beauty wearing a red sleeveless uniform with gold embroidery, a dark gray skirt, and white knee-high socks walked into the Sea House.

He remembered the visitor as a secretary of the "Amagi Seaside Theme Park".

He has sharp and cold eyes, but perhaps due to the nature of his job, he is not as majestic as Kurokawa. He is somewhat similar to Kamiyo.

"Good evening, sorry to disturb everyone's rest here."

"It's Miss Secretary."

Rinyin stood up to receive her.

"No need to bother." The secretary shook her head quietly, her flaxen ponytail swaying gently.

What she held in her hand was the business records of Haizhijia for more than a month.

"Today is the last day of business. We need to check and count the sales of each Haizhijia during this period."

"No problem." Lin Yin nodded, took out the prepared account book and handed it to her: "Is there anything else we can cooperate with?"

"This is enough."

The secretary nodded slightly and said slowly, as if searching for the right words, carefully choosing her words:
"Also, the manager asked me to convey that regardless of the final sales ranking, the amusement park is very grateful for everyone's hard work during this period. Thank you all for your hard work."

This secretary seems to be a person who rarely shows her emotions, is not good at expressing her joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, and acts decisively.

After saying this, he nodded to a few people, just like when they first met on the day of the competition review, and then turned and left.

Perhaps because this scene gave him a strong sense of déjà vu, despite being exhausted, Masumi suddenly felt that this daily routine was about to come to an end.

Asami muttered to herself from the side.

"What a healthy thigh line."

"Sister Mami, you're so weird." Qian Ai complained.

"Oh, I accidentally let my inner monologue out."

Despite saying this, Mami showed no shame at all. She opened her lips and let out a breath quietly.

"I didn't expect it to be over so soon."

"Are you a little reluctant, Sister Mami?" Youyouzi asked.

Like the unforgettable experience of returning from the extraordinary to the ordinary after a forest school or a school trip, the twin-tailed girl nodded.

"I understand your feelings. Time flies so fast. It feels like it was only yesterday that I joined Ocean Home. I can't believe it."

"Well, I still prefer to believe it."

As if pulling herself out of her misery, Mami shook her head with lingering fear: "Making desserts is so tiring that I can't even lift my arms."

"I'm just wondering if the sales during this period will be enough to take first place and win the special surprise prize."

"I didn't expect you to care so much." Masumi said helplessly.

"Of course, after all this hard work, there should be a good result!"

Asami said matter-of-factly: "Effort has already betrayed dreams. Please, please don't betray humanity itself."

Why did it suddenly become so profound?

Masumi shook his head and sighed, and Mami's next words rang out immediately:

"So, please, this special surprise grand prize, descend upon us like stars."

She crossed her fingers and held them in front of her lips, and made a sincere prayer in the place where the water met the sky.

As night falls, the stars are ready.

(End of this chapter)