Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 169 Masumi didn't feel honored by being featured in a magazine at her coffee shop.

Chapter 169, Section 10: "Masumi doesn't feel honored to have her coffee shop featured in a magazine."

Hitomi Shiratori, female, around 30 years old, is a freelance writer.

The bright autumn day was better than a spring morning; she ran blissfully along the street not far from the seaside, and then—

"Guuuuu!"

He stumbled and fell to the ground.

"it hurts!"

The white bird cried out in pain, struggling to slowly raise its head.

On the blackboard, the cute handwritten words "Autumn Limited Chestnut Golden Dumpling Matcha Set is on Sale" catch the eye, and a chibi maid with two heads is drawn in the blank space next to it.

"Oh, what a coincidence."

◇

"Masumi..."

Before noon, during a quiet time when few customers came, Masumi, who was washing glasses, heard Kaigetsu calling her.

"what happened?"

"Someone... is lying in front of the store..."

The jellyfish-like girl pointed expressionlessly at the door, her light pink nails reminiscent of cherry blossom shells.

"Ok?"

Masumi opened her eyes wide in surprise, put down her cup, and walked to the shop entrance.

—Ding-dong, ding-dong.

The wind chimes swayed.

"Ah! Mr. Miyazawa."

The girl who stepped into the coffee shop saw me and her eyes lit up. "It's been so long!"

"Long time no see..." Masumi replied subconsciously, then tilted her head and asked, "...Who are you?"

"No way!? Mr. Miyazawa doesn't remember me?"

Shiratori looked on incredulously, "It's only been less than half a month since we last met!"

“If that’s the case, why say ‘long time no see’?” Masumi sighed.

As the girl in front of him suddenly pulled out a pair of sunglasses and a mask and put them on, Masumi finally felt that she looked somewhat familiar.

"You are... Hitomi Shiratori?"

I remember now, it was that freelance writer who came to the store last time to eat and drink for free and offered to pay off his debt with an interview he wrote at the coffee shop. He ate and drank for free for three days, and after completing the interview, he disappeared without a trace.

“That’s right, Hitomi Shiratori.”

Shiratori nodded in satisfaction and took off his sunglasses and mask again.

"So you didn't starve to death after all," Masumi blurted out.

"Starve to death? What does that mean?"

"I've recently been reading a collection of Lu Xun's short stories, and there's a character named 'Kong Yiji' who's very similar to you."

Masumi sighed deeply, "When you suddenly went missing, I thought you were dead. I've been burning incense for you every day recently."

"Huh? Don't kill a bright and promising career woman like that!" Shiratori exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"—As expected of Masumi, so gentle."

At this moment, Kurokawa Mio interjected, a faint smile playing on her lips:
"Even feeling sympathy for complete strangers I meet by chance, ah~ I like Masumi even more now."

As she spoke, she leaned closer to Masumi, her delicate, beautiful face pressed against hers so close that Masumi could hardly breathe.

"Mio, it's still business hours, and there are customers here," Rinne reminded her.

"Well."

Kurokawa Mio tied a knot between her brows, glancing at Shiratori in front of her as if he were an eyesore. "Is there something you need?"

Shiratori shuddered. "Um, I'm here to dine."

She pulled out a chair and sat down in the coffee shop. "Excuse me, could I please have a limited-edition autumn chestnut and matcha set meal?"

"I'm sorry, our shop is a small business and we don't offer credit," Rinne said calmly.

"You all underestimate me. I am no longer the same as before, and I will never freeload. Please rest assured."

After speaking, Shiratori opened his wallet, pulled out two 10,000 yen bills with great flair, and slammed them loudly on the table.

Upon closer inspection, her skin was in excellent condition, and the refreshing scent of shampoo wafted with her movements, clearly indicating that she had recently received treatment at a beauty salon, making her look completely different from her previous haggard appearance.

"I came here specifically to pay off my debts. Consider the extra money as a tip for everyone! Thank you all for your help during my most difficult time."

"No need for a tip, our service doesn't come with any strings attached." Rinne, with her usual indifference, accepted the money and said, "It's not enough."

"hold head high?"

"The money isn't enough."

"Eh! No way?" Shiratori exclaimed in surprise. "Do I really owe that much?"

Rinne remained calm and smoothly recited the bill:
"The first bill was 9070 yen, and then we ate at the restaurant six more times, with two beef curry rice dishes totaling 2660 yen, and the Earl Grey tea was..."

"Stop! That's enough, Ms. Kamishiro."

Unable to bear the awkwardness, Shiratori said sullenly, "You can just tell me how much money you still need."

"With the chestnut tuna and matcha set meal, we're still 1500 yen short."

Her smile froze on her face.

"Ugh—I should have known better than to get such an expensive beauty package, 44,000 yen..." Shiratori muttered to himself.

"Is there a problem?" Rinne asked.

"No! Absolutely no problem."

Shiratori's gaze darted back and forth between her wallet and the poster for the "Autumn Limited Chestnut Golden Dumpling Matcha Set," before finally nodding as if making a decision and taking money out of her wallet—

一张1000円面值的纸币，4枚100円的硬币，1枚50円的硬币，4枚10円的硬币，1枚5円的硬币，和5枚1円的硬币。

"What is this? Is it a teaching aid for civics lessons for kindergarten children?"

As she stepped out of the kitchen, Mami instinctively complained as she lifted the curtain.

"Great, there's still enough money." Shiratori muttered to himself, letting out a sigh of relief, and handed the money to Rinne with both hands.

"That's exactly 1500 yen, please accept it."

The heir was about to say, "We don't accept 1-yen coins," but seeing Shiratori's pitiful expression, he swallowed his words, sighed as if giving up, and said, "I understand," before heading to the kitchen.

"Then I'll trouble you all."

Shiratori's face was once again filled with smiles. She leaned back in her chair, looking extremely relaxed, as if she was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the chestnut dumplings.

Masumi also entered service mode, returned to the counter, took out the white glazed tea bowl used to hold matcha, and soaked the tea whisk in warm water.

Weigh 4g of matcha powder and let it fall through a sieve into the bottom of a bowl.

Pour in hot water to dissolve the tea powder into a smooth paste without lumps, preventing clumping. Use a tea whisk to quickly whisk in a circular motion to incorporate air and create a dense foam.

Finally, lift the tea whisk to remove the foam from the surface of the liquid, and a batch of matcha is ready.

"Your Chestnut Dumpling Matcha Set Meal."

Rinne gracefully served the set meal on a tray.

"Oh, it's finally here? Chestnut Golden Dumpling Matcha Set Meal, I can't wait!"

The matcha at the bottom of the white porcelain bowl is delicate and smooth like a mirror. On the dark lacquer plate is a chestnut dumpling, which is a Japanese dessert made by mashing cooked chestnuts into a paste, adding sugar, simmering it over low heat, wrapping it in cloth and shaping it.

"You're really amazing, Ms. Kamishiro."

Shiratori looked touched, gazing happily at the chestnut dumpling set meal for a long time. Not forgetting her job as a food blogger, she took out her phone and started snapping photos.

"Aren't you going to praise Masumi's matcha?" Kurokawa Mio frowned.

"Mr. Miyazawa's matcha is of course also excellent."

Shiratori's words came from the bottom of her heart. She picked up the matcha next to her, took a sip to moisten her throat, then cut off a small piece of chestnut dumpling and put it in her mouth with a fork.

She let out a soft "oh," her eyes sparkling brightly.

"This is wonderful! This place feels like home."

"You mean 'feel at home'?" Masumi retorted.

This Chinese idiom was used by the tea master Rikyu during the Edo period as a service philosophy when receiving guests. "Yes, that's the meaning."

She nodded and praised him frankly, "I never expected Mr. Miyazawa to be so knowledgeable as a barista."

Masumi shook her head. "I never expected that someone like you, a magazine writer, would have such a limited vocabulary."

"Chew~ What did Mr. Miyazawa say?"

Faced with the smooth and sweet but not cloying chestnut dumplings, Shiratori completely ignored Masumi's sarcastic remarks.

"fine."

"Speaking of which, how did Miss Shiratori suddenly become rich?" Mami asked her curiously.

Although she was busy rushing to finish her manuscript and didn't participate in the interview, Mami had heard Masumi talk about this uninvited guest and even felt a sense of sympathy for the tragic Shiratori-san.

"Could it be that the magazine finally paid out the unpaid royalties from before?"

"No, it's the interview we talked about before about Starry Night Cafe, it's been approved."

The white bird answered in a very smug tone.

"Really?" Masumi asked instinctively. "Isn't that a very famous magazine?"

"Not just famous, it's an extremely famous magazine," she corrected.

"Therefore, only writers with my strength can break through the fierce competition of writing contests. One man's success is built on the bones of thousands."

With an arrogant expression, Shiratori cut off a large piece of chestnut dumpling and put it into his mouth.

What kind of food writer is this? They always use idioms that sound menacing.

"Oh, right, I also brought the magazine with me. It was just printed this morning and hasn't been released yet."

"Actually, apart from the magazine staff, it's not allowed to be circulated outside of the magazine, but... well, it doesn't matter, everyone can read it as they please."

Moreover, he has no principles and doesn't even bother to find a reason. This is what they call "talented but immoral," Masumi thought to herself.

"let me see!"

Mami took the magazine with great interest.

"I want to see too!"

Two adorable heads came together.

"While I'm very grateful to Ms. Shiratori for promoting our store, ... I don't think the magazine wrote anything strange, did it?" Rinne asked, staring at her with concern.

"Don't worry, Miss Manager."

Shiratori smiled as if to reassure her, sipping her matcha, "I'm just writing from the perspective of a customer who happened to visit this coffee shop."

This statement is also quite ambiguous.

As Masumi was thinking this, Asami had already opened a food magazine and then exclaimed in surprise along with Kurokawa Mio next to her.

"Huh? Isn't that Masumi-kun?"

"This photo of her reading is so photogenic. As expected of Masumi, she looks so cool in her uniform."

The two girls flipped through the magazine, occasionally exclaiming in surprise, their eyes shining brightly. Kurokawa Mio, in particular, looked dazed, as if she had found water in the desert.

Rinne glanced at her from the side, her brows furrowing slightly.

"How come there are so many photos of Masumi?"

When Masumi is brewing coffee, her meticulous and focused figure is captivating; when she has free time, she sits at the bar reading a book, her profile a delight to behold.

His eyelashes were long, and when he lowered his head, he appeared handsome with delicate features; his smooth and refined facial lines made him look like a perfect work of art.

The interview portion about the Starry Night Cafe almost became a photobook of Masumi alone.

Although there are a few photos of other girls in the coffee shop wearing uniforms, they are small in both the space they occupy and the size of the photos, making it easy to see who the real protagonist is.

"how?"

Shiratori nodded smugly, "Actually, I was in the photography club when I was in college. When it comes to taking pictures, I'm a professional, especially when it comes to taking pictures of handsome guys."

When did you take so many photos?

"Mr. Miyazawa really doesn't understand."

Shiratori nodded mysteriously, then immediately fell silent under the icy gaze of Kurokawa Mio, and hurriedly explained:

"Since the main audience of these kinds of magazines is women, it is of course more suitable for Mr. Miyazawa, who is handsome."

"I see." Mami nodded in understanding. "So that's why Masumi-kun needs to use his looks?"

“The phrase ‘selling one’s looks’ is too much,” Masumi protested.

Rinne sighed, rubbing her forehead: "How could content like this pass censorship?"

"The barista is part that needs to be introduced, so I thought it would pass the review without any problem, and it did."

"This also proves that Mr. Miyazawa is handsome as certified by the editorial department."

She said this with a hint of sarcasm, while savoring the delicious chestnut dumplings.

"In addition, the opinions of the Kobe City Tourism Federation are also very important."

Shiratori spoke candidly: "The purpose of this feature is to attract more tourists to Kobe. Therefore, a coffee shop with a superior location near the coast, a high rating of 3.5 on Tabelog, and handsome men and beautiful women as the staff, has a significant weight on the scale."

Turning the pages, Kurokawa and Asami would exclaim "Oh~" at each of Masumi's photos, making Shiratori feel both delighted and slightly melancholic.

Because no one was reading his articles, even though Shiratori had anticipated this.

However, as long as one can introduce what they want to introduce, that's the writer's original intention—the desire to express themselves. Not to mention that big magazines pay generously and settle payments promptly.

Wait a minute, after I received my royalties, I couldn't help but spend lavishly. The money I have left should be enough to last until the next royalty payment, right?

"What an insightful magazine!" Kurokawa Mio nodded slightly in approval. "If I could, I'd buy every copy of this issue on the market."

“Right, right.” Shiratori nodded vigorously in agreement, then realized something was wrong and immediately froze, asking in confusion, “Eh? Don’t we usually buy three books?”

One for appreciation, one for evangelism, and one for treasuring.

"Masumi's handsomeness should be enjoyed by me alone."

"It's only natural," Kurokawa Mio said, a sadistic, dark flame surging from her deep-colored eyes.

"Uh, Miss Mio is really affectionate."

“It’s Ms. Kurokawa,” Kurokawa Mio coldly corrected.

"Yes, Miss Kurokawa."

Startled by Kurokawa Mio's imposing presence, Shiratori hurriedly swallowed the chestnut dumpling before he could even savor the last bite.

"Gulp! Cough cough cough!"

She beat her chest and stamped her feet in frustration, and Rinne, seeing this, poured her a glass of water.

"Thank you, Ms. Kamishiro," Shiratori said gratefully.

"fine."

The heiress shook her head indifferently, "Here's a treat for you. Consider it a token of appreciation. In any case, I still want to thank Miss Shiratori for promoting our shop."

The package contained chestnut steamed buns, a type of pastry.

The end of September is the season for chestnuts.

"Miss Kamishiro, you are simply a goddess."

Shiratori clasped his hands together loudly.

She accepted the chestnut buns and stood up from her chair to say goodbye.

"Then I won't bother you any longer. The snacks were delicious. Thank you all for your hospitality. I will come here often in the future."

"Oh." Masumi nodded and reflexively replied, "Welcome back next time."

"..."

—The wind chimes swayed twice.

The white bird flew away and then returned.

"What's wrong?" Masumi asked.

"Uh."