On a riverside street in Lumina Square, there stood a coffee shop called Coff Café.
This coffee chain wasn't just any local shop. Backed by a major corporate entity, its business spanned across all of New Eridu, with branches in nearly every district.
In the game, there was one Coff Café in the siblings' Sixth Street neighborhood, and another located in the same position as its real-life counterpart in Lumina Square.
The shop owner? A robot with a rather peculiar appearance. Considered one of New Eridu's rare A.I. marvels, its impeccable service and expert coffee-brewing had earned it unanimous customer praise.
Each Coff Café branch had one of these robots—and they all shared the same name: Master Tinman.
And this was where Zhong Yan and Ellen chose to spend their downtime.
"Hello, I'd like a cup of the New Eridu Signature Blend," Zhong Yan said as he stepped up to the counter, ordering the city's most iconic coffee.
He turned to Ellen and asked, "Want me to order for you? What do you want?"
Arms crossed; Ellen acted indifferent. After a pause, she finally said, "Whatever. I'll have the same as you."
And just like that, the order of one New Eridu Signature Blend became two.
Soon after, Master Tinman activated the machine with practiced precision. In no time, two steaming cups of coffee were placed in front of them.
Zhong Yan took both cups—his and Ellen's—and the two headed up to the rooftop terrace, settling at a round table.
A large umbrella shaded their table from the sun, and beside them flowed the wide river.
Across the water lay the central district of New Eridu—the most bustling part of the city, and Zhong Yan's dream destination.
Imagining a future life in that part of the city, Zhong Yan lifted his coffee and took a slow sip.
New Eridu Signature Blend, in simple terms, was just plain black coffee. It preserved the raw essence of the beans—pure, unfiltered.
In other words... very bitter.
After his first taste, Zhong Yan set the cup down, quietly opened a small sugar packet, and dumped the whole thing in.
Another sip.
Ah, much better.
Once he got used to the taste, Zhong Yan looked up, ready to share his thoughts with Ellen—only to realize her cup was already empty.
"Uh..." He stared, stunned, not sure what to say. Ellen, arms still folded, met his gaze with complete confusion, unable to grasp what was so surprising.
Clearly, elegance was something that didn't exist in the world of this impatient and openly dismissive shark maid.
At that moment, two cheerful maids passed by on the street below, catching Zhong Yan's eye instantly.
It made him realize—he'd never seen Ellen in her maid outfit in real life.
That uniform was only worn in combat mode, so she would never wear it casually around friends.
Maybe next time, he could call Victoria Housekeeping's hotline and specifically request Ellen for a job. Something simple—like helping him fall asleep...
Hopefully, he could actually fall asleep.
While his thoughts drifted far away, Zhong Yan completely failed to notice Ellen's expression turning increasingly dark.
She had clearly picked up on his very obvious gaze at the two maids below. A strange wave of frustration—or maybe jealousy—surged in her chest.
All that talk about skipping class to spend time with her, and now he was ogling other women?
Just then, Zhong Yan felt a sudden pressure in the air. Snapping out of his daze, he looked up—and saw Ellen glaring at him like she was ready to kill.
Realizing he'd just made a huge mistake, he rushed to explain. "Wait, I didn't mean anything by it! I was just wondering what you would look like in a maid outfit."
Ellen blinked, her expression softening slightly.
She leaned forward a bit and whispered in a voice only Zhong Yan could hear, "So... you really like maids?"
Saved!
Seeing her reaction, Zhong Yan knew he had just barely escaped danger. Seizing the moment, he answered, "Not that I'm super into them... but if it's you wearing one... I think I'd be into it."
It was almost a confession. Ellen's cheeks instantly flushed pink. The usual snarky edge in her demeanor faded, replaced by a rare, delicate shyness—making her, for once, genuinely cute.
Zhong Yan had the sudden urge to pull out his phone and snap a photo—but he knew, if he even tried, she'd probably kill him with a tail swipe.
"S-such nonsense. As if I'd ever," Ellen mumbled. Trying to hide her flustered state, she snatched the cup of coffee in front of Zhong Yan. "If you're not drinking this, I'll finish it."
And with that, she chugged the rest of it in one go.
Zhong Yan could only stare, speechless. After a moment, he said, "Um... that was my drink."
The words hit like a truck.
Sharing the same drink... that basically meant an indirect kiss, didn't it?
"Th-th-that..." Ellen stammered.
Despite her cold exterior, Ellen was just like any other teenage girl deep down—sensitive to those romantic implications born from internet slang and stories.
An indirect kiss was way too much for someone who'd never even dated before.
Her lightly blushing cheeks quickly turned crimson, spreading across her entire face.
A moment later, steam seemed to puff from her head.
Anyone watching might've thought she was about to overheat.
"Um, Ellen? You okay?" Zhong Yan asked, cautiously reaching out to soothe her.
But the moment his hand brushed hers, she snapped. Startled, she slammed her palm onto the table.
Cracks instantly spread across the tabletop like a spiderweb.
And under Zhong Yan's twitching gaze... it crumbled into a pile of shattered debris.