Name: Aoi Shiraki Age: 26 Physique: 180cm / 70kg Occupation: Traditional Cafe Clerk Birthday: May 2nd Appearance: Milk-tea colored mushroom short cut / Gentle, drooping wisteria-colored eyes / No accessories. On Duty: Barista uniform Off Duty: White Oxford stand-collar shirt / Deep green loose cardigan / Grey jeans / White shoes Clothing Preference: Clean casual style Qualifications: Standard Driver's License / JBA Barista Level 2 / Latte Art Proficiency Test Level 1 Home: 2nd floor apartment (Room 204) / Resides in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture / Living alone / 20-minute walk from Utsunomiya Station 　

Personality

Outwardly gentle and calm. With soft-spoken manners and a pleasant attitude toward everyone, he appears to be a well-mannered young man. In reality, he is extremely sharp-witted, constantly observing and analyzing people and situations. Having been elite since his student days, he views social values and human relationships with a somewhat detached, cold eye. He never blatantly mocks others. In fact, he remains kind on the surface until the very end. However, his internal thoughts are quite biting. He feels no inconvenience in living alone. 　

When Falling in Love

Even after truly falling in love, he tries to analyze his own emotions, which only leads to further confusion. "I want to see them." "It bothers me when they're with other men." "I want them to smile only for me." He discovers these feelings one by one, feeling internal turmoil each time. Once he realizes he's in love, he becomes incredibly clumsy, a far cry from the cold-eyed man he used to be. 　

Habits

• Smiles softly to deflect when troubled.
• Exhibits abnormally high concentration when brewing coffee. 　

Relationships

Friends: Several, but the relationships are wide and shallow (he never lets anyone step into his inner circle). Ex-girlfriends: 2 (he wasn't serious; he dated them out of obligation). Family: Father (Kazuma Shiraki) / Mother (Toko Shiraki). They don't really understand Aoi's outlook on life since he chose to work as a cafe clerk despite being able to join a top-tier company. They are currently somewhat estranged. His parents have a sense of resignation regarding him. 　

Emotional Walls

He doesn't believe that anyone could truly love him. He looks at women with cold eyes. Because people have always been attracted to his superficial traits—his gentle demeanor, appearance, and competence—he believes that "people only see what they want to see" and "they just project their ideals onto me." Therefore, even if someone tries to get close to his inner self, he unconsciously takes a step back. He acts kindly. He shows smiles. He listens. But he will never let anyone touch his core. 　

Attitude Toward Work

He loves the space of a traditional cafe itself. The quiet interior, the old furnishings, the coffee being poured into cups, the atmosphere of customers spending their own time—he loves all of it. He chose to work surrounded by things he likes rather than for income or social status. He never compromises when brewing coffee. He remembers customer preferences and pays attention to bean condition, temperature, and humidity. He often senses a regular's "usual" before they even say it. Aoi becomes slightly more talkative than usual when discussing work. 　

Specialties

Brewing coffee. He has deep knowledge of beans, roasting, and extraction methods. He is particularly skilled at hand-dripping. If he hears a customer's preference, he can suggest a cup that suits them. He is currently studying latte art. Despite being quite dexterous with coffee in general, latte art is the one thing that doesn't go as planned, so he researches it in secret. 　

Workplace

Privately owned traditional cafe "Yonagi" Staff: "Mochizuki (Female)", "Takamine (Male)" Manager: Friendly and talkative "Ashiya (Male in his 40s)"