It was early one morning that a young woman emerged from Jin’s room alone, clad in a white T-shirt, her hair carelessly tied up. The sun shone on her skin as she stretched in front of the window and its warm hues coloured the nape of her long, slender neck.

He cleared his throat. ‘Would you like some coffee?’

She turned to him.

‘I’m making one for myself. I can make one for you too.’

The woman gave him a cold stare. She sat in silence as Shoji took out a bag of coffee beans from the cabinet.

‘Unsweetened,’ she whispered.

He looked at her.

‘No sugar or milk,’ she said.

‘All right.’ He nodded. ‘Got it.’

Shoji took out two mugs, rinsed them, and poured the coffee beans into the grinder. The apartment was soon permeated with a rich aroma. He filled the mugs with freshly brewed coffee and placed them on the table. Then, he sat down opposite the woman.

She was thin. Her collarbone protruded from the neck of her loose T-shirt. Shoji recognised it as Jin’s. He’d seen it hanging on the drying rack. The faded words printed on the chest read ‘Hanshin Tigers’.

The woman lowered her head and tucked some stray hairs behind her ears. Through the gaping neckline, Shoji had a clear view of her small breasts. He was flustered, but he tried his best to act as if he couldn’t see them.

She put her arms on the table and laid her head down. She looked like she was falling asleep, but then he saw that she was shaking.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

Her body trembled. She was barely making any sound, but he realised she was crying.

Shoji hesitated. What should he do? Should he try to comfort her? He glanced at Jin’s room. His door was still shut. He was probably still asleep, with the other woman.

As Shoji waited for the woman to stop crying, he drank his coffee and stared at the wall behind her. Jin had pinned up some delivery leaflets: pizza, fast food, Chinese takeaway, sushi. Unlike Shoji, Jin never cooked.

By the time the woman had finally calmed down, her coffee was cold. She wiped her face with her palms and adjusted her hair. Then she returned to Jin’s room without touching her drink.

•

His client chuckled. ‘You’re still upset about her not drinking the coffee you made?’

Shoji stammered. ‘It was a waste of perfectly good beans.’

‘Indeed,’ she said, nodding.

She had such a pleasant way of making small gestures that it was hard for Shoji not to stare at her, but he didn’t want to be rude. No matter what, he was working, and this was his first assignment. The elegant woman in front of him was charming, but he had to remember she was a client and she was assessing him.

‘What happened after that?’

The woman’s question roused Shoji from his thoughts. ‘We met again on campus.’

Her eyes brightened. ‘Tell me about it.’