I Opened a Café in Another World.

Volume 2, Chapter 8: Bull’s-eye.

… She was acting strangely lately.

Zeke felt something off about Risa.

The day she told them about the Culinary Department, she was clearly acting strangely. However, for these past few days, while she didn’t seem so at a glance, something about her seemed off.

She would be waiting on customers or cooking in her usual, quick way. Suddenly her smile would disappear and she would look depressed. This had happened many times now.

Perhaps Zeke only noticed because he always watched her with his eyes.

One day Zeke discovered his feelings upon Helena pointing it out.

“Mister Zeke, you must really like Miss Risa, huh?”

Zeke felt the weird emotion in him grow clearer when he heard those words.

… Yeah, I’m in love with her.

The second he thought that, his face suddenly rose in temperature.

Surprised at this sudden change that had never happened before, he pressed the back of his hand against his cheek.

“…Huh? I just took a wild guess but I hit the nail on the head?”

Helena stared at Zeke, her jaw dropped in shock.

Even though Zeke acted cool, he still had emotions.

It was fun to think about recipes he liked. He felt anger towards unreasonable things, and of course he felt joy and sadness.

It simply did not show on his face. Not only that, he was succinct with his words, so it was hard for others to tell what he was thinking.

Only Zeke’s family and friends who had hung around him for a long time could read Zeke’s emotions.

However, looking back on it, Risa seemed to pick up on them as soon as she met him.

He may have been projecting as she was someone he respected, but she seemed to read her like a book despite the lack of any expression.

Despite all that, Risa didn’t seem to notice his crush. She probably thought Zeke’s friendliness stemmed from none other than respect.

Even so, he had no desire to let her notice. He feared ruining the current relationship they had at this moment.

Besides, there was also the question of whether they were a fitting couple.

As a chef, he was still an amateur. Although he had amassed more knowledge and skill than when he had just started working at the café, he still entreated teaching from Risa.

Day after day, Zeke was overwhelmed by her seemingly endless knowledge and ideas conjured out of thin air. That was nothing compared to the distance, the gap between them.

Even so, he wanted all of Risa one day.

Risa, who masked her thoughts and worries with a smile.

He wanted her to confide in him and to allow him to kiss her sorrows away.

Unable to inform the target of his attention of his feelings mixed with concern and ulterior motives, Zeke smoldered within himself.