Introduction
Hi, I’m Kumo.
AI Story Playground is where I play around with stories and don’t overthink perfection.
Last time, a random coffee debate in New York left behind a note and a question that wouldn’t go away.
This episode is about what happens after that—
when it’s just coffee, but it doesn’t feel that simple anymore.
If you’re curious about the idea behind this experiment, you can find the full explanation here:
https://noveljpn.com/2026/01/03/ai-romance-experiment-rules/
Story
The sticky note was trying way too hard to exist.
Even while I was lying in bed, it somehow managed to stare at me from across the room, like it had opinions.
If you’d like… coffee again?
“…It’s just one cup of coffee,” I said out loud.
Which was impressive, considering I had already reread the note at least three times.
Who was he?
What did “A” even stand for?
A for Alex?
A for Anthony?
A for Anxiety—which I was clearly experiencing?
My phone buzzed.
Lily: So? Any progress?
Of course she knew.
Mio: No progress. Just paper. Me and paper.
Lily: That’s literally how every love story starts.
“Wrong,” I muttered, smiling anyway.
Since moving to New York, I’d noticed something about myself—
even when nothing was actually happening, it somehow felt exciting.
The next morning, I woke up before my alarm.
That alone was suspicious.
“…Wow. I’m really easy to read,” I told my reflection.
The moment I arrived at the office, Lily spotted me.
“That face,” she said. “You had a good night.”
“I did not.”
“Then why do you look happy?”
“Fresh New York air.”
“You’re bad at lying.”
Strangely, work went smoothly.
Emails were answered.
Tasks were completed.
And every time I thought about coffee, my mouth tried to smile without permission.
By late morning, I made a decision.
On the back of the sticky note, I wrote:
Coffee sounds good 🙂
The smiley was important.
Friendly.
Casual.
Zero emotional risk.
Perfect.
Now all I had to do was give it to him.
Easy.
Except… I had no idea where he was.
I casually—very casually—wandered around the office.
Printer area.
Break room.
Elevators.
“Where are you, latte guy,” I whispered.
Then—ding.
The elevator doors opened.
“Oh.”
There he was.
“The… coffee guy,” I said.
“The milk-argument girl,” he replied.
We both laughed, immediately relieved.
“I brought this,” I said, handing him the note.
He read it, eyes widening slightly, then smiled.
“Good. I was worried I scared you off.”
“After that performance? Impossible.”
“Hey, that milk debate was a serious moment in my life.”
That made me laugh again.
“So… after work?” he asked.
“Sure. Coffee. Hopefully drama-free.”
“No promises,” he said, grinning.
The elevator doors opened.
“See you later,” he said.
“See you later.”
As he walked away, I stood there for a second, breathing in.
“…If one cup of coffee can be this fun,” I said quietly,
“maybe New York romance isn’t so bad after all.”
Love in New York probably isn’t sweet like a latte.
But it might be just addictive enough.
Review
So far, this is a pretty solid New York romantic comedy.
The cast is small and easy to follow.
Mio, an everyday girl who truly hates Mondays, and the guy with a strong personality who seriously argues over milk.
This awkward contrast between them is irresistibly cute.
Personally, my favorite character is Lily.
Lily says things directly and clearly, and she ends up voicing exactly what the reader is thinking, which feels really satisfying.
What Looking Forward to in EP3
This is what I’m excited about.
Who is “A,” really?
Will we finally learn his name and see who he actually is?
Looking forward to the next episode.
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