【Table of Contents】
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Introduction (About AI Story Playground)
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About This Story Experiment
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Story
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Review
1. Introduction
Hi, I’m Kumo.
AI Story Playground is a place where I play with stories and observe how AI writes—
without overthinking perfection.
Last time, a random coffee debate in New York left behind a sticky note
and a question that refused to disappear.
This episode is about what happens after that—
when it’s just coffee, but somehow it doesn’t feel that simple anymore.
2. About This Story Experiment
■ About This Story Experiment
This story is generated as part of an ongoing experiment.
▶ Read the full explanation of the experiment here
https://noveljpn.com/2026/01/03/ai-romance-experiment-rules/
3. Story
――――――――――
Talking Way Too Much for a First Coffee
――――――――――
I arrived ten minutes early.
Which immediately annoyed me.
“Great,” I muttered, checking my phone. “Now I look eager.”
The café was small and cozy, the kind of place that pretended not to notice if you stayed for two hours with one drink. Soft music played in the background. Very first-coffee energy.
Not that this was a date. Obviously.
I ordered first, just to stay busy.
“Medium latte,” I said confidently.
Then paused.
“…With almond milk.”
I felt proud. Growth.
I turned around—and there he was.
“Hey,” he said, smiling like this wasn’t the most awkwardly exciting moment of my week.
“Hey,” I replied, immediately forgetting how posture worked.
We stood there for half a second too long.
“So,” he said, “no milk-related arguments today?”
“Not unless you start one.”
“Not emotionally prepared for that.”
Good. Banter. We had banter.
We grabbed our drinks and sat by the window.
“I’m Aiden,” he said. “By the way.”
“Mio.”
“Nice to officially meet you, Mio.”
“Nice to meet you too. Outside of dairy conflicts.”
We laughed—and then somehow… kept talking.
About work.
About how confusing New York apartments were.
About how everyone pretended they weren’t tired all the time.
“I once went to a ‘cozy studio,’” Aiden said, “and it was literally a hallway with a bed.”
“That’s luxury,” I said. “Did it have a window?”
“No.”
“Then it’s not even pretending.”
At some point, I realized something dangerous.
This wasn’t awkward.
This wasn’t forced.
This was… easy.
“And you moved here alone?” he asked.
“Yeah. Thought it would be ‘character building.’”
“Was it?”
“I have character now. And back pain.”
He laughed, then paused.
“Can I be honest?”
“Depends.”
“I was really nervous today.”
“You? The guy who argued with a barista?”
“That was fear. This is… different.”
I felt my face warm.
“That makes two of us,” I admitted.
We both took a sip of coffee at the same time.
Then talked again.
Then laughed again.
At some point, Aiden checked his watch.
“…Wow. We’ve been here for almost two hours.”
“Impossible.”
“Terrifying, honestly.”
Outside, the sky had started to turn orange.
“I should probably head home,” I said, reluctantly.
“Yeah. Same.”
Pause.
“But… this was fun.”
“It really was.”
Another pause. The dangerous kind.
“So,” he said carefully, “would you want to do this again?”
“Talk too much over coffee?”
“Exactly.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I would.”
We stood up, awkwardly unsure what to do next.
Wave? Hug?
High-five? Absolutely not.
He solved it by smiling.
“See you soon, Mio.”
“See you soon, Aiden.”
As I walked out, my phone buzzed.
Lily: HOW WAS IT
I smiled at the screen.
Mio: We talked too much.
Lily: OMG
Mio: And I want to do it again.
Love in New York wasn’t dramatic.
It wasn’t sweet like a latte.
But maybe—
it was exactly my kind of flavor.
――――――――――
4. Review
Finally, A’s name has been revealed.
What kind of direction will the story take from here?
I haven’t given the AI any instructions about where the story should go,
so I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what happens next.
So far, the consistency has been surprisingly solid.
There haven’t been any moments that made me stop and think,
“Wait, that doesn’t make sense.”
See you again in Episode 4.
―― Kumo
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