[ There's a blunt way to ask, and then a not-so-blunt way, and Sae's pretty sure that she'd tragically fail if she went for the straightforward approach. She leans forward, reaching to take the coffee mug and try a sip.

Oh holy - ]

You've gotten better. [ . . . ] Not that the coffee last time was terrible or anything.

[ But she has a purpose, and that purpose wasn't to try Futaba's (new and improved) flat white. ]

I just - you said something to me earlier, and I wanted to know exactly what you meant by it.