I Quit My Job and Run a Café - Chapter 154



Only Krnovel

Episode 154

It was quite early to be visiting a cafe.

Even the guest was dressed quite uniquely. Should I say that it was not casual attire but work attire? The thin vest-like garment had the word “Quick” written on it.

“Welcome~”

“Are you open for business now?”

“yes.”

The man who had been hesitating to come in finally opened his expression a little after hearing what I said.

And as the guests came in, they looked around and found a seat they liked and went there.

It wasn’t quite a corner, but it was a place that wasn’t very noticeable.

The light is just right, but not too dark.

If it was a little unusual, it was unusual, and if it was ordinary, it was ordinary.

What’s more unusual is that,

‘Helmet? Are you riding a motorcycle?’

Looking at the helmet on the table, it seemed like that.

It seemed like they were still looking around the cafe, so I glanced at the customers.

Aura’s condition was not good from the moment she came in.

[An Chi-hyeok]

*situation

─Loss of self-esteem due to the cold wall of reality

─Stress in the conflict between reality and dreams

─Fatigue

─Depressed

It seemed like a slightly complicated situation.

It wasn’t just a state of abnormality.

It was a dream… I still can’t figure out what kind of dream it was that I’m feeling stressed out about.

So I decided to look into it a little more.

The customer took something out of the bag he had brought.

When I looked, it was a book.

The guest opened the book and walked toward me.

“I’d like to order.”

“Yes. What would you like?”

“Please give me an iced Americano.”

“What kind of coffee beans would you like? You can choose between sour base, nutty base, and roasted base.”

“Ah, um. The strongest one.”

“If you mean strong, you mean dark roasted beans? Okay, I’ll get it ready for you right away.”

It seems like he likes very strong coffee.

It wasn’t a completely dark roast, but that wasn’t difficult.

Because I’m not changing the strong distribution to weak distribution.

I decided to choose beans that had been roasted for a little while and roast them a little more.

Stir-fry until it has a slightly stronger aroma than the rich aroma.

Then, beans that were almost the color of dark chocolate came out.

This is my first time frying it to this degree, and it smells better than I expected.

Should I say that it has a really strong chocolate flavor with a strong roasting flavor?

‘Is this okay too?’

Especially when made into a latte, it seemed like it would be just my taste.

Of course, if it’s too strong, it can taste bitter, so I blended it appropriately.

Thanks to you, I think I’ve discovered another new blending combination.

“It smells good.”

I was getting off, but it smelled like really good coffee.

Since it has to be put in ice, I made it a little thicker by finely grinding it.

Perhaps because a lot of the ingredients were extracted, the coffee color was really dark.

I took a quick taste and the flavor was very strong, but it wasn’t bitter.

It was just right.

After finishing the coffee, I looked around at the customers.

‘Looking at a book.’

I was watching that very intently too.

It was common to see people coming to a cafe and reading books.

Hansong also came here sometimes to read books and comics.

But this is the first time I’ve seen someone open a book like that and write something. Is he studying or something?

‘I have to give you some coffee. I feel bad about breaking your concentration.’

Somehow coffee didn’t seem important to him right now.

Once the coffee is brewed, it is stored in the refrigerator as is without mixing it with ice.

And the atmosphere inside the cafe was changed to one that would help concentration.

This was made easier by the management talents of the land.

The tuning adds softness to the sound and creates immersion and persistence.

Then, the guest seemed to become even more focused and stared intently at the book without looking anywhere else.

Sarak! Sarak!

Square! Square!

The sound of paper turning and pens rolling echoed throughout the cafe.

I suddenly wondered what on earth he was studying so much for.

But I held back quietly because I was afraid of asking for nothing and causing trouble.

I did raise my head occasionally, but it seemed like I was relaxing my neck muscles because they were so sore from concentrating.

‘It did have an effect, but it’s still good for concentration.’

I couldn’t figure out why I was reading a book here.

Looking at his face, he was still young.

At most twenty? Early twenties?

You seem to be of college age… … Isn’t that the age when you would normally be in college?

Oh, is the university on vacation now?

It might be because college students usually start their summer vacation early.

I carefully observed the guest’s appearance while making various guesses.

And then… … .

“ah.”

I made eye contact with the guest who raised his head as if his throat was sore.

The guest stared blankly for a moment, then seemed to realize something and hurriedly came over.

“Excuse me. Have you brought your drinks?”

“No. I just finished roasting the beans because they’re already in season. I should be the one apologizing. I was going to explain to you, but you seem to be concentrating. Is that okay?”

“Yes, yes. It’s okay. Phew─ That’s good. So are you getting off now?”

“Yes. I’ll get off soon and give it to you right away. Just a moment.”

I guess he realized that a lot of time had passed while he was reading the book. That’s why he came running out of breath and apologized.

It wasn’t a big deal to me, so I made an excuse and said it was okay.

When I saw him let out a sigh of relief, I couldn’t help but feel a very innocent look.

These days, even new employees at the company have lost that freshness for a long time.

So I just quickly made a new cup of coffee. Since it was a while, I thought I’d just drink the one I made earlier.

“Here, iced Americano is here.”

“thank you!”

“Yes. Enjoy your drink and relax.”

The customer returned to his seat with his coffee and looked at the book again. But this time, he tilted his head as if he couldn’t concentrate.

Then I found coffee and took a sip.

“and!”

The cafe was so quiet that I could hear a small exclamation.

The guest must have noticed it too, as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before tasting his coffee again. No, he drank almost half of it in one go.

Then, as if satisfied, he looked back at the book.

That coffee only contains ingredients that are good for concentration, similar to the ones posted inside the cafe.

You’ll probably be able to concentrate better than before.

‘I don’t know what it is, but if I just leave it alone, it will go find its dream on its own, right?’

Wouldn’t that be possible with that level of effort?

Of course, if you ask me if it’s 100 percent possible, I can’t say yes.

Because dreams aren’t something that can be achieved just by putting in effort.

It was a combination of talent, effort, luck, and the surrounding environment.

So, it seemed like even if I couldn’t go that far, I could at least cheer them on.

Don’t people who work hard at anything end up getting cheered on for no reason?

‘I hope that later on, my dream will come true and that condition will disappear.’

It was regrettable that I could only cheer for him right now because I didn’t know what his dream was or if I could make it come true.

This is a first for me.

But the regret was short-lived. Through my senses, I sensed another person walking up the path.

After getting the management of the territory, it seemed like a really good thing.

Because I don’t have to ask Brownie or Miho separately, I know.

‘By the way, I recognize your face.’

I knew that a guest would arrive first, so I waited and looked at the face of the guest who came up to the empty space.

It was a familiar face.

Attorney Kim Do-hyeok. He came a little early.

* * *

Mr. Kim Do-hyeok looked back and forth between the cafe and me as he spoke.

“You’ve changed a lot.”

“Are you talking about me? Or the cafe?”

I tilted my head at the ambiguous expression and asked back. Then, Kim Do-hyeok answered, “both.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, they look alike.”

“You’re not saying I look like my grandfather again, are you? Like I said back then, my face is a bit better.”

“Haha… … Big. Grandpa said that too.”

Kim Do-hyeok, who had been laughing out loud at my words, quickly coughed and glanced behind him as he spoke softly.

It was about keeping an eye on the customers who were still reading books.

Hmm… … It was nice to see her concentrating on her book, but anyway, this was a cafe, so it was awkward for other customers to be aware of her.

Because it’s a space we all use together.

That customer should not cause any harm to Mr. Kim Do-hyeok, but it is also best for Mr. Kim Do-hyeok not to create a situation where he has to feel pressured by that customer.

So, at that moment, I was trying to tell Kim Do-hyeok not to be so concerned.

“I’m fine. You look good.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Mr. Kim Do-hyeok must have noticed what I was going to say and was the first to say that it was okay.

Well then, I had nothing else to say. He said he was fine.

by the way.

“The lawyer is still the same.”

“It’s always like that.”

It was the first time I had seen it since I met him and he told me about it.

But it didn’t change at all. It was almost as if it was copied exactly as it was back then.

Clothes, hair, face.

Should I say that his self-management is great or terrible?

Even the angle at which the glasses were worn seemed the same.

One thing that is different is that… … In fact, this is not because Kim Do-hyeok has changed, but because I have changed.

‘The aura is different.’

I could see the aura flowing from Kim Do-hyeok.

That aura is of a different level.

The aura of light green and windy weather was different from any aura I had ever seen before.

It was deep and beautiful, clear and bright.

It also seemed as if it was a part of Kim Do-hyuk.

It was already mysterious, but this made it seem like something more.

Should I say that it feels like I’ve become one with Aura, who has an ego like Miho and Brownie?

‘No. It’s on a different level than that.’

If Miho and Brownie were just a fox and a baby boar, then that was… …something more mysterious than that.

Although he didn’t show it, he was very surprised when he saw the sight from the vacant lot to the moment he came here.

And then I saw with my own eyes what I had guessed and realized.

‘This person is really different.’

He was no ordinary person.

Of course, I expected it to some extent.

Because I was the one who passed down this kind of cafe.

That too, with conditions attached.

Even then, I didn’t feel like an ordinary person. It was even more so after I learned about the specialness of the tiger shelter.

‘I’m sure my grandfather didn’t leave it to that guy for nothing.’

I also thought that maybe I knew something about this place.

And now that I think about it, that thought is even more certain.

Of course, I don’t know to what extent.

Do you know everything about this place or only some of it?

Or maybe I’m just guessing.

Anyway, the important thing is that it doesn’t seem like I don’t know anything at all.

And more importantly… … .

“Judging from your expression, it seems you have guessed something about me.”

“Yes. To be honest, I still do.”

“Is that so? Then may I ask what you think?”

“There’s no way it won’t work. You’re a lawyer, aren’t you?”

“… … Is that all?”

“Yes. Is there anything else I should know?”

I asked, looking at Kim Do-hyeok’s absurd expression.

I know that Kim Do-hyuk is a special person from my grandfather’s generation.

But what does that have to do with me?

To me, he was just a lawyer. A lawyer who sorted out my grandfather’s estate.

Oh, now there’s one more thing added.

“You are also a guest.”

“……haha!”

Earlier, I had been mindful of the other customers’ reactions, but this time, I was struck by the sight of Kim Do-hyeok smiling without even noticing.

It wasn’t to disturb other guests.

More than that, it was because of the feeling I got from Mr. Kim Do-hyeok.

Suddenly, Kim Do-hyuk felt big.

It was as if I had gained control of the earth, expanded my senses, and felt bigger.

‘ah.’

Then I can’t just stay still.

I responded by expanding my senses.

“… … Hmm?”

Mr. Kim Do-hyeok tilted his head as if he found it strange.

Then, the feeling that had grown until just now returned to its original state.

At this, I also returned my sensory expansion to its original state as if nothing had happened and asked, pretending to be calm.

“… … So, what was the reason you asked to meet?”

“First, let me order from the menu. I guess it’s because I came so far away, but I’m thirsty.”

And before hearing the answer, I decided to take the order first.

───────────────