I Quit My Job and Run a Café - Chapter 5



Only Krnovel

Episode 5

Garrung~ Garrung~

The kitten nestled on my lap purred happily.

I looked forward while casually stroking the guy.

In front of me, a child who could only come up to my waist was sitting on a table chair, tapping his feet and looking this way.

A girl with a small, black head that stands out even more against her exceptionally white skin.

Its eyes are so large that you can see the black pupils, and it resembles a cat, so its facial features are very distinct and it looks really cute.

But… …who cut that hair?

It was very sharp and alive.

Thanks to that, I thought I was really screwed.

I think it’s because the contrast between white skin and black hair is so strong.

anyway.

‘I’m so shocked.’

Because of that hair, I was startled in the living room during the day, but I didn’t expect to feel it here either.

furthermore…….

“Who are you, sir?”

“… … I guess I should be asking that question?”

“If we don’t know each other, doesn’t it matter who goes first?”

Wow, that kid’s words really hit the mark. Where did he learn that…?

Anyway, this is the third time I’ve heard that question, so it was even more so.

The encounter rate was strangely high all day long.

As if it was following me.

But that can’t be the case, so there can only be one answer.

“Do you know my grandfather? I’m talking about my grandfather Cheon Gang-sik.”

“yes!”

As expected.

I guess he was a child with a connection to his grandfather.

“By the way, why are you here, sir? This is grandpa’s house.”

“… … I am that grandfather’s grandson.”

Then the child tilted his head as if he didn’t understand and asked again.

Why?

“Are you an old man?”

“Sir… … Yes. I am the grandson of the grandfather who owned this place.”

At most, the child was just starting elementary school and was treated like an old man.

But when I actually heard it in person, I felt strangely sad.

“Grandpa said his grandson was really cute… … .”

And the child’s mumbling was quietly ignored.

“Then you?”

“Me? I’m Baek Soo Ah. I’m a cute 11-year-old. My future dream is to be an idol. My MBTI is ENFP, the confident one!”

“… … Oh. Okay.”

I wasn’t curious until then.

“What is that reaction? Is it Mr. T?”

That damn MBTI.

It’s not hard to understand since I’ve heard it so many times, but it’s new to hear it from an elementary school student for the first time.

“Do you know that too?”

“Of course. My grandfather was an ENFP too.”

Well, actually, I’m not curious about that, sir.

Besides, I didn’t want to know about my grandfather’s things…

I was going to give a brief explanation, but when I saw them getting excited and talking, I just gave up.

But, even though it was the first time I saw a kitten sleeping on my lap, what kind of cat is this clingy?

If someone sees it, they’ll know how many times they’ve seen it.

Oh, how many times have I seen it?

Come to think of it, I think I came to my grandfather’s funeral too.

We didn’t say hello separately though.

I felt like it somehow felt familiar.

Of course, apart from that, dealing with a child wasn’t easy.

“Oh, right! This one is a tiger. I named it that because its fur pattern is unique. Isn’t it cool?”

“……okay.”

I was even introduced to a cat by chance.

The name ‘Tiger’ is derived from the fact that the fur resembles a tiger. I thought it was given too casually, but it strangely fits.

That’s amazing.

“mister.”

“huh?”

I was just listening to the child’s chatter with blurry eyes. Did he notice?

Suddenly the child called out.

“If you are Grandfather’s grandson, then you are the owner of this place now?”

“… … Not yet.”

“Oh! No? Why? Then, it won’t open here anymore?”

“Uh, that’s… … It’s not confirmed yet.”

“Then open it?”

“That’s not it… … .”

“Then what is it? Is it Mr. T?”

I think this is the first time I’ve been beaten up with questions by someone. The questions are so baseless that it makes me even more confused.

“Then what is that?”

“This? I just made this.”

Baek Soo-ah asked, pointing to the drink she had just made.

“Looking at the color… … it’s Minchofu! Right?”

“Mint… … Phew? Oh, it’s a mint drink.”

“I really like that. My grandfather was really good at making it. But do you know how to make it, too?”

Maybe it’s because of that, but the things she says change without context.

I feel like I’m gaining energy as we talk.

I don’t know how long I’ll have to listen to this gossip if things go on like this.

It won’t work.

We need to change the subject quickly.

“Should I make you one?”

“yes!”

I just happened to have a good excuse.

I know her too, so I can’t just kick her out. I have to buy her a drink and send her away.

He gently put the kitten that was whining on his lap down and carefully got up from his seat.

And the kitchen.

Since the materials I had spread out earlier were still there, I didn’t have to go through the trouble of looking for them.

“ruler.”

“Wow! That’s really fast!”

Because I want to shut that mouth quickly.

There’s no one in the world who can talk while holding something in their mouth, so it’ll be quiet, right?

I have to feed him just this and send him back quickly.

I feel like I’m going to lose, so I need to go down soon.

Gulp! Gulp!

Suah drank the drink I gave her with a cool sip.

But why did I start to feel a little nervous when I saw that sight?

What? It’s nothing special… … Ah.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t this the first time you’ve fed this to someone else?’

And I’m talking about a drink I made myself.

What will come out of your mouth after you finish drinking your drink?

‘Well, I’m not even in business.’

A strangely excited heart.

At that moment, I was waiting nervously for Su-ah to open her mouth.

“Wow! It’s delicious! Isn’t that unexpected?”

“what?”

“Sir, I don’t think you can cook well.”

“… … Isn’t that prejudice?”

“No. This is data-driven. My brother, who has the exact same expression as you, is a real clumsy person.”

I have a lot of things I’ve picked up from somewhere.

It’s data-based, but there’s only one piece of data? I had a lot to say, but I didn’t want to get into it.

And more than that.

“You mean it’s delicious?”

“Yes! Totally!”

“Compared to my grandfather?”

“Umm… … .”

But I don’t know why I asked this question.

But I just suddenly got curious.

I wonder what Grandpa’s drink was like.

Because I haven’t tried it.

And somehow, you say you feel a little competitive?

I also want to punch the grandfather who was preparing such a prank without his grandson knowing.

There was also a desire to be recognized.

It was a complex reason, but I don’t know the exact reason.

“Grandpa’s is sweet but refreshing. Uncle’s is refreshing but sweet.”

“……okay?”

“Oh! Do you know what I mean?”

roughly.

I used mint powder, and my grandfather used fresh mint.

So mine was a bit too sweet and less tangy.

But my grandfather would have used fresh mint, so it would have had a stronger refreshing scent and less sweetness… … .

It’s strangely accurate, you can’t ignore a little kid’s mouth.

“But they’re both delicious!”

“Really? That’s good.”

But when I saw the reaction of the child I liked, I suddenly felt good and my heart fluttered.

I felt a strange feeling, both warm and cold.

It feels like electricity is flowing.

It feels like the wind is passing by.

‘What is this? I feel like I’ve felt this somewhere before.’

Where have I felt something like this before?

A question arose, but it was soon buried by other thoughts.

it’s a shame.

As I recalled Su-ah’s words, that thought suddenly occurred to me and I glanced at the kitchen.

Should I make it again?

“Baek Soo Ah!! You’re here again without doing your homework? Come out now!”

“Ah! It’s Oppa! Mister! Tell them I’m not here!”

A frighteningly crazy situation arose when I thought about it.

Su-ah suddenly hid behind me at the sound of a man’s voice outside.

But why you, kitten?

Anyway, I wondered what was going on, so I looked to see where the sound came from.

“Is that your older brother over there?”

“Yes… … Shh, shh! I’m caught.”

Hey, Su-ah?

They say that just because you hide your head behind me, your whole body isn’t hidden?

And just as I thought, the man standing in front of the door seemed to have already found Su-ah, staring at me.

A young face in a school uniform.

Except for the short hair, she felt very similar to Su-ah.

This one also had distinct facial features.

‘That guy is really handsome.’

He has a handsome face and looks tall.

Her proportions are also good, just like a school uniform model.

I thought the siblings were really handsome.

One downside is that, unlike Su-ah who has a variety of expressions, that one has a somewhat stiff expression?

Well, it was understandable since I chased after my younger sibling who ran away without doing his homework.

“uh?”

And then he raised his head and our eyes met.

Now you realize me.

It seems like he was so focused on Su-ah that he didn’t even think that there might be someone else.

‘Looking at this, it looks like Suah comes here a lot.’

At least to the point where I thought my brother would naturally be hiding here.

“That, Grandfather… … is that the person you said was your grandson? That’s when I met him.”

“Ah. By any chance at the funeral?”

“Yes. My name is Baek Su-ho. But how is this place… … Ah! I’m sorry for yelling earlier. That’s… … I thought no one was here.”

He’s handsome and well-mannered.

By the way, I also came to my grandfather’s funeral. I didn’t notice it at the time because I was so out of it, but seeing the school uniform made me think I’d seen it before.

“It’s okay. Are you looking for your little brother?”

“Ah! Yes! Baek Soo Ah! When did you go in there!? I told you not to go in now that Grandpa is gone!”

I looked at Su-ah again and shouted, as if she realized the purpose of my coming here.

Then, Su-ah also stuck her head out and shouted back.

“No! I’m coming! Grandpa said I could come?”

“That was when Grandpa was here! He’s not here anymore!”

“He said that it wouldn’t matter if there was no grandfather as long as there was a cafe here!”

“You can’t be here anymore, you’re going to disappear!”

My brother and sister had a bloody argument with me between them.

“And Baek Soo Ah! Who said something like that? My brother told me not to yell so recklessly!”

“Are you screaming too, oppa?”

“you!”

The kids start running around in circles with me between them.

I was going back and forth while yelling all sorts of things, so I wasn’t usually out of my mind. It was to the point where I had a slight headache.

“stop!”

So I stopped them. When I said it bluntly, the two children stopped responding.

“Kids, if you want to fight, go out and fight. It’ll just make dust fly.”

“ah…….”

Only then did they realize where the two were. The kitchen was already filled with footsteps.

No matter how much they pretend to be adults, they are helpless children.

“yes…….”

“……sorry.”

Children who go outside looking gloomy.

I didn’t mean to say that… … .

Anyway, it was a necessary measure.

At this rate, I’ll have to stay here until the sun sets.

I sighed lightly and started cleaning up the kitchen.

Wash the two glasses you used earlier and place them on a tray.

I grabbed the mop from the corner and swept the muddy kitchen floor clean.

Finally, I wiped the counter clean with a dishtowel.

‘Hmm, that’s neat.’

After a thorough cleaning, I felt a lot better.

It’s not for nothing that I feel like cleaning whenever something comes up, like during exam periods.

As I move my body, distracting thoughts disappear and my mind becomes at ease.

After finishing cleaning the kitchen, I go outside.

“Huh? You didn’t go?”

“That’s… I’m sorry, sir.”

“sorry.”

Baek Soo-ah and Baek Soo-ho, who had been waiting and had not left yet, apologized again.

Wow, I don’t know where these kids are, but they were raised well at home.

If this is the case, I don’t think I’ll be able to say anything even if I want to.

“No, it’s okay. But from now on, don’t do that inside the store. Got it?”

“yes…….”

“Okay. Well, it’s late now… … .”

I smiled at the children.

“Shall we go down together?”

“yes!”

There is only one road, but it would be funny to go our separate ways, so we decided to go together.

Fortunately, both of them seemed to be the type of people who didn’t care too much, so I felt relieved.

“But you guys also live in that town?”

“That’s right! Next door to Grandpa!”

“iced coffee.”

So that’s what I saw over the fence then.

We walked along the quiet path, chatting about this and that. I mostly talked to Baek Su-ah, who had become brighter again, and thanks to her, I was able to hear a lot of stories about the town and cafes that I had never heard of.

“There was a drink that my grandfather made for the first time, and it was really bad. But I told him it was delicious. I thought he would cry if I told him no.”

“Oh, right! There was a snake too! Grandpa just ran away. Hehe! Are you afraid of snakes too, uncle? I think Rangi caught it in the end.”

“Last summer, it was so sparkling there that I laid out a mat and lay down at night. Sister Cuckoo sang a song. But Grandpa, you know I really can’t sing, right?”

And as I listened, I realized there were more than a few anecdotes about the cafe and the grandfather.

So much so that I, who was listening, felt happy.

Perhaps because it was a rural area with nothing to do, Grandpa’s cafe was essentially a shelter and playground for the children.

It was such a touching story that it seemed natural for Su-ah to think that way about her grandfather.

“Huh? They’re all here!”

As we were coming down while talking like that, the path soon ended and a bridge leading to the village appeared.

It was so hard to come up.

It was amazing.

Do you feel like your body has become a little lighter?

Is it because of my mood?

Anyway, it was time to part ways.

“Here, it won’t disappear right away, so you can come often. I have some things to sort out. But like I said earlier, you have to come and stay quiet before you leave, okay? You can’t scream or run around like that, right?”

“Yay!”

“Yes, thank you. Suah, you should thank the uncle first.”

“Hehehe! Thank you, mister!”

Is that really that good?

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but smile as I saw Baek Soo-ah jumping around and Baek Soo-ho nodding his head.

Why!

Langi, who was being held by Baek Soo Ah, screamed, “Kkueng!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that sight.

It was the first burst of laughter since my grandfather passed away.

* * *

After parting ways with my siblings and returning home, I just lay down.

I didn’t know, but I was quite tired.

If I think about it, I barely managed to get any sleep after staying up all night for a few days, and then I went to town and a cafe.

It was understandable that I would be tired.

But I couldn’t actually sleep.

I was thinking about getting up and organizing my grandfather’s things.

‘Let’s do it later.’

I didn’t feel like moving my body right now.

It’s not urgent.

Aren’t you unemployed now anyway?

Just keeping my eyes open… … .

‘It’s quiet.’

I felt it again.

It seems like it’s even worse now that I’m alone after being so noisy until just now.

A quiet home and village.

Grandpa, you must have been quite bored.

Isn’t it?

It didn’t seem like Grandpa would be home for long anyway.

You must have been meeting people.

Oh, so a cafe?

If it was my grandfather, it would have been possible.

‘Come to think of it, I think I brought my grandfather’s notebook from the cafe.’

The thought circuit naturally moved in that direction.

The note was in my hand, without me even having to look for it.

I had it in my hand since I left the cafe and forgot about it.

Where, let’s take a look again… … .

Bam!

As I was lifting it without being careful, the photo that was stuck between them fell out again.

I saw a grandfather, a cafe, and various people.

In the meantime, there were Su-ah and Su-ho, who I had just met.

Suddenly, that thought occurred to me.

Do other people have as many memories of the cafe as the siblings? And the grandfather who is at the center of them all…

How does it feel to create such memories?

Su-ah’s reaction when she drank the drink I made at the cafe earlier flashed through my mind.

‘It might be fun.’

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