The soft orange glow of the lantern swayed gently in the darkness.
Ren immediately straightened in his chair.
Someone was outside.
A lone figure walked slowly along the empty street, their footsteps echoing faintly against the stone road.
At this hour?
Ren instinctively glanced around the café.
Broken exterior sign.
Old windows.
Half-cleaned shelves.
The place still looked abandoned from outside.
Yet the stranger suddenly stopped directly in front of the café.
"…They noticed the light?"
Ren muttered quietly.
The figure hesitated for a moment before stepping closer to the window.
A young woman.
Brown cloak.
Leather boots.
Sword hanging at her waist.
Adventurer?
Her amber eyes narrowed slightly as she peeked through the dusty glass.
Then—
Sniff.
She blinked.
"…What is that smell?"
Even through the closed window, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee had apparently reached her.
The woman looked visibly confused.
Ren quickly stood up.
For a brief second, nervousness hit him unexpectedly.
His first customer.
Well…
Potential customer.
What was he even supposed to say?
Welcome to my fantasy café?
Before he could think further, the woman cautiously pushed open the door.
The old bell above it gave a weak clink.
Cold night air entered briefly alongside her.
The woman immediately rested one hand near her sword.
Her sharp eyes scanned the café carefully.
"…This place was abandoned."
Ren gave an awkward smile.
"Technically… it still kind of is."
Silence.
Then the woman looked toward the cup in his hand.
More specifically—
At the steam rising from it.
"That smell," she said slowly. "What are you drinking?"
Ren glanced at the coffee.
"…Coffee."
"…Caw-fee?"
Her pronunciation sounded strange.
As if the word itself did not exist in this world.
Ren suddenly realized something important.
Of course.
This world might not even know coffee.
The woman stepped farther inside cautiously.
Up close, Ren could see she looked around his age.
Maybe early twenties.
Dust covered parts of her cloak, and faint scratches marked her leather armor.
She looked tired.
Very tired.
"Are you the owner here?" she asked.
"Uh… starting today, I guess."
"That's a strange answer."
"I'm still figuring things out myself."
The woman stared at him suspiciously for several seconds.
Then—
Growl.
A loud sound echoed through the café.
Both of them froze.
The woman's face instantly turned red.
"…You heard nothing."
Ren blinked.
Then laughed quietly.
The serious atmosphere immediately broke apart.
The woman clicked her tongue in embarrassment and pulled down her hood.
Messy chestnut-colored hair fell around her shoulders.
"I've been traveling since morning," she muttered defensively.
"That explains it."
Ren looked toward the counter.
He still had extra bread from the system rewards.
And more importantly—
Fresh coffee.
"…Would you like to sit down?"
The woman hesitated.
"You're not going to poison me?"
Ren stared at her blankly.
"If I was poisoning people, opening a café would be a very bad business strategy."
A few seconds passed.
Then unexpectedly—
The woman laughed.
A short laugh.
But genuine.
"Fair point."
She finally sat near the window while placing her lantern on the table.
The warm light softened the atmosphere inside the café.
Ren moved behind the counter naturally.
His body already knew what to do.
Prepare the cup.
Heat the water.
Grind the beans.
The familiar rhythm calmed him immediately.
Meanwhile, the woman watched curiously.
"What exactly is this… coffee?"
"It's a drink."
"I can see that."
"…A relaxing drink?"
"That sounds suspicious."
Ren chuckled softly while pouring hot water over the grounds.
A rich aroma instantly filled the room again.
The woman's expression changed immediately.
Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"What in the world…"
She leaned forward unconsciously.
The scent itself felt calming.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Like resting beside a fireplace during winter.
Ren noticed her reaction and smiled faintly.
Even in another world…
Coffee still worked its magic.
A few minutes later, he placed a cup carefully in front of her alongside warm bread.
The woman stared at it cautiously.
The dark liquid reflected the lantern light softly.
"It smells amazing," she admitted.
"…But it also looks like medicine."
"That's rude."
"It looks bitter."
"It is bitter."
"…See?"
"But good bitter."
"That explanation helped absolutely nothing."
Ren laughed again.
Strangely enough, conversation flowed naturally despite them meeting only minutes ago.
The woman finally lifted the cup carefully.
Steam brushed against her face.
Then—
She took a small sip.
Silence filled the café.
Her eyes widened.
"…Oh."
Ren waited quietly.
The woman stared at the cup in shock before taking another sip.
Then another.
And another.
The tension slowly disappeared from her expression.
Her shoulders relaxed completely.
Even her tired eyes softened.
"It's warm…"
Her voice became quieter.
"It feels strange."
"Strange bad or strange good?"
"…Strange good."
A small smile appeared on Ren's face.
Success.
The woman held the cup with both hands while staring silently at the steam rising upward.
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
The café itself felt peaceful.
Comfortable.
The sound of distant night insects drifted through the open window while warm lantern light illuminated the room.
"…My name's Lina."
Ren looked up.
The young adventurer scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"If I'm going to drink mysterious black water from a stranger, introductions are probably important."
Ren laughed quietly.
"Ren."
"Ren, huh…"
Lina glanced around the café again.
"So you really opened this place today?"
"More or less."
"You picked a terrible location."
"…Thanks."
"This district is basically dead at night."
"That explains why the rent was probably cheap."
Lina blinked.
"…You paid for this?"
"…Not exactly."
Honestly, Ren still had no idea how he even legally owned the café.
The system simply declared it his.
Lina eventually shrugged.
"Still," she said before taking another sip, "this coffee thing is incredible."
Ren leaned lightly against the counter.
Hearing that felt surprisingly satisfying.
Not because of money.
Not because of praise.
But because someone genuinely enjoyed something he made.
That feeling alone warmed his chest.
Then suddenly—
[Ding.]
A blue screen appeared before Ren's eyes.
[First Customer Acquired.]
[Relationship Established: Lina]
[Reward:
Beginner Cooking Recipes Unlocked
+ 10 Experience Points]
[Moonbean Café Reputation Increased.]
Ren blinked.
"…Seriously?"
Lina tilted her head.
"What?"
"Nothing."
The system was apparently tracking customers too.
Terrifying.
Useful.
But terrifying.
Lina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"You've been making weird expressions for a while now."
"Occupational hazard."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"It explains enough."
Lina snorted softly before tearing off another piece of bread.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Ren truly relaxed.
The café no longer felt empty.
The silence no longer felt lonely.
Outside, the twin moons continued shining over the quiet street.
And inside the old abandoned café—
Warm coffee steam drifted peacefully through the air.
.
.
.