Ren stared silently at the floating notification.
[Moonbean Café Reputation Increased.]
[New Customers Will Arrive Soon.]
"…That sounds ominous."
Lina, still holding her coffee, looked up.
"What sounds ominous?"
"Nothing."
At this point, Ren had accepted that answering "nothing" was simply part of his daily life now.
Outside the café window, several adventurers continued whispering among themselves while glancing toward the entrance.
Boris was still there too.
Talking.
Pointing.
Gesturing dramatically with his coffee cup.
Lina sighed deeply.
"He's advertising."
"He's enthusiastic."
"He's dangerous."
Ren quietly watched as more people slowed down near the café.
Most looked curious.
Some looked suspicious.
Others simply seemed confused by the unfamiliar aroma drifting into the street.
Coffee was still unknown here.
Which meant—
Moonbean Café itself was something strange.
New.
Mysterious.
And in fantasy worlds, mysterious things attracted attention very quickly.
"…Should I be worried?" Ren asked.
Lina thought for a moment.
"…Probably."
"That confidence is concerning."
"Relax. Worst case scenario, someone challenges you to a duel."
Ren nearly dropped a cup.
"A duel?!"
Lina blinked.
"…You've never been challenged before?"
"Most people from where I'm from solve arguments with emails."
"…What's an email?"
"…A magical communication artifact."
"That sounds expensive."
Ren immediately gave up explaining.
The bell above the café door suddenly rang again.
Both of them looked up.
Three adventurers cautiously entered the café together.
A swordsman.
A petite girl wearing green mage robes.
And a tall spear user with silver hair tied behind his head.
Their eyes immediately wandered around the room.
"…So this is the place."
"The smell's stronger inside."
"Whoa…"
The small mage girl looked completely mesmerized by the coffee aroma.
Ren instinctively straightened behind the counter.
His first actual group of customers.
Lina immediately raised her cup proudly.
"Told you this place was amazing."
The silver-haired spear user narrowed his eyes.
"You came back twice already."
"…That's unrelated."
"That's exactly what addicts say," the swordsman muttered.
"I AM NOT ADDICTED."
Ren quietly hid a smile.
Apparently coffee addiction jokes transcended worlds.
The mage girl suddenly approached the counter curiously.
Large round glasses rested on her nose while her green cloak nearly dragged across the floor.
"…Excuse me," she asked carefully, "what exactly is this smell?"
"Coffee," Ren answered.
"That explains nothing."
"It's a drink."
"A magical drink?"
Ren paused.
"…Maybe emotionally magical?"
Lina snorted loudly into her cup.
The mage girl looked even more confused.
Meanwhile, the silver-haired man crossed his arms.
"You're really the new owner?"
"Yes."
"You renovated this place overnight?"
"Mostly cleaned it."
"That's still impressive."
Ren noticed something interesting.
Despite their caution, none of them seemed hostile.
Just curious.
Curiosity mixed with exhaustion.
The kind carried by people constantly working dangerous jobs.
Adventurers.
Then suddenly—
Growl.
The sound echoed loudly through the café.
Everyone slowly turned toward the swordsman.
The tall young man immediately looked horrified.
"…Traitor."
Lina burst into laughter instantly.
"Your stomach sold you out!"
"We skipped breakfast," the mage girl admitted weakly.
"We spent all morning at the guild," the spear user added.
Ren glanced toward the kitchen area.
More customers meant more opportunities.
And also—
More money.
"…Would you like food too?"
Three pairs of eyes immediately locked onto him.
"You serve food?"
"Simple meals only."
The mage girl looked ready to cry from happiness.
"We'll take anything."
A few minutes later, Moonbean Café became busier than it had been in years.
Warm soup simmered softly.
Bread toasted over heat.
Coffee aromas filled the air continuously.
Sunlight streamed through the windows while conversations slowly replaced silence.
Ren moved naturally between tables and the counter.
Pouring coffee.
Serving meals.
Cleaning dishes.
The rhythm felt familiar.
Comforting.
Almost nostalgic.
Back on Earth, café work exhausted him because of pressure.
But here?
Nobody shouted.
Nobody rushed him aggressively.
The customers actually relaxed while drinking coffee.
"…This is incredible," the mage girl whispered after her first sip.
Her eyes practically sparkled behind her glasses.
The swordsman frowned deeply at his cup.
"…Why is this bitter?"
"Because coffee is bitter," Lina replied confidently.
"Then why do I want another sip?"
"That's how it begins."
"I suddenly understand addiction."
"You people are being dramatic," the spear user muttered.
Then he tried his own cup.
Silence.
"…Oh."
Lina pointed immediately.
"ANOTHER ONE."
"Quiet."
Even Ren could not stop smiling anymore.
Watching people discover coffee for the first time was unexpectedly enjoyable.
Every reaction felt slightly different.
Confusion.
Curiosity.
Comfort.
Surprise.
And then—
That moment when they wanted another sip.
The café itself gradually became livelier.
Conversation filled the room naturally.
The mage girl introduced herself as Mira.
The swordsman was Dain.
And the spear user reluctantly revealed his name was Kael.
Most of the discussion centered around:
quests
monsters
guild requests
broken equipment
terrible tavern food
Ren mostly listened quietly while preparing drinks.
This world slowly became clearer through small conversations.
Adventurers earned money through guild commissions.
Travel between towns was dangerous.
Monsters existed outside city walls.
Magic existed naturally.
And apparently—
Most food in this town was terrible.
"…Which explains why everyone looks emotional while eating soup," Ren muttered.
"I heard that," Dain said while aggressively tearing bread apart.
"You're eating like the bread insulted your family."
"It's good bread."
"That explains nothing."
Then suddenly—
[Ding.]
Another notification appeared before Ren.
[Daily Mission Completed.]
Sell 3 Cups of Coffee ✔
Reward:
15 Copper Coins
[Moonbean Café Level Increased.]
[New Feature Unlocked:
Basic Menu Board]
A flash of light appeared near the counter.
A clean wooden menu board suddenly materialized beside the register.
Everyone froze.
Silence filled the café.
"…Did that board just appear?" Mira asked slowly.
Ren's brain stopped working temporarily.
"…Magic?"
Lina immediately pointed.
"That sounded like a question, not an explanation."
"…Decorative magic?"
Kael narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"You're weird."
"That's been established already."
Thankfully—
The group somehow accepted the explanation.
Or perhaps they simply decided not to question it too deeply.
Fantasy worlds were surprisingly convenient sometimes.
Mira soon walked toward the newly appeared menu board curiously.
Written neatly across it were:
Moonbean Café
Coffee — 3 Copper
Bread Set — 2 Copper
Breakfast Set — 5 Copper
"…Moonbean Café," Mira read softly.
Lina smiled proudly.
"Sounds nice, right?"
Ren looked at the sign quietly.
Moonbean Café.
Seeing the name displayed properly for the first time made something feel real inside him.
This place was no longer just an abandoned building.
It was becoming his café.
His dream.
Slowly.
Little by little.
Outside the window, more people continued glancing curiously toward the café.
The smell of coffee drifted farther into the street.
And somewhere deep inside Ren's chest—
For the first time in years—
Hope quietly began growing again.
.
.
.