I Quit My Job and Open a Café

In the end, I made the decision.

I spent all night thinking about it.

Do I really want to do this?

Do I really want to try?

And after all that thinking…

“I’ll do it.”

As soon as I woke up in the morning, I called Kim Do-hyuk.

I told him I would take over the café.

It was a bit embarrassing to decide so quickly after saying the night before that I would just do it if I wanted to and forget it if I didn’t.

─I’ve registered your health certificate. The business procedures are all done, so you can start anytime.

“Already? I just told you this morning.”

─I thought you’d make up your mind after seeing the café yesterday. So, I prepared for both possibilities in advance.

After that, things moved quickly.

I went to the town health center to get my health certificate. Then, I sent it in.

Kim Do-hyuk had been waiting and organized all the paperwork right away.

It all happened very quickly.

No wonder he was a lawyer at Hyeonmu Law Firm, one of the top firms.

─The inheritance process will take a little longer. The paperwork is done, but the review process isn’t quick.

“Yes, I understand.”

─Still, I’m happy. I would’ve been really disappointed if you decided not to continue the café.

“You sound like it.”

─Haha! Then next time, I’ll visit as a customer.

“Yes, come by anytime.”

After the call ended, I finally realized what I had done.

I really went for it.

Even though I thought about it, I acted quickly without thinking much, which was not like me.

I could have taken my time. The legal process of inheritance wasn’t short.

I could have watched over the café and decided later.

“…And now I think about this after doing it.”

At least 10 years.

To fully inherit everything, I had to run the café for that long.

The price of acting differently from usual was quite high.

But what could I do?

I had already made my choice.

‘Yeah.’

At least I was sure I really wanted this.

That was enough.

Even if I stopped wanting to do it later, that wouldn’t matter.

I could just quit.

If needed, I could pay back the money.

‘It was Grandfather’s money anyway, not mine. Since he left conditions, he wouldn’t mind whatever I chose.’

Thinking that way, the burden of 10 years felt a little lighter.

It was a decision I had to make someday. Maybe it was better to get it over with early.

Now, I only had to focus on one thing.

With that thought, I walked up the narrow path leading to the café…

Bzzz! Bzzz!

“Huh?”

I got a message.

After deducting taxes and other costs, the 8.9 billion won Grandfather left—excluding real estate—would leave me with 6.8 billion won in cash.

Kim Do-hyuk’s message asked if I wanted to proceed.

I replied right away.

─Yes. Please proceed as planned. Thank you.

After sending the message, my steps felt even lighter.

“You got here fast.”

Unlike yesterday, I really arrived quickly.

It felt even shorter than when I had walked here with Soo-ah and Su-ho.

My energy couldn’t have gotten better in just one night.

Maybe it was just my mindset.

Well, whatever the reason, it was nice.

Feeling happy, I walked across the empty space and went to the door.

Whoosh~

A cool breeze blew over the warm sunlight.

Just like when I was a little kid.

Back when I was tired and struggling, Grandfather brought me here.

This place was always there for me when I needed comfort and rest.

Of course, things are different now.

I had grown up.

I wasn’t just someone who needed comfort anymore.

And Grandfather wasn’t here.

There was also a door that hadn’t been there before.

But when I opened the door, the same warmth welcomed me.

Ding-ding~

[Café—Tiger’s Rest] greeted me with the clear sound of a bell.

* * *

Ding-ding~

The bell on the door rang in the wind, but I didn’t have time to think about it.

“So, this is how it’s done.”

I was focusing all my attention on learning the machines and recipes for the first time.

Once I got used to it, things became much easier.

“Oh? I did it.”

I quickly followed the recipe and made an Americano.

There were many instructions about tamping and other steps, but my hands moved easily, like I had done this before.

I blew on it and took a sip.

The taste wasn’t bad at all.

I had visited many famous cafés while working in sales, and this wasn’t bad compared to those places.

At least, it was drinkable.

‘I don’t know how good Grandfather’s coffee was, so that worries me a little.’

But for now, this seemed good enough to start.

No one gets everything right from the beginning.

Of course, I would keep practicing.

When I decided to take over the café, I set some goals.

One of them was to not ruin Grandfather’s reputation.

That included both taste and service.

I had experience with customer service from work, so that was fine.

And even though this was my first time running a café and I had barely made any drinks…

I had some confidence.

Grandfather’s recipe book was well-organized, so I didn’t have to worry about the menu.

And I had learned some barista skills for a short time before.

It was just a one-week crash course for a project, but still…

At least I knew the basics.

‘If I don’t know something, I can figure it out later.’

One step at a time.

The taste was already good enough.

I was surprised.

“Maybe this job actually suits me…”

I had always been detail-oriented.

Even as a new employee, I was praised for being meticulous.

Maybe that skill was showing up here, too.

As I wiped the counter, I thought about it.

And more than anything…

I felt stable.

Like I was at peace.

I had never felt that way, even after working for years.

It was strange and made me feel a little restless.

“But I shouldn’t push myself too much.”

I reminded myself to take it slow.

That was my second goal.

Being excited about something new was good, but too much was never good.

Once I got into something, I usually gave it my all

If I didn’t control myself, I might push too hard again.

Like before.

Staying up all night, working on weekends, endless overtime… And what happened?

Even after I quit, the company never contacted me.

‘I guess I wasn’t that important after all.’

That’s how it was.

While I was there, it felt like I mattered.

But in the end, I was just a replaceable part.

So, even that awful manager was still there.

Anyway, that wasn’t my problem anymore.

What mattered was that I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

There were no conditions saying I had to make the café successful.

So…

“This should be enough to open.”

I had checked the drinks and the equipment.

The café was already well-maintained.

Now, it was time to actually start business…

Weeeeeng~

“Hey, why do you keep sneaking in?”

Weeeng?

“…Oh, the door was open.”

Somehow, the kitten named Rangi, which Soo-ah had introduced, had wandered inside.

I had left the door open for ventilation.

I closed it and flipped the sign at the front.

[Café—Tiger’s Rest, Open]

My first official opening.

Did that mean this kitten was my first customer?

Purr~ Purr~

“…Alright. I won’t kick you out.”

The kitten purred and rubbed against me.

I wasn’t really into animals, but I knew this meant it was happy.

But what should I even give my first ‘customer’?

It wasn’t like the kitten could place an order.

“Do I have any cat treats?”

I walked toward the kitchen to check.

Weeeeng!

“Huh? Hey!”

Rangi suddenly ran toward the back door.

I hurried after it.

And then…

“…What is that?”

There, on the ground, something strange appeared.

It looked like… words.

Or more like a text box from a phone or computer?

But why was it on the ground?

“…What? Is it real?”

But it was real.

Even when I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

Even when I got closer and looked.

[Mint]

─Effect: Relieves fatigue, reduces stress.

I could see it.

A text box was attached to the grass growing on the ground like a tag.

“…What is this? Am I dreaming?”

I have been tired these past few days.

But not this much…

I slept well last night, too.

This was really strange.

What was this?

Should I really call a shaman?

Because of my old job, I actually knew one.

Ding~ Ding~

A clear bell sound rang in the air while I was confused.

I jumped for a second but then realized it was just the door opening.

“A customer?”

I had changed the sign, so they must have seen it before coming in.

This was the first human customer since I opened. I couldn’t just leave now.

I decided to deal with this later and focus on the customer first.

Who knows? Maybe I saw it wrong.

And if I just serve the customer, things might get clearer.

“Welcome to Café Horangi… Rest…!?”

I greeted them cheerfully as I passed through the kitchen and approached the counter.

But then…

‘What is that?!’

They looked like customers.

But something was strange here too.

The first thing I noticed was their dark circles, deep down to their cheeks.

Well, I had seen a lot of that during my office days.

That wasn’t unusual.

But their whole body was covered in a dark energy, like black mist around them.

No, looking closely, it was rising like smoke from their body.

And then…

[???]

— Status: Chronic Fatigue, Extreme Stress

A dark cloud of energy, and a floating box like the one I saw in the backyard.

The content was different, but the layout was the same.

Seeing something strange twice in a row… Was I the weird one here?

I felt even more confused.

What on earth was this…?

“Boss?”

As I was lost in my thoughts, a rough voice called out to me.

“Yes? Ah, welcome. This is Café Horangi Shelter.”

“Yes, yes… Um, can I get an Americano with three extra shots?”

“Three extra shots?”

The customer acted normal, so I pretended nothing was wrong and answered calmly.

It seemed like I was the only one who could see this.

Otherwise, how could they order so normally?

They were human, right?

Their dark circles made them look like a dying zombie…

“Yes, yes. Ah… Hmm… No, wait. I’m not working today, so I should get something sweet instead. Boss, cancel that order. Can I get a mint chocolate frappuccino instead?”

“Cancel the Americano and one mint chocolate frappuccino, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I got your order. Please wait a moment.”

I turned around and started preparing the drink as naturally as possible.

But my heart was still racing.

While making the drink, I glanced at the customer sitting down.

I wasn’t seeing things.

I could still see it.

Why?

Why could I see this?

‘This is crazy…’

I cursed in my head.

Yeah.

There was no way Grandfather would just give me this café along with billions of money for nothing.

I should have expected this… No, who would expect this?!

I imagined Grandfather looking at me right now.

He was probably laughing.

I wouldn’t lose to him.

‘I don’t know what’s going on yet, but…’

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

Think carefully.

Then, I suddenly remembered the text box I saw in the backyard.

[Mint]

— Effect: Fatigue Recovery, Stress Relief

Yes, I remembered correctly.

Coincidence or not, it matched what I saw in the customer’s status.

And all this information was related to…

‘The café.’

If I wasn’t mistaken, then something was going on with this café.

Thinking back, this place had always felt mysterious, even before the café was built.

I never imagined it would turn out like this.

But right now, I have no way to find answers.

To understand this, the only thing I could do was…

‘Make it.’

A drink using the fresh mint from the backyard.

I felt like that was the key to this mystery.