Ren woke to the smell of bread.
For several seconds, he remained still beneath the thin blanket draped over him, staring blankly at the unfamiliar wooden ceiling above.
Morning light spilled gently through the dusty windows.
Birds chirped outside.
A cool breeze carried the scent of grass and stone through the slightly open window nearby.
"…Right."
The memories returned slowly.
Another world.
The café.
The system.
Lina.
Ren rubbed his face tiredly before sitting upright on the small couch he apparently fell asleep on sometime during the night.
The café looked different under sunlight.
Less mysterious.
More abandoned.
Now that the darkness was gone, the flaws stood out clearly.
Faded walls.
Scratched tables.
Uneven floorboards.
A crack running across one of the windows.
Yet despite everything…
The room still felt warm somehow.
Comfortable.
Ren slowly stood and stretched.
His body felt surprisingly light.
Much lighter than it had back on Earth.
"…Did that coffee actually reduce fatigue?"
Before he could think further—
[Ding.]
A familiar blue screen appeared.
[Good morning, Owner.]
[Daily Missions Available.]
Sell 3 Cups of Coffee
Reward: 15 Copper Coins
Improve Café Cleanliness
Reward: Basic Cleaning Tools
Earn First Profit
Reward: Random Ingredient Box
"…This really feels like a game."
Ren sighed quietly.
Still…
The rewards looked useful.
Especially money.
He currently possessed exactly:
five copper coins
mystery coffee beans
bread
and an abandoned café
Not exactly a stable financial situation.
His stomach growled softly.
"…Breakfast first."
Ren moved behind the counter and checked the newly unlocked cooking recipes from the system.
A small blue menu appeared instantly.
Beginner Cooking Recipes]
Herb Soup
Toasted Honey Bread
Cream Stew
Simple Sandwich
Roasted Potato Plate
"Oh."
His eyes widened slightly.
Useful.
Very useful.
Another notification appeared immediately afterward.
[Kitchen ingredients available in storage.]
"…There's storage too?"
Ren focused instinctively.
Suddenly, a transparent inventory window appeared before him.
Inside were several ingredients:
potatoes
carrots
herbs
flour
butter
milk
honey
salt
And surprisingly—
Fresh eggs.
Ren stared in genuine disbelief.
"This system is absurd."
Not that he was complaining.
Thirty minutes later, the inside of Moonbean Café filled with warm cooking aromas.
Butter sizzling softly.
Fresh bread toasting.
Soup simmering quietly.
Ren moved naturally around the kitchen space despite the unfamiliar environment.
Years of café work made these actions instinctive.
Comforting.
Safe.
Eventually, he sat near the window with a simple breakfast:
toasted honey bread
herb soup
and fresh coffee
Sunlight illuminated the steam rising from the cup beautifully.
For a moment…
Peace settled over him completely.
No alarms.
No crowded trains.
No screaming managers.
Only quiet mornings and coffee.
Ren closed his eyes briefly.
"…Maybe dying wasn't the worst thing."
The moment the words left his mouth—
BANG.
The café door suddenly slammed open.
Ren nearly spilled his coffee.
"YOU'RE OPEN?!"
Lina stood at the entrance breathing heavily.
Her messy chestnut hair bounced wildly while her adventurer cloak hung crookedly over one shoulder.
She looked like she had sprinted here.
Ren blinked slowly.
"…Good morning?"
Lina marched straight toward the counter.
"You disappeared!"
"I was asleep."
"I came back late last night and the lights were off!"
"…Because I was asleep."
"You could've at least warned me!"
Ren stared at her blankly.
"We met for maybe an hour."
"That's enough for basic customer responsibility!"
"…Customer responsibility?"
Lina placed both hands dramatically on the counter.
"Yes."
"You say that like you're a regular already."
"I am a regular."
"You've visited once."
"That's enough."
Ren could not help laughing quietly.
Lina puffed her cheeks slightly.
"You're laughing again."
"You're surprisingly energetic in the morning."
"I'm not energetic. I'm starving."
Right on cue—
Growl.
Silence filled the café.
Lina's face froze.
Ren looked down slowly toward her stomach.
Then back at her.
"…Not a word."
"I didn't say anything."
"Your face said enough."
Lina immediately sat down at the nearest table with a defeated sigh.
"I spent all my money on equipment repairs yesterday."
"That sounds financially irresponsible."
"That's adventurer life."
Ren shook his head while moving back behind the counter.
"…Soup?"
Lina's eyes immediately lit up.
"You can cook too?"
"Barely."
"That smell says otherwise."
A few minutes later, Ren placed a tray in front of her.
Herb soup.
Toasted honey bread.
Fresh coffee.
Steam rose warmly from the dishes.
Lina stared at the meal in silence.
Then—
"…This looks expensive."
"It's simple food."
"In this town? Fresh bread alone costs a lot."
Ren paused slightly.
Right.
He still did not understand this world's economy.
Lina looked up suspiciously.
"You really aren't from around here, are you?"
Ren nearly froze.
"…What makes you think that?"
"You ask strange questions. You dress strangely. You talk strangely."
"…Thanks."
"And you somehow opened an abandoned café overnight."
"…Fair point."
Lina narrowed her eyes.
For a brief moment, tension filled the room.
Ren quickly realized something important.
He needed to be careful.
He could not exactly say:
Hello, I died in Japan and woke up in a fantasy world with a magical café system.
That sounded like the beginning of a prison sentence.
Fortunately—
Lina suddenly shrugged.
"Whatever."
"…Whatever?"
"Everyone has secrets."
She grabbed the bread immediately afterward.
"I'm more interested in breakfast."
Ren blinked.
That was unexpectedly easy.
Then again…
Lina did not seem like someone who overthought things.
The moment she tasted the soup—
Her entire expression changed.
"…Oh wow."
Ren smiled faintly.
"There's the reaction again."
"This is good!"
"It's just herb soup."
"This tastes better than most taverns!"
Lina immediately tore through the bread afterward before drinking coffee between bites.
Watching her eat made the café feel strangely alive.
Warm.
Natural.
Like this was always how mornings were supposed to be.
Then suddenly—
The bell above the café door rang again.
Both of them looked up.
An older man carrying several wooden crates stood outside the entrance.
His thick beard twitched slightly as he sniffed the air.
"…What in the world is that smell?"
Lina swallowed quickly.
"Oh no."
Ren looked toward her.
"What?"
"That's Boris."
"…And?"
"He spreads rumors faster than the wind."
The bearded man stepped inside slowly, his sharp eyes scanning the café.
Then they landed directly on the coffee cup in Lina's hands.
"…You came back here twice?"
Lina immediately frowned.
"Don't make it sound weird."
"It is weird."
The man sniffed the air again.
"…Smells amazing though."
Ren suddenly had a feeling—
Things were about to become noisy.
.
.
.