I Quit My Job and Open a Café

The order was an Americano, and she seemed very nervous.

For a moment, I thought about recommending a mint drink that might have a calming effect, but…

‘Talking right now might make things worse.’

I wasn’t sure if mint drinks even helped with panic attacks.

It seemed better to not say anything and just let her be. 

Maybe later, when she calmed down, I could offer it as part of an opening event.

So, she hurriedly finished her order and quickly left the counter.

I couldn’t tell if she was shocked or embarrassed, but…

Why did I know the name “Go Na-eun”?

I wasn’t into idols or the entertainment industry at all.

‘Ah, that person.’

Suddenly, I remembered.

There was a team member from before who was really into idol culture.

He was a weird one, living in the unpopular 2nd team, but he always said that even though Go Na-eun was famous now, he’d supported her when her team wasn’t doing well.

That’s why the name “Go Na-eun” stuck in my memory.

He would always talk about her.

─‘She’s my favorite, Go Na-eun. She worked so hard to raise a team that was falling apart. I really admire her.’

He would say that even though her team was struggling, Go Na-eun was at the top as a solo artist.

He also talked about how she was the “breadwinner” of the group, doing all the work, but still getting along with the members.

I wasn’t that interested, but he kept talking about it, so I couldn’t avoid hearing it.

‘If she wasn’t good at her job, he would’ve criticized her.’

But she was good at what she did, so there was nothing to say.

‘I wonder how he’s doing now. I think he contacted me after he retired.’

He retired before me.

Then he contacted me and suggested we do something together, but at that time, I wasn’t interested in anything but work, so I didn’t meet him.

Now, I thought I might reach out, but…

‘It’s a bit awkward to contact him now.’

He’ll be fine.

Even though he was a bit of a nerd, he was skilled and would do well no matter where he went.

Anyway, seeing Go Na-eun in person was surprising, especially considering how bad she seemed.

‘Burn out and panic at such a young age. How did this happen…?’

The world of idols really was like the law of the jungle.

Maybe it’s like that everywhere, but it seems especially harsh for younger people.

“Your drink is ready.”

“Yes, yes!”

She jumped at the sound, quickly pressed her hat down, and took the drink.

Seeing her like that made me feel sorry for her.

But, I couldn’t say anything.

It was a bit awkward to approach her like that, since it would feel like I was a creepy fan following her.

She was trying so hard to hide her identity, and I didn’t want to make things worse by offering comfort like…

‘Go Na-eun, right? You must be struggling with burnout and panic disorder.’

I could already imagine what kind of reaction that would get.

It seemed better to just ignore it and act like I didn’t know.

Instead, I said:

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, yes!?”

“I’m sorry, but I need to step out for a moment to take care of something I didn’t finish earlier. I’ll be in the back garden. If you need anything, just ring the bell.”

“Oh! Yes! Thank you!”

She said thank you, though I wasn’t sure she really needed to.

I made sure to tell her where the bathroom was, then left for the back garden.

* * *

Go Na-eun was exhausted.

After a long trainee life, she finally debuted, but the results were underwhelming.

The team didn’t succeed.

But she didn’t give up.

Instead of the team, she started to get attention on her own.

And her schedule quickly filled up.

It wasn’t for her team, but at least she was being noticed.

Wherever she went, she worked hard to promote her team.

She thought that if she kept doing this, eventually all the members would shine together.

But soon, the pressure started to weigh down on her, making everything feel heavier.

Her personal schedule grew, and soon it overlapped with team schedules and practice.

She was getting tired faster.

Having uneven sleep became normal..

‘I want to sleep. I need rest.’

She desperately needed a break.

She started thinking about it nonstop.

But did it show?

“Unni, I think you need to rest.”

It was the youngest member, speaking as they were practicing like usual.

“Huh? What do you mean? Our music show for the single album is coming up.”

She hadn’t said anything like that before, so she thought she might have been too obvious, so she waved it off.

But then…

“No,Go Na-eun. Sohee’s right, your face looks awful lately.”

“Yeah, you’ve been going straight from the shows to practice, haven’t you?”

The other members started agreeing with Sohee’s comment, looking at her with concern.

“What are you talking about? I’m fine, really.”

“No, you’re not. You wake up suddenly when you’re sleeping. You get scared by every small noise.”

“When did I…”

Even when her closest friend, who was the same age, said it, she denied it, but they weren’t convinced.

“Tomorrow you have no schedule, right? Don’t practice, just rest. You’ve done enough.”

“I’m really fine.”

“No, we’re not fine.”

The younger members agreed, giving quiet pressure.

Even her personal manager said:

“Go Na-eun, I think I need a break too. I need to go home.”

“Ugh!”

So, she was forced to take a day off.

“But what should I do?”

She had forgotten how to relax.

She wanted to sleep, but strangely, sleep wouldn’t come.

─I remember a cafe my dad and I used to go to. You should check it out. It’s really healing, I think. There’s a valley nearby, so it’s great for clearing your mind. Should I ask Dad where it is?

Her youngest member, who loved to travel, had said this to her in the early hours when she was having trouble sleeping.

So, she went out aimlessly, just letting her body take her wherever.

Eventually, she found herself in a quiet forest.

At first, she panicked because she got lost, but with the owner’s help, she made it there.

‘Tiger Rest Area.’

It was different from what she’d expected, as the owner was a young man.

But strangely, as soon as she arrived, she felt a sense of comfort.

She let out a sigh of relief.

For some reason, staying here felt like breathing easier, just like what her youngest member had said.

It felt like the first real rest she’d had in a long time.

“Hmm?”

While resting alone, she suddenly had an odd feeling and looked up.

Through a small window, she saw something that looked like soft rice cakes stuck to it.

What was that?

She felt the same strange pull that had led her to the path earlier.

Without thinking, she stood up.

She remembered the first time she saw the owner of this place, there had been something on the roof…

With that thought, she climbed the ladder and found a space that looked like something from her dreams.

* * *

One side.

Stepping out into the backyard, I was momentarily lost in the dense garden of weeds.

Had I chosen the wrong path?

But it was already too awkward to turn back.

In the end, I sighed and took out the tools from the shed.

“There’s no choice. I have to do this anyway.”

I decided to just do it without thinking too much.

After quite a bit of time passed…

“Ha!”

I finally finished everything.

If it hadn’t been for the mint drink, I would’ve been knocked out long ago.

Thanks to that, I learned another thing.

“The time’s been reduced.”

It took about 2 hours of work.

So, the time reduced should be 2 hours, but it was actually 4 hours less.

That meant the mint drink had a total recovery limit.

It wasn’t just time.

“Strangely logical.”

The ability felt like fantasy.

Anyway, after clearing the weeds in the backyard, the outline of the small garden became visible.

But the treasure hunt I expected turned out to be a bust.

Except for the mint, there was only one thing left.

That was…

[Carrot]

─Effect (Continuous): Improves eye health, boosts vitality.

What’s with the carrot all of a sudden?

Was this garden not for the café but just for actual gardening?

Picking and eating different crops?

I think I saw lettuce, cabbage, and radishes among the plants.

It seemed like they planted many things but gave up halfway, with just a few carrots left.

“There are about five.”

Since there are five stems, it’s probably the same underneath.

Anyway,

It didn’t seem to yield anything significant, but there was one interesting point.

Like mint, this also had an effect.

And there was one difference.

It said “continuous” next to it.

The mint didn’t have that. If you stacked mint effects, they would decrease, maybe even halved.

But I didn’t know how long the “continuous” effect would last…

“This ability doesn’t mess around.”

It probably lasts longer than I think.

Even the carrot stems looked fresher than anything I had seen so far.

It seemed full of life.

Maybe that’s why it survived in the weeds.

“So the other plants must’ve been overrun by weeds and died?”

A new possibility.

It didn’t really matter what I figured out right now.

But anyway, I learned that to make use of the garden, I had to keep it well-maintained.

I made a note of that.

“Hmm.”

One disappointing fact was that this wouldn’t be much help to the guest inside.

Well, there’s nothing I can do about that.

“But maybe…?”

Would effects unrelated to the guest’s condition also have an impact?

I had to solve the curiosity right away.

Since the garden work was done and quite a bit of time had passed, I decided to go inside and check.

I slipped into the café, and it was very quiet.

Is the guest asleep?

This works out fine.

Rather than going to the table, I decided to quietly work in the kitchen.

“The carrots are not good. Let’s try with the mint.”

I made a mint chocolate frappuccino.

And just as I had planned, I waited for the right moment to serve it like an open event…

But there was no one?

Was it quiet because there were no guests?

“Did they leave? No, the backpack is still here.”

Where could they have gone?

After searching around, I suddenly felt a gaze and looked up.

And there, through the ceiling window, I met the eyes of the cat, Rangi, looking pitiful.

Why are they like that?

“Ah!”

Just to be sure, I went out to the open space.

As expected, the guest was nowhere to be found, but thanks to Rangi, I found where they went.

It was on the roof.

Looking up from the open space, I saw the guest lying on a beanbag, fast asleep.

Why are they up there…?

“Wait?”

Before the question, another effect came to mind.

It was the effect of [Small Resting Spot on the Roof].

It relieved sleep disorders and stabilized the mind and body…

Now that I thought about it, that’s exactly what the guest needed right now.

With their big eyes and even bigger dark circles, they clearly hadn’t slept.

But now, here they were, sleeping soundly.

Should I wake them?

Maybe letting them rest here was another way to use the special space.

“That’s why the place exists.”

It’s there to be used, not just for curiosity.

I had been thinking about the drinks and missed it.

After all…

I had to think more deeply about this special place and the abilities here.

Anyway,

The guest didn’t seem to have any problems.

Rangi was upset about losing their spot but looked like they gave up when they saw I wasn’t going to wake the guest.

Rangi climbed into the guest’s lap and lay down.

From a distance, it looked so cozy.

It felt like I could hear Rangi’s gentle humming and the guest’s soft breathing.

“Mm.”

The guest seemed to feel the warmth of Rangi’s body and hugged them.

I felt the warmth too.

“…You asked for it. I’ll give you treats later.”

Of course, Rangi wasn’t happy with the spot, but after mumbling, they seemed to understand.

Or maybe they just gave up and lay down.

Both the guest and Rangi seemed clueless, but looking at them, I realized something again.

“This place isn’t just for drinking.”

It was a true resting spot.

Anyone tired could rest here.

Thinking once more about the meaning of the name Grandfather gave it…

I quietly went back inside, making sure not to wake them.

As I looked into the mirror, I noticed a text box reflected in it.

The effect of the mint drink was almost gone.

I guess I should drink what I made.