The problem became impossible to ignore three days later.
Moonbean Café was full.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Ren stood behind the counter while staring at the occupied tables.
Every seat was taken.
Several customers waited near the entrance.
And somehow—
Lina had stolen the last available chair.
"This is a crisis," Ren muttered.
Lina looked up from her coffee.
"What is?"
"You."
"That's fair."
"No, the café."
Lina glanced around.
The room was crowded.
Adventurers filled one side.
Merchants occupied another.
Theo played softly near the window.
Fina carried empty cups carefully between tables.
Even the recently expanded dessert display was nearly empty.
"...Oh."
"Exactly."
A traveler near the entrance sighed.
"Do you have any available seats?"
"No."
"Can I stand?"
"...That's becoming a concerningly common question."
The traveler immediately nodded.
"I'll stand."
Ren stared blankly.
The café had reached that point.
The point every business owner wanted.
And feared.
Success.
Later that afternoon, after the rush finally slowed down, Ren approached Serena's table.
The guild receptionist was reviewing paperwork while drinking coffee.
As usual.
At this point, Ren suspected she might secretly live here.
"Serena."
She looked up.
"Hm?"
"I need help."
The receptionist immediately looked concerned.
"How serious?"
"Café serious."
Her shoulders visibly relaxed.
"Oh. That's much better."
Ren pulled out a chair.
"The café is getting too small."
Serena glanced around.
Her eyes landed on the crowded tables.
The occupied corners.
The customers still waiting outside.
Then she nodded.
"You're right."
Lina immediately joined the conversation.
Without invitation.
"As the café's unofficial management consultant—"
"You have no authority here."
"I choose to ignore that."
Serena sipped her coffee.
"You need an expansion."
"That's what I'm thinking."
"Knock down the back wall," Lina suggested.
"That sounds dangerous."
"Everything sounds dangerous when you're boring."
"I am not boring."
"You organize coffee beans alphabetically."
"...That was one time."
"It was yesterday."
Ren ignored her.
"Do you know any carpenters in town?"
Serena immediately answered.
"Old Man Hugo."
The response came so quickly that Ren blinked.
"You didn't even think."
"Because everyone uses Hugo."
"Huh."
"He built half the town."
"That sounds impressive."
"It also means he complains about half the town."
"That sounds less impressive."
Lina laughed.
"She's right."
Serena folded another document.
"His workshop is near the eastern district."
Ren paused.
"...I've never been there."
The table fell silent.
"You've never been where?" Lina asked.
"The eastern district."
Another pause.
Then Theo spoke from nearby.
"...You've barely left the café, have you?"
Ren opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Because unfortunately—
They were right.
Since arriving in this world, he'd spent almost all his time inside Moonbean Café.
Renovating.
Cooking.
Managing customers.
Building relationships.
But actually exploring town?
Not really.
"That's kind of sad," Lina said.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Serena looked thoughtful.
"You should take a day off."
The entire café froze.
Then everyone stared at her.
The receptionist frowned.
"What?"
"You just suggested rest," Lina said.
"I'm not sure the world is prepared."
Serena looked deeply offended.
"I support healthy work-life balance."
"You literally bring paperwork into cafés."
"That's different."
"How?"
"It involves me."
Lina immediately pointed.
"See?"
The next morning—
For the first time since arriving in this world—
Moonbean Café remained closed.
A wooden sign hung on the door.
Closed Today
Café Renovation Planning
Several regular customers stared at it in shock.
One merchant reportedly looked personally betrayed.
Meanwhile, Ren stood outside with a small notebook.
It felt strange.
No apron.
No coffee brewing.
No customers.
Just him.
And an entire town he'd barely explored.
"This feels weird."
"It should."
Lina appeared beside him.
Of course she did.
"Why are you here?"
"I'm your tour guide."
"I never hired you."
"You can't afford me."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because it'd be funny if you got lost."
Ren sighed.
The town looked completely different when he wasn't rushing between the café and suppliers.
Stone streets stretched through several districts.
Colorful banners hung between buildings.
Street vendors sold fruits, bread, and handmade goods.
Children ran through alleyways laughing.
The atmosphere felt alive.
Bustling.
Comfortable.
As Ren walked, people greeted him surprisingly often.
"Morning, Café Owner!"
"Thanks for the cinnamon latte yesterday!"
"When are the cookies coming back?"
Ren blinked.
"...People know me."
Lina laughed.
"You own the most popular café in town."
"That happened surprisingly fast."
"No, you just didn't notice."
The realization felt strange.
Back on Earth, he was anonymous.
Just another exhausted employee among thousands.
Here—
People actually knew him.
Not because of status.
Not because of power.
But because of the café.
Because of something he built.
The eastern district turned out to be quieter.
Workshops lined the streets.
Blacksmiths.
Tailors.
Potters.
Woodworkers.
The sound of hammers and tools echoed through the area.
Eventually, they stopped before a large workshop.
A wooden sign swung gently above the entrance.
Hugo & Sons Carpentry
The building smelled strongly of fresh-cut lumber.
Inside, workers carried planks while sawdust floated through sunbeams.
And standing in the middle of it all—
Was a massive old man with a beard that seemed older than civilization itself.
"Hugo?" Ren asked.
The carpenter looked up.
"What?"
The response carried enough force to intimidate nearby furniture.
Ren blinked.
"Uh..."
The old man squinted.
Then suddenly pointed.
"Coffee boy."
"...Coffee boy?"
"The café owner."
"Oh."
The old man nodded once.
"Your coffee's good."
Then immediately returned to measuring wood.
Ren looked toward Lina.
Lina looked toward Ren.
Both silently agreed:
This man was strange.
After several moments, Hugo finally looked up again.
"Well?"
"I want to expand my café."
The carpenter's eyes sharpened.
For the first time, genuine interest appeared.
"The little building near Market Street?"
"That's the one."
"Hm."
Hugo rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
Then grinned.
A dangerous-looking grin.
"The place is too small."
"That's exactly my problem."
"Good."
The old carpenter laughed.
"Means business is working."
For the next hour, Hugo questioned Ren about everything.
Tables.
Walls.
Kitchen space.
Storage.
Future growth.
Future customers.
Future events.
Theo's music performances.
The dessert counter.
Everything.
And by the end of the conversation—
A rough expansion plan rested on the table.
Larger dining area.
Additional seating.
A small performance corner for Theo.
Better kitchen space.
And room for future growth.
Ren stared at the sketch.
For a moment—
He could already imagine it.
A bigger Moonbean Café.
More customers.
More memories.
More warmth.
Then Hugo slapped the table.
"Well?"
Ren smiled.
For the first time that day, excitement bubbled inside him.
"Let's do it."
And somewhere deep inside—
Moonbean Café's next chapter quietly began.
.
.
.