***
Antonio's cafe was bustling with customers.
Of course, it wasn't as popular as Sunflower, but still...
All 20 tables were occupied with customers enjoying their coffee.
The menu was diverse, offering not only drip coffee but also espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte, and even coffee slushies served in companion cups with whipped cream.
After looking around the cafe, Hae-jun approached Antonio, who was moving busily behind the counter.
"You're busy."
"Hahaha. It's all thanks to you."
"You'll reach your goal soon."
"I'm making steady progress. Do you see those beautiful women sitting at that table over there?"
Antonio whispered softly and pointed his chin towards three women sitting by the window.
There, a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead with fair skin and attractive appearances were seated. Antonio made eye contact with the women and stroked his beard with his signature charming smile.
'Ugh, so cheesy.'
It was the kind of cheesiness that made it seem like he had just devoured 100 pieces of cheese in one bite.
Hae-jun, who couldn't stand it any longer, ordered a coffee from Antonio.
"Just wait a moment. I'll treat you to a special coffee."
Antonio, who had promised to treat him to a special coffee, walked towards a strange coffee extractor displayed behind him.
It looked like a flask from a science lab? No, it was an hourglass-shaped extractor, and a single drop fell down into it like a nutrient solution in a Ringer's bottle.
"What is this?"
"Cold brew. It's also known as the Tears of an Angel."
It was the first time Hae-jun had heard of it.
Well, it was no wonder since he had only known about Maxim coffee until a few days ago.
"I learned how to make it from the captain on the Mulberry. Apparently, this is how they drink it on ships."
The explanation revealed that the brewing method was quite complicated.
Unlike regular coffee, cold brew was made with cold water. It involved dropping cold water onto ground coffee beans one drop per second for 8 to 12 hours. The resulting extract was too strong, so it had to be diluted with water at a ratio of about 1:5 before drinking.
"Here, try it."
Antonio handed him a glass. It was clearer and had a darker black color than regular coffee, which was brewed by pouring hot water and extracting it in a short amount of time.
Antonio, who had been waiting for Hae-jun to take a sip, soon asked for his response.
“How is it?”
“Wow!”
It was much stronger and richer in flavor than the drip coffee I had before.
It was less bitter than espresso, but the sourness, bitterness, and sweetness of the beans themselves seemed to be deeper.
It’s intense and deep.
“It’s intense.”
“Right?”
“Yes. That’s how cold brew tastes. The flavor and aroma are richer because it’s extracted over a long period of time. But it’s a matter of personal preference.”
Coffee wasn’t just a bitter drink.
Properly brewed coffee with good beans had a rich sourness, bitterness, and sweetness. There was even coffee that had a refreshing fruity aroma.
The subtle aftertaste felt after drinking it was fundamentally different from the stale bitterness and artificial aroma of coffee mix.
That doesn’t mean I’m putting down coffee mix.
I guess it has its own pros and cons.
Vending machine coffee enjoyed with a cigarette after a meal was Hae-jun’s only stress reliever during his time as a high school student.
It was quite enjoyable to have more things I could eat.
It felt like I had found a new joy in life.
‘Whatever it is, it tastes good.’
While drinking coffee, Hae-jun exchanged lighthearted jokes with Antonio.
Sitting comfortably and drinking coffee relaxed both his body and mind.
This is exactly what a cup of coffee can do for you.
“Creak. Groan···.”
Mongchi, who had been following Hae-jun and curling up in the sunniest spot in the cafe, suddenly got up from his seat.
With an uncomfortable expression, he looked around and then slowly crawled towards Hae-jun.
He circled anxiously beneath Hae-jun’s knees, drawing figure eights. Noticing something was wrong, Hae-jun stroked Mongchi’s fur and asked him.
Then Mongchi made a motion like he was kneading bread.
“Mongchi, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt? You don’t look so good?”
Cats make that kneading motion when they’re uncomfortable.
As Hae-jun had guessed, Mongchi let out a pitiful meow.
“Meow~.”
“Bathroom?”
It seemed like he had gotten sick after following me around and eating so many coffee beans.
“I told you to eat only a little.”
“Meow.”
“Just a moment. Sir, where’s the bathroom here?”
“Is that a cat? Follow me.”
Antonio led Mongchi and Hae-jun to a secluded spot behind the store.
As it happened, there was sand, making it the perfect place for a toilet. The moment Mongchi jumped up, got into position, and exerted his strength, Antonio, who saw the excrement, screamed.
“Eww! W, what is this!?”
Hae-jun was just as surprised.
This was because Mongchi had unusually thick feces.
His poor condition was probably due to having such a huge Black Flame Dragon(?) in his stomach.
‘That’s why I told you to eat the fruit in small pieces.’
***
“Eww, what is this!?”
“Mongchi. Your poop is unusually thick today.”
Antonio grabbed Hae-jun’s wrist, who was trying to clean up Mongchi’s feces.
“Hold on a second.”
“Yes? Why?”
“Don’t touch it.”
“It’s dirty. I’ll clean it up.”
“That’s not it. Hae-jun, did the cat eat any coffee fruit?”
“How did you know? It kept following me around and eating it.”
Even Antonio himself had only heard of the legendary story.
Coffee fruit eaten by cats is not digested and is excreted as is. It is said that if this is processed and eaten, it tastes amazing.
“To think I’d find this precious Kopi Luwak here.”
“Kopi··· Luwak? What’s that?”
Luwak is the Indonesian word for civet. Civets are cat-like animals similar to hyenas and mongooses.
Simply put, Kopi Luwak, or Luwak Coffee, is coffee made from undigested beans found in the feces of civets. It is said to be a very expensive and rare coffee that must go through a meticulous cleaning and sterilization process before it can be roasted.
Later, I found out that in addition to Kopi Luwak, there is also coffee made from beans found in elephant feces. The world of coffee is truly amazing the more you learn about it.
“Do you really need to drink something like this?”
“What do you know? Luwak Coffee is very expensive. Look, Hae-jun. Sell this to me. I’ll give you ten times··· no, twenty times the price.”
He was offering to buy coffee mixed with cat feces for twenty times the price.
For a moment, I worried that something was wrong with Antonio’s head.
But that was just my imagination. People bought the coffee that came out of Mongchi’s stomach for a very high price and praised its taste and aroma.
Antonio’s cafe business was thriving day by day.
The coffee was delicious in general, but the special menu item, ‘Kopi Luwak,’ was by far the most popular.
Word of mouth spread even across the sea, and the scale grew to the point of receiving bean orders from Mulberry.
Thanks to that, Hae-jun's coffee farm was also busy, and he had to hire three more residents.
Hae-jun, who had opened his eyes to coffee because of Antonio, gradually learned how to make drip coffee, cold brew, and other types of coffee.
***
The beans used at Sunflower were also changed to those grown on the Dimensional Farm.
Hae-jun did the farming, but Antonio did the roasting.
Only then did Hae-jun realize that Antonio was a very skilled roaster and barista. And Hae-jun, who had received barista skills from him, also became a top-level barista.
After finishing his meal, Hae-jun brought out a very precious Kopi Luwak and gave it to the employees.
It was brewed coffee made with a hand drip set that Hae-jun had purchased separately.
Pour-
"Try it."
"I'll drink it well."
"Thank you."
"I'll eat well. Boss."
The aroma was different from the Americano extracted from the espresso machine.
It was deeper, richer, and more intense.
"It smells amazing. What beans are these?"
"Kenya AA? Guatemala? Or Hawaiian Kona?"
The names of expensive beans were listed.
Strictly speaking, the beans Hae-jun brought were Jamaican Blue Mountain. It would be correct to call them that since they were of the Typica variety and grown in a similar environment.
'And this is Kopi Luwak produced by Mongchi.'
Hae-jun, who couldn't tell the truth, beat around the bush.
"Well. Someone I somehow got to know gave it to me. It's very expensive and high-quality."
It wasn't a lie.
A cup of coffee at Antonio's shop cost 1 silver, but Luwak coffee cost as much as 2 gold.
"Anyway, you should know that you are very lucky."
"Lucky?"
"Yes. Somehow, an acquaintance gives you good ingredients cheaply, and he gives you the best beans like this. I don't know, but this must be incredibly expensive?"
"Is that so?"
Hae-jun scratched his head.
Hae-jun admitted that Min-ju's words were not wrong.
No matter what happened in the past, he had been luckier than winning the lottery first prize several times in the past few months.
It was sad that his father had disappeared, but thanks to that, he had inherited Sunflower, become the owner of the Dimensional Farm, and even become the owner of a famous restaurant.
“Is it that expensive?”
Kang-hoon, who used to be a cook, asked Min-ju.
“Maybe?”
“Then I should drink every last drop of it.”
“Me too.”
“Right. Try it before it gets cold. It’s the perfect temperature to drink right now.”
“Then I will too.”
Her nostrils flared, and her eyebrows lowered.
Min-ju’s unique reaction exploded, indicating that the coffee was to her taste.
“Wow, it’s delicious.”
Somehow, Min-ju thought Hae-jun was amazing.
Until recently, he was someone who only drank instant coffee, calling it Maxim, but now he was suddenly making barista-level coffee. It made her see him in a new light.
‘Well, there’s nothing Oppa can’t do. He’s good at cooking, kind, and manly. These days, he’s been working out, so his body is getting better and better, and his face too··· Oh my! What am I thinking right now?’
Kim Min-ju’s face flushed red as her eyes met Hae-jun’s.
“Huh? Min-ju. What’s wrong with your face?”
“It’s nothing. It just suddenly turned red.”
“Are you not feeling well?”
When Eun-jeong asked, Kang-hoon and Dong-sik also asked if she was okay.
Min-ju’s condition was perfectly normal. Her heart was just beating fast at the thought of Hae-jun.
‘Don’t beat so fast, my heart.’
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing. Are you sure you don’t have a cold?”
Min-ju’s face turned even redder like a tomato when Hae-jun suddenly brought his face closer and asked. If he had put his hand on her forehead, her face might have exploded.
Min-ju, who had been flustered and hesitant, changed the subject.
“I said I’m fine. Oh··· Th, then how about we add that To, Tomato Pasta you made back then to the menu? We can also sell this drip coffee. I think both of them will be well-received.”
“This coffee is too difficult to get the beans for, so that’s not possible.”
Mongchi especially loved coffee beans and ate them often, but it was too much even for Antonio to supply.
Besides, if Sunflower sold Kopi Luwak, Mongchi’s butt might fall off.
When Hae-jun glanced at him, Mongchi, who sensed a crisis, started to meow.
“Meeoow~!”
'Oops, don't worry. And you're the one eating it, not me.'
Flick- Flick-
Mongchi groomed himself and curled up into a ball again.
“And it’s hard for me to handle the kitchen by myself, so let’s give up on the drip coffee. Instead, I’m going to make cold brew and add it to the menu.”
“I don't know how to make cold brew either?”
“I know how. I learned.”
“When did you learn that?”
“Anyway, our boss is amazing.”
“That's why I respect him.”
“Th, then I should modify the menu.”
Min-ju gulped down the remaining coffee in one go and got up, and the rest of the employees looked at her suspiciously.
“She's acting strange today.”
“Yeah.”
***
Antonio's cafe was bustling with customers.
Of course, it wasn't as popular as Sunflower, but still...
All 20 tables were occupied with customers enjoying their coffee.
The menu was diverse, offering not only drip coffee but also espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte, and even coffee slushies served in companion cups with whipped cream.
After looking around the cafe, Hae-jun approached Antonio, who was moving busily behind the counter.
"You're busy."
"Hahaha. It's all thanks to you."
"You'll reach your goal soon."
"I'm making steady progress. Do you see those beautiful women sitting at that table over there?"
Antonio whispered softly and pointed his chin towards three women sitting by the window.
There, a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead with fair skin and attractive appearances were seated. Antonio made eye contact with the women and stroked his beard with his signature charming smile.
'Ugh, so cheesy.'
It was the kind of cheesiness that made it seem like he had just devoured 100 pieces of cheese in one bite.
Hae-jun, who couldn't stand it any longer, ordered a coffee from Antonio.
"Just wait a moment. I'll treat you to a special coffee."
Antonio, who had promised to treat him to a special coffee, walked towards a strange coffee extractor displayed behind him.
It looked like a flask from a science lab? No, it was an hourglass-shaped extractor, and a single drop fell down into it like a nutrient solution in a Ringer's bottle.
"What is this?"
"Cold brew. It's also known as the Tears of an Angel."
It was the first time Hae-jun had heard of it.
Well, it was no wonder since he had only known about Maxim coffee until a few days ago.
"I learned how to make it from the captain on the Mulberry. Apparently, this is how they drink it on ships."
The explanation revealed that the brewing method was quite complicated.
Unlike regular coffee, cold brew was made with cold water. It involved dropping cold water onto ground coffee beans one drop per second for 8 to 12 hours. The resulting extract was too strong, so it had to be diluted with water at a ratio of about 1:5 before drinking.
"Here, try it."
Antonio handed him a glass. It was clearer and had a darker black color than regular coffee, which was brewed by pouring hot water and extracting it in a short amount of time.
Antonio, who had been waiting for Hae-jun to take a sip, soon asked for his response.
“How is it?”
“Wow!”
It was much stronger and richer in flavor than the drip coffee I had before.
It was less bitter than espresso, but the sourness, bitterness, and sweetness of the beans themselves seemed to be deeper.
It’s intense and deep.
“It’s intense.”
“Right?”
“Yes. That’s how cold brew tastes. The flavor and aroma are richer because it’s extracted over a long period of time. But it’s a matter of personal preference.”
Coffee wasn’t just a bitter drink.
Properly brewed coffee with good beans had a rich sourness, bitterness, and sweetness. There was even coffee that had a refreshing fruity aroma.
The subtle aftertaste felt after drinking it was fundamentally different from the stale bitterness and artificial aroma of coffee mix.
That doesn’t mean I’m putting down coffee mix.
I guess it has its own pros and cons.
Vending machine coffee enjoyed with a cigarette after a meal was Hae-jun’s only stress reliever during his time as a high school student.
It was quite enjoyable to have more things I could eat.
It felt like I had found a new joy in life.
‘Whatever it is, it tastes good.’
While drinking coffee, Hae-jun exchanged lighthearted jokes with Antonio.
Sitting comfortably and drinking coffee relaxed both his body and mind.
This is exactly what a cup of coffee can do for you.
“Creak. Groan···.”
Mongchi, who had been following Hae-jun and curling up in the sunniest spot in the cafe, suddenly got up from his seat.
With an uncomfortable expression, he looked around and then slowly crawled towards Hae-jun.
He circled anxiously beneath Hae-jun’s knees, drawing figure eights. Noticing something was wrong, Hae-jun stroked Mongchi’s fur and asked him.
Then Mongchi made a motion like he was kneading bread.
“Mongchi, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt? You don’t look so good?”
Cats make that kneading motion when they’re uncomfortable.
As Hae-jun had guessed, Mongchi let out a pitiful meow.
“Meow~.”
“Bathroom?”
It seemed like he had gotten sick after following me around and eating so many coffee beans.
“I told you to eat only a little.”
“Meow.”
“Just a moment. Sir, where’s the bathroom here?”
“Is that a cat? Follow me.”
Antonio led Mongchi and Hae-jun to a secluded spot behind the store.
As it happened, there was sand, making it the perfect place for a toilet. The moment Mongchi jumped up, got into position, and exerted his strength, Antonio, who saw the excrement, screamed.
“Eww! W, what is this!?”
Hae-jun was just as surprised.
This was because Mongchi had unusually thick feces.
His poor condition was probably due to having such a huge Black Flame Dragon(?) in his stomach.
‘That’s why I told you to eat the fruit in small pieces.’
***
“Eww, what is this!?”
“Mongchi. Your poop is unusually thick today.”
Antonio grabbed Hae-jun’s wrist, who was trying to clean up Mongchi’s feces.
“Hold on a second.”
“Yes? Why?”
“Don’t touch it.”
“It’s dirty. I’ll clean it up.”
“That’s not it. Hae-jun, did the cat eat any coffee fruit?”
“How did you know? It kept following me around and eating it.”
Even Antonio himself had only heard of the legendary story.
Coffee fruit eaten by cats is not digested and is excreted as is. It is said that if this is processed and eaten, it tastes amazing.
“To think I’d find this precious Kopi Luwak here.”
“Kopi··· Luwak? What’s that?”
Luwak is the Indonesian word for civet. Civets are cat-like animals similar to hyenas and mongooses.
Simply put, Kopi Luwak, or Luwak Coffee, is coffee made from undigested beans found in the feces of civets. It is said to be a very expensive and rare coffee that must go through a meticulous cleaning and sterilization process before it can be roasted.
Later, I found out that in addition to Kopi Luwak, there is also coffee made from beans found in elephant feces. The world of coffee is truly amazing the more you learn about it.
“Do you really need to drink something like this?”
“What do you know? Luwak Coffee is very expensive. Look, Hae-jun. Sell this to me. I’ll give you ten times··· no, twenty times the price.”
He was offering to buy coffee mixed with cat feces for twenty times the price.
For a moment, I worried that something was wrong with Antonio’s head.
But that was just my imagination. People bought the coffee that came out of Mongchi’s stomach for a very high price and praised its taste and aroma.
Antonio’s cafe business was thriving day by day.
The coffee was delicious in general, but the special menu item, ‘Kopi Luwak,’ was by far the most popular.
Word of mouth spread even across the sea, and the scale grew to the point of receiving bean orders from Mulberry.
Thanks to that, Hae-jun's coffee farm was also busy, and he had to hire three more residents.
Hae-jun, who had opened his eyes to coffee because of Antonio, gradually learned how to make drip coffee, cold brew, and other types of coffee.
***
The beans used at Sunflower were also changed to those grown on the Dimensional Farm.
Hae-jun did the farming, but Antonio did the roasting.
Only then did Hae-jun realize that Antonio was a very skilled roaster and barista. And Hae-jun, who had received barista skills from him, also became a top-level barista.
After finishing his meal, Hae-jun brought out a very precious Kopi Luwak and gave it to the employees.
It was brewed coffee made with a hand drip set that Hae-jun had purchased separately.
Pour-
"Try it."
"I'll drink it well."
"Thank you."
"I'll eat well. Boss."
The aroma was different from the Americano extracted from the espresso machine.
It was deeper, richer, and more intense.
"It smells amazing. What beans are these?"
"Kenya AA? Guatemala? Or Hawaiian Kona?"
The names of expensive beans were listed.
Strictly speaking, the beans Hae-jun brought were Jamaican Blue Mountain. It would be correct to call them that since they were of the Typica variety and grown in a similar environment.
'And this is Kopi Luwak produced by Mongchi.'
Hae-jun, who couldn't tell the truth, beat around the bush.
"Well. Someone I somehow got to know gave it to me. It's very expensive and high-quality."
It wasn't a lie.
A cup of coffee at Antonio's shop cost 1 silver, but Luwak coffee cost as much as 2 gold.
"Anyway, you should know that you are very lucky."
"Lucky?"
"Yes. Somehow, an acquaintance gives you good ingredients cheaply, and he gives you the best beans like this. I don't know, but this must be incredibly expensive?"
"Is that so?"
Hae-jun scratched his head.
Hae-jun admitted that Min-ju's words were not wrong.
No matter what happened in the past, he had been luckier than winning the lottery first prize several times in the past few months.
It was sad that his father had disappeared, but thanks to that, he had inherited Sunflower, become the owner of the Dimensional Farm, and even become the owner of a famous restaurant.
“Is it that expensive?”
Kang-hoon, who used to be a cook, asked Min-ju.
“Maybe?”
“Then I should drink every last drop of it.”
“Me too.”
“Right. Try it before it gets cold. It’s the perfect temperature to drink right now.”
“Then I will too.”
Her nostrils flared, and her eyebrows lowered.
Min-ju’s unique reaction exploded, indicating that the coffee was to her taste.
“Wow, it’s delicious.”
Somehow, Min-ju thought Hae-jun was amazing.
Until recently, he was someone who only drank instant coffee, calling it Maxim, but now he was suddenly making barista-level coffee. It made her see him in a new light.
‘Well, there’s nothing Oppa can’t do. He’s good at cooking, kind, and manly. These days, he’s been working out, so his body is getting better and better, and his face too··· Oh my! What am I thinking right now?’
Kim Min-ju’s face flushed red as her eyes met Hae-jun’s.
“Huh? Min-ju. What’s wrong with your face?”
“It’s nothing. It just suddenly turned red.”
“Are you not feeling well?”
When Eun-jeong asked, Kang-hoon and Dong-sik also asked if she was okay.
Min-ju’s condition was perfectly normal. Her heart was just beating fast at the thought of Hae-jun.
‘Don’t beat so fast, my heart.’
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing. Are you sure you don’t have a cold?”
Min-ju’s face turned even redder like a tomato when Hae-jun suddenly brought his face closer and asked. If he had put his hand on her forehead, her face might have exploded.
Min-ju, who had been flustered and hesitant, changed the subject.
“I said I’m fine. Oh··· Th, then how about we add that To, Tomato Pasta you made back then to the menu? We can also sell this drip coffee. I think both of them will be well-received.”
“This coffee is too difficult to get the beans for, so that’s not possible.”
Mongchi especially loved coffee beans and ate them often, but it was too much even for Antonio to supply.
Besides, if Sunflower sold Kopi Luwak, Mongchi’s butt might fall off.
When Hae-jun glanced at him, Mongchi, who sensed a crisis, started to meow.
“Meeoow~!”
'Oops, don't worry. And you're the one eating it, not me.'
Flick- Flick-
Mongchi groomed himself and curled up into a ball again.
“And it’s hard for me to handle the kitchen by myself, so let’s give up on the drip coffee. Instead, I’m going to make cold brew and add it to the menu.”
“I don't know how to make cold brew either?”
“I know how. I learned.”
“When did you learn that?”
“Anyway, our boss is amazing.”
“That's why I respect him.”
“Th, then I should modify the menu.”
Min-ju gulped down the remaining coffee in one go and got up, and the rest of the employees looked at her suspiciously.
“She's acting strange today.”
“Yeah.”
