“Hey! If you help me, who’s going to watch the shop? No matter how safe this district is, there are always sticky-fingered types somewhere.”
When I looked at the mouse with concern, it frowned.
“What, you think I wouldn’t hear that? You’re a strange kid. Is it because you’re the human Boss Bbiik praised so much?”
Ah… so it knew I was human.
Do humans have some kind of distinct smell?
I lifted my arm and went Sniff, sniff., then handed the paper back.
After watching the mouse scamper away saying it would bring the beans right away, I went back inside the café. I poured some lemon water into a cup, put the lid on it, and carried it outside.
After standing there for a moment, I spotted the mouse in the distance, trotting along with two boxes stacked on top of its head.
Startled, I ran over, set the cup beside me, and dropped to one knee.
The mouse looked at me completely calmly, sniffed the air, and gestured with its paw.
“Hey, human. Don’t worry about it and just go open the door. This is nothing for me.”
“O-okay.”
Since it showed no sign of handing the boxes over, I fidgeted nervously before grabbing the cup and running to open the café door.
Once inside, the mouse set the boxes down near where we stored the coffee beans. It patted its shoulder twice, then came over and held out its paw.
“That’s for me, right? Hand it over.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I bent down with a small smile and gave it the cup.
I’d picked the smallest one I could find, but it still looked big in its paws.
As it gulped the water down, I lightly steadied the cup from the side.
“I told you it’s light for me! Seriously….”
“I know. I was just worried the water might spill.”
When I said that with a faint smile, the mouse shook its head.
Wiping its face with the tiny towel around its neck, it marched toward the door.
“I’m off! I’ve got two more deliveries after this, so I need to hurry.”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
For some reason I didn’t feel right just letting it go.
Maybe it was because it was so small…?
I went to the counter and took out the cookies I’d made smaller for myself earlier. After breaking them into even tinier pieces, I packed them up and handed them to the mouse.
“In case you get hungry while working.”
“…Good grief….”
The mouse accepted the cookies and made a strange expression.
Then it sighed.
“You humans make it impossible to hate you. Either be completely hateful or something….”
“Sorry?”
The voice was too quiet to hear clearly.
When I crouched lower to listen, the mouse waved its paw dismissively.
“Never mind. Since Lord Bihyeon allowed you to work here, I won’t complain.”
I blinked and nodded.
The mouse grimaced, then pulled something tightly wrapped in a tiny cloth bundle from its pocket and held it out to me.
“Here. I was going to eat this myself… but I’ll give it to you.”
“Wow, it’s cute.”
What is this? Some kind of miniature?
My eyes sparkled as I accepted it, and the mouse stomped the floor twice with its foot, frowning.
“You thought it was a toy!”
“What? N-no, I didn’t!”
Startled, I shook my head rapidly.
“Honestly. It may be small, but it’s a rice cake I made myself—one of the Twelve Zodiac.”
“Thank you very mu— wait, what?”
What… what did it just say?
The Twelve Zodiac?
“Keep it a secret from Boss Bbiik. Everyone around here thinks I’m just some ordinary guy. I got tired of being a god, so I hide my presence.”
“Y-yes….”
But why tell me that…?
My hands trembled slightly as I bowed my head in thanks.
The mouse waved its paw again.
“I’ve got to go. It’ll be past one soon.”
When I turned my head to check the time—
Ding-a-ling—.
By the time I looked back, the mouse had already opened the door and left.
“Uh— take care….”
I stood there awkwardly, unable to even say goodbye properly, and looked down at what I was holding.
It was so small I probably wouldn’t even taste it.
I laughed quietly and placed it on the counter.
I’ll toast some bread later and eat it together when I get hungry.
And so time passed.
One o’clock. Two. Three….
Even after four, there were hardly any customers, so I wandered around finding things to keep myself busy.
Ding-a-ling—.
Hearing the bell made me weirdly happy.
“Welcome!”
I called out brightly and turned toward the door with sparkling eyes.
“Hm?”
Lord Bihyeon, who had just walked in, widened his eyes slightly at the unusually enthusiastic greeting.
He came closer as if to order, then suddenly leaned toward me and sniffed the air.
“Smells familiar.”
After staring at me for a moment, he gave a small laugh.
“Looks like you met Seodam.”
“Seodam? Who… I did meet a mouse earlier.”
What… am I just used to this now?
He’s getting close so naturally.
I blinked and lifted my arm to sniff myself.
All I could smell was coffee and sweetness from working.
“That’s unusual. Normally he sends a subordinate.”
“Wait… is that mouse the boss?”
So even gods work really hard…?
“He does hold a high position, but that’s not the reason. He can only be active for a limited amount of time. Once that time passes, he has to use divine power, so he avoids moving around.”
The fact that Lord Bihyeon knew all that was even stranger, but I kept quiet.
As I awkwardly smiled, he held out his card.
“One Iced Americano. By the way, it seems Seodam gave you something.”
The playful look in his eyes gave me a bad feeling.
“Yes… he gave me a rice cake. Wh-why? Is it something bad?”
As I finished the payment and handed back the card, Lord Bihyeon chuckled softly.
“It’s obviously not poison, but aren’t you a bit too trusting? You just accept anything without knowing what it is.”
Since it came from a god, I’d assumed it couldn’t be bad.
Honestly… I hadn’t doubted it at all.
Lord Bihyeon looked at me for a moment, then shrugged.
His expression suggested something about it bothered him, but I pretended not to notice.
“Um… is it bad for me?”
“A god’s hand touched it, so it’ll probably be beneficial. It should restore your energy… though humans might end up with so much energy they can’t sleep.”
“Sleep….”
That would be a problem.
But how did he even know the one I met was a god?
No— forget it.
He’s the Yellow Dragon, after all.
Smiling with a strangely enlightened feeling, I turned around and started making the drink.
“You could eat it in small pieces… but isn’t it too tiny for that?”
Right.
Breaking something that small would be even more work.
Even with a magnifying glass it probably wouldn’t work.
“…I’ll just stay up for one day.”
“So you’re still going to eat it.”
“It would be rude not to, since he made it for me.”
Not being able to sleep, huh…
Then I’ll save it and eat it when I go to the festival with Lord Bihyeon.
I added a slice of lemon to the drink, closed the lid, and handed it to him.
Instead of leaving immediately, he sat at a table where he could clearly see the counter, as if waiting for me.
“I’m going to toast some bread. Do you want some?”
“What are you making?”
Lord Bihyeon smiled lazily at my question.
“I’m debating between pizza toast or strawberry jam.”
“Hm… I’ll take strawberry jam.”
I nodded, took out the toaster, and placed the bread inside.
I’d already made the walnut pie earlier when I had time…
The cleaning was finished, and the coffee beans were all organized.
Now I could finally rest a bit until my shift ended.
I sat down in a chair and blankly stared ahead, then lifted my head and watched Lord Bihyeon sipping his drink while looking elsewhere.
He kept staring in the same direction.
Following his gaze, I turned my head.
There, hanging on the door, was the ornament I’d put up earlier.
The toaster popped, and I slowly stood.
Even then, Lord Bihyeon was still staring at the ornament.
When I started moving, he turned his head away as if nothing had happened, but his eyes were shining with a strange emotion.
No matter how I looked at it…
That was longing.
Usually it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, so seeing that expression made me uneasy.
“That ornament seems to match the café’s interior well.”
“It does.”
I’d expected him to deny it completely.
The unexpectedly positive answer made my hand pause while spreading butter.
Seeing my reaction, Lord Bihyeon laughed quietly and rested his chin on his hand.
“Just keep one for yourself. You were planning to give the other one to me, weren’t you?”
“…N-no I wasn’t….”
How did he know that?
“I wouldn’t recommend giving it to me.”
Now he was looking at me with playful eyes.
Frowning, I finished spreading the jam and handed him the toast.
“Is it bad for you?”
“Not exactly bad… well, maybe it is. Those beads carry strong water energy.”
“How is that bad?”
Would it curse him or something?
With a bad feeling, I asked cautiously.
Lord Bihyeon laughed.
“If even the smallest fire starts somewhere in the palace, it would cause a flood. That place is already filled with water energy.”
“I definitely won’t give it to you.”
“Yes, that’s a wise decision.”
I spread jam on my own toast as well and plopped down in front of him.
Taking a big bite, I chewed while he leaned comfortably back in his chair and watched me.
He was smiling, but his eyes lingered on my face with that same strange look.
Then he began eating slowly too.
After swallowing the last piece of bread, I pointed to the plate.
“Want another?”
“No. I need to eat breakfast later. You should stop there too.”
That was fair.
I nodded, finished the rest of mine, and took a sip of the coffee I’d made for myself.
He still calls me “you” instead of my name.
Just as I was about to feel a little disappointed—
Ding-a-ling—.
“Welcome!”
I stood with the empty plate and turned around.
My eyes met Eoun, who had just walked in with a bright smile.
I smiled back and bowed.
They strode over to me, grabbed my hand, and firmly placed something on my palm.
A handkerchief in a beautiful color.
After giving it to me, they waved happily and then closed their eyes.
“I hope good things fill your life.”
They said it softly, almost like casting a spell.
Then they released my hand and beamed.
“What do you think? Pretty, right? You have no idea how much effort I put into making it.”
“Yes. It’s really beautiful.”
It was a cool sky blue, like a lake.
But somehow it felt warm.
Smiling faintly, I looked at the handkerchief and bowed again.
“Thank you.”
Eoun chuckled and looked at me kindly.
After checking the time, they said they needed to go and headed for the door.
Then they suddenly noticed Lord Bihyeon sitting there.
Their body jerked in shock.
They bowed deeply in greeting.
Apparently they felt uneasy about not greeting him first, glancing nervously at him.
Lord Bihyeon simply waved a hand casually, as if to say it was fine.
After watching them leave quickly, I lowered my gaze to the handkerchief again.
Why does it feel like I keep gaining precious things whenever I’m here?
My chest felt strange.
I tapped it lightly a few times, then carefully placed the handkerchief inside my shopping bag before turning around.