―A benefactor?
―What does that mean
―Jinwoo, tell us the details
―Is that all?
"Keep doing what you're doing now."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't worry too much, just do as you always do."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
There was nothing to be gained from saying more than this.
There are times when not knowing is better than knowing.
For one thing, you don't go striking up conversations with a male customer.
Since just making good coffee and slipping him something on the house each time would make him a regular for life.
"Let me tell you just one more thing."
"Yes."
"Sincerity comes back to you."
"Sincerity?"
"Yes. The sincerity you show your customers, OneCupOfCoffee."
"Then my cafe won't go under?"
"Yes. It won't go under."
"How?"
Her voice sounded frustrated at my answer, but what could I do.
I couldn't tell her.
"How is it that it won't go under?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why?"
"Because if your actions change, the future changes too."
―Jinwoo's getting cryptic
―There's something here
―There's a reason he won't tell us who the benefactor is
―Hearing him like this, he really does sound like a shaman
"Keep doing exactly what you've been doing. And treat every single customer with care."
"...Understood."
"You've got this."
"Thank you."
Click.
The moment OneCupOfCoffee left, donations came up as if they had been waiting.
―Anon has donated 1,000 won!―
[Jinwoo, just tell us quietly while it's only us]
―Anon has donated 1,000 won!―
[Who's the benefactor? We'll keep the secret]
―Anon has donated 1,000 won!―
[If you don't tell me I won't be able to sleep tonight!!!!]
"I can't tell you either. And by the way."
I looked at the webcam and smiled.
"That's it for today's broadcast. Thank you."
―Huhhhhhh?
―Hey, hey, hey, this isn't right!!!!
―I won't be able to sleep!!!!!!!
―Jinwoo, it isn't true, right? Tell me it isn't!!!!!!
With those words I pressed the [End Broadcast] button.
"Ugh, I'm stiff."
My whole body was stiff, but strangely, the moment I turned off the broadcast I felt my stamina recovering.
Was it because I had used my spiritual power?
Well, it didn't matter.
That wasn't what was important right now.
"Let's see."
The moment I checked the settlement amount I had earned today.
"Huh?"
I rubbed my eyes and checked again.
15,720,000 won.
Even after fees were deducted, it was this much.
...I made over ten million won in a single day?
At this rate, shouldn't I be eating Korean beef instead of steak and wine?
The settlement date wasn't far off either, so I should start looking into it diligently from now on.
But before that, there was something I had to do first.
I clasped my hands together, closed my eyes, and prayed.
"Mother, thank you again today."
***
A small cafe located in an alley in Yeonhui-dong.
Park Hyesuk stood behind the counter, wiping cups.
She had been running her cafe in this small alley for three years now, and the problem was that customers were steadily dwindling.
"Haa......."
If only five customers had come to the cafe all morning, that said it all.
Ever since three franchise cafes had moved in next door, her sales had been cut in half.
Being cut in half was serious enough, but at this rate even next month's rent would be tight.
'Does getting a consultation from a shaman change anything.'
Just as Park Hyesuk wiped a cup with a sigh.
"Excuse me."
"Yes."
At the customer's voice she hurriedly dried her hands and went to serve him.
"One more hot americano, please."
"Yes. I'll bring it to your seat."
"Thank you."
A customer who sat in the same seat at the same time every day.
The gentleman in the fine hat was one of the cafe's few regulars.
She brewed the coffee with care, as always.
She ground the beans, poured water at the right temperature, and extracted it slowly.
Carrying the finished coffee along with a plate holding a freshly baked scone, she walked over to the window seat where he sat.
"Here's your coffee. The scone is on the house."
"Thank you."
After bringing him the coffee she returned to the counter, and looking at the customer, she thought.
'Yes, I should be grateful I at least have this customer.'
To be considerate of the customer working on something with his laptop, she turned the cafe music down slightly and went back to wiping the rest of the cups, when raindrops began to fall outside, one, then two.
"Oh my, it's raining."
Park Hyesuk looked toward the window seat, and the customer was absorbed in his work without taking his eyes off the laptop.
'That seat might be a little cold when it rains.'
With that thought she took a small blanket from under the counter, quietly walked over, and set it down beside his chair.
"I thought you might be cold with the rain."
"Thank you."
The man lifted his head for a moment and looked at Park Hyesuk.
And he smiled a little.
Park Hyesuk smiled too and returned to the counter.
The shaman had said it, hadn't he. That sincerity comes back to you.
But there was one thing she could guarantee.
The fact that she had always been sincere with her customers.
***
One week later.
She came in to the cafe as usual, and froze at the astonishing sight.
"What in the......?"
A crowd of people was lined up in front of her cafe.
There had to be at least twenty of them, and she had no idea what was happening.
...No, this wasn't the time for other thoughts. First she had to open the cafe.
When Park Hyesuk made her way past the people toward the cafe door, someone stepped in front of her.
"Excuse me, you can't cut in line."
"S-sorry?"
"We've been standing here since dawn. Go to the very back."
At the people's glares, she answered in a shrinking voice.
"...I'm the owner of the cafe."
"Oh my, I'm so sorry!"
Only then did the customers step aside.
When Park Hyesuk opened the door, the people poured in all at once.
Then they claimed seats first, and the window seats filled up in an instant.
"This is the place, right?"
"Yeah, this is it."
She was bewildered by the customers, but the flood of orders left her no time to collect herself.
"Two hot americanos!"
"One iced latte and one iced hot chocolate!"
"Is there a specific reserved seat?"
"An iced latte with the syrup left out and soy milk instead of regular milk! And only half the ice, please!"
She took orders in a daze and started brewing coffee.
And then her hands began to tremble.
Of course they did, since in three years there had never been this many people.
Only after a long while was she able to finish making even the last customer's coffee.
Just as she caught her breath, a woman customer in her late twenties came up to the counter.
"Ma'am."
"Yes?"
"This is the cafe where Director Kim Anjun wrote his screenplay, right?"
"Sorry? Who is that?"
"Huh? He said so in an interview yesterday. You didn't see it?"
"What interview?"
"One moment."
The woman took out her phone and showed it to her.
A large movie theater stage, with a man standing in front of a microphone.
The man was wearing a familiar hat.
Park Hyesuk's eyes widened as she looked closely.
'The regular who comes in every day?'
The man in the video, Director Kim Anjun, smiled and spoke.
"Thanks to all of you, I reached ten million admissions just as I pledged, and so I'm standing on this stage. Thank you."
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
"This is my first time standing somewhere like this, so I'm quite nervous."
Then a man who appeared to be the MC took the microphone and laughed.
"For your first time, you speak very well."
"Thank you."
The MC asked all sorts of questions, and the last one was the highlight.
"Where did you mainly work on the screenplay for this film that broke ten million admissions?"
Given the question, Director Kim Anjun smiled and answered.
"There's a small cafe in an alley in Yeonhui-dong. The owner brews coffee with such care that I've been going there for three years."
"Oh, what kind of cafe is it?"
"It's a place run by an owner who even brings you a blanket on rainy days. It's such a warm place that I think that's why a good screenplay came out of it."
At his words, a small laugh broke out from the audience.
"Could you tell us the name of the cafe, by any chance?"
Director Kim Anjun thought for a moment, then spoke.
"It's the Steadfast Cafe."
[Steadfast Cafe]
The cafe's name came up on the screen, and it was the name of Park Hyesuk's cafe.
"Oh my, oh my......."
She couldn't take her eyes off the phone screen.
Then Director Kim Anjun added one more thing.
"Ma'am, thank you always. Thanks to you I was able to make a good film. Now that things have gone well for me, I hope your cafe prospers just as much."
Hearing those words, tears welled up in her eyes.
"And the scones you always gave me on the house were truly delicious. I'll come and eat them again."
The instant the video ended, a single tear fell from the corner of her eye and dropped to the floor with a soft tap.
"Ma'am, are you all right?"
When the customer asked with a worried look, Park Hyesuk wiped her tears and smiled.
"Yes. I'm fine."
She handed the phone back to the customer and stood in front of the coffee machine again.
Her hands still trembled, but her heart was warm.
In that moment the words the shaman had said came back to her.
'Sincerity comes back to you.'
"...He really was the real deal."
Park Hyesuk brewed the coffee with care.
Even in the flood of orders, just as always.
One cup at a time.
Slowly.
***
That evening.
Park Hyesuk sat alone in the cafe after the customers had gone.
"Good heavens......."
She tallied up the day's sales, and they were more than ten times the usual.
She had been that busy, but perhaps because all the worries she had been carrying had melted away like snow.
Her body was tired, but her heart was more at ease than it had ever been.
When she raised her head and looked at the window seat, the seat where he sat every day caught her eye.
She didn't know what she should say when he came next.
Should she thank him?
Or should she apologize for not recognizing that he was a famous director?
After agonizing for a long while, Park Hyesuk shook her head.
"No."
Let's treat him just as always.
Because this was the place he had come to so comfortably.
Park Hyesuk got up from her seat and tidied the counter.
Tomorrow too she had to brew coffee with care for the customers who would come.
If it rained they might be cold, so she had to bring the customers blankets.
Just as always.
For her customers.
With that thought, a smile spread across her lips.
***
The long-awaited day arrived.
Today was the day the settlement money came in.
It had always been deposited in the evening, so today would be the same, presumably?
But I kept checking my phone.
"Argh, let's just do a broadcast."
Since I would only stare at my phone if I sat around doing nothing, I hurried through a shower, sat down in front of the computer, and finished setting up the broadcast.
"Mother, I ask for your help again today."
I was about to start the broadcast with those words, but I had a concern.
Now that there were more viewers, there would be more people trying to cut in line, and while I could make more money in the short term, in the long term it wasn't good.
Above all, the reason I was giving consultations for a mere 10,000 won, temporary as that was.
It was for the sake of people who might not be able to get a consultation because they had no money.
Young students, job seekers, and so on.
I steeled myself and pressed the [Start Broadcast] button.
"Good to see you, everyone. This is Kim Jinwoo."
―Jinwoo's here
―Do me today too!
―I was late yesterday and missed out!
―Is this the broadcast where he does divination readings?
―Welcome, valued customer!
[Viewers: 1,732]
The moment I turned on the broadcast, viewers passed 1,700.
"There's something I want to tell you before we start the broadcast."
―Jinwoo, I didn't take you for that kind of guy, that was too much
―He has been going too far lately
―Yeah, yeah, let's do better from now on
―Did this guy do something wrong?
"No, no, it's nothing like that. I'm going to change the system a bit."
―Anon has donated 1,000 won!―
[What system?]
"Until now I've taken people first come, first served, but starting today I'll personally choose from among those who donate."
―Huh?
―Why?
―Isn't that harder?
―Why change it?
"There are two reasons. With first come, first served, only people with fast hands get taken. But the people who really need a consultation might have slow hands."
―Anon has donated 1,000 won!―
[And the second?]
"I'm only human, so a large donation shakes me. So I decided it was better to change the system instead."
If I changed the system I could receive money from many people, so I wouldn't be shaken by large donations.
Ah, of course, I added that if someone donated far more than I could imagine, I might take them first.
Since that would mean they were that desperate.
"That's what I think, but what do you all think?"
―Kuuuuu, so cool?
―Integrity! Our Jinwoo protecting his pride, magnificent!
―Hey! This is our Jinwoo, I'm telling you!
―Our Jinwoo thinks deeply
"Thank you."
―Anon has donated 1,000 won!―
[Trying to cut in line with a measly 500,000 won?]
―Anon has donated 1,000 won!―
[From now on our Jinwoo's pride starts at a minimum of 10 million won]
"It's not quite like that. Then let's begin today's consultations. The consultation fee is 10,000 won."
―IWantToDebutToo has donated 10,000 won!―
[Please see me]
―HelloThankYou has donated 10,000 won!―
[Me!!!]
―SectScatterTheAcorns has donated 10,000 won!―
[I'm counting on you]
―IHateMondays has donated 10,000 won!―
[Me too!]
The viewers' donations kept coming up, and in an instant there were more than a hundred.
If viewers increased even more than now, or if I started charging 30,000 won for consultation fees next month.......
No, that wasn't what mattered right now.
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat once and slowly scanned down the endlessly rising nicknames.
And then countless scenes flashed past.
Office workers, students, homemakers, the self-employed.
Among the people with ordinary or trivial worries, I spotted something that stood out.
A cramped practice room.
In front of a mirror, a woman was dancing.
She was perhaps in her early twenties.
Her hair was soaked with sweat and clinging to her forehead, and along with her ragged breathing, every time the choreography broke down she went right back to the beginning.
Again and again. Again and again.
She had been repeating the same movements over and over, and when the song ended she sank down in front of the mirror, took out her phone, and checked the calendar.
A date one week later was circled on the calendar.
[Debut Lineup Announcement]
So this is it.
"IWantToDebutToo, come on in. The password is 1004."