Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: See You Later
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Yamada Tetsuo had been running a small kissaten in Fukuoka for about thirty years.
He greeted the two women who entered with a kind smile.
One was a striking woman with long, straight black hair that swayed as she walked, like something out of a movie.
Beside her was another with neatly trimmed medium-length hair that reached her shoulders.
Tourists, by the looks of it.
Having run this kissaten for so long, he could tell at a glance whether someone was a tourist or a local just from their face and vibe.
Of course, most of his customers were either regulars or the occasional tourist, which helped.
Either way, he silently thanked the two for venturing down this alley and handed them the menu.
"Uh... arigatou gozaimasu."
Seeing the long-haired woman awkwardly speak Japanese, Yamada smiled faintly and nodded.
After handing over the menu, he stood quietly and watched them.
Doesn't ring a bell from TV. An actress? From which country?
Curiosity bubbled up inside him, but he didn't want to startle them. He handed them glasses of water and casually asked where they were from.
He spoke slowly and clearly on purpose. The long-haired woman seemed to barely get it and answered that they were from Korea.
"Ah, Kankoku. I know a little Korean."
Grateful for her effort with Japanese, he replied in his awkward Korean. The two women looked at him with wide-eyed wonder.
Feeling a touch of pride, Yamada straightened his shoulders.
See? Learning another language is never a waste.
"I have a regular who's Korean. Picked up a bit."
"Not just a bit! You're really good. That... sugoi!"
This time, it was the short-haired woman who spoke, her eyes sparkling.
Hearing that, Yamada began to chuckle softly.
Something told him the rest of his day would be a lot more fun.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Na Da-yeon had called it a Japanese teahouse—a kissaten—and I'd walked in feeling a bit tense, to be honest.
This was the kind of place where conversation flowed freely between customers and the owner.
Not my usual haunt, so it felt a little intimidating.
Maybe not intimidating—more like awkward.
It wasn't the talking itself; it was just this type of spot that felt unfamiliar.
I'd never had a reason to come to one, and no time either.
With the guys back in the day, second or third rounds were always karaoke or a regular bar, probably.
In my Choi Min-hoo days, I'd gone drinking with friends plenty, but guys-only bars? Nah.
The ones who hit up fancy cocktail bars usually had girlfriends.
Macho guy special: first round at the grill, second at the local dive, third at a street food stall, fourth at karaoke.
Never thought I'd be doing it with coworkers, though.
Anyway, reason I'd followed Na Da-yeon here despite the awkwardness?
Because I decided to go with her suggestions.
The big stuff on the travel itinerary was my call, but the smaller things were hers.
And the second reason.
Just hitting a chain cafe would feel like a waste.
Coming all the way to Japan for a franchise cafe? No thanks—unless it's something iconic like that star cafe in Shibuya.
Maybe because it's my first overseas trip, I've developed these random principles.
Whatever.
I was nervous at first, but the owner knew some Korean and was so friendly that my tension melted away.
Just knowing we could communicate made everything so much easier.
Guess people from the same language background bond without needing a reason.
"Three kinds of coffee: espresso, Americano, latte. All hot."
The owner explained the menu diligently in Korean, even though it was already written in Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese.
He pointed out each item one by one.
"This is a meal. This is salad. Sandwich, black tea."
"Wow, so much to choose from."
Na Da-yeon commented, and he just beamed happily.
I glanced between them and the menu.
Purpose here was to kill time waiting for tonkatsu and grab something light...
Salad should do.
"I know what I want. What about you, unnie?"
"Sandwich and small latte for me."
Na Da-yeon was on the same wavelength.
I listened to her order, then pointed carefully at each item in awkward Japanese to place it.
Even if he spoke Korean, it might not be perfect.
And speaking vs. listening are different—better to avoid misunderstandings.
This was Japan, after all.
When in Rome.
If you're in Japan, use Japanese.
Basic courtesy to the country, and part of the fun of traveling, right?
Wish foreigners in Korea tried a bit of Korean too.
But hey, English is the world language—can't be helped.
Lost in these random thoughts, I suddenly caught the slow drift of roasted bean aroma.
"Whoa, that coffee smells amazing."
"I looked it up—kissatens use different beans per shop, and even same beans taste different depending on how they're brewed."
Na Da-yeon recited her search findings with a small laugh at my musing.
Hearing that made me even gladder we'd come.
Local food is the way to go.
Alleyway coffee hits different.
Maybe learn to brew coffee myself someday.
Open a shop too.
Brew my own.
Run it my way.
Would be fun for sure.
I had the money and time, but business needs caution.
Or skip the shop and make a home cafe?
Move to a house with a yard... fix up a garden...
Dreams getting bigger.
But bigger dreams are better, right? Especially since I could actually make them happen.
"Here you go."
Before long, two lattes, salad, and sandwich arrived.
Elegant flower-patterned saucers under round plates and cups.
The cups had a vintage design too.
I gripped the curved handle that fit my fingers perfectly and brought the steamed milk leaf art to my lips.
Warm milk touched first.
Then warm coffee slipped in underneath.
The coffee coating my tongue harmonized perfectly with the aroma hitting my nose.
"Delicious."
"Yeah. The warmth is perfect."
"Is it good?"
The owner asked, face a bit tense, watching us both.
We nodded in unison.
"Saikou!"
Meaning "the best."
He burst out laughing and replied,
"Thank you."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Time flew at the kissaten.
The owner was the reason.
"Customer actress from Korea?"
Questions like that.
"You two friends?"
"Travel often? Ah~ hajimete kara~"
And more.
I'd worried about what to talk about on the way in, but it was pointless.
We could communicate somewhat.
He kept the convo going with great questions.
Na Da-yeon chatted happily with him, smiling brightly.
Wonder if Korean bars are like this.
If they were, I'd be a daily regular.
Chat, bite of salad.
I ask him something, sip of coffee.
Rinse and repeat, and soon the tonkatsu waitlist was down to seven groups.
He said come back when it's 4-5, so time to go.
Meant to just kill time, but now leaving felt a tad reluctant.
But partings make reunions sweeter.
Plenty of time left—could come back later.
Last day was totally open.
Free time, or unplanned chaos, depending on the view.
Come back with Na Da-yeon then?
I mentioned we had to leave, and she looked disappointed.
Her face made it obvious she'd love to return.
Her thoughts are so easy to read.
Straightforward girl.
Like a puppy.
"I have Instagram. Follow and visit often."
The owner, seeing her reluctance, shared his account.
Said to check the occasional shop posts.
Not famous, huh.
I leaned in to check it out.
Not many followers.
Posts with shop tags were mostly mundane reviews from locals, not tourists.
The rare tourist posts were just photos, nothing else.
If not for Eun-ah, I'd have done the same.
No sense of aesthetics.
No reviews, just pics?
Great vibe, great food, yet so few followers and tags.
I quickly checked a tourist review site.
Barely any reviews.
The few there were:
4 stars.
- Owner is kind.
That was it.
...Took some pics earlier. Maybe post a review on Insta.
Thought that, followed the account right away.
He got the notification, checked his phone with a grateful look.
Then he stared at the screen in surprise and turned to me.
"Influencer?"
Wide-eyed curiosity as he asked.
Influencer? Felt more like hobby SNS user, so I shook my head.
"Just a hobby."
"A hobby..."
He nodded, glancing between his phone and me, then smiled as if it made sense.
No sponsorships, no face pics—easy to get.
Short, sweet goodbye, and we stepped out.
Outside, the wind had calmed as if waiting for us, now gently tousling our hair.
No sign of its earlier bite—perfect walking weather.
But first, the main event.
"Alright, tonkatsu time for real!"
"Let's hurry!"
Bodies and hearts warmed, we laughed happily and quickened our steps.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hm?"
Yamada Tetsuo picked up his buzzing phone.
SNS alerts or messages usually vibrated once lightly, but this kept going.
Phone call?
No, the pattern was off.
Puzzled, he checked.
Soon realized it was a barrage of notifications.
What the...?
Tons of follows, comments.
DMs pouring in.
Why? Thirty years in business—he knew instantly.
That girl from Korea...
She'd promoted the place.
...Gonna need more supplies.
Won't be instant crowds, but better prepare.
He chuckled softly, pondering a small thank-you for her next visit.
Roasted beans as a gift?
She liked coffee—homemade roast would thrill her.
Seemed to prefer listening over talking, so he'd prep fun stories too.
With those plans, Yamada Tetsuo polished his coffee cups diligently.