Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Outsider Goes to the Cafe
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ We gathered early in the morning to check out two restaurants and two cafes over the course of the day on Saturday.
The morning weather today, in late May, hovered somewhere between late spring and early summer.
Just walking side by side, the two high school girls were already drawing stares from passersby—and here I was, trailing a good distance behind them.
Walking in the sunlight felt a bit too warm, so we'd seek out the shade; then, in the shade, a cool breeze would blow now and then, making us huddle up and chase the sun again.
Unlike me—who'd already given up on everything and was just biding my time until Bitcoin's launch—these girls still harbored that spark of "youth" in their hearts.
I wonder what thoughts ran through their heads as they got all dressed up to head out today. What were they hoping for?
Maybe getting hit on by some handsome college guys? Or scouted by an entertainment agency rep? Or perhaps bumping into a chaebol heir on the street and kicking off a drama-like love story?
Looking at their faces, it didn't seem all that unrealistic.
For the record, I'd long since graduated from fantasies like "saving the school's top beauty from a sleazy street harasser, earning her one-sided affection, and sailing straight into marriage."
In Korea, those aggressive pick-up attempts are the domain of good-looking guys confident in their charm. And girls? They secretly welcome it when it's from guys like that.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The four spots—two restaurants and two cafes—had been selected under Han Si-a's leadership, applying some seriously strict criteria.
First: Prices that wouldn't be too burdensome for students.
Second: Within a 3km radius of school.
Third: Included in the "food tour" that Yoo So-mi had surveyed her classmates about.
Fourth: The interior photos I'd gathered from internet surfing had to pass Han Si-a's inspection.
By the way, Yoo So-mi's classmate-recommended "food tour" was pretty solid.
To the point where I wondered if the festival prep would've gone off without a hitch if Han Si-a had been in class 5 instead of class 1.
Since we'd met up after breakfast, our first stop was the cafe.
This was still before those massive "bread cafes" took over—places that exploited cheap land on the city outskirts to turn entire buildings into cafes, peddling outrageously overpriced coffee and bread.
Franchise cafes and independents were popping up like mushrooms all across Korea, with cafe numbers skyrocketing.
As a result, most places offered pretty much the same drinks and desserts.
Coffee options boiled down to Americano, cafe latte, and a bunch of gimmicky variants made by tossing stuff into lattes.
Other drinks? Basic teas and milk, usually. Places with more variety might sell fruit smoothies.
Desserts were even sadder. Aside from franchise spots hawking ice cream at absurd markups that no one bought...
Expensive cookies and honey bread that gathered dust.
But the cafe Han Si-a picked was a bit unusual—a "room cafe," not your standard setup.
True to the "room" classification, each table sat inside a small room fitting about four or five people. The upside? Total freedom from prying eyes of other customers or staff.
Drinks ran a tad pricier than average cafes, but you got a wider dessert selection in return.
Slice cakes, puddings, handmade cookies, apple pies, egg tarts, and more. Not fresh-baked like those future bread cafes, sure, but reasonable prices using quality off-the-shelf stuff instead of junk.
"If we order whatever looks good and pig out, we won't eat properly at lunch. Let's keep orders limited."
"No smoothies, fresh juices, or parfaits from the drink category. Stuff like that now, and we'll be too full for a fair lunch evaluation, obviously."
So we decided to order an Americano, a cafe latte, and the signature einspanner—then pass them around for tastes.
All iced, though.
Truth is, out of everyone here, I'm the only one with an old-man palate that actually likes coffee's bitterness. Iced is way less bitter than hot and easier to sip anyway.
I went first with the Americano.
Hm. Unlike the massive cheapo ones I chugged pre-regression, this had a strong bite and aroma. Proof the owner cared about bean quality.
Han Si-a tried the cafe latte first and gave her verdict.
"Yeah. Tastes like a cafe latte. Wasn't expecting anything fancy anyway." Yoo So-mi, who started on the signature einspanner, chimed in. "Whoa! It's sweet! No coffee taste at all?" "Hold up. You only ate the cream on top and skipped the Americano underneath completely." Einspanner's a drink where you mix the top cream with the bottom coffee. As I chided Yoo So-mi for just munching the cream, she protested like I'd wronged her. "...But if you drink it like that, won't cream get all over your mouth?" She had a point. Compared to a standard einspanner, the cream layer here felt extra thick. Trying to sip cream and coffee together like this? Yeah, inevitable lip mess. "Sorry. My bad. Piling on cream this thick? That's a skill flaw. Fair grounds for deducting points." I apologized to Yoo So-mi right away. But... "No, it's not a mistake on the cafe's part. That thick cream layer? Totally deliberate. Calculated, even." Han Si-a defended the cafe's approach instead. Yoo So-mi, curious, asked why. "Alright, to explain—let's pass the drinks around like planned. So-mi, give me your einspanner. Jeong Yi-an, you take my latte." Han Si-a said she'd demonstrate while drinking the einspanner herself, so we swapped as originally planned. ...If this were middle-school me pre-regression, I'd be freaking out like, "Whoa, indirect kiss with a cute girl?!" But from the view of this jaded uncle who's given up on all that? Just a "used latte." Whether the lips that touched it before mine belonged to a fat old dude, a grandma, or a pretty high schooler—doesn't change how I see this coffee one bit. So my take on the latte was straightforward. "Hm. Just a cafe latte. Put milk in coffee, and they all taste the same... Not saying it's bad, though." I gave my quick latte review, then waited for the others. Han Si-a was chugging the einspanner heartily, while Yoo So-mi held the Americano... but instead of drinking, kept sneaking glances my way. "What're you doing? Can't handle the Americano? I tried it—bitter, yeah, but if you hate bitter, just wet your lips a bit. Give it a sip. Personally, I rate this place's coffee high." "Uh... uh? Lips? No no, even as besties, indirect kiss is kinda... Wait, we've held hands already, so maybe the order's fine?" ... Yoo So-mi's cheeks were flushed bright red. So-mi... Blushing over indirect kisses is for anime characters and elementary kids, y'know. Same goes for getting butterflies from a high school girl blushing over it—that's capped at high schoolers. This 35-year-old uncle quietly headed to the counter and fetched her a fresh straw. "Okay, pay attention. I'm about to explain the philosophy behind this cafe's einspanner." After handing Yoo So-mi the straw, Han Si-a—now with einspanner foam all over her upper lip—spoke triumphantly. "You two ever heard of a 'foam kiss'? It comes from a scene in that drama 'Secret Garden' that started last winter..." Secret Garden... Nostalgic name. For a regressor like me, it's ancient history—fossil-level old. But right now, it's a hot recent hit, only half a year off-air since its November 2010 premiere. And the "foam kiss" Han Si-a was explaining so gleefully? It originated from the scene where the hero kisses the heroine's cappuccino-foamed upper lip. Heard couples back then mimicked it like crazy. Of course, as a total outsider high schooler, it never really clicked for me. "...So this cafe designed their signature einspanner—with that thick cream—to recreate the scene, subbing in for the original cappuccino." "Cappuccino foam's too light and soft—doesn't show up well, photos flop. But einspanner's rich, firm cream? Way more dramatic!" "Perfect use of a room cafe's couple-friendly privacy. Gotta add this to the school foodie review." Han Si-a seemed thrilled at securing juicy gossip to spice up the festival exhibit. Her energy was way up. Yeah, when hyping food spots, beats the pants off bland stuff like "cheap prices, nice owner" or "big portions, tasty." Something with story—"A room cafe where you can recreate an iconic Secret Garden scene!?"—hooks the crowd way better. "Foam on lips then kiss... Si-a, that's so pervy..." But "foam kiss" was too much for the girl who'd blushed at indirect kisses. Yoo So-mi ducked her head, hiding her face in both hands. Spotting Yoo So-mi's reaction, Han Si-a finally clocked that she'd been yapping with foam on her own lips—and scrambled for a napkin. But... "Whoa! See that? Super pretty girl next room foaming up her mouth for a foam kiss?" "She looks all high-and-mighty—like she'd only date a chaebol dude—and yet she's with some scrub... Should I shoot my shot?" Our room cafe rooms weren't fully sealed off. Curtains at the entrances blocked most views inside, but not completely—and soundproofing? Nonexistent. Get a bit loud, and the next room hears everything. So while Han Si-a was foaming-at-the-mouth ranting, the guys next door must've passed by and peeked through the curtain. "....." Han Si-a clocked the situation. Her face went beet red. And just like that, we had two girls in the room with flushed faces and heads hung low. "Shall we head out now?" Han Si-a said. She really wanted out of there. "Nah. We haven't passed the coffees all the way around yet. And we planned to try a dessert too." "...Please, let me leave." Heh. No can do. You start a job, you see it through, right? ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 🍴 Foodie Review: Room Cafe "Star of Wishes" Tables separated into private rooms—great for dodging prying eyes. Drinks (coffee included) a smidge pricey, but understandable for a room cafe setup. Dessert variety shines; recommend if you want to sample a bunch in one spot! Coffees like Americano and lattes? Solid, nothing fancy. Signature einspanner stands out: Thick cream layer lets you recreate the iconic "foam kiss" scene from hit drama Secret Garden. Couples, this is your spot! Caution: The half-isolated vibe (walls + curtains) tempts bolder behavior than usual. Soundproofing's weak, though, and curtains don't block views fully—mind your privacy.