The Elf Customer
I didn't wake up to find myself sprawled on a park bench.
That particular fantasy hadn't come true. Still, the sense of reality hadn't quite settled in yet.
It was only now, three weeks after the fact, that I finally felt like things were starting to feel real.
The cafe run by the boss was called Dohwa Tea House.
I had been wondering why the boss chose that name, and also because it seemed like quite a few people would start showing up if we simply changed it.
A few days ago, I had asked the boss directly.
"Why did you name the cafe Dohwa Tea House?"
"One day I suddenly felt like opening a cafe, but I didn't feel like coming up with a name."
The boss tilted the coffee cup with elegant grace and answered with perfect calm.
"So, the result of roughly naming it became that."
After muttering that the coffee the kid served was special, I added,
"So, kid."
The boss looked at me and opened his mouth.
"What?"
"Why did you suddenly become curious about that? Or, does the name of the cafe not feel very good when you see it these days?"
"Aigoo, boss. There's no way."
The boss's tone was strangely cautious, so I quickly clapped my hands.
"If I ever open a flower shop or something like that later, I wanted to ask if I could use the name."
"Huhu."
The boss let out a small laugh.
"Kid, that's too obvious of an act. You're not really interested in flowers, are you?"
"No way, boss! What a hurtful thing to say!"
Since the intent had been revealed, I had to catch him till the end.
"Well, it doesn't feel bad though."
As expected, the boss placed the tea cup with a look that didn't seem displeased.
"Specifically, I will allow you to use my name anywhere, kid. If you want to, use it anywhere."
"Hehe, thank you."
Although I said that, I wouldn't attach the boss's name, who was like a benefactor, to my shop or anything.
I didn't plan to open a shop in the first place, and even less so for a flower shop.
Dr-r-ruk.
I raised the shutter and turned on the sign light.
While the machine was spouting hot steam and warming up, I lowered the chairs that I had put up yesterday one by one to the floor.
After the warming was done, I ground the beans and poured the first shot to taste it.
A bitter yet nutty aroma filled my mouth.
...Hmm. Perfect as always today too.
Finally, I turned the sign on the entrance door to 'OPEN', and today's preparation was complete.
At first, it was a bit clumsy, but now my body was moving faster than my head.
"Welcome."
Ting.
The first customer of the day who came with a clear bell sound was an elf customer.
Her long, cool silver hair swayed gently as the wind blew in through the open door.
The two-tone subtly tinted purple hair tie inside sparkled with light at every strand.
Under her lowered eyelashes, her clear blue eyes gave a calm and composed impression.
As soon as such a customer entered, she slowly surveyed the cafe as if familiar with it.
From her untroubled steps and posture, an elegance naturally flowed.
"This place is just as it always was. Nothing has changed."
Even in her low mutter, there was a feeling of an elegant aftertaste.
Then, suddenly, she noticed me standing at the counter and tilted her head slightly.
"...Excuse me. Did the boss change?"
"Ah, no? I'm the new part-time worker who started this time."
"I see. It was strange, you have an unfamiliar face."
The customer smiled faintly and nodded.
"Iced Americano, one please. Large size, with extra shots."
"Understood."
I received the order, took the card, and was calculating.
Suddenly, an unknown unease brushed my mind.
As I poured the espresso, added water to the cup, and tried to trace why the unease was there, the boss's warning I had been given came to mind belatedly.
'Kid, if you see an elf wanting to drink a caffeinated drink, pretend to stop them at least once.'
Of course, if they insist on drinking anyway, just let them, he added.
In the past three weeks, since there was no such elf, I had completely forgotten.
Fortunately, it came to mind just now.
"Hey, customer."
"Hm? Is it done?"
"Eh?"
"The order is ready, but... is the coffee really okay for you?"
"...? Is there a problem?"
The customer tilted her head in confusion.
"No. There's no problem... Customer, are you an elf, right?"
"...I guess so."
"But is coffee really okay?"
"Yes, it's fine."
Since she said she's fine herself, it should be.
"Here, the large iced Americano with extra shots you ordered is ready."
"Thank you. I'll drink it well."
The customer politely received the cup and went back to sit at her seat.
And, one sip.
"...Eh?"
Her face started to flush red.
"Something, the coffee. It feels thicker than usual... Since it's been a while, maybe?"
Her clear voice had become slightly slurred.
After two sips.
Her composed expression started to soften.
The moment she passed the third sip.
"Huhhehe..."
The elegant customer collapsed on the table and started laughing in a daze.
"Ssa-jang-ni~ Here the coffee is really thick... hic. I drank it~"
"????"
What is this?
"Ah, matta... I wasn't ssa-jang-ni... Then, alban-i? Or... should I call you oppa~? Huhihi!"
Her tongue was all twisted.
The way of speaking was the same as a drunk person's.
'...That's why the boss told me to stop them.'
I didn't know that if an elf awakener drinks coffee, they get drunk.
"Hey, customer? Are you okay?"
"Ung~? I'm completely fine~"
With a voice that didn't sound fine at all, the customer laughed happily.
Then.
Ddu-dung—
The coffee cup on the table floated up into the air.
"...Eh?"
While I was doubting my eyes.
Dung, ddu-dung.
Not just the cup.
The spoon.
The napkin.
The chair next to it.
All the items in the cafe started floating up one by one.
"Ugh!?"
And [Gwanmang] started reacting arbitrarily, like a minotaur.
My gaze fixed on the elf customer.
Then, the rules of the floating items began to appear.
In order from closest to the customer, starting with the lighter ones.
They were slowly floating up into the air.
And what the customer wanted most right now was...
'...Want to be spoiled?'
Simple yet unexpected.
This customer had been so friendly to me, whom she just met.
So, I thought she was the type that would act spoiled to close people.
But at this moment, the biggest desire was 'want to be spoiled.'
"Ehehe~ Ddu-ng ddu-ng~ Like clouds~!"
Spoiled... how to spoil?
Is just playing together enough?
First, I have to lose something to win.
I dodged the floating chair and crouched next to the customer.
"Hey, customer. What do you want to play?"
"Ung...? Alba oppa will play with me~?"
"O, oppa...? Yeah, well..."
I was bewildered by the suddenly reduced distance.
But,
"Waa~ I like it!"
The customer sparkled in her eyes and clung to me.
"Um, then...! There, that cup! Let's play cup grabbing!"
"...Cup grabbing?"
"Yes! If oppa grabs that cup, I'll give you a prize~!"
...For now, I decided to follow the order.
It wasn't that I was curious what prize the elf customer would give, or that I was looking forward to it.
It was just to quickly resolve the situation because if another customer came, it would complicate things.
I reached out towards the floating cup.
But.
Swoosh—
The moment my hand touched, the cup moved away.
"...Eh?"
When I reached again, it swooshed again.
Like a living thing, the cup dodged around.
"Kyahaha~! Oppa, snail~ snail~!"
The customer laughed holding her stomach, finding my appearance so funny.
'...Is this customer controlling the cup?'
If so, there's one way.
"Eh? Customer, what is that over there?"
"Eh? What~?"
While the customer opened her eyes wide and looked away.
I quickly snatched the floating cup.
"Ah, I was wrong. Here, I got the cup."
"Waaaa~! Oppa da-dae~!"
The customer clapped her hands in genuine admiration.
Every time I spoiled her like that, the floating items slowly came back down a bit.
'This is it.'
I played more earnestly, matching the customer's rhythm.
Laughing at silly pranks, listening to her rambling boasts.
'It's fortunate that it's the first customer of the early morning...'
If this customer had come during peak time, it would have been a real disaster.
Since there were no other customers, I could do this, but if even one had been there...
I really didn't want to imagine it.
After about ten minutes like that?
"...But, oppa."
The customer, who had been chattering without stopping, asked with a changed atmosphere.
"What do you think about elves...?"
There was a strange tremor in the voice that had been happily laughing until now.
And [Gwanmang] activated again.
The emotions that had been submerged under the drunken haze.
Loneliness and fear.
'This question wasn't just thrown out casually.'
It seemed like a question related to the desire to be spoiled.
Since it didn't seem difficult to answer or that I needed to make up an answer anyway.
I answered the question sincerely.
"Elf? If I have to say, it's the race I want to be."
"...Eh?"
"Everyone is handsome and beautiful, right? Isn't that the common perception?"
At least from what I knew.
There were many people who said they wanted to wake up as elves, in the outskirts.
I don't know about the city.
"Ai~ Don't joke~!"
"I'm serious though?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Frankly, I'm really envious. If I could, I want to be an elf too."
As someone who got only one useless skill as an F-rank after awakening, it was truly sincere.
"...Eh."
At that moment.
The customer's eyes, which had been dazed, widened slightly.
"Oppa. It's really sincere."
"...Really sincere?"
"Yes..."
The customer's voice became moist.
'Then, does that mean there are fake sincere ones?'
I thought that internally, and looked at the customer.
Her eyes were now filled with teary eyes.
"Customer, are you okay!?"
"...I wish all other people were like oppa too."
Ddu, ddu.
The teary eyes flowed down her white cheeks.
"Everyone pretends not to care on the outside. They treat me while smiling. But inside, they fear me, find me difficult... even feel disgusted with me..."
'Fearing, finding difficult, disgusted? With such a beautiful person?'
Just hearing the customer's story made me think that, and I didn't know what to say to comfort her.
"...It must have been really hard."
So, I just quietly patted the customer's back.
It seemed better than saying something hasty.
"...It's annoying, right."
"No?"
"Ai, be honest. I won't get angry."
"You're not really annoying?"
Of course not, at dawn, there are many times when I fight sleep because it's boring.
And since the customer came and I got this unexpected event, it was more that I was secretly happy rather than annoyed.
If it had been peak time, it might have been annoying.
"But, that's really sincere..."
"But, if I keep asking that question, it might get annoying."
"Huhhu... What is that..."
The customer whispered and buried her face in my arms.
I didn't push her away and left her like that.
Her small shoulders were trembling slightly.
The customer's shoulders continued to tremble for a long time, and I patted her back silently.
By the time the floating items all returned to their places and quiet returned to the cafe.
The customer in my arms had fallen asleep soundly.