The Age of a Million Cafes
It was the era of a million cafes. Dozens of shops closed their doors without a sound every single day, only for new signs to rise in their place. In this frenzied, oversaturated market, it was nothing short of a miracle for an independent cafe to survive without the backing of a franchise. So what mattered most for a lone cafe to endure in this brutal jungle? Exceptional beans? Eye-popping interior design? Or service dripping with warmth? All wrong. The answer was marketing.
“These days, people build cafes on construction sites and call them hot spots that stay packed every day,” declared Baek Rahui, the self-proclaimed college student, with a solemn expression. “The bizarre phenomenon of pouring coffee until it overflows the cup and filming the messy result as a ‘dirty plate’ that goes viral nationwide—that perfectly captures the essence of the cafe industry.”
“Interesting…”
“In modern society, a cafe is essentially a form of entertainment that offers customers a new experience,” Baek Rahui continued after a steadying breath. “But to extract those creative ideas, you need the experience itself. Just like you have to brew and taste various beans to distinguish flavors and create new blends.”
“So?”
“It means we can’t grasp the trends if we stay holed up in this basement cafe like frogs in a well. Therefore, Sunbae.” Baek Rahui slipped on her bag, eyes sparkling. “Let’s go do some market research.”
…She had convinced me. She couldn’t help but convince me. Looking back, I had been far too ignorant about the cafe industry. While I had mastered analyzing disaster patterns and exploiting boss weaknesses across countless regressions, the mechanisms of star-rating aesthetics and viral marketing—the front lines of modern self-employment—lay far beyond my understanding.
“…All right.”
Thus, we headed to Seongsu-dong Cafe Street. On this weekend, warm sunlight bathed the district in an overwhelming crowd. As we walked among the stylish throng, Baek Rahui confidently pointed at a building.
“That’s the construction-site cafe that’s been blowing up on SNS lately!”
The place she indicated had no signboard at all. Rusty rebar jutted from crumbling red brick walls in a bizarre facade. It looked like the fire department or district office should have been conducting immediate hygiene and safety inspections, yet a long line stretched from the entrance.
“…People are actually drinking coffee on a construction site.”
“That’s what makes it ‘hip.’ Come on, let’s get in line!”
Baek Rahui grabbed my sleeve and joined the back of the queue. Everyone around us was busy snapping photos with their cameras. Hmm… I really didn’t get it.
Before long, we finally pushed through the long wait and entered the cafe. The interior was even more extreme than it had appeared from outside. Rough, unfinished concrete walls surrounded us, and in several spots, actual cement blocks from construction sites were stacked haphazardly in place of chairs. It was impressive that no dust seemed to be flying. Even the menu refused to be ordinary.
[Ashen Einspänner — 8,500 won]
[Colorless Contemplation (Black Sesame Terrine) — 9,000 won]
“Sunbae, those two are the signatures here. Let’s order them right away.”
Names aside—they at least matched the construction-site theme—the prices were absurd. Eight or nine thousand won for a single cup of coffee? Before even calculating margins, wasn’t that just robbery? But there was no time to grumble; other customers were waiting right behind us.
‘…Think of it as learning. Just learning.’
I opened my wallet.
Soon the buzzer rang. On the tray I brought back sat a visual assault where grotesquery and sensibility had been bizarrely blended.
“This is dirty plating,” Baek Rahui said with a proud expression.
The Einspänner had black sesame cream and espresso overflowing messily around the cup like a flood, completely filling the saucer beneath. The dessert called Colorless Contemplation looked like a gray lump of mud with no color whatsoever.
“…An utterly incomprehensible sensibility.”
“Honestly, I feel the same,” Baek Rahui replied with a hollow laugh.
For the record, the taste was passable, though the overflowing cream made it difficult to eat.
‘…By the way.’
I glanced at her. Even while enjoying herself, she occasionally opened her mana slightly to scan the surroundings.
‘She’s even using the Recognition-Obfuscation Artifact on top of that.’
Given her past-life specialization in handling mana, her proficiency was remarkable.
After that, we began thoroughly exploring Seongsu-dong. There were indeed many people making money through bizarre and diverse methods.
“Sunbae, look at that place with the line. No signboard, just a serial number on the door.”
“…They’re deliberately raising the entry barrier so only people in the know come. It’s not a secret dungeon room or anything.”
“Oh, a dungeon gimmick! That’s good. Should we draw a complicated magic circle at our cafe entrance too? Make it so you can’t enter without knowing the incantation!”
“Are you trying to go out of business?”
Despite my retort, Baek Rahui kept smiling and diligently photographing everything with her smartphone.
The next place we entered was a cafe whose entire concept was a botanical garden. The moment we opened the door, the humidity hit like a tropical rainforest, and weeds—or perhaps herbs—grew so thick they reached the tabletops. Trying to drink, leaves kept brushing my cheeks, making it impossible to tell whether I was having coffee or fighting for survival in the jungle.
And that wasn’t all. In a pitch-black cafe where all lights were cut and only a single candle burned on each table, I nearly shoved cake into my nose because I couldn’t see. In a beach-themed cafe with real sand covering the entire floor, grains kept crunching into my shoes with every step.
“Look at this, Sunbae! Here, when you order a drink, they give you espresso in a syringe. You’re supposed to inject it into the milk yourself!”
“…So you pay money just to do the work yourself. How troublesome.”
“That’s called engagement. The consumer participates directly and has fun!”
Among them, the most “normal” cafe was the one filled with large figures of famous ability users. Unlike the bizarre concept cafes we had visited so far, this one boasted a rather neat and stylish interior. Most striking were the life-sized figures of ability users that filled the space. The figures, depicting the combat forms of those called the protagonists of the current era, were so detailed they looked ready to move at any moment.
“This is the Association-authorized goods shop cafe. There’s even the S-class Yu Seungmin figure!”
While Baek Rahui excitedly ran around taking photos, my gaze stopped at the largest and most lavishly decorated glass display case at the very back of the cafe. It was the center of the cafe, where everyone’s idol was enshrined.
[Symbol of Korea’s Invincibility, World Rank 3 — S-class Lee Sera]
Displayed there was a figure of a woman wielding blades of cold ice, staring down a disaster-class monster. She was the greatest ability user of the present age, praised as humanity’s savior. At the same time, she was my first companion, the one who had stayed with me from the very first regression.
“Sunbae…?”
Baek Rahui, who had approached at some point, alternated her subtle gaze between me and the figure.
“It’s Ability User Lee Sera…”
“Yeah. It is.”
With those words, we both fell silent. If Baek Rahui had regressed from the previous loop, she would know exactly what Lee Sera meant to me. Across every regression, our relationship had never once changed. Lee Sera was my childhood friend.
“Shall we head back?”
“Ah… Yes.”
Before we knew it, evening had arrived. As colorful neon signs and the lively noise of young crowds filled the streets, we finally made our way to the subway station.
“So, was it helpful?”
“Thanks to you.”
Just as she had said, seeing things with my own eyes had at least taught me where people tended to gather.
“Thank you for keeping me company today.”
Baek Rahui smiled faintly. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget today for the rest of my life.”
“Come on, it wasn’t that big a deal.”
“Eek… But it really was…”
I chuckled at her flustered reply. Now then, how should I promote the cafe? I was lost in thought when—
Chzzzt…
A faint static pierced my ears.
[C… Captain, can you hear me…?]
[Right now—ngh… Our hideout is under attack. Looks like our tail got stepped on…!]
“Ah…”
At her comrade’s urgent voice, Baek Rahui’s pupils trembled. I let out a low hum. The moment the hideout’s location was exposed, the other side would launch an all-out offensive to annihilate them.
‘…This won’t be easy.’
I carefully recalled my past lives. As the moments I inevitably became entangled with her increased, I had clashed with the Hanseong Group countless times. There had even been times when our relationship with them had reached complete ruin. In those days, I had made the entire world my enemy. The Hanseong Group’s influence was too vast to be called a mere corporation. I didn’t think she would lose now, but it would be quite a grueling fight.
I turned my back. Baek Rahui stood frozen in place, her expression blank. Pretending to know nothing, I asked in an even tone.
“Something wrong?”
Snapping back to her senses at my voice, Baek Rahui opened her mouth, her face drained of color.
“…Something urgent came up. I think I need to go right away.”
She was clearly struggling to keep her voice steady. Even so, the screams and explosions pouring from her in-ear device reached my ears clearly. What should I say? Lips pressed together, I pondered for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh.
“…If it’s urgent, there’s nothing to be done.”
“Thank you…”
Baek Rahui offered a brief farewell and hurried toward the exit. Staring at the spot where she had stood, I pulled out my smartphone.
[Lee Sera.]
‘…Just once.’
Her words echoed in my ears.
‘…I’ll help you just once, when you truly need it.’
In every past regression, that promise had remained valid. After we had both grown up, I had never once used it… but perhaps this regression would be different.