Translated by cabinfourtranslations.
I had to return early from the launching event for two reasons.
First, a contractor was scheduled to visit Cafe Rieul to renovate the interior. At the end of the last quest, I was suddenly transford into an S-Class Cafe Owner. However, the cafe was still only C-Grade.
For reference, if you check the status of the current cafe, the system window displayed the following information.
[Na: Cafe Rieul
Grade: C
Fa: 1000, Popularity: 2150
※ You can improve your cafe’s grade by decorating it.]
I wasn’t really motivated to improve my cafe’s grade, but I thought it would be good to change the atmosphere. So today, they decided to inspect the interior of the cafe before they started the construction.
“Owner-nim, I just finished the inspection.”
“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”
The interior contractor asked while taking notes inside the store, “As I said, we’ll do a rough draft first. If you tell the concept you have in mind, I’ll send you the draft accordingly.”
“Um, keep it modern and simple. Just plain black and white!”
“Okay, hmmmm, yes…….” The contractor looked at the store again and shook his head. The wooden tables in the old brick building were too different from the concept I had described. He cautiously offered his expert opinion, “This kind of retro style is rather popular nowadays. Rather than changing the whole place, how about making small changes while preserving the original atmosphere?”
It was a reasonable suggestion, but I shook my head, “No, please change everything, everything.”
“Cost-wise, it would be better to preserve the original look.”
“It doesn’t matter, I don’t care how much it costs, please do it.”
I repeatedly insisted that I wanted it to be as different from the original interior as possible. It was hard for to endure when I was in the store because I was constantly reminded of the past. Maybe if I changed the atmosphere of the store, it would make it less painful.
“Okay … Then I’ll contact you when I have the draft.” The contractor who said that with a shaky expression left after saying goodbye.
“Kkyuuu….”
At that mont, Li jumped to my feet with her chubby body. I scooped her up in my arms and asked, “Li, do you really have to go today? Can’t you just stay here?”
“Kkyuu, kkyuuu…..” Li cried sorrowfully, but she didn’t say she wouldn’t leave. It seed that it would be hard to change this sli’s mind.
“Kkyuuu!”
Li bounced out of my arms and headed for the door.
“Mmohhh!”
She jumped out of the room and onto Corong’s waiting back. Li and Corong were still on good terms.
This was the second reason for my early return. Today, Li and Corong were going to return to Cthugha’s garden.
Li had felt extrely lonely since Mieum didn’t co back. She wasn’t as cheerful and chatty as she used to be, and instead, she just made sullen cries. I tried taking her to a sli cafe to cheer her up, but it didn’t work.
Then one day, Li called out to and said,
“Kkyuu, kkyuuu.”
‘Soon the path of the stars will open.’
“Kkyuu, kkyuuu.”
‘I want to go back. To the Garden of Cthugha.’
I had completely forgotten that Li was originally a runaway sli who lived in Cthugha’s garden. Corong was also brought in from there.
At first, I was against Li and Corong’s return. I didn’t want to part with them. After they left, I would beco the only one left in the store. I didn’t think I could handle the store being so quiet compared to the old days.
But in the end, I accepted Li’s decision. I thought it would be better for her to go ho and be happy than to be depressed here.
And today, here we were.
Tonight, the path of the stars that leads to Cthugha’s Garden would open. If they miss this night, the next path of the stars would not open for many years.
With the disappearance of the Great Dungeon Abyss, it beca impossible to enter Cthugha’s Garden except through the Path of the Stars. Although not a permanent separation, our reunion would be at least a few years away. I was left with an empty feeling in my heart.
“Li, Corong, I’ll be lonely without you.”
“Kkyuuu……”
“Meeh….”
Corong and Li cried sadly.
“Wait a mont. I’ll pack you so food, and you can eat on the way, okay?”
I rummaged through the kitchen for sothing to eat. I wrapped butter cookies, biscuits, and so corn for Corong to eat in a square bag and hung it around Corong’s neck.
It was almost ti for the stars to rise. I walked out of the store to see them off, hugging both Li and Corong tightly once more.
“You have to take care of yourself.”
Just then, I saw a cat with calico fur approaching in the distance.
‘Mieum…..?’
No, it couldn’t be. I was surprised to see that the pattern of its fur looked exactly like Mieum’s, but I was soon disappointed.
The cat was very skinny and half the size of Mieum. Its fur was ragged, as if it had been wandering the streets for a long ti. It must be just a stray cat.
When I saw a cat that looked like Mieum, I felt a rush of anticipation and joy.
“Kkyuuu?!” Li let out a surprised cry when she spotted the cat too.
Soon, the cat arrived in front of the store. I felt sorry for it, as it looked completely exhausted and haggard.
“Kitty, wait here for a minute.”
There must be a bag of cat food in the warehouse.
I rushed back into the store and grabbed a bowl of food. I set the bowl in front of the cat, and instead of running away, the cat approached the bowl.
This cat food was purchased shortly after Mieum ca to my house. I bought the food thinking that she would eat it because she’s a cat, but her reaction was unbelievable.
“Tsk! Tak tak! Are you asking to eat sothing like this, kyakyaoogh!”
“No, why?! I bought the most expensive and most popular one at the cat store. Look, it says top-notch taste and nutrition!”
“Do you think I’m a normal cat! You think I can eat stuff like this! Tsk!”
“Mieum, don’t spit the food out of your mouth!”
“Human, give sothing tasty! Waeoolgh!”
Back then, I ended up heading back to the warehouse with a bag full of cat food because a cat scolded for thinking she would eat that. What a picky eater.
Hoho, what a nostalgic mory.
“Tsk! Tak tak! Are you asking to eat sothing like this, kyakyaoogh!”
Maybe it’s because I was reminiscing about the past. I could hear these hallucinations…….
Wait, that’s not a hallucination, was it?
That voice just ca from this skinny cat.
No way. Impossible.
“Give sothing tasty, not this! Waeooong!”
“No way, you …. Mieum-ah?!”
“Kkyuuuu!” From the side, Li welcod Mieum by bouncing on her body.
“Waeolgh! You don’t recognise !”
Pakpak! Mieumswung her front paws at in a fury. However, she looked like she’d been through a lot, her punchs were weak. I ekly returned the weak punch.
“But you looked completely halved.”
“Do you know how hard it was for to walk all the way here! Waeooong!”
Oh my goodness. It’s Mieum. The real Mieum is back.
Hug. I hugged her tightly. I felt like I was going to cry.
“Sniff … Welco back, Mieum-ah.”
“Kkyuuu!”
“Mmmmooo!”
Li and Corong also welcod Mieum with enthusiasm. In the midst of it all, I failed to hear Mieum’s desperate request for food.
“Waeuuung … okay, first, let eat…..”
“Mieum-ah? What’s wrong, Mieum?”
Slump. Mieum collapsed in my arms.
***
“So …. what happened?”
I asked Mieum, who looked distressed, as I pushed a bowl full of cereal in front of her.
“Wait, waeoong!”
“….Okay.”
Mieum was determined not to say another word until her stomach was full. She ate the cereal I brought out in silence. Her chubby body was her charm. I wondered if she’d been starving for so long that she’d beco half her forr size. I set a snack plate of cookies next to her bowl of rice.
As a side note, Li and Corong decided not to go back to Cthugha’s Garden the mont Mieum returned. I was filled with happiness as I watched Li bouncing up and down in joy.
“….Haa, now I feel like living.” After she ate all the food available, she laid down on the ground with her belly bloated. I wiped her ssy fur with a towel and asked, “Mieum, what happened to you? Why did you only co back now?”
“Waeooong … it’s ti to start the sad story you can’t possibly listen to without tears.”
With a tearful look on her face, Mieum told us what had happened.
“Originally, I was a guide to lead you to the door, waeooong! Having fulfilled my role, I was ant to return to the side of the Great ███ ████.”
“Yes, but?”
“But, I was……. that…….”
“Kkyuuu?”
After a mont’s hesitation, Mieum spoke again, “I got fired.”
“What?!”
Did Mieum really end up as an unemployed cat this ti?
“Kyakyakyaolg! But I can’t watch TV or eat snacks when she’s around! I even asked her to show Netflix, but she made …….”
“You?”
“She kicked out rcilessly, waeooong! She told not to co back because I was a nuisance!”
“…….”
Pakpakpak! Mieum stomping her front paws wildly, shouted, “”Don’t look at with pitying eyes, waeooong! Do you know how hard it was to walk all the way here in a cat’s body!”
The attacks of her front paws beca quite heavy in the anti since she had eaten. But I didn’t dodge, I simply received it patiently.
“So, you like my house the best, where I feed you and you can watch TV?”
“Waeolg! Of course, and Oh Seoho’s movie is coming out soon! I was supposed to go to the premiere, so I couldn’t miss it! I had no choice but to co back here!”
I could tell that Mieum had worked very hard to get back here, even though she was embarrassed to admit it. I would have to figure out a way to get her to the VIP premiere sohow.
I fetched a large basin full of warm water and grabbed Mieum, who was still in dirty appearance, to give her a bath.
Despite not being very perceptive in general, Mieum quickly recognized the signs that I was about to give her a bath. She jumped up and dodged my hand, then spoke again.
“That’s right. There is sothing she has entrusted to you.”
“Entrusted to ?”
“Waeoong … It’s almost ti for it to arrive.”
“……?”
Ding. Just then, there was a knock on the store door.
Please support this translation through buy a coffee!
Translator’s Corner:
I think my eyesight is getting worse everyday … if there’s a lot of typos sorry, Ill check it again later
Reviews
All reviews (0)