“Call me if anything happens. I’m leaving work!”
“Yes.”
The boss who stayed longer than usual smiled and left the café.
After making pudding and cookies, I walked around the hall and started cleaning.
By the way, there seem to be a lot of new customers these days—should I have made more pudding?
As expected, it’s the power of delicious snacks. There’s no being that dislikes dessert. I smiled secretly and was looking at ingredients wondering if I should make something more in the remaining time when I felt a gaze from behind.
I slightly stood up and turned around, and there seemed to be a presence outside the door.
What is it? Like that, I was glaring at the door for a while when ding-a-ling— finally the door opened and a familiar being entered inside. They look quite determined.
That, the one whose lower body is a snake… Snake son-nim? Ah, come to think of it, they said they applied for a part-time job.
“Uh… hello? The boss isn’t here…”
Perhaps because I felt glad for no reason, I smiled and spoke, and that snake son fidgeted as he approached the counter. My gaze naturally went to the wriggling snake legs, but I pretended not to notice and tried to look at his face, when his face turned red and he bowed his head deeply.
“I… cookies. Cookies…”
“Cookies?”
“I want to learn how to make them! That’s why I asked for a part-time job!”
Ah, yes. I heard from the boss. As if confessing, he screamed with tremendous vocalization.
I flinched and moved my body back, then went “Ah” and laughed haha.
This is quite satisfying yet embarrassing. But hiring a part-timer isn’t my authority, so it’s quite ambiguous what to say.
“If you come as our part-timer, I’ll teach you.”
“…Yes! Ah, I… I, one tomato juice and… make me a green tea latte please.”
Looking at his eyes, he seemed full of determination to learn, so I encouraged him and took the order. It felt like seeing a cute junior, so I naturally smiled.
Looking at it like this, those snake legs seem quite cute too… Of course, I’m still not quite used to it yet. After making the drinks and pondering a bit, I packaged two puddings from the refrigerator and handed them to snake son.
“Please eat this with your mother. It’s pudding. That person who came last time, right? I think you said Silk-nim…”
“Ah, yes. Thank… thank you!”
“I hope you get the job.”
Thinking I should tell the boss, I spoke with a smile, and snake son nodded his head greatly, bowed his waist in a folder greeting, then quickly opened the door and left.
I smiled slightly, then turned my body to clean again.
Knock knock— This time there’s a knocking sound from the door.
Hm? How unusual. It’s rare to have many customers at this time. Or wondering if snake son left something behind, I raised my head and looked at the door. Even after a while, they didn’t seem to be thinking of entering.
“Excuse me…? The door is open.”
Knock knock—
“Excuse me.”
What?
At the quite thick voice, I left the counter and slightly opened the door.
Then I saw legs presumed to be wood right in front, so I went “Hm?” and raised my head upward. After looking up for a long time, my eyes met with a wooden face and eyes, and I blinked.
Uh, so… a giant tree-nim as big as a telephone pole has come? Following the giant snake…
They seemed to have the most fascinating atmosphere among those I’ve seen so far. The smell of the forest filled the surroundings, making even my mood feel good.
“Welcome.”
“The café door is too small for me to enter. Sorry, but could I ask to order a drink?”
“…Ah! Yes. Please tell me.”
But is it okay for a tree to drink something other than water…?
Well. It’s a place where fish and mantises drink coffee too. Deciding to give up thinking again, I nodded my head diligently and went inside, brought out the menu, and handed it to the tree.
Wow… there are things like ribbons hanging on the branches too.
“What brings you down here?”
“Oh, you’re here too, as expected.”
I was listening attentively and waiting for them to say the menu when my eyes met with a man walking slowly from beyond. With a glad heart, I smiled while calling Bihyeon-nim. He who approached this way nodded his head toward the tree.
But is this also someone Bihyeon-nim knows? He doesn’t look sociable, but he’s quite a social butterfly.
“Isn’t the rumor quite the talk these days? I came because I was curious about this boy.”
If it’s a rumor… as expected, are they talking about delicious things? Since attending this café, I’ve been thinking that even I myself am getting better at cooking.
While wondering whether to go inside for a moment while the two conversed, the tree held out his palm to me and smiled. Feeling grateful that they seemed to have come a long way because of me, I reflexively greeted and held out the menu. When I made eye contact with the tree, they laughed warmly, “Hehe,” and took the menu.
…Can they even see it? Compared to Tree-nim’s hand, the menu is incredibly small.
“It’s a mountain god.”
Bihyeon who approached beside me smiled and told me quietly.
“Ah, yes, I see… Yes?”
So it’s a mountain god-nim. No wonder the atmosphere was mysterious.
I was nodding with serious eyes when I doubted my ears and looked at Bihyeon. Mountain, mountain god…
“What?!”
Is it okay for such a high-ranking person to leave the mountain? Is the mountain moving now? And in the form of such a tree? I covered my mouth and my eyes grew so wide they seemed to pop out, and I trembled my hands while pointing politely. Perhaps my behavior was funny, Bihyeon laughed haha, then held out his hand to the mountain god.
“You can’t see it anyway. Give it.”
“Yes, I’ll ask. My eyes are dim with age.”
…Isn’t the problem not age but the menu being too small?
I was even more shocked than when there was a talisman in front of my house, to the point my heart fluttered. Living life, I really experience all kinds of things.
“I want to eat something refreshing. Can you recommend something?”
It was Bihyeon who asked for the menu, but the mountain god who handed me the menu asked kindly.
I stared blankly at the menu, then suddenly came to my senses belatedly and nodded.
“For something refreshing, how about an ade? Lemon, cherry, blueberry flavor…”
“Hmm, I’ll have lemonade.”
“Yes, I’ll make it right away.”
“That friend will pay.”
What was pointed to was none other than Bihyeon who was looking at us with interested eyes from the side.
I glanced around with eyes asking if that was okay. Even at my eyes, the mountain god only laughed hehehe.
Bihyeon who shrugged his shoulders handed me his card.
“Ah, I heard the snacks are famous—is there something like cookies?”
“Th… there are. I made new pudding today too. If it’s okay, shall I give it to you? It’s a bit small though…”
Actually, considering the mountain god’s size, it’s not a bit but very small.
I’m advertising while giving like this. I was thinking of feeding the pudding to others first and then getting permission from the boss.
“Then I’ll have that too.”
I who nodded and equipped a service smile quickly entered inside the counter. I was smiling but more flustered than usual, so it felt like my eyes were spinning. I moved quickly, made the drink, and took out the pudding. As expected, it’s incredibly small compared to that size. Still, they seem to have come a long way, so wouldn’t it be wrong to just send them away? After pondering for a while, I held the drink and pudding and politely handed them to the mountain god.
“The payment?”
Bihyeon who had been following me around smiling languidly waved the card.
“Uh…? Right.”
I was so flustered that I completely forgot to receive the card from Bihyeon and to process the payment.
The mountain god looked at my reaction and laughed loudly, “Hehehe!” then took the drink and pudding and threw them into his mouth in one bite.
After slowly moving his mouth and swallowing it, he went “Mm” and nodded, then bent his body and leaned his head close.
Despite being this big, strangely I didn’t feel scared.
Is it because they’re a mountain god…? When you say mountain god, they’re a grateful person who protects the mountain.
“You’re a kind child. Do you have anything to tie for me?”
The mountain god raised his hand and pointed to the ribbons on his branches.
Something to tie? Is there such a thing?
I blinked blankly and searched my pockets. There was nothing. Something in the café to tie… No. It’s for the mountain god-nim, so I can’t just give anything. After pondering, I went into the café and took out the string from a bookmark I usually carried in my bag. It’s a bit much since it’s not new, but still, it’s Mom’s keepsake and a bookmark I’ve always cherished, so wouldn’t this have sincerity?
Thinking I should at least give this much to someone who protects the mountain, I left the café and made eye contact with the mountain god. Kind eyes smiled gently. I reached out and carefully stroked the body of the person who bent down for me. Then I tied it to the closest branch.
The string was short, so I barely tied a ribbon and smiled with satisfaction. The mountain god who had been quietly closing his eyes raised the corners of his mouth kindly without sound.
“This is too precious an item. Let’s see… Here, take this.”
“Wow…”
I didn’t give it wanting something in return, but what the mountain god held out was a branch that had bloomed very small and pretty flowers.
“You’re truly a kind child. That’s why… it will be hard. But new encounters, those precious connections will help you.”
The tranquil eyes were staring at me intently, so I blinked. Is the hardship referring to the curse after all? It seemed like there was a deeper meaning, but I didn’t dare ask.
“Thank you. I’ll cherish it.”
“While we’re at it, I’d like walnut pie next time too. That friend eats that delicious-looking thing by himself and doesn’t share.”
The mountain god who stood up from his seat while laughing hehehe smiled slightly, waved his hand at Bihyeon, and walked into the alley. I watched the person who disappeared in an instant as if using magic, then looked at the flowering branch in my hand.
Pretty… Can I receive something this pretty?
“Payment before you forget.”
Bihyeon held out the card again and smiled.
Ah, right. I forgot again.
When I stared at the flower with pondering eyes, Bihyeon smiled slightly, grabbed my hand, and pressed the card into it.
……?
My hand was grabbed for a moment, so I stared at it blankly, then made eye contact with Bihyeon.
