The doorbell chimed with a pleasant jingle as the morning rush began.
The name Honey & Crumb was carved into the wooden sign out front, wrapped in trailing ivy and glowing slightly under the sun. A humble café tucked at the edge of the artisan district—but judging by the crowd forming before opening hours, it might as well have been a sacred temple to pastries and coffee.
I tugged the apron's strap over my shoulder and smoothed the front, feeling mildly ridiculous and vaguely professional at the same time.
"Felix, can you set the window scones?" Heather's voice rang from behind the counter, already two steps ahead of me.
"On it!" I grabbed the silver tray—careful, hot—and slid the golden scones onto the display rack. Their buttery aroma drifted up, mingling with cinnamon and roasted beans.
Matteo flipped the sign to Open, and within seconds, the door swung wide.
That's when the real madness began.
"Morning, Matteo! Got my usual?"
"Ooh, you've added raspberry to the crumble today, haven't you?"
"I swear, Heather, if you ever leave this town, I'll cry."
The café buzzed with chatter, orders, and laughter—everyone moving with the practiced chaos of morning regulars and caffeine-starved citizens.
And then there was me.
"Hi! Welcome to Honey & Crumb!" I greeted a customer at table four, balancing a tray of lavender biscuits and three cups of tea.
The woman blinked, then gave a surprised smile. "Oh—aren't you adorable!"
I paused. "…Thanks?" I set down the tray and stepped back.
"You have the loveliest eyes," she said, tilting her head. "You look just like my niece. She's a dancer, you know."
Before I could respond, a giggle came from behind. Another group of customers waved me over—two young girls and a guy with a notebook.
"Excuse me, miss! Can we get the chocolate brioche and a vanilla rose latte?"
Miss?
I blinked. I looked down. Then looked at the group.
"…Coming right up," I muttered, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
Apparently, the freshly-washed look and neatly tied apron had done more than clean me up.
"I think you've just doubled our morning tips," Matteo whispered as I passed by the counter. "Maybe even tripled. Half the customers keep asking if you're single."
I narrowed my eyes. "Seriously?"
Heather didn't even look up from her kneading. "Don't encourage them."
I tried not to let it get to me. After all, I did have experience as a part-timer in my last life—convenience stores, delivery, and even one unfortunate stint as a theme park mascot. Compared to those, this was almost peaceful. Almost.
Still, it was hard to ignore the occasional wink. Or the scribbled phone number hidden under a muffin wrapper. Or the woman who asked if I'd "like to model for her boutique sometime."
I dodged most of it with polite smiles and quick escapes. Thanks to my new skill, Instinctual Flow, I could read body language better than ever. Just a small twitch in the hand, the slight lean forward—I could predict awkward conversations like potholes in a road and swerve accordingly.
By noon, the café hit its peak.
I was clearing a table near the window when a small boy tugged on my sleeve.
"Mister?" he asked shyly, eyes wide.
I turned, kneeling a little. "Yeah?"
He handed me a coin. "This is for you. Mama says pretty people should be happy."
I stared. My heart did a somersault. Matteo laughed so hard he nearly dropped a tray.
I took the coin, smiled, and said, "Thank you, little man. You just made my day."
He beamed and ran off.
---
By mid-afternoon, the café finally settled into a quiet lull.
I wiped down the last table and leaned against the counter, breathing out. My arms were sore. My legs ached. But for some reason, I felt… content.
Heather slid over a glass of iced lemon tea. "You did good."
"Really?" I asked, sipping gratefully.
"Really. No dropped trays, no mixed-up orders. And you didn't run off once." Her eyes twinkled. "That's a new record."
"Glad to know I'm setting new standards."
She chuckled and flicked a napkin at me.
A soft ping echoed in the corner of my vision.
[System Notice: Daily Objective – "Worker Bee" Complete]
Reward: +5 EXP, +1 Charisma (Temporary Boost – 24h)
Bonus Condition Met: Maintain Composure While Flustered – Reward: Passive Skill Seed Unlocked
I raised an eyebrow.
[Skill Seed: Social Grace (Locked)]
This seed will germinate into a full skill once exposure threshold is reached.
Interesting. So the system did track non-combat development too.
"Matteo," I asked casually, "do we get any days off before the week ends?"
He looked over his shoulder from the pantry. "You get one. Why?"
I tapped the folded letter still tucked in my apron pocket. "Thought I'd use it to… prepare."
"Prepare for what?" he asked.
I gave him a calm, practiced smile.
"…An exam."
He raised an eyebrow but didn't push. "Alright. Just don't burn the house down trying to study magic."
"No promises."
---
That evening, as I swept the floors under the golden glow of lanterns, I caught my reflection again in the glass window.
Soft features. Golden brown eyes. An apron tied with a slightly uneven bow.
It still felt like someone else's face.
And yet—
"I think I'm starting to like this," I whispered.
[Time Remaining: 6 Days, 1 Hour, 42 Minutes]
[Optional System Notification: A potential skill copy opportunity will appear tomorrow. Location: Café. Subject: Damian.]
I blinked at the last line.
"Damian…?"
My shift was over, but something told me tomorrow would be anything but normal.