Lina hated mornings.
More specifically—
She hated adventurer mornings.
Cold ground.
Heavy equipment.
Guild requests posted before sunrise by people who clearly enjoyed suffering.
And worst of all—
No coffee.
"…This profession is terrible," Lina muttered while dragging herself through the streets.
The town had barely awakened yet.
Shopkeepers prepared stalls.
Carriages rolled slowly through the roads.
A few adventurers headed toward the guild already carrying weapons and oversized backpacks.
Meanwhile, Lina looked one missed nap away from collapse.
Her boots splashed through small puddles left behind by last night's rain while she pulled her cloak tighter around herself.
The Adventurer's Guild soon came into view.
A massive stone building near the center of town.
Loud.
Crowded.
Chaotic.
Exactly the opposite of Moonbean Café.
The moment Lina entered—
Noise assaulted her immediately.
"THAT QUEST WASN'T RANK C!"
"You broke the cart!"
"THE MONSTER STARTED IT!"
"Who accepted sewer duty?!"
Lina sighed deeply.
"…I miss coffee already."
Several nearby adventurers looked toward her instantly.
"Wait—you mean the café coffee?"
"You've tried it too?"
"That place is dangerous."
"I spent half my pay there yesterday."
Lina pointed dramatically.
"SEE? I'M NOT CRAZY."
"You were already crazy," someone replied.
"RUDE."
The guild itself resembled a battlefield disguised as a workplace.
Wooden tables filled the main hall while quest boards covered entire walls.
Adventurers moved constantly between:
request counters
equipment stations
dining tables
healers
shouting arguments
And overseeing all this chaos—
Serena.
The guild receptionist stood behind the front desk with perfect posture and dead eyes.
A terrifying combination.
The moment she saw Lina—
"…Late again."
Lina immediately defended herself.
"I was strategically resting."
"You overslept."
"I was emotionally exhausted."
"You were drinking coffee until midnight."
"That was research."
Serena stared silently.
Lina coughed awkwardly.
"…Good morning?"
"Barely."
Despite her cold tone, Serena slid several quest papers across the counter automatically.
"Delivery request. Herb gathering. Small monster extermination."
Lina skimmed the papers lazily.
"…Any quests involving less walking?"
"No."
"Cruel."
"That is literally the profession."
Lina groaned dramatically before accepting the herb gathering quest.
Simple.
Safe.
Minimal chance of death.
Perfect.
"Well," she muttered while stretching, "time to pretend I'm responsible."
"Try not to explode anything today."
"That happened ONCE."
"It happened three times."
"The forest was flammable."
Serena pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly.
"Please leave before I develop a headache."
Lina saluted confidently.
"Understood, terrifying guild lady."
"I heard that."
"That was intentional."
Then she escaped before Serena could throw paperwork at her.
Several hours later—
Lina regretted everything.
"…Why are herbs always uphill?"
Sweat covered her forehead while she climbed through a forest path carrying a gathering basket.
Birds chirped peacefully overhead.
The weather was beautiful.
And she was miserable.
Adventurer life sounded exciting in stories.
Reality was:
sore feet
bug bites
terrible weather
dangerous monsters
and clients who complained constantly
"Find medicinal herbs," she muttered bitterly.
"Easy money," they said."
A branch snapped nearby.
Lina immediately grabbed her sword instinctively.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
A tiny rabbit-like creature hopped from the bushes.
Silence.
The creature stared at Lina.
Lina stared back.
"…You scared me for nothing."
The rabbit chirped proudly before hopping away.
Lina sighed deeply and continued climbing.
Truthfully—
She never originally planned becoming an adventurer.
Like many people in town, she simply needed money.
Her family owned a tiny farm outside the city years ago.
Then monsters destroyed part of the trade route nearby.
Business collapsed afterward.
Debt followed.
Eventually—
Lina left home and joined the guild alone.
At first, she imagined glory.
Adventure.
Treasure.
Heroic battles.
Instead she discovered:
terrible sleeping conditions
near-death experiences
and constant hunger
Still…
She endured it.
Because adventuring gave freedom.
Dangerous freedom.
But freedom nonetheless.
Then recently—
Something changed.
Moonbean Café appeared.
And somehow…
The exhausting rhythm of her days felt lighter now.
The thought alone made her blink.
"…Huh."
Before the café, her routine never changed.
Wake up tired.
Work.
Fight monsters.
Eat terrible food.
Sleep.
Repeat.
But now?
There was something waiting at the end of the day.
Warm coffee.
Comfortable silence.
People she liked being around.
A place where she could relax without pretending to be tough constantly.
"…That café really is dangerous."
A small smile appeared on her face.
Then suddenly—
Rustle.
Several goblin-like creatures burst from nearby bushes screeching loudly.
"…Ah."
Lina sighed while drawing her sword.
"Work again."
The monsters charged recklessly.
Lina dodged sideways smoothly before slamming the flat of her blade against the nearest goblin's head.
THUD.
Another lunged toward her immediately.
She kicked it directly into a tree.
"Seriously," she muttered while fighting, "can't monsters appreciate peaceful days?"
One goblin hissed and swung wildly.
Lina ducked instinctively before striking upward cleanly.
The creature collapsed instantly.
Several minutes later—
Silence returned to the forest.
Lina stood there breathing heavily.
"…I hate cardio."
She sheathed her sword tiredly.
Minor injuries.
Dirty clothes.
Sore muscles.
Just another normal adventurer day.
Eventually, sunset painted the sky orange as Lina returned toward town carrying herbs over one shoulder.
Exhaustion weighed down every step.
But this time—
She found herself smiling slightly.
Because she already knew where she was going next.
The moment the town gates appeared—
A familiar smell drifted softly through the evening air.
Coffee.
Warm bread.
Desserts.
Lina's tired expression immediately brightened.
"There it is."
Moonbean Café glowed warmly near the quiet street corner.
Light spilled from the windows.
People laughed inside.
And somehow—
After long exhausting days—
That little café had started feeling like home.
.
.
.