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Episode 3

The Bolbang  Cafe is not a place just anyone can come to. Only those chosen by the Guiding Tree can become customers. Only people with warm hearts, who pay attention to the little acorns rolling on the ground and take an interest in nature, are guided to the cafe.

“Ah, so that moving acorn tree I saw earlier wasn’t an illusion?!”

It’s truly amazing. Of course, in a situation where squirrels can talk, a tree might also have such mysterious powers. Still, a squirrel talking seems like something that could potentially be achieved through training, but a tree moving is a truly surreal phenomenon.

This cafe seems far more special than I ever imagined.

At the bottom of the manual, there was a note written in small letters.

Note: A long, long time ago, this place wasn’t the Bolbang  Cafe, but the Bolbang  Tea House. It’s alright to change the type of business as times change. What’s important isn’t the menu, but the happiness shared between the human customers and the squirrel employees.

If it was a tea house, how long ago must it have been established? This Bolbang  Cafe seems to have a very long history. I need to take good care of this precious heritage and pass it on to future generations. Feeling a pleasant sense of responsibility, I spoke to the squirrels.

“Hello. Let me introduce myself again! My name is Cheon Sol-mo, and as of today, I’m the new owner of this place. I will take good care of you all with all my heart and sincerity.”

At that, the squirrels all chirped “Chuu-” in unison, seeming happy.

Then Toko, the boss squirrel, introduced the other squirrels to me one by one.

“Anko!”

Wow, what an incredibly pretty squirrel. Even its fur seems different from the other squirrels. If the others are like blanket material, this one alone is like silk. Is it a rich kid squirrel…? Its fur shines so lustrously, as if it’s the only one getting aesthetic treatments.

Anko snorted haughtily and looked down at me. Its appearance is unmistakably that of a squirrel, but its demeanor is completely cat-like.

But even acting so prickly, it’s still just cute in my eyes. How much attitude can such a tiny thing really give?

“Mr. Anko, nice to meet you.”

I greeted Anko with a smile.

Anko gave a slight, aloof nod in my direction. Still, the fact that it subtly acknowledged the greeting makes me think we might get along. It might take some time to become close, though.

Toko called the next squirrel’s name.

“Mungko!”

Mungko was sprawled out lazily with sleepy-looking eyes.

A plump squirrel. What does it eat to be so chubby? The absurd sight made me laugh without realizing it. This is the first time I’ve seen such a fat squirrel…

But somehow, that makes it look even rounder and cuter. They say cute things are still cute even when they gain weight, and it’s true. I want to poke Mungko’s belly with my finger. But it would be rude on our first meeting…

“Mr. Mungko, nice to meet you.”

Suppressing the urge to pet it, I greeted Mungko politely.

Mungko didn’t respond. Instead, it took out a tiny Post-it note and started scribbling something on it. What’s this? Is it drawing me a picture or something?

After a moment, Mungko gently held out the Post-it note to me.

[Mungko.]

It had written its name. The letters were crooked and clumsy, like a child’s handwriting, but I could recognize it immediately.

“Wow. Mr. Mungko, you can write too? That’s amazing!”

Admiration escaped me naturally. These guys are so much more intelligent than I thought!

I was still speechless with surprise at the fact that a squirrel could write, but Toko had already moved on to the next introduction.

“Chuko!”

Ah, I’m already familiar with Chuko’s name from hearing it once before. This one looks ordinary, but surprisingly, it stands out the most among them.

Because it has an overwhelming presence as the resident cutie. If these five squirrels were an idol group, would Chuko be the center?

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Chuko.”

“Chuwoot~!”

See? Even now, it’s acting cute so endearingly. Chuko bowed deeply in a sitting position with sparkling eyes.

I understand now why that middle-aged customer earlier gave Chuko an extra acorn. How could you not give more when it’s being this charmingly mischievous?

I watched Chuko with a warm, satisfied feeling.

Just then, Toko said.

“And! The youngest!”

Huh? There’s still another squirrel to introduce? I don’t see any other squirrels here. Ah, come to think of it, when I first entered the cafe, there were five squirrels. But so far, I’ve only heard four names: Toko, Anko, Mungko, and Chuko. Let’s see, what kind of friend is the last squirrel?

Toko’s raised his voice and called out loudly into the empty air.

Tadako~! Tadako!”

Then, from somewhere, an incredibly tiny squirrel darted out swiftly.

An adorable baby squirrel, still far from fully grown. Its fur was soft like downy fluff; it looked so light it might fly away if you blew on it.

“The youngest, Tadako!”

Boss Toko’s said, patting the baby squirrel Tadakoo’s head.

Tadako seemed to accept Toko’s pats for a moment, but then immediately started dashing around energetically here and there. I didn’t even have a chance to say hello.

Seeing Tadako like that, Tto-ko shook his head and said.

Tadako, troublemaker!”

Tadako was the first one to get an additional comment during the introductions.

I smiled radiantly. So Tadako is the reckless little kid squirrel.

By the way, they all have the ‘-ko’ suffix in their names, don’t they? Toko, Anko, Mungko, Chuko, Tadako.

All five are harmless and cute, each with their own unique charm.

After we finished the introductions, Toko pushed his sliding glasses up with a shwoop and said.

“Sol-mo, room!”

“Room?”

Toko scurried ahead, pattering along. He seemed eager to show me quickly. Is there still something else to introduce? I hurried my steps, following Toko’s lead.

Following Toko to the back of the cafe, I spotted a quaint little cottage. A small roof shaped like a mushroom caught my eye immediately.

Toko  pointed at the cottage and said.

“Sol-mo’s!”

“Wow! You’re saying I can stay there?”

My eyes widened in surprise.

“Uh-huh!”

Toko nodded energetically. Seeing how happy I was, Toko seemed happy about it too.

With a fluttering, excited heart, I gently opened the door of the cottage.

Wow.

Inside, there was a bed covered with a cozy blanket, and a fluffy rug laid out. Plus, there was even a fireplace with crackling logs burning.

It wasn’t big, but maybe because of that, it felt warmly enveloping. Perhaps because it was made of wood, it was filled with a snug, cozy feeling.

Warm sunlight was streaming in through the window too. Truly, this is a forest sanctuary like no other.

It’s like a place that perfectly encapsulates all the dreams of rural life. Being able to stay here – it’s just so, so wonderful. Grandpa, thank you! Do I really deserve to enjoy something like this?!

I’m glad I packed my bags as briefly instructed in the letter. I can stay in this cottage right away without needing to prepare anything else.

“Boss squirrel, Mr. Toko.”

“Uh-huh?”

Toko looked up at me with round, sparkling eyes.

I held out my hand to Toko, offering a handshake. Toko stared intently at my hand and tilted his head. Maybe he’d never seen a handshake before, wondering what this was, he glanced at me sideways, trying to figure it out.

I quietly kept my hand outstretched and waited. Then Toko, looking unsure, grabbed my fingers with his tiny little hands.

I shook our joined hands and beamed brightly.

“Once again, I look forward to working with you!”

Toko who had been bewildered, finally seemed to catch the excitement.

“…Uh-huh!”

He answered, nodding his head vigorously.

By the way, did Grandpa Sul-mu also stay in this cottage?

Looking around the inside of the cottage with a thrilled expression, I asked Toko

“Mr. Toko, do you know Cheon Sul-mu? The original owner of this place… Mr. Toko?”

There was no answer, so I turned around, but Toko the squirrel was already gone, nowhere to be seen. Well, I’ll have plenty of time to ask while living here. Maybe it’s okay to learn things slowly.

• Creak-

A quiet and calm cafe.

Maybe because it was early morning and business hadn’t started yet, the atmosphere was quite different from the bustling scene yesterday.

I could see the back view of one squirrel. A bit plump and round-looking… What was its name again? Mungko?

“Mr. Mungko! Good morning.”

I greeted brightly. Mungko slowly turned to look at me. With a blank expression, he nodded his head.

There was still quite some time until opening, so what was Mungko doing here alone?

Maybe my curiosity showed on my face, because Mungko tapped the coffee machine. Then he rubbed his head against the coffee machine affectionately.

“You must really like coffee, Mr. Mungko.”

Mungko beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

Then he busily scribbled something on a Post-it note and held it out to me.

[Like coffee?]

The spelling was a bit off, but each consonant and vowel was written clearly and neatly.

“Yes, I do!”

I answered with a bright smile.

Suddenly, Mungko’s eyes lit up with life. With quick, nimble movements, he started brewing coffee. He was a completely different squirrel from the one who was sprawled out blankly just moments ago.

The fragrant aroma of coffee filled the entire cafe. Soon after, Mungko handed me a cup of coffee.

“Oh, you’re giving this to me?”

Mungko nodded with a happy expression.

I felt happy too, in turn. I never thought I’d get to drink coffee brewed by a squirrel in my lifetime.

I inhaled the coffee’s aroma deeply. Haa – such a good smell. A smile naturally formed on my face.

I blew on it to cool it a bit and took a sip with an excited heart.

“Wow…”

Admiration escaped me involuntarily. Honestly, I’ve drunk many different types of coffee – espresso, American, cafe latte – but I can confidently say right now, at this moment: This coffee Mungko brewed is the most delicious in the world.

Mungko watched me contentedly as I gulped it down, nearly burning my tongue.

I’m not just saying this to be nice, but Mungko, even setting aside the fact that he’s a squirrel, is a true coffee artisan. It’s way more delicious than coffee made by most human baristas.

“Mr. Mungko! It’s so delicious!”

Just then,

• Creak-

The door opened and Toko, Anko, Chuko, and Tadako all came noisily rushing into the shop together. With the arrival of the four squirrels, the quiet cafe immediately became lively.

Mungko also got up. With this, all five squirrel employees had reported for work.

The employees began their opening preparations in perfect unison.

They opened the windows to let in the pleasant forest air for ventilation, and used leaves to dust off the surfaces. Each one moved busily.

And time ticked by, eventually reaching 11 o’clock in the morning.

My heart is pounding – the first day of business is starting!

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