Another World Fluffy Cafe

Chapter 17: The First Customers are Adventurers

The first customers to arrive at the Mofumofu Café were a trio of adventurers.

With various scratches here and there, it was clear to Taichi that they had recently been in a fight.

“Welcome!”

As Taichi greeted them, the three looked around the café with curiosity. The first to speak was the man at the front.

“Oh, we found this place by chance on our way back to the city. Since it’s a café, we thought we’d take a little break—”

“Greece, there are Berry Rabbits and a Wolf here! Stay away!!”

The woman in the back suddenly raised her voice and drew her bow towards Luke and the Berry Rabbits.

“Wait, please! These are my summoned creatures!”

“—Huh?”

Taichi hurriedly spread his arms to shield Luke and the others, causing the woman to lower her bow in haste.

“Y-Yeah, I guess you’re right… It wouldn’t make sense for monsters to be here. Sorry about that.”

“It’s alright. It seems unusual to see summoned creatures like this. But please, don’t do it again.”

“Sure, of course. But… isn’t this supposed to be a café?”

She seemed puzzled as to why there were summoned creatures.

“This is the ‘Mofumofu Café,’ where you can interact with cute, fluffy monsters.”

Taichi decided to give it a try and gestured for the three to move further into the café.

“I’m Taichi. Actually, this is our grand opening today… You’re our first customers.”

Slightly embarrassed, he said this, and the woman responded with a smile, “That’s an honor.”

“I’m Nina, a Hunter. These are Griez and Arul. We’re a party of three.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Good day.”

Nina, who had been wary, now had a bright smile on her face. With her bandana and bobbed hair, and her orange eyes, she seemed to be the party’s mood maker.

Griez, the stocky swordsman, had a two-block haircut and blue eyes. Though his build was intimidating, his demeanor was gentle. He watched the Berry Rabbits with a bit of nervousness, perhaps because he liked fluffy things.

Arul, with her refined appearance, had honey-colored twin-tails and strong green eyes. She seemed disinterested in the animals, perhaps not fond of them.

The Berry Rabbits in the café were clearly intrigued by the three new customers, hopping around and observing them. Meanwhile, the seasoned Luke remained stationary on his beanbag.

“Please order and pay at the counter over there. We have a one-drink-per-person policy. You can also interact with the monsters in the café, so feel free to choose any seat.”

“Got it.”

Taichi had initially considered implementing a time-based system like Japanese cat cafés, but the Commercial Guild mentioned that such a system was uncommon. Typically, nobles would pay extra to reserve high-end establishments. So, Taichi opted for a one-drink policy.

When they reached the menu, Nina looked puzzled.

“Are tea and black tea different?”

“Ah, yes… Tea is something commonly drunk in my hometown. It’s more on the refreshing side, I suppose.”

“I see… Well then, I’ll have the tea, please. Ice-cold.”

(It seems tea isn’t familiar in this world.)

Taichi thought he might need to add some explanations to the menu. However, given the current lack of customers, verbal explanations seemed sufficient.

“I’ll have tea as well. Arul, what will you have?”

“I’ll have black tea.”

“And add some cookies and chocolates! After a hunt, sweet treats are a must.”

“Alright. The drinks are 500 Chel each, and the sweets are 300 Chel each, making a total of 2,100 Chel.”

After receiving the payment, Taichi said, “Please make yourselves comfortable,” and retreated to the kitchen space.

Once Taichi had left, Nina crouched down and reached out to a nearby Berry Rabbit.

“I used to hunt these when I saw them… But up close, they really are quite cute.”

“Aside from being monsters, they’re quite similar to small animals.”

Griez agreed with Nina’s sentiment and gently patted a nearby Berry Rabbit. He was also curious about Luke, who was lounging on a beanbag, but felt hesitant to approach due to his imposing presence.

One Berry Rabbit—Marshmallow—approached Nina and placed its front paws on her lap. Nina, feeling the soft paw pads, gasped.

“What do I do! I drew my bow earlier, but… it’s so incredibly cute!!”

Seeing the Berry Rabbit kneading on her lap, Nina was overcome with emotion. Despite having fought these creatures before, they appeared so endearing now.

Another Berry Rabbit approached Griez.

“Small animals usually run away from me…”

“Griez, despite being a bit timid, you look tough on the outside,” Nina commented.

Griez, who hadn’t had much interaction with animals, felt a lump in his throat as he gently petted the Berry Rabbit that let him. What started as a quick break before heading back to the city had turned into a delightful experience.

Watching them, Arul remarked, “Such exaggeration.”

“Well, this is a rare experience!”

“Yes! Arul, aren’t you interested?”

“I’m fine as long as I get to rest with my tea.”

Arul seemed less interested in the fluffiness, unlike the others. Nina and Griez, understanding this, decided to give extra attention to the Berry Rabbits, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Then, one Berry Rabbit waddled over to Arul and settled on her lap.

“—!”

Surprised by the unexpected visitor, Arul was initially flustered.

“……”

As Griez and Nina were engrossed in the Berry Rabbits, Arul took a deep breath and began to gently pet the Berry Rabbit.

“Wow…”

The soft, fluffy sensation made her heart flutter. It was more captivating than she had anticipated.

“Hmph. If no one is watching, I suppose I could lend my lap to you!”

She petted the Berry Rabbit once more, realizing how wonderfully soothing this experience was.

Until Taichi returned with their drinks, Arul secretly enjoyed the fluffiness.