HSO Chapter 07

Chapter 07
The Clumsy Hands Dreamy Barista~☆

 

Just what kind of words did he say with his eyes for the system window to filter them out? 

For a system that lets most curses slide, to go as far as using special characters to filter them out—it had to be something serious.

I knew it. Who would look at someone they like with such fierce eyes? 

Thanks to the faulty favorability window, I was about to be labeled a terminal case of princess syndrome.

“It’s a joke, just a joke. So relax your expression a bit. If someone who didn’t know better saw you, they’d think I scammed you out of a huge sum of money.”

Only after I casually brushed it off as a joke did Hae-ryeong finally retract his sharp glare.

“I’d rather be swindled out of a huge sum.”

 

[Constellation ‘Ruler of the Hot Spring’ shudders as if they don’t even want to imagine it.]

 

‘Is it really that bad?’

At a glance, Hae-ryeong’s favorability toward me was clearly rock-bottom.

Maybe it was actually a good thing the favorability window was glitched.

Now I just sincerely hoped the error would never get fixed.

Otherwise, that locked stat in my status window might never get unlocked.

“So, are you done spewing nonsense now?”

“Yes, I’m all done.”

I answered half-heartedly to Hae-ryeong’s serious question.

“Yeong-gye, come in.”

“Yes, I’m coming in now!”

Oomph!

At Hae-ryeong’s call, a small, chubby Yeong-gye waddled in through the open door, struggling to carry a tray.

A little fluffy chick is carrying a tray.

So cute!

I normally don’t get excited over much, but I have a major soft spot for ‘small and cute things.’

Right now, Yeong-gye checked both of those boxes.

Barely holding back the urge to gush, I watched fondly as Yeong-gye carefully set the tray down in front of me.

 

[Guide ‘Yeong-gye’ finds your gaze unsettling.]

 

‘I won’t hurt you.’

 

[Guide ‘Yeong-gye’ feels a sense of danger from your gaze and takes a step back.]

 

“Yeong-gye.”

Hearing my call, Yeong-gye’s small body flinched.

“W-why are you calling me?”

“Your feathers look super soft, so I was wondering… can I touch them just for a second?”

The moment I reached out toward the soft-looking fluff, Yeong-gye quickly scurried away from me.

“I refuse.”

How firm.

I watched Yeong-gye, now safely distanced, feeling disappointed. Then, a savory aroma caught my attention.

That’s… tonkatsu!

The delicious smell triggered my appetite, and I quickly lifted the cover off the tray to reveal a mouthwatering plate of tonkatsu.

Even if I don’t recognize other foods, I can identify tonkatsu by smell alone.

It’s my ultimate favorite food, after all. Recognizing it is only natural.

“Just eat this so you don’t cause more trouble by letting your health drop again.”

Though he grumbled, Hae-ryeong handed me a pair of chopsticks.

Then, I won’t hold back!

“Thanks for the meal!”

Crunch!

The moment I took a bite, the crispy texture of the breading sent a delightful sensation through my mouth.

“The breading is insane! It’s seriously delicious!”

As I reveled in happiness, the corners of Hae-ryeong’s lips curled slightly.

Once I took my first bite, I devoured the tonkatsu in an instant.

 

[You have eaten ‘Hot Spring Tonkatsu.’ Your Health is fully restored. Health (30/30)]

 

Wait, eating regular tonkatsu restores my Health to full?

I remember Park Si-woo mentioning something once—

Health potions are incredibly rare, and their prices vary greatly depending on potency.

Which means… if I sell this tonkatsu to hunters, I could name my price?

I may have clumsy hands, but if I just follow the recipe, I should be able to make it, right?

If I can replicate this Hot Spring Tonkatsu perfectly, I’ll be rich in no time.

The more money I make, the more hunters I can hire, and the faster I can find my parents.

I decided to subtly ask Yeong-gye about the tonkatsu recipe.

“Yeong-gye, this tonkatsu was so good… is there some kind of special secret recipe?”

“That’s not something I made.”

I assumed it was Yeong-gye who cooked it, but if not… then who?

My gaze naturally shifted to Hae-ryeong.

‘No way…’

“You sure are reacting poorly after I went through the trouble of making it.”

“You’re telling me you made this?”

Shocked, I stared at him, and he frowned in displeasure.

With such delicate, pale hands, he looked like someone who had never so much as touched water.

“Yeah. Before you try making it yourself, you should at least taste it and learn what it should be like.”

“…You expect me to make this?”

Still staring at his elegant hands, I pointed at myself.

“The food sold in the hot spring is made by the hot spring owner. Not just food—this place also serves tea and even provides medical treatments. A hot spring master must be skilled in cooking, tea brewing, and even medicine-making.”

Wait, isn’t this a hot spring?

Fine, I’ll let the food and tea slide.

But what does a hot spring owner have to do with making medicine?

“You’re joking, right?”

Ha, ha, ha. I laughed awkwardly in a broken rhythm and waved my hands in denial, but Hae-ryeong’s face remained completely serious.

“Does it look like a joke?”

No.

The problem was that it didn’t sound like a joke at all.

“Isn’t medicine-making something only professionals should do? I don’t have any kind of certification, so wouldn’t it be illegal for me to make medicine?”

“That will be taken care of, so stop worrying about useless things. Here, drink this.”

Completely ignoring my desperate attempts to dodge responsibility, Hae-ryeong handed me a steaming cup.

“What’s this?”

“Mugwort latte. It’s a popular menu item here.”

A mugwort latte? That’s a first.

I hesitated at the unfamiliar drink and first took in its scent.

It had a pleasant, herbal aroma.

At first, the murky green color made me wary, but drawn in by the rich fragrance, I took a careful sip.

Damn.

This is good, too!

I thought it’d be bitter since it’s made of mugwort, but it was subtly sweet—probably from sugar.

“I take it you like it.”

Hae-ryeong’s voice brought me back to my senses, and I realized—

I had already emptied the whole cup.

 

[You have consumed ‘Hot Spring Mugwort Latte.’ Health increased by 5 due to the refreshing energy of mugwort. Health (30/35)]

 

After drinking a single cup of Hot Spring Mugwort Latte, my stamina increased by 5 just like that.

Does this even make sense?

Countless hunters go through intense training with professional trainers to increase their stamina, but it’s not something that improves easily.

Where exactly is the limit of this hot spring?

It felt like I was only scratching the surface, yet it had already surpassed ordinary standards.

I guess it really is different since it’s an EX-rank hot spring.

As I silently marveled, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of a potion that increases stamina stats before, have I?

What if I start selling mugwort lattes instead…?

It seems like it would be less work than making pork cutlets, and more importantly, it’s rare.

Besides, even someone as clumsy as me could probably manage to make a mugwort latte.

“Hae-ryeong! Can you teach me how to make mugwort latte?”

At my call, Hae-ryeong covered his face with one hand.

Was his hand just big, or was his face just small? His expression was hard to see.

It was only for a moment, but he seemed… a little flustered.

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“My name. I don’t think I ever told you.”

Oh, so that’s why he was surprised.

“The system window told me when we made the contract.”

“I see.”

I didn’t want to say I saw it in the favorability window, so I made up an excuse. Hae-ryeong nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

“There are still some ingredients left, so it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. Take this.”

Hae-ryeong handed me a golden scroll.

What is this?

The moment I took it, the scroll vanished from my hands.

 

[You have obtained the ‘Hot Spring Mugwort Latte Recipe’ from Constellation ‘Ruler of the Hot Spring.’]

[Hidden skill ‘Dreamy Barista, Hot Spring Owner’ has been unlocked.]

[Make Hot Spring Mugwort Latte]

[Hot Spring Mugwort Latte (0/1)]

[Reward: 1 million gold / Additional reward: ???]

 

The recipe unlocked, and a quest window popped up.

Just getting the recipe was already a win, but 1 million gold?!

Fired up with determination, I immediately opened the recipe.

 

[Hot Spring Mugwort Latte Recipe]

[Ingredients: 10g of mugwort powder, 170ml of hot milk, 1 spoon of sugar]

[Mix 10g of mugwort powder with 1 spoon of sugar and 170ml of hot milk.]

 

I took a look, but…

Is it just telling me to throw everything in?

Why does reading the recipe only make me more confused?

Then, I suddenly remembered something my brother Ji-ho, the master of our kitchen, once said.

 

“Cooking is all about feeling.”

 

With that in mind, I threw in the ingredients following my instincts and poured in the hot milk.

I followed the recipe exactly, but…

The color of the mugwort latte looked darker and thicker than the one I drank earlier.

The appearance was… suspicious.

Still, it was green, and I used mugwort and milk, so it should at least resemble a mugwort latte, right?

“Hae-ryeong, can you taste-test this for me? It’s my first time making it, so I’m not sure if it’s any good.”

As Hae-ryeong subtly tried to slip away, I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back into his seat.

“I suddenly have something urgent to—”

“You saved me today, and you even made me a meal. I just wanted to do something in return. Can’t you try it?”

Honestly, I expected him to snap at me and storm out, but surprisingly, Hae-ryeong quietly picked up the cup.

Taking a deep breath as if steeling himself, he took a sip of the latte.

His right eyebrow twitched unnervingly.

“How is it?”

He wasn’t choking or spitting it out, so that was a good sign, right?

When I looked at him expectantly, Hae-ryeong silently emptied the cup.

“For a first try, it’s not bad.”

“Really? Thank goodness!”

I actually managed to make a mugwort latte!

Feeling a rush of accomplishment, I grinned. Hae-ryeong responded with a faint smile.

Now that I had succeeded, maybe I should make some for Ji-ho and Park Si-woo too?

“Yeong-gye, can I take the leftover ingredients with me?”

“Do as you wish.”

As soon as Yeong-gye gave permission, I wrapped up the remaining ingredients in a cloth.

Park Si-woo, you’ll never be able to call me clumsy again!

“I should head home now. I’ll master the mugwort latte by tomorrow.”

“Alright. Yeong-gye will see you off.”

Feeling more motivated than ever by Hae-ryeong’s evaluation, I picked up my bundle and got ready to leave.

Maybe Hae-ryeong really was busy—he quietly disappeared into the distance, leaving Yeong-gye in charge.

Guess he has a lot on his plate.

I thought constellations just lazed around, but I guess not.

“The exit is over there. Just think of where you want to go while opening the door, and it will take you there.”

Yeong-gye pointed to a door behind the oncheon’s reception desk.

A door that takes you anywhere?

Following Yeong-gye’s instructions, I grabbed the doorknob while thinking of home.

Then—

Tatadat!

Urgent footsteps echoed from somewhere.

 

[Constellation ‘Ruler of the Hot Spring’ rushes into the restroom with every ounce of strength he has.]

 

Thank you for reading! ♡