The city felt louder now.
Jun blended into the morning rush, his steps steady but unhurried.
He wasn't chasing time anymore.
Time would chase him soon enough.
[First Task: Retry Available in: 22h 31m]
[Eviction Countdown: 2d 21h 10m]
The countdowns hovered like quiet pressure at the edge of his vision.
He ignored them.
One step at a time.
The idea hit him halfway across the plaza—not like lightning, but like a tug.
Market days.
Pop-up stalls.
Vendor alleys.
Where there were street vendors, there was coffee.
Sometimes bad.
Sometimes good.
Sometimes… equipment left unsupervised for a moment too long.
Not to steal.
Never that.
But maybe… to ask.
Maybe to trade.
Maybe to borrow.
He moved faster now.
Down the worn cobblestone alleys.
Past cheap souvenir stands and secondhand clothes vendors.
And then he saw it.
A folding table tucked between two buildings.
A faded umbrella overhead.
And on the table—gleaming like a relic—
A manual pour-over kit.
Ceramic dripper.
Carafe.
Small hand grinder beside it.
No electricity.
No automation.
Just tools and hands.
And behind the setup, a wiry man in a battered apron, adjusting a sandwich board that read:
"Simple Cups, Honest Brews. 5 Notes."
Jun hesitated.
Then stepped forward.
"Excuse me," he said, voice low.
The man turned, squinting.
"Yeah?"
Jun rubbed the back of his neck.
"Do you… ever let anyone else brew?"
The man laughed—short, dry.
"Only if they know what they're doing."
Jun lifted his chin slightly.
"I don't want to sell. I just need to brew. Once."
Silence stretched between them.
The man studied him.
Jun didn't flinch.
Finally, the man grunted.
"Buy a cup. Then we'll see."
Jun nodded.
He fished deep into his pocket, fingers brushing worn bills.
Enough for one purchase.
Barely.
He placed the Notes on the table.
The man handed him a steaming cup without ceremony.
Jun accepted it with both hands.
Real coffee.
Hand-poured.
Not perfect—but real.
[System Alert: Authentic Extraction Detected – Operator: Third Party][Task Completion: Still Requires Personal Extraction]
Jun didn't even flinch at the message.
Of course it wasn't enough to receive.
He had to create.
The man leaned back against the wall.
"You serious?"
Jun nodded once.
Without a word, the man stepped aside—only a little—enough to show trust.
Jun approached the setup slowly.
Respectfully.
He weighed the beans by feel.
Ground them manually.
Listened to the burr of the grinder.
He wetted the filter.
Measured the bloom.
Poured in slow circles—steady, breathing with the motion.
No rush.
No fear.
Just brew.
The first drops hit the carafe—dark, rich.
Jun smiled slightly.
[Extraction in Progress...]
He let the coffee flow, breathing through each pour.
He felt the heat rise against his hands.
Felt the smell rise like a thread of home.
When it finished, he tilted the carafe carefully into a clean mug.
Offered it to the man.
Silent.
Waiting.
The man took a sip.
Paused.
Then grunted—almost approvingly.
"Not bad," he said.
Jun smiled.
Not pride.
Not arrogance.
Just quiet satisfaction.
[Task Complete: Brew Real Coffee]
[Reward Unlocked: Beginner Brewing Set + 50 XP]
[Trait Progression: Craft Respect +5%]
He thanked the man with a small bow and backed away.
The new brewing set materialized in his system inventory—basic gear, but real.
Not a dream anymore.
The world shifted, just a little.
Jun tightened his jacket and stepped back into the moving crowd.
Still no money.
Still no shop.
But now, for the first time, he had the tools.
The rest would come one pour at a time.
Logged User: Stylsite08
Path: Stillness to Mastery
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