The plaza pulsed like always.
Footsteps blurred by.
Vendors shouted over each other.
Somewhere a bike bell cut through the noise.
Jun set up his cloth without rushing.
Hands steady.
Breath slow.
He ground the last of his current beans carefully.
Measured.
Precise.
But when he tilted the grounds into the dripper—he hesitated.
The aroma still rose.
Still sweet.Still familiar.
But—
something was missing.
Or maybe—
something was fading.
The pour bloomed soft, the steam curling upward.
Jun watched the first drops form.
Sipped.
Listened.
[System Log: Brew Quality Stable – Bean Potential Near Maximum Extraction.]
Note: Ingredient Limitation Detected.
He knew it before the system said it.
He could brew cleanly.
Brew steadily.
But even the best hands couldn't pull more than what the bean carried.
And this batch—
this supply—
was running thin.
Not in weight.
In voice.
He served two more customers that morning.
They smiled.
Paid.
Walked away satisfied.
Nothing wrong.
Nothing broken.
But—
Jun felt it.
The ceiling creeping in.
Not because his hands slipped.
Because the starting material whispered, "This is as far as we can go."
That afternoon, he walked further than usual after packing up.
Past the plaza.
Past the library steps.
Into older streets where the signs hung crooked and the air smelled like old wood and forgotten corners.
He didn't know where he was going.
He just followed the thread tugging at his ribs.
A small chalkboard sign caught his eye, half-smudged by dust:
Small Lot Roasts – Inquiry Welcome
No flashing neon.
No sleek ad banners.
Just a wooden door.
Jun paused.
Listened.
The grind inside him didn't roar.
It pulsed.
Slow.
Strong.
[System Alert: Minor Path Expansion – Artisan Sourcing Branch Available.]
Unlocks: Ingredient Resonance Track (Optional).
Jun breathed out.
Didn't rush forward.
Didn't turn away.
Just placed his hand lightly on the doorframe.
Maybe it was time.
Time to listen not just to the water.
Not just to the flow.
But to the origin.
The bean itself.
Logged User: Stylsite08
Path: Stillness to Mastery
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Original work by Stylsite08. Do not repost or distribute without permission. All rights reserved.