The er let out a satisfied sigh as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He set the empty pte aside and looked at Zero with newfound respect.

  "Thank you," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that wasn't there when he first arrived. "That meal, whatever it was… it was incredible."

  Zero leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the ter. "It's called a hamburger."

  The maed the word under his breath, as if rolling it around in his mind. "A hamburger, huh?"

  Soma, leaning casually against the kit ter, smirked. "Yeah, and if you want another one, e baytime. But no freebies ime."

  The man chuckled. "Of course." He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a few silver s and pg them on the ter. "The coffee was… well, mediocre at best."

  Zero blinked, his expression unreadable.

  The man slid the money closer. "But the food was worth it. Keep the ge."

  With that, he turned a, the bell on the café door chiming softly as he stepped out into the bustling streets of Pi.

  A silence huween Zero and Soma as they both looked down at the s sitting on the ter.

  Zero didn't say anything.

  Soma watched him carefully. "Hey, look, I wouldn't take that coffee ent seriously," he said, trying to fort him. "Guy probably doesn't know shit about coffee."

  But Zero suddenly turo him, his golden eyes shining with excitement.

  "Soma, this is our first money!" he excimed, grinnio ear.

  Before Soma could react, Zero grabbed his hands and started spinning him around in a celebratory dance.

  Soma blinked, caught off guard, before letting out an exasperated chuckle. "You really are me, huh?"

  "Hell yeah!" Zero cheered, twirling in pce.

  Soma shook his head but grinned, finally giving in to the energy. "Fine, fine. Let's celebrate."

  The two of them ughed, dang around the café like idiots, the sounds of their joy filling the small space.

  Oheir impromptu dance was over, Zero carefully gathered the s and walked over to the cash register.

  "Alright, let's put this somewhere safe," he muttered, lifting the woodeer lid and pg the money inside.

  The moment the s touched the bottom—

  They vanished.

  Zero froze.

  A small notification s flickered ience above the register.

  2 Silver s verted → 2 Points

  Zero's jaw dropped.

  "Wait. What?"

  Soma peered over his shoulder. "Did… did the register just eat our money?"

  Zero stared bnkly at the s.

  Then, it clicked.

  His register didn't store physical money. It verted it into Gacha Points.

  "…Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

  Soma leaned closer, reading the small text at the bottom of the notification.

  10 points = 10 silver s (10 equivalent)1000 points required facha 10+1 pull

  A slow realization dawned on them.

  Zero let out a long, exhausted sigh. "So we need 1000 silver s just to do another damn Gacha pull?"

  Soma crossed his arms. "Well, shit. That's gonna take a while."

  Zero groaned, flopping over the ter.

  At this rate, he'd need hundreds of ers before he could pull another character.

  A—

  Zero lifted his head, a small smirk creeping onto his lips.

  "…Looks like we're gonna have to make this café a huge success."

  Soma raised an eyebrow before chug. "Alright, boss. Let's do it."

  And just like that, Zero's true journey as a café owner had officially begun.

  …

  Zero and Soma sat behind the ter, watg the empty café in silence.

  The m rush had e and gone—or rather, it never arrived. The only er they had was the man from earlier, and sihen…

  Nothing.

  Zero drummed his fingers against the wooden ter. "This isn't gonna work."

  Soma, leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed, sighed. "Yeah… I know."

  Zero exhaled, gng toward the café entrance. "We've already had at least five people e to the door, take one look at my horns, and turn right back around."

  He reached up, running his fingers along the smooth surface of his demonic horns.

  It wasn't surprising, really. This world had been ditioo hate demons for turies. No amount of polite er service was going to undo that ht.

  Soma watched him for a moment, then suddenly snapped his fingers.

  "I've got an idea," he said, pushing off the wall. "I do a live cooking demo."

  Zero raised an eyebrow. "Live cooking?"

  "Yeah," Soma nodded, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I go outside, set up a small cooking station in the square, and start making dishes right there. Show the people what we offer."

  Zero hummed, sidering it. "It's not a bad idea…"

  Soma grinned. "Of course it's not. We draw people in with the smell of amazing food, and when they e closer, I tell them about the café."

  Zero tilted his head. "And you think that'll work?"

  Soma smirked. ", Zero. Who resist free samples?"

  Zero chuckled but theated. "There's still one problem."

  Soma frowned. "What?"

  Zero leaned forward, resting his elbows on the ter. "Even if you go out there and start cooking, the moment they see me, they'll turn away."

  A siletled between them.

  Then—

  Zero snapped his fingers.

  "That's it."

  Soma blinked. "What's it?"

  "You go alone."

  Soma's smirk disappeared. "Wait. What?"

  Zero sat up straight. "You go outside, do the cooking demo, and advertise the café. But don't mention me."

  Soma scowled. "an. You aogether. That was the pn."

  Zero pced a hand on his shoulder.

  "Hey." His voice was calm but firm. "It's just for now."

  Soma hesitated, seeing the logi it.

  "I o level up my coffee brewing anyway," Zero tinued, a small grin. "'t have ers calling my coffee mediocre forever, right?"

  Soma let out a slow breath, then chuckled. "Alright. You make the coffee better. I bring in the crowd."

  Zero grinned. "Sounds like a pn."

  They bumped fists, sealing the deal.

  …

  Soma stacked a crate of cooking materials and tools onto his back, seg it with a firm grip. The weight should have been heavy, but he moved as if carrying nothing at all.

  Zero, watg from the café entrance, raised an eyebrow. "You're okay with that?"

  Soma adjusted his grip and smirked. "Well, your Archdemon body is pretty damn powerful. This kinda weight feels like a feather."

  Zero chuckled. "Alright then. I'll close the café for today." He stepped baside and flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED.

  As Zero turned around, Soma had already started walking dowreet, waving over his shoulder. "Okay then, bye!"

  Zero leaned out of the doorway, smirking. "Break a leg!"

  Soma, without missing a beat, ughed. "Hey, I'm still young! You 't teach me violent things!"

  Zero shook his head, watg him go. "Rascal… Wait, he is me." He chuckled to himself. "Hehe."

  And with that, Café Lebnc's first marketing campaign was officially in motion.

  Soma made his way through the bustling streets of Pi square, his presence immediately drawing attention.

  Unlike Zero, he was greeted warmly.

  "M, young man!" an elderly woman called out as she adjusted a basket of apples.

  Soma smiled and waved back. "M!"

  A group of workers carrying struaterials nodded in aowledgment, and even a mert adjusting his wares spared a moment to gnce his way.

  Some curious eyes lingered on the crate of cooking supplies he carried.

  A young man walking beside his friend raised an eyebrow. "Hey, where are you going with all that?"

  Soma grinned, adjusting the crate on his back. "I'm setting up a cooking demo at the square! If you want a great meal, head over there!"

  A few people exged gnces, intrigued.

  "Huh. Maybe I'll check it out."

  Soma kept walking, spreading the word as he went. By the time he reached the town square, a few onlookers had already started gathering out of curiosity.

  Now, it was time to find a good spot.

  As Soma sed the bustling square, his eyes nded on a sturdy wooden stand pushed up against a wall.

  A dwarven mert stood behind it, arms crossed, grumbling to himself.

  Soma approached, resting his crate on the ter. "Hey there, what do you sell?"

  The dwarf looked up, his grumpy expression easing into a more cheerful demeanor. "Oh! I sell hammers!" He gestured to a row of finely crafted hammers, each with unique engravings.

  Soma tilted his head. "Hammers, huh?"

  The dwarf nodded. "Aye! Specialized in hammer tools! The best in Pi!" Then, with a sigh, he slumped back against his stand. "Problem is… nobody really cares."

  Soma smirked.

  "How about we make a deal?"

  The dwarf raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal?"

  Soma tapped the ter. "Let me use half of your stand. With my cooking, I'll attract ers—" He gestured at the empty space around them. "—and that means more people will notice your hammers."

  The dwarf rubbed his beard, sidering the offer. "Hmm… Fine, but I get 50% of your profit."

  Soma ughed. "No do."

  The dwarf scowled. "Alright, what's your teroffer?"

  Soma grinned. "20-80. You take 20."

  The dwarf scoffed. "40-60."

  Soma crossed his arms, pretending to think it over. "35-65."

  The dwarf huffed, then stuck out his hand. "Deal."

  Soma shook his hand.

  And just like that, he had his first business partnership.

  Now, all that was left… was to start cooking.

  Soma set down his crate and began unloading his equipment, the ctter of utensils drawing even more curious gnces from the crowd.

  The dwarf beside him huffed, crossing his thick arms. "Name's Ralen, by the way. Might as well know who you're making a spectacle with."

  Soma smirked. "Soma."

  As he pulled out his tools, his fingers ed around a portable stove—sleek, pact, and far more advahan anythiherion's on folk were used to.

  Ralen's bushy brows lifted. "Oh wow, quite the rich young man, are ya?"

  Soma ughed. "Ah, not really. It's my boss's, not mine." He set the stove doulled out a copper wok.

  The dwarf's eyes widened again. "A copper kit tool? Another fane! You nobles sure love throwing mo things."

  Soma simply smirked, giving the wok a casual spin in his hand. "Hey, it's not about the tools. It's about the skill that uses them."

  Ralen grunted but didn't argue.

  Soma rolled up his sleeves. "Alright, let's put on a show."

  The moment Soma lit the stove, a low blue fme flickered to life. The heat intensified instantly, and as the fmes licked the surface of the wok, a shimmeriwave distorted the air.

  A few onlasped.

  "Whoa, did you see that?" one whispered.

  "His stove isn't even ected to anything!"

  Soma ighe murmurs, reag for a bundle of vegetables. With a single, fluid motion, he uhed his chef's knife, and in the sed—

  Chop. Chop. Chop.

  His bde moved like lightning, a blur of silver as it sliced through onions, bell peppers, and leafy greens with fwless precision.

  Each cut was uniform, each motion and effit.

  The rhythmic sound of chopping filled the air, and more people began to gather arouranced by his speed.

  "Did you see that? He barely even looked at what he was cutting!"

  "That's insane—look at how perfect those slices are!"

  Soma smirked but didn't break his flow.

  He grabbed a fresh sb of beef, flipping his knife effortlessly before searing the meat o wok. A loud sizzle burst from the pan as a fragrant aroma exploded into the air.

  The crowd reacted immediately.

  "Oh gods, that smells amazing!"

  "I don't even know what he's making, but I already want one!"

  Soma flipped the meat with a flick of his wrist, keeping the motion sharp and trolled. He turo the growing audience, a fident glint in his eye.

  "Wele, everyone! If you're w what this is, I'm cooking up a special dish today—" he sliced a pat of butter into the wok, the golde sizzliifully, "—a cssic stir-fry, served over a bed of rice."

  Gasps of excitement rippled through the crowd.

  Ralen, who had been watg with his arms crossed, let out a low whistle. "I'll admit, d, you've got some serious skill."

  Soma grinned. "Gd you think so. But I'm just getting started."

  As the food cooked, Soma took a moment to ehe people around him.

  "By the way, if you think this smells good, wait 'til you try the real thing." He gave the pan a quick toss, sending the ingredients flipping gracefully through the air before catg them perfectly ba the wok.

  The crowd cheered.

  "You've got talent, kid!" someone called out.

  Soma chuckled. "Well, if you like what you see, you'll love what you get at Café Lebnc."

  A murmur spread through the onlookers.

  "Café Lebnever heard of it."

  "Where is it?"

  Soma pted the first dish, lifting it with practiced grace before setting it on the wooden ter. The steam curled upward, carrying an aroma so rich that people visibly leaned in, desperate to take a bite.

  He smirked. "It's just a short walk from here. Cozy little pce, best food you'll ever have."

  He slid the pte over to Ralen. "Here. Taste test."

  The dwarf raised a skeptical eyebrow but took the chopsticks anyway. With a grunt, he grabbed a piece of seared beef, the juices still glistening, and popped it into his mouth.

  The moment it hit his tongue—

  His eyes widened.

  His entire body froze.

  Soma smirked knowingly. "Good?"

  Rale out a slow, satisfied exhale. "Lad… you may have just saved my hammer stand."

  Soma ughed. "The's feed more people, yeah?"

  With that, the cooking show tihe crowd growing rger, the aroma of Soma's food spreading through the town square.

  And just like that—

  Café Lebnc had made its first step toward success.