I Became a Barista in Another World! Volume 1: New Beginnings [Completed]

Cup 43: The Gift [End of Volume 1]

Ryu groaned, clutching his throbbing head; his body ached all over. A steady tapping on his shoulder had woken him. He rubbed his eyes, his blurry vision coming into focus. Squinting, Ryu suddenly tensed, startled by Sylfie. The elf leaned over him with an annoyed expression.

"Hey, you need to wake up," she said, nudging him. "Aurora's really sick. I think she got into the kitchen and ate some more coffee berries last night."

"I told her it would upset her stomach," Ryu grumbled. "She never listens. Give me a moment to gather my bearings. I'll be down in a minute. I had a long night."

"I can tell," Sylfie motioned to something beside Ryu.

Ryu turned around to find Freyja snoring peacefully under the covers next to him. Only then did he realize he wasn't in their room but her's.

"Oh sh*t," he mumbled. "Sylfie—"

"Save your breath," the elf said, shaking her head. "It's none of my business, and frankly, I don't care what you do in your free time."

Ryu watched her as she left, unconvinced. He quickly slipped into his clothes, making sure not to wake Freyja before he exited the room. After freshening up, he hurried downstairs to tend to Aurora.

The cat groaned, her stomach bloated, making her look like a rotund black balloon. If he wasn't so worried, Ryu may have laughed at the sight of her.

"Ryu, my tummy hurts even more now," Aurora moaned.

"Well, what did you expect? I told you not to go near those berries," he sighed, shaking his head. "Does every lesson have to be learned through experience with you? Why can't you just take my word for it and listen to me for once?"

"I'm sorry, nya." Aurora's ears drooped.

"It's okay," he replied, staring at her. Questions ran through his mind, like her interaction with [Grimm Reign] and the way her memories had been coming back to her. They were all connected somehow, but he hadn't a clue as to what that connection was.

"What should we do?" Wisteria asked, worried.

"I'm not an expert on animals," Ryu stated, scratching his head. "Our best course of action is to take her to the vet."

"That might be difficult considering Grandmother and our local veterinarian left for the capital," Sylfie stated.

"Now?" Ryu frowned.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with the Ore Grazers wreaking havoc in the Frostflame Mountains. Ida is an expert on animals after all. She may have a way to take down those beasts easily."

"So the vet's out of the question. Now what?" Wisteria bit her nails.

Ppfffttt! Pooot! Braaap!

They all stared at Aurora as she relieved herself on the floor.

"Oh my God!" Sylfie screamed in horror.

"Well, that solves the problem. Now that's a log," Ryu whistled, impressed.

"Ahhh, much better!" Aurora exclaimed, looking less bloated and more relaxed now.

"Aw, I'm glad you're feeling better," Wisteria, cooed, scratching Aurora's ears. "Guess I'll clean this up," she said, rolling up her sleeves.

"Wait, actually," Ryu stopped her, narrowing his eyes at the peculiar shape and contents of the massive dump Aurora just took. "Is this—"

"Yep! It's my gift!" the cat stated proudly.

Sylfie clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. "Some gift, huh?"