#i don’t want to say whether i think reg is a tea or coffee person because i fear my opinion would be unpopular?

[cockquettebelle]

i think evan and barty would be those people who exclusively order hot chocolate at every place, no matter the weather or vibes

[green-and-grey-kenaz]

I Sleep with the Dirt by Fire Glow

Language: English

Chapter 2: I'll be home, safe and tucked away

Characters in Chapter: Regulus Black, Sirius Black,  Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter

Chapter Summary:

Sirius and Regulus (returned from the dead and overcoming inferius tendencies) have a conversation over whether or not they should adopt Harry Potter. Regulus and Dumbledore have a conversation about Horcruxes and Regulus has some revelations about Voldemort. Sirius visits the Dursleys for afternoon tea and threatening them.

Word Count: c. 4 000

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34049455/chapters/84695911 (whole work, starting from chapter 1)

“Need new room.” Regulus said suddenly, looking up from his breakfast. Kreacher had prepared him a platter of meats and cheeses to have on bread. He’d made quick work of the delicious meats and had started ripping the bread into manageable chunks. Sirius always made him eat something that wasn’t meat for some reason.

“What?” His brother asked, looking up from his breakfast of spiked coffee and a single chocolate croissant.  

“M’ room’s for children. ‘m not child. ‘nd has memories.” Regulus said carefully. “Can’t get better with memories. Not good.”

“Reg, I know this house is big and all but we don’t have enough room for you just to claim two.”

“You have.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“I ran away. It wasn’t my room anymore.”

“I died.”

Sirius sighed, rolling a hand down his face and taking a long sip of his spiked coffee before pouring a liberal helping of whisky in to top it up. A part of Regulus knew he should be concerned with how much Sirius was drinking. The other part of him pushed his empty glass towards his brother. He got a thimble full.

“Look, after I’ve moved Harry in you can get a second room, I think that’s fair, don’t you?”

“Hm. Not allowed.”

“Look, I don’t care what Dumbledore says, I’m his Godfather! He’d be a lot better off with me. I’m moving him in with us and that’s final.”

“Eat him.”

“You are not eating Harry, Reg!”

“Food.”

“I know you know he’s not food. You know people aren’t food. You don’t eat Remus.”

“Don’t try to anymore. Could. If I wanted to.” He sounded sullen, even to himself but if there was one thing he did not want to allow, it was having Potter in the house. Regulus had already lost his brother to a Potter once. He wasn’t going to again.  

Sirius groaned.

“No eating people. Besides, I know you don’t want to eat people. You want to be better and back to normal. That’s why you’ve been trying so hard at reading and presenting yourself.” He gestured at Regulus’ outfit. He’d dressed carefully for the day in the rich fabrics that Sirius now let him wear. It didn’t stop Regulus glowering at Sirius for speaking the truth. He would rather not eat the Potter spawn. He did want to return to being who he had once been and not some mindless creature focused on the consumption of human flesh (as tasty as it was). Merlin! He shouldn’t find human flesh tasty! That was not normal.

When he was better, Regulus knew he would be able to do things he enjoyed and missed. He could finally meet Narcissa and her son. He could take afternoon tea with Severus rather than the brief meetings that Sirius tolerated. He could read more than a few pages of a book before his mind forced him to chase whatever dust mote had caught his attention because Merlin forbid he try sit down and focus on himself.

“Come off it, Reg. You care and you know it.”

“Fine. Doesn’t mean must have Potter.” He snapped. He glanced towards the hallway a plan formulating in his head. Would it be worth it?

“No, you are not setting mother off because you’re in a strop, Regulus.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s petty and beneath you. Besides, it distresses her to see you so.”

That was an unpleasant reminder. He had tried to have a conversation with his mother, hoping that it would make him feel more like himself. She had scarcely recognised him as he was. Feral. Wild. Uncivilised. Not like any son of hers. Sirius told him to take no heed of the portrait which had likely been made close to her death and to have little of who she actually was.

It did not make Regulus feel much better. But mother screaming at Sirius would.

“Look, Harry’s moving in with us. He has to. We can’t leave him to suffer with the Dursleys. They’re muggles. You wouldn’t wish muggles on anyone. Didn’t you use to tell me that muggleborns should give up the muggle heritage and be adopted into a pureblood family. Well, here’s our chance.”

“Not Potter.” Regulus insisted. “Not him. Get another one.”

“It’s not because I’m being charitable. Harry’s my Godson and that’s why we’re adopting him.”

“I’ll leave.” Regulus threatened.

“And where would you go?”

“Cissa.”

“What? And put her son at risk?”

“Then I am a risk! Would eat Potter!”

Sirius sighed, running a hand down his face, pulling at his skin which only served to make him look more skeletal. He had not put back on the weight he should have after Azkaban. Regulus knew he was filling out his own weight, recovering from the lack of appetite that had emerged when he realised his only destination was the grave. If he could put the weight back on, so should Sirius. It was another worrying sign that he did not know what to do with.

“Reg, you’re not well yet. That doesn’t make you a risk. Just…”

“Eat people.” Regulus admitted. “Risk.”

“You’ve not tried to eat someone in a long time. Think about it, it’s been weeks and you’ve not once tried to eat me, Professor Dumbledore, Remus or Snape. Although the latter might be because I can’t imagine he’d taste very nice what with all the grease.”

“Be nice.” Regulus growled. He had learnt to tolerate the wolf, even though he had hurt Sirius. Severus had never hurt him so Sirius should respect their friendship.

“See, you’re even caring about people. That’s a good step.”

“No Potter. Go to Cissa.”

“Fine, even if you aren’t worried about hurting Draco, what about Lucius? Wasn’t he a Death Eater?”

Regulus stilled, frowning. Lucius was one of theirs. Had been? The newspapers he was slowly working his way through said that Malfoy had been found innocent of any crimes. Yes he may be a purist but could anyone actually see someone of his calibre fighting and killing? Regulus had been offended that that excuse got Lucius off but not Sirius. Everyone knew Malfoys had opposed the Statute on Secrecy because they associated with Muggles and what was more, they allowed Half Bloods into the family tree! Blacks were of a much higher calibre.

What was he thinking about?

Lucius.

Ah.

He did not know his allegiance and while blood would keep him safe with Narcissa, he did not think Lucius would extend the marriage of their blood to the Blacks. No, he could not seek refuge with his beloved cousin.

“Not ready.” Regulus said softly, looking at Sirius. “Time.”

“Not ready for what?”

“Potter. Give me time.” He paused and frowned. “Please?”

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Okay. We’ll wait.”

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

“Good afternoon, Regulus.”

Bright blue eyes glittered as the old man sat down on a chair. Regulus however stared at his violet purple bag. There was something in there. It called to him like a siren, demanding his attention and focus.

“Sirius, if you could leave us?” Dumbledore asked and Regulus knew that his brother must be behind him. He always wanted to be included in these.

“I don’t see why I don’t get to stay when you have these little get togethers with Regulus. I was in the Order and served the cause well. There’s no reason to keep secrets from me.” Sirius grumbled but Regulus could barely hear him, so focused on the bag. It was like a faint calling echoing in his bones. His left arm itched.

“The fewer people who know, the better. And I think it is good for you and Regulus to get to spend some time apart. Not for long, of course, as there are few people who can know the full truth of Regulus’ situation, but we do not want either of you becoming co-dependent.”

“I’m not co-dependent.” Sirius muttered.

“It is a risk best to avoid. Regulus will have to return to school once he’s himself again.”

“Study here.” Regulus offered, still staring at the bag. The idea of being surrounded by children he might potentially eat was appealing which was why he should not go back. Besides, he hadn’t brought Sirius around to his way of thinking yet. He needed Sirius to understand. Sirius was his brother and as difficult as his return to life was it had been a long time since he had been this happy.

“Reg, you can’t teach yourself your NEWTs.” Sirius said.

“Can.” That seemed like a challenge and he was willing to take it up.

“Reg, you need to get proper teaching so we can get you back to normality.” Sirius said and Regulus felt a hand on her shoulder

Regulus shook his head.

“Stay. Safe. Family.”

He did not know if he zoned out but Sirius’ hand was no longer on his shoulder and was pulling away.

“Fine. I’ll go, but if it’s important, you would tell me, right Professor?”

“Sirius, I think we’re at the point you can call me Albus. And I would.” There was a reassuring note to Dumbledore’s voice. It reminded Regulus had how the Dark Lord spoke. Comforting promises. He heard the door close behind him.

“Good afternoon, Regulus. How have you been?” Dumbledore asked. Regulus stared at the bag and tried to remember what manners were. They had once been important to him. He heard the man sigh.

“I had thought you might be more ready for this.”

“What is it? What’s in the bag?”

Dumbledore gestured for Regulus to look and he dashed forward, hands eagerly reaching inside. It was a book. He fingered it carefully. Felt the feel of the paper and the weave of dead magic. The echo was as near familiar as the magic of his family and that could mean only one other person. The Dark Lord had near created him after all. Slowly, Regulus opened the book, staring at predominantly blank pages. The only writing which he could barely make out was the name ‘Tom Marvolo Riddle’.

“I think you know what this was.” Dumbledore said softly. “And that perhaps what you have been hiding, what you died to hide, was one of the same.”

“Horcrux.” Regulus whispered, caressing the diary. It felt… precious to him. He traced the lines denoting what had to be the Dark Lord’s true name.

Tom Marvolo Riddle.  

He knew the name Marvolo. He still remembered the ancestries that mother had instilled in him. That was a Gaunt family name. Descendants of Slytherin who had kept the family ties closer, marrying first cousins or kids to their uncles and aunts. An ignoble end to a once powerful line of magic.

Riddle was not a pureblood surname. It sounded English, so perhaps Australian, Kiwi or American. He did not know all their pureblood lines. But why hide it? Could… he be the unthinkable? Not pure?

“Thankfully destroyed, by the actions of your brother’s Godson.” Dumbledore said.

“How?”

“He killed a basilisk. The venom is quiet destructive.”

Regulus’ hand ran over the tooth mark.

“Slytherin’s pet.” He muttered. He wondered if he could get basilisk venom without Sirius realising. End this once and for all.

A realisation dawned.

“How many…” To split one’s soul once was a horrific act but to do it multiple times? Regulus had read the magic. It was dark and evil. He hadn’t even considered one might go through it more than once.

“Horcruxes? I do not know but I suspect that perhaps six horcruxes. That would give seven parts of the soul. A powerful number. This one came into my possession via Lucius Malfoy. Do you think that Voldemort-“ Regulus flinched and glanced around the room. His former Lord did not appear. “-Might have left other horcruxes with trusted Death Eaters?”

Regulus frowned. Bellatrix was the Dark Lord’s right-hand witch and no doubt the one he’d expect to have received anything so important. Malfoy… He would not have foreseen that, except perhaps as an honour to Narcissa, Bellatrix’s sister.  Perhaps they both had one. That would mean they knew who had three of the horcruxes. His cousins and him. Oh.

“He didn’t give me one.” Regulus said suddenly, looking up and realising the Headmaster’s thought process.

“Ah.” Dumbledore said, leaning back and with greater respect in his eyes. “Forgive me for asking, but how did you come to find one of, (hm, shall we say Riddle’s to avoid giving you too much of a fright?) horcruxes?”

Regulus reluctantly put the diary down. Tom Marvolo Riddle. A child sired out of wedlock? Adopted out and hence the change in name? Or could one have truly married a lesser halfblood or Merlin forbid, a muggle. Perhaps it was another self-proclaimed title, the Riddle of his heritage.

“Regulus?” Dumbledore prompted, snapping him out of his musings.

“The Dark Lord wanted a House Elf for some important task. I knew it was important because he had only asked from trusted families. I was probably the least trustworthy there because Sirius had run away only a few years beforehand. No one else was so close to a blood traitor by blood and time. I figured I had more to prove and so volunteered Kreacher.” The words seemed strangely ordered in his head as he went through the memory. He felt like that seventeen-year-old boy facing the growing realisation that the man he had dedicated his life to was corrupt and evil. Even worse, that he had destroyed his own being in his belief for this glorious future. The chilling reality of what he was going to do.

Dumbledore said nothing.

“I told Kreacher to obey the Dark Lord and once his mission was done, to come home. Back to me. He did. Half dead, trembling, torn and sick. I tended to him and when he was well enough, asked of what had happened. I surmised the Dark Lord was hiding something of great importance. I wanted to tell everyone of this slight that he had committed against our family. To damage the property of a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight! I knew he was no longer worthy of leading our cause. But if he had gone to such lengths to protect this… then it would be blind folly to leap in with accusations. It had tugged at me, on a memory. The Dark Lord always boasted about his immortality, that he had defeated Death. I threw myself into studies and realised the two were connected. It was truly abhorrent, and I knew I had to bring him down. What was more, I wanted him to know that it was I that had destroyed his immortality. But I did not want to face his torture. I’ve seen it, I’ve dealt it. I would not suffer it.”

“So, you died retrieving the Horcrux.” Dumbledore finished kindly.

Regulus nodded.

“I assume you’ve been unable to destroy it?”

Regulus stared at the book. Kreacher had spent fifteen years trying. He had not done as much himself, but as his sanity and sense of self returned, he had studied as best he could.

“I could destroy it, if you would like.” Dumbledore offered.

“No. Me.” Regulus snarled, baring his teeth, eyes flashing. Any attempt to return to himself was lost in the sudden surge of emotion that came about from the threat of someone else completing his life’s work. Dumbledore raised a hand.

“Of course, it is only natural that you should want to see this through. I can arrange for a basilisk fang to be brought with me on my next visit.”

“Others?”

“Pardon?”

Regulus frowned and focused on putting thoughts into his head, rather than instincts. He took a slow breath.

“What about the other Horcruxes?”

“You should focus on recovering.”

“No. I’m going to finish what I set out to do.” Regulus growled, low in his chest.

“Perhaps when you are yourself, Regulus.” Dumbledore said. “You’ve been through a lot and it would be unfair to ask more of you.”

“You’re not asking.” His voice was cold.

“I noticed how focused you became on the diary. You could sense it.”

Regulus stilled.

“May I ask, are you currently looking after the horcrux you retrieved until you can destroy it or are you guarding it?”

“Looking after. Will destroy.”

That was a driving force. He had died to make sure it was destroyed and he would do it in this life. But there was something…. Protective. He had felt it for the book. He felt it for the locket.

“You’ve had dark magic cast on you, Regulus. That takes a while to recover from. There is no shame in it.”

“Will destroy it. And every single Horcrux.” He had to cling to that. It was all that he had left.

“Rest, Regulus.” Dumbledore said, more firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You aren’t fighting this war alone.”

“I have to end it. Have to.” He whispered, staring down at the book. It was the only way to survive.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Merlin knew why he was doing this. He could just as well steal Harry from here – Regulus and Dumbledore be damned.  Petunia – she was clearly Lily’s sister – placed her cup carefully down on the saucer, watching him with unashamed judgement. Her husband, Vernon, had more fear in his eyes. Their child was nowhere to be seen. Harry sat awkwardly next to them, staring into his cup of tea to hide the grin on his face.

Sirius took a sip of the tea. It was a decent blend, he could tell that. They’d probably spent more on being the tea than they’d ever spent on Harry, at least in one go. The muggle clothes he wore looked second hand. He didn’t have any accessories that Sirius might have otherwise expected on a young wizard.

“So… will you be taking him?” Petunia asked hesitantly. Sirius pressed his lips together.

“Eventually. Getting custardy is not as easy as I had hoped.”

“But you’re innocent!” Harry protested, his face crumpling although he did his best to hide it.

“I know, but Petunia is your aunt and there are questions about my suitability considering the fact that I did go to prison. Not to mention my brother his going through a rough patch.”

“You have a brother?” Harry asked.

“Uh, he’s called Regulus. I don’t suppose you were really around for that. But remember Dumbledore managed to stop me getting… yeah… and sent off to Saint Mungo’s to examine my head… well turns out I kind of have the information as to where my little brother was. He’d been missing for fifteen years and was kind of in a bad shape for a while. He’d got in with the wrong crowd and now I’m looking after him until he’s more... well, adapted for lack of a better word.” Sirius said, not sure how much he could say. They were trying to keep Regulus story under wraps until they knew more about it and just how safe it was to let it be known.

“We would only be too happy to give you Harry.” Vernon said. “No questions asked. The paperwork can be sorted out later.”

“I don’t mind that you’ve got a brother. I’m sure it’ll be fine. He can’t be worse than Voldemort.” Harry said, enthusiasm in his every being. Merlin, Sirius wanted to bring Harry home. Maybe he could keep Regulus confined to his new room until he was safe.

Sirius took a slow breath. No. Remember his brother’s face. The fear Regulus had of becoming a creature of Voldemort. The look of pure adoration (and surprise) that his brother had whenever Sirius did something just for the pure joy of making Regulus happy.

“He’s not very well. I think it’s best to wait, Harry.” Sirius said, placing a hand on his tiny shoulders. Harry shouldn’t be this skinny. A knife to his heart.

“Perhaps he just needs more company.” Vernon pressed.

“Look, can I talk to Harry about this?” Sirius snapped. “You aren’t making this any easier for either of us.”

“We want him gone.”

“Well, I want to take him with me!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Sirius clenched his fists and threw himself into the back of the overly flowery chair.

“Look, my brother is not well. It’s nothing infectious but he’s not well enough to deal with guests. Not to mention I’ve got Dumbledore insisting that I’m not capable of taking care of Harry which is nonsense but for some unknown reason, he really seems to favour you. Do you know why, considering you’re such awful muggles?”

“I… I was told I owed my sister.” Petunia sniffed, looking as haughty as certain members of Sirius’ family. “That Harry has to continue having a place in my home.”

She cast a nervous glance towards Vernon and Sirius tapped his fingers against his thigh. There was something more going on and he would have to get down to it.

“Look, I can’t move Harry in this summer but I can probably take him for the Christmas holidays – or some of it depending on Reg. Now I’m hopeful that everything will be sorted by next summer. That doesn’t seem too difficult for you, since you only see Harry during the summer holidays.” Sirius said, crossing his arms.

“And remember, Ron said I can stay the last week of the holidays with his family for the Quid- for the gaming event.” Harry said.

Sirius frowned at the amendment.

“Of course, I expect for the duration that Harry has to stay here, you’ll not require him to hide who he is. I hope you know that Harry is quite the Quidditch player – youngest on the team in a century. You should be very proud and embracing him.”

“We will not tolerate-”

“Because I know some quite beautiful spells that are quite untraceable, if I hear that Harry is being ill-treated. And I will certainly be paying more visits if I don’t regularly hear from Harry, so you better make sure he continues to be allowed to let his owl deliver them.”

Sirius was rewarded with a rather spectacular look of fear that went over the Dursleys. Harry was grinning ear to ear.

“Now, I don’t believe for one second that you don’t have enough money to look after Harry, so I expect him to be more well fed. I will, however, be the one to take Harry shopping for clothes. I’m generous like that.” He said. It was not at all an excuse to see more of the muggle world with someone who actually knew something about it…

“Who do you think you are, coming in here and telling me how to run my house?” Vernon asked, whiskers shaking in outrage. Sirius leaned back.

“Well, I’m Sirius Black. Excellent wizard, if I do say so myself, Godfather to Harry and general all round better-than-you guy.”

Sirius knew he’d already won. They had no magic, they didn’t know how illegal it was to use magic on muggles – no matter how deserving. All they could do was bluster in the hope that some form of social contract would restrain his hand.

“You will take him, next summer?” Petunia asked, her voice tight.

“As soon as I can get permission, I’m taking him. And if it comes to it, I’m certain I can steal him without attracting any attention.” Sirius said, giving a wink to Harry who smiled.

The rest of the day went rather well. He got to talk to Harry more and find out about his interests. It was nice to have Harry more as a person rather than a copy of James. He didn’t have any pictures of Harry as a baby but he had memories and that seemed to mean a lot to the kid. It was difficult though, as Sirius could tell that Harry wanted to get out of here and was being so kindly and understanding. It was a sharp contrast to Regulus and his stubborn hatred. He left with the promise of coming back within the week to go shopping with Harry and back to the greyness that was Grimmauld Place.

[myseoul17-blog]

<HOLLYS COFFEE>

Thurs. Oct. 5th @ 10:05am. 

I was close to 1.5 hrs ahead of my schedule bcos of the temporary holiday closure of the Yonsei University Museum. Meanwhile I don’t “time” my trip precisely, I have a good idea about where I should be at what time bcos I plan around my meals. For most non-food things, I look at the operating hrs (specifically museums) & everything else, I fill in by “area”, or ease of access via subway. That’s how I plan my trips & it works great for me! Regarding museums, if possible, I like to go 1st thing in the morning to avoid crowds. 

Anyways, after the Yonsei Univ. walk, I came back to the main Sinchon street, & noticed that at 10:00am, most stores were still closed, & the street was still pretty quiet, with hardly any ppl. So I decided to stop at Hollys Coffee for a morning coffee. 1st time going into a multi-level franchise café!

The view on my right after I entered the café. There was a poster of their latest item, & to its left, there was a small shelf/display area with their merch & coffee beans for purchase.

The “morning set” & “all day brunch” caught my attention haha The morning set, which lasts from 7-11am, consisting of a pastry & regular coffee (pastry or bagel according to the photo), costs 5000w. That is equivalent to approx. $6CAD. They have refill service & bring-your-own-cup discount as well. 

Muffins on top (3300w each, ~$3.90CAD) & cakes on the bottom, prices ranging from 5300-5800w (<$6.50CAD). 

Mascarpone tiramisu // cookies & cheese. 

There have 1 poster for pretty much each type of drink they serve. 

#1. Expresso (Americano, mocha, latte, cappuccino, plus a few of their specialty expresso drinks). 3600-5900w for regular size, 4100-6400w for grande. 

#2 top. Brewed coffee. Tea lattes are under this category; they were the priciest items 5900w reg./6400w grande. 

#2 bottom. Latte chocolate. Sweet potato latte what?!?! I didn’t try it bcos I don’t prefer lattes all that much. But sweet potato latte is interesting! 

[middle: picture of their “fraps”, aka Hollyccinos]

#3 Hollyccinos. I love menu reading at places for many reasons, such as inspiration for my own cooking experiments, pure interest & curiosity, & allows me to compare among different places. Here, they have strawberry & double berry cheese cake Hollyccino :O I wonder what that is. .. Their fruity concoctions are also under this category - the one that caught my eye was the yuzu crush. A close 2nd was the smoothie of the day consisting of beet, apple, & ginger (omg I would not want to try that at all).

#4 Sparkling & tea. This menu contained sodas & hot/iced teas of all sorts. While yuzu is a popular flavour here (& all of East Asia) that frequents café menus, they have western teas as well, such as peppermint tea & the classic earl grey.

However, my heart belongs to Americano. Black Americano (hot or cold). 

I went with the iced version. It was ok; I don’t really know how to grade/rate Americanos. From personal experience, I’ve tried ones that were bitter & others that were less bitter & more on the sour side - I prefer the strong, dark, bitter type. I wouldn’t say this one here was of this nature but it wasn’t bad. 

I sat for a bit, charging my phone at the same time, on the main floor by the window. Then before I left, I went upstairs to the 2nd & 3rd floor to see what it was like. The observation of these books made me realize how different the coffeeshop culture is in Korea vs Edmonton (or most of Canada, I want to say). 

In Edmonton (/Canada), generally speaking, coffeeshops are places for a social gathering, whether it’s a small group, a date, or a bff catch-up session. Most ppl are not by themselves. If you randomly walk into a coffeeshop in Edmonton, you’ll find that it’s very disproportionate; there are wayyyy more tables/seats with pairs or groups of ppl compared to ones with a single customer.

In Korea, it’s the opposite! “Support” might not be the best word but I definitely notice that there are many things inside eateries & coffeeshops (esp the latter) that are tailored towards individual customers. The more time I spend in Korea, the more I appreciate this gesture & culture. It’s not an uncommon sight in coffeeshops where individuals take up a whole 4-person table simply for reading a book, or doing tasks on an electronic device. For me, it almost feels welcoming bcos I’m also by myself. I like the fact that there are so many ppl like myself in the same setting, sharing the same space! Mind you, this place was obviously not busy but I’ve been to ones where each table was occupied & some were occupied by a single customer. I don’t “feel bad” for occupying a table for 4 by myself, even though there are more than enough empty tables around. In Edmonton, I try to pick the best smallest table as possible bcos I feel I shouldn’t “take up space”. The atmosphere is just so different. I think that if I had traveled with someone, I wouldn’t notice these acute observations & reflect on them.

That being said, coffee culture in Korea is huge, & groups of ppl obviously visit cafes as well. It’s just that the ratio of groups vs individual customers vary widely, whereas in Edmonton, I find that it’s mostly groups.

This is the 3rd floor. On every floor, there is a small “return” station that also includes a garbage, napkins, a short stack of paper cups, & cold water jug.

Advertisement posters can be found in various areas inside the coffeeshop.

Poor quality photo, but also on the 3rd floor - there was a long counter/bar counter with bar stools that allows customers to look down/across the street. Perfect for those who likes to look outside, see the sun, rain or snow :)