Hello, I’m Nacho.
If you’ve opened this book, there’s a good chance we haven’t met. So I’ll start with a quick introduction.
I’m FiKee’s newest and youngest keeper. Nacho is the name I go by here, and I chose it for two reasons.
First, I ate a lot of nachos during my time as an exchange student in the United States. I’d share them with friends in the cafeteria, or open a bag for a quick snack and somehow finish the lot. The word still brings back happy memories of those days.
Second, I like what nachos are. They’re good on their own, but add guacamole or cheese dip and they become something else. I also liked the thought that a tortilla could turn into nachos just by being fried. A little transformation. I wanted to be someone like that: a person with a side you might not expect at first.
So, Nacho it was.
That explains the name. But what about the person? One of the questions in “FiKee and 40 finders,” an interview series featured in our fourth-anniversary celebrations, was:
“What kind of adventurer are you?”
I’m someone willing to step into the unfamiliar to find an answer. I feel I learn and grow more in a new environment than by staying where I’m comfortable. So even when something scares me a little, I tend to give it a try. Whether I’ll be good at it can wait.
Another question asked: “If you had a magic phrase, like ‘Open sesame!’, to call out at a crucial moment in your next adventure, what would it be?”
Mine is: “If it doesn’t work out, no big deal!”
Opportunities can appear and disappear in a moment. Whether we catch them often comes down to reaching out before fear gets in the way. I want to keep doing that: taking the initiative, being a little bolder. Looking back, maybe that’s how I found my way to FiKee.
May 2023: my first visit to FiKee
FiKee opened in 2021, in the same spot on Seosulla-gil where it is today. I think I first visited around May 2023, before the street got as busy as it is now. It was quieter then, the sort of place you might stumble across while wandering down a side street.
I didn’t even know it was a book café when I walked in. But I loved Bookcamp: shelves of books chosen by different finders, offering a glimpse of how they saw the world. I could find a shelf—and a book—that suited me at that particular moment.
After a few more visits, I realized there were four things I especially loved: the people, the space, the activities, and the food and drinks.
1. The people
Above all, the keepers were so kind. When you’re used to ordering at kiosks and getting everything done quickly, that human warmth really stands out.
I still remember moments they’ve probably forgotten. Once, I was at the bar wearing a cap and zip-up hoodie from Bbaduners, a Korean comedy channel. Albam said they were a fan too, and we started talking. A small exchange, but it stayed with me. Another day—perhaps over a holiday—the café was packed, and Meokmaek asked, “Have you been able to read comfortably?”
Small moments, looking back. But I loved those little kindnesses at FiKee.
2. The space
Then there’s the space. The stone wall of Jongmyo, the royal ancestral shrine, just beyond the windows. The view changing with the seasons. The windows thrown open when the weather warms up. Sitting here, you feel close to all those changes.
Different parts of the café invite you to spend time differently. Outside, you can enjoy the weather. On the sofa, you can settle into a conversation. At a table, you can concentrate on a book. It’s more than a pretty room. You can feel the thought that’s gone into how people might use it.
3. Things to take part in
The Adventure Cards based on MBTI personality types, tucked beside the menu. Bookcamp and its shelves. These were the things that first made FiKee feel different from an ordinary café.
The more I looked, the more I found: Depakeul, our online reading program, and Reading Camp, which meets in person. You could do more than have a coffee and leave. You could find your way into someone else’s story, and share your own. That was what made FiKee special.
4. Food and drinks
And, of course, the food and drinks. The menu has changed a lot over FiKee’s five years, and I’ve always enjoyed that. Different teas as the seasons turn. Different financiers and compotes. Something you can only have at this time of year.
For a while, my favorites were White Temple tea and the sparkling drink made with it. When their season ended, the Adventure Latte took over. It’s still my favorite: nutty, sweet, and unlike anything I can easily find elsewhere. At some point, ordering it whenever I visited became automatic.
And I can’t leave out the financiers, those little French cakes. Maybe it’s because they’re made in-house, but FiKee’s are so good. My favorite is the Valrhona chocolate one. If you haven’t had one, please try it. Seriously. Eat the financiers.
Back then, I was simply a finder.
One who was getting quite attached to FiKee.