Before coffee gets cold 02

Chapter 3. The Sisters.

A girl was sitting quietly in that seat. She looked old enough to be in high school. She had large, sweet eyes. She was wearing a beige turtleneck with a tartan check miniskirt, black tights, and moss brown boots. A duffel coat hung on the back of her chair. Her clothes could have been worn by an adult, but there was something childlike about her expression. Her hair was cut in a bob to her jawline. She wore no makeup, but her naturally long eyelashes accentuated her pretty features. Although she came from the future, there was nothing that would have prevented her from passing in public as someone from the present if it hadn't been for that rule that said anyone visiting from the future must stay in that seat. As it was early August, her clothes would, however, have looked terribly out of season. It was still a mystery as to who she had come to meet.

Right now, the only person in the cafe was Nagara Tokita. The large-framed man with narrow eyes was wearing a cook's uniform and standing behind the counter. But the cafe proprietor didn't seem to be who the girl had come to meet. Although her eyes were looking at Nagara, they showed no sign of emotion towards him. She seemed to be totally indifferent to his existence. But at the same time, no one else was in the cafe. Nagara stood there looking at her with his arms crossed. Nagara was a large man. Any ordinary girl or woman, for that matter, might have felt a little threatened sitting in that small cafe alone with him. But the untroubled expression on this girl's face suggested that she couldn't care less. The girl and Nagara had exchanged no words. The girl had been doing nothing except occasionally glancing at one of the clocks on the wall, as if she was worried about the time.

Suddenly, Nagara's nose twitched and his right eye opened wider. A *ching* from the toaster in the kitchen rang out. Food was ready. He went into the kitchen and began busily preparing something. The girl didn't pay any attention to the noise and took a sip of her coffee. She nodded as if to say yes. The coffee must have still been warm, as her expression suggested that she had plenty of time.

Nagara came out from the kitchen. He was carrying a rectangular tray with toast and butter, salad, and fruit yogurt on it. The butter was homemade, his specialty. His butter was so good that the woman in curers, Yaiko Hiayi, would come in for some, armed with a plastic container. Nagara got a lot of joy from watching the customers delight as they ate his delicious butter. The problem was that although he used the most expensive ingredients, the butter was free for customers. He didn't charge for condiments. He was very particular about that. These high standards of his were quite a problem.

Still holding the tray, he stood in front of the girl. His large frame must have seemed like a giant wall to the petite girl seated there. He looked down at her. "Who did you come to meet?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

The girl looked up at the giant wall standing there. She casually stared at him. He was used to his huge size causing surprise and apprehension in those who didn't know him. It felt strange now that he didn't have this effect. "What?" he asked. But the girl didn't offer much of a response. "No one in particular," she just said, and took another sip of coffee. She wouldn't engage with him at all. Tilting his head to one side, he gracefully placed the tray on the table for the girl and then returned to his place behind the counter.

The girl looked uncomfortable. "Uh, excuse me," she called to Nagara. "What?" "I didn't order this," the girl said awkwardly, pointing to the toast in front of her. "On the house," he said with pride. The girl looked at all the free food with disbelief. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward with both hands on the counter. "You made all the effort to come from the future. I can't have a girl like you going back without serving you anything," he said, perhaps expecting at least a thank you. But the girl just kept staring at him and didn't even smile. He felt obliged to respond. "Is there a problem?" he said, a bit rattled. "No, thank you. I'll eat it."

"Add a girl."

"Well, why wouldn't I?" The girl expertly spread the butter on the toast and took a hungry mouthful. She kept on munching. She had a wonderful way of eating. He was waiting for the girl's reaction. Naturally, he thought she would show her delight upon eating his boastworthy butter. But she did not react as he had anticipated. She carried on eating without changing her expression. When she finished the toast, she started crunching on the salad and gobbling down the fruit yogurt. On finishing, the girl just folded her hands in thanks for the food without having made a single comment. The god was crestfallen.

*Clang dong.* It was Kazu. She handed the key ring with its wad of keys to Nagara behind the counter. "I'm back," she said, stopping mid-word when she noticed the girl in that seat. "Hey," replied Nagara, pocketing the keyring. He didn't say, "Hey, welcome back," like he normally would. Kazu grabbed his wrist and whispered, "Who's she?" "I've been trying to find out," he replied.

Normally, Kazu wouldn't particularly pay much attention to who was sitting there. When someone appeared, she could easily tell that the person had come from the future to meet someone. It was not something she interfered in, but never had such a young, pretty girl sat in that chair before. She couldn't help but openly stare at her. Her staring did not go unnoticed. "Hello," said the girl, offering a pleasant smile. Nagara's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance that she hadn't offered such a smile to him. "Did you come to meet someone?" said Kazu. "Yeah, I guess," the girl conceded.

Hearing this conversation, Nagara tightened his lips. He had asked the same question just moments earlier, and the girl had said no. He wasn't amused. "But they're not here, are they?" he said crossly, turning away.

"So, who was she planning to meet?" Kazu wondered as she tapped her index finger against her chin. "Huh? Surely it wasn't him." She pointed the chin-tapping finger towards Nagara. Nagara pointed at himself. "Me?" He folded his arms and muttered.

Um, as if he was trying to remember the circumstances surrounding the girl's appearance. The girl had appeared on that seat about 10 minutes ago. Kazu had needed to go to the gynecology clinic, so Kazu had driven her there. Normally, Nagara would take Kay to her regular checkups, but today was different. He considered the gynecology clinic to be a sanctuary for women only, where no man should venture. That was why he was manning the cafe alone. "Did she choose a time when only I was working?" His heart lifted at the thought. "So perhaps the way she's been until now is down to her being embarrassed." Stroking his chin, he nodded as if it all made sense. He sprang from the counter and sat down in the chair facing the girl. The girl stared back at him blankly. He no longer looked like the person he had been until a moment ago. "If her coldness towards me is just out of shyness, I'll try to be more approachable," he thought, and grinned broadly. He leaned forward on his elbows in an easygoing way. "So, was it me that you came to visit?" he asked the girl.

"No way. Me? You came to meet me? No. Me? No." The girl was adamant.

Kazu heard the exchange and came to a simple conclusion. "Well, you're completely ruled out." "Again," Nagara was deflated. "Okay, so it's not me," he said sulkily as he trudged back to the counter. The girl seemed to find this amusing and let out a cheeky giggle.

*Clang dong.* When the bell rang, the girl looked at the clock in the middle of the wall. This clock in the middle was the only one that was accurate. The other two were either slow or fast. She must have known that the girl's eyes were fixed on the entrance. A moment later, Kay walked into the cafe. "Thanks, Kazu dear," she said as she entered. She was wearing an aqua-colored dress and strappy sandals and was fanning herself with a straw hat. She had gone out with Kazu, but judging from the plastic shopping bag she was holding, she must have popped into the convenience store nearby before coming into the cafe. Kay was by nature a carefree person, always charming and never shy. She was comfortable with the most intimidating of customers. She would be friendly and outgoing, even when communicating with a foreigner who spoke no Japanese.

When Kay noticed the girl sitting in that seat, she said, "Hello, welcome." While wearing a big smile, her smile was beaming even more than normal, and the tone of her voice was a little higher, too. The girl straightened in her chair and bowed her head a little, keeping her gaze on Kay. Kay responded with a smile and trotted towards the back room.

"So, how was it?" Nagara asked Kay. Given where she and Kazu had just returned from, there could only be one thing that he wanted to know. Kay patted her still flat stomach, gave him the peace sign, and smiled. "Ah, right then," he said. He narrowed his eyes further and gave two small nods. When he felt joy, he found himself unable to express his happiness openly. Knowing this all too well, Kay looked on at his reaction with contentment.

With keenly observing eyes, the girl in that seat watched this exchange warmly. Kay didn't seem to notice how the girl was watching her and began walking to the back room. As if this was some kind of cue, the girl called out in an unexpectedly loud voice, "Excuse me." Kay stopped in her tracks and answered unthinkingly. "Yes." She turned and looked at the girl with her round, bright eyes. The girl self-consciously averted her eyes and began fidgeting. "What is it?" Kay asked. The girl stood up as if she indeed wanted something. Her smile was honest and sweet. The cool distance she expressed towards Nagara had vanished entirely. "Um, it's just... Yes. What is it? I'd like to take my photo with you."

Kay blinked, startled by the girl's words. "With me?" she asked. "Yes." Nagara immediately responded. "With her?" he asked, pointing to Kay. "Yes," said the girl cheerily. "Are you saying that you came to see her?" asked Kazu. "Yes."

Kay's eyes beamed brightly at this unknown girl's sudden confession. Kay was never suspicious of strangers. So rather than asking the girl who she was or why she wanted the photo, she immediately said, "Oh, really? Can I fix my makeup first?" She pulled out a case from her shoulder bag and began fixing her makeup. "Um, there's no time," the girl said urgently. Oh, no. Of course. Naturally, Kay knew the rules well. Her cheeks flushed as she snapped the case shut. The girl was prevented from positioning herself alongside Kay, as you would normally do when asking for a photo, by the rule prohibiting her to move from that seat. Kay passed her convenience store plastic bag and straw hat to Kazu and stood next to the girl.

"Where's your camera?" asked Kazu. The girl pushed something towards her across the table. "Huh? Is that a camera?" asked Kay in surprise as Kazu looked at the camera handed to her. It had the dimensions of a business card, wafer-thin and semi-transparent. It just looked like a plastic card. Kay was fascinated by it. She took a close look at it from all angles. "It's so thin." "Um, we have to hurry. Time is almost up," the girl said calmly to Kay. "Yes, I'm sorry," said Kay, shrugging her shoulders and standing alongside the girl again. "Okay, I'm taking it." Kazu pointed the camera at the two. It didn't seem difficult to use. She just pressed the button that appeared on the screen. *Click.*

"What? Wait a bit. When are you going to take it?" said Kay. Kazu had taken the picture while Kay was adjusting her hair and arranging her fringe. She handed the camera back to the girl. "You already took it. When did you do that?" The girl and Kazu were both very business-like. Kay alone was full of questions and confused.

"Thank you very much," said the girl and immediately drank the remainder of her coffee. "What? Just a minute," Kay said. But the girl vaporized into steam. As the steam rose towards the ceiling, the woman in the dress appeared from underneath it. It looked like a transformation trick worthy of a ninja. As all three were used to such things happening, no one was particularly surprised. If another customer had seen it, they would have been shocked. If a customer ever did see such a thing, they would be told it was a parlor trick. Though, if the cafe staff were asked how they performed this trick, they would be unable to provide an answer. The woman in the dress was reading her novel casually as if nothing had happened. However, when she noticed the tray, she pushed it away with her right hand, which clearly meant, "Take that away." When Kay went to clean up the tray, Nagara took it from her, tilted his head to one side, and disappeared into the kitchen.

"I wonder who that was," Kay muttered. She retrieved the plastic convenience store bag and straw hat from Kazu and retreated to the back room. Kazu kept staring at that chair where the woman in the dress was sitting. It was clear by the look on her face that something was bothering her. This was the first time a customer had come from the future to meet Nagara or Kazu. There had never seemed to be a good reason why anyone would want to go back in time to see one of the cafe staff members who were always in the cafe. Yet, a girl had just come from the future to meet Kay.

Kazu didn't interrogate or press anyone on why they had visited from the future. Even if, say, a murderer traveled back in time, she would have a good reason to leave it alone. The rule was that the present doesn't change no matter how much one tries to rearrange things in the past. This rule could never be broken. A series of random events would always somehow unfold to prevent the present from changing. If, for example, a gunman came from the future and fatally shot a customer, as long as the customer was living in the future, he could not die, even if he had been shot in the heart. That was the rule. Kazu, or whoever was there, would call the ambulance and the police. The ambulance would leave for the cafe. This ambulance would not get caught in traffic. The ambulance would travel from the emergency center to the cafe and carry the patient from the cafe to the hospital using the shortest distance and in the fastest time. On looking at the patient, the hospital staff might say, "We probably can't save him." Even if that happened, then a world-leading surgeon would happen to be visiting the hospital and would operate on the patient. Even if the victim's blood was a rare type that only one in several thousand possessed, there would be a stock of such blood at the hospital. The surgery staff would be excellent, and the operation would be successful. The surgeon might say later that if the ambulance had been 1 minute later, or if the bullet had been located 1 millimeter to the left, the patient would not have survived. All of the staff would say that it was a miracle the patient survived. But it wouldn't be a miracle. It would be because of the rule which dictated that the man who was shot in the past must survive. Because of this, Kazu didn't mind who came from the future for whatever reason. Everything a visitor from the future might try would be futile.

"Could you do this for me, please?" Nagara called from the kitchen. Kazu turned and looked to see Nagara standing at the kitchen door holding the tray containing the coffee brewed for the woman in the dress. She took the tray and started carrying it to the table where the woman was sitting. For a while, she stared at the woman while thoughts went around in her head. "What did that girl come back for? I wonder if it was to take a picture of Kay. Why did she go to the effort of returning to the past?"

*Clang dong.* "Hello, welcome," Nagara shouted. Kazu collected her thoughts and served the coffee. "I feel like there is something important that I'm missing." To dispel the feeling, she gave her head a little shake. "Hello." Kotake had entered the cafe. She was on her way home from work. She was wearing a lime green polo shirt and a white skirt with black pumps on her feet. She had a canvas bag hanging from her shoulder. "Hello, Kotake." Nagara said on hearing her name called, she spun round on her heel as if to walk out again. "Ah, sorry, Mrs. Fusagi." He corrected himself. Kotake smiled with approval and sat at the counter. It was now 3 days since Kotake had returned to the past and received the letter that Fusagi had written but never given to her. She now insisted upon Mrs. Fouseagi. She hung her bag on the back of her chair. "Coffee, please," she ordered. "Certainly," Nagara said, bowing his head and turning to the kitchen to brew the coffee. She looked around the empty cafe, flexed her shoulders, and took a deep breath. She had planned to accompany Fusagi on his walk home if he had been at the cafe, so she was a little disappointed. Kazu, who had been watching the exchange between Nagara and Kotake with a smile, had finished serving the woman in the dress. "I'm just taking my break," she said and disappeared into the back room. Kotake said, "Okay," and gave her a little wave.

It was early August and summer was really peaking. Kotake, though, liked her coffee hot, even in the summer. She liked the aroma of it when it was freshly brewed. She couldn't enjoy iced coffee in the same way. Coffee was far more pleasurable when it was hot. When Nagara made coffee, he usually brewed it using the siphon method by pouring boiling water into a flask, then heating it to allow the evaporated steam to rise through a funnel and extract the coffee from the ground beans held inside the funnel. However, when he made coffee for Kotake and some other regular customers, he brewed the coffee hand-drip style. When making hand-drip coffee, he put a paper filter in a dripper, added the ground beans, and poured boiling water over them. He thought the hand-drip style of making coffee allowed for greater flexibility, as you could change the bitterness and the sourness of the coffee by changing the temperature of the water and the way you poured it. As the cafe did not play background music, it was possible to hear the soft sound of the coffee dripping drop by drop into the server. When Kotake heard this dripping sound, she would smile in satisfaction. Kay tended to use an automatic coffee maker. This machine was equipped with a single button that allowed different tastes to be accommodated. As Kay was not a master in the art of making coffee, she preferred to rely on a machine. Some of the regular customers who came to enjoy a cup of coffee did not therefore order when Nagara was not around. After all, the coffee was always the same price whether it was brewed by Nagara or Kay. Kazu normally made coffee using the siphon method. The reason for this choice was not because of taste. She simply enjoyed watching the hot water rise up through the funnel. Besides, Kazu found the hand-drip coffee too tedious to make.

Kotake was served with a coffee specially brewed by Nagara. With the coffee in front of her, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. It was her moment of happiness. As per his insistence, the coffee had been made from mocha beans with their distinct aroma which coffee drinkers either love or hate. Those who enjoy the aroma, like Kotake, can't get enough of it. In fact, you could say that the coffee picked the customers. Just as with his butter, Nagara enjoyed watching customers take pleasure in the aroma. As he watched, his eyes narrowed even further.

"By the way," said Kotake while enjoying her coffee, as if she'd suddenly remembered, "I noticed that Hi's bar has been closed both yesterday and today. Do you know anything about that?" The snack bar, a sort of mini hostess bar that Hi ran, was just meters from the cafe. It was just a small bar comprising a counter with six seats, but it was always busy. It opened at different times each evening depending on Hi's mood. But it was open seven nights a week all year round. Since she opened its doors, the bar had opened every night without fail. Patrons often waited outside for it to open. Some nights, as many as 10 customers squeezed into the place. Only the first six customers sat on chairs. The rest would drink standing up. The patrons weren't only men, either. Hi was popular among women, too. Her blunt way of speaking sometimes dented the pride of patrons, but they knew there was no malice intended, and there were never hard feelings. Patrons always felt comfortable around her. She had a natural gift for being able to say anything and get away with it. She dressed in a flashy way and couldn't care less what anyone thought about it. But she believed in good manners and etiquette. She would listen to anything anyone had to say. Though if she thought a patron was wrong, even if they were of high social status, she would have no qualms about setting them straight. Some patrons were generous with their money, but she never accepted any money except in payments for drinks. Some patrons would try to earn her favor by offering her expensive gifts, but she never accepted them, not once. There were even men who would offer her a house or an apartment, a Mercedes or Ferrari or diamonds or the like, but she would just say, "I'm not interested." Even Kotake sometimes visited her bar. It was a place where you could be guaranteed to have a fun time drinking. Kotake had noticed that her bar, usually so full of customers, had been closed for two nights in a row, and none of the patrons knew why. She was a little concerned.

As soon as she broached the subject of Hi, Nagara's face turned serious. "What happened?" she asked, a little startled. "Her sister, there was a road accident," he said softly. "Oh no. So she went home. Oh, how terrible." She sank her gaze into the pitch-black coffee. She knew Hi's younger sister, Kumi, from when she would visit and try to get Hi, who had broken ties with the family, to come home. For the last one or two years, Hi had found her frequent visits such a nuisance that more often than not, she would avoid meeting her. Regardless, Kumi would make the visit to Tokyo almost every month. 3 days ago, Kumi had visited the cafe to meet Hi. The accident occurred on her way home. The small car that she was driving collided head-on with an oncoming truck whose driver must have dozed off. She was taken to hospital in an ambulance but did not survive the journey. What horrible news. Kotake left her coffee alone. The faint steam that had been rising from it had disappeared. Nagara stood with arms folded silently looking at his feet. He had received an email on his phone from Hi. She probably would have contacted Kay, but Kay didn't own a phone. In the email, Hi gave some details about the accident and mentioned that the bar would be closed for a while. The email had been written in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it had happened to someone else. Kay had used his phone to reply and had asked how Hi was doing, but she got no response.

The inn on the outskirts of Sendai was called Takakura, meaning the treasury. Sendai is a popular tourist destination, particularly famous for its gorgeous Tanabata festival. The festival is best known for its *sasa-kazari*, a towering piece of bamboo about 10 m long to which five giant paper balls with colorful paper streamers are attached. Other decorations from the festival, colorful paper strips, paper kimonos, and origami paper cranes are sought after by tourists who use them for business blessings and lucky charms. The festival always takes place from the 6th to the 8th of August, which meant that in a few days, the decoration preparation in the downtown area around Sendai station was due to begin. Given the 2 million tourists who were attracted to the 3-day festival, Tanabata was the busiest period for Takakura, located as it was about 10 minutes by taxi from Sendai station.

*Clang dong.* "Hello, welcome," Nagara called out cheerfully, lifting the cafe out of its somber mood. On hearing the bell, Kotake took the opportunity to get more comfortable. She reached for the coffee. "Hello, welcome," said Kay, coming out from the back room in an apron after hearing the bell. But there was still no one. It was taking longer than normal for someone to appear in the cafe. But just as Nagara tilted his head questioningly to one side, a familiar voice rang out. "Nagare. K. Someone. I need salt. Bring me salt." "Hi. Is that you?" No one had expected her to have come back so early, even if her sister's funeral had now taken place. Kay looked at Nagara, her eyes wide in astonishment. Nagara stood there a moment in a daze. Given that he just delivered the terrible news about Kumi to Kotake, to hear Hi's usual brisk tone must have been a little disorientating. Hi may have wanted the salt for spiritual purification, but it sounded more like yelling coming from a kitchen where someone was frantically making dinner. "Come on." This time her shout had a low, sultry edge to it. "Okay, just a sec." Nagara finally got moving. He grabbed a small bottle of cooking salt from the kitchen and shuffled hastily to the entrance. Kotake pictured Hi standing beyond the cafe's entrance, dressed in her normal, flashy attire. To her, Hi's behavior wasn't quite what one might expect. How could it be that her sister had just died? She and Kay exchanged glances. Kay seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"I'm so exhausted," he said, coming in dragging her feet. "Her walk was the same as normal, but she was dressed rather differently. Rather than wearing her usual loud clothes in red and pink, she was in morning dress. Rather than a head full of curlers, her hair was done up in a tight bun. Anyone would agree that she looked like a different person. Dressed in her morning black, she dropped herself down at the middle table seat and raised her right arm. "Sorry to be a bother, but could I have a glass of water, please?" she asked Kay. "Of course," Kay said with a somewhat exaggerated sense of urgency, she scuttled off to the kitchen to find some water.

"Hi!" exclaimed. She stretched out her arms and legs like she was doing a star jump. Her black handbag swung from her right arm. Nagara, still holding the bottle of salt, and Kotake, seated at the counter, stared at her like she was behaving oddly. Kay came back with a glass of water. "Thank you." Hi put her handbag on the table, took the glass in her hand, and to Kay's amazement, drank it down in one gulp. She let out an exhausted sigh. "Another one, please," she said, presenting Kay with a glass. Kay took the glass and disappeared into the kitchen. Wiping perspiration from her brow. Hi let out another sigh. Nagara stood there watching her. "Hi," he said. "What? How do I put it?" "Put what? How do I say it? That what? I'm sorry for your loss." Hi's strange behavior, so unlike someone in mourning, had made Nagara struggle to remember an appropriate thing to say. Kotake was also lost for words and bowed her head. "You mean Kumi?" "Yes, of course. Well, it was certainly unexpected. Unlucky, I guess you'd say," Hi said, shrugging her shoulders. Kay returned with another glass of water. Worried about Hi's demeanor, Kay handed her the glass and also bowed her head, revealing her discomfort. "I'm sorry. Thanks." Hi downed the new glass of water as well. "They said she got hit in the wrong place, so she was unlucky." She said it sounded like she was talking about something that had happened to a stranger. The crease deepened between Kotake's brows as she leaned forward. "Was it today?" "What today?" "The funeral, of course," Kotake replied, betraying her uneasiness with Hi's attitude. "Yeah, look," Hi said as she stood up and spun round to show her funeral attire. "It kind of suits me, don't you think? Do you think it makes me look a bit subdued?" Hi made some model-like poses, adopting a proud face. Her sister was dead. Unless the people in the cafe were mistaken about that, her irreverence seemed over the top. As she became increasingly irritated at Hi's blasé attitude, Kotake strengthened her words. "Why on earth did you come home so early?" she asked, her face showing signs of disgust, as if she was biting her tongue, trying not to say. "A little disrespectful to your dead sister, don't you think?"

Hi dropped her exaggerated pose and sat down again lazily. She held up her hands. "Oh, it's not like that. I've got the bar to think about, too," she answered, clearly knowing what Kotake wanted to say. "But still, please let it go." She reached over to her black handbag and took a cigarette from inside.

"So, are you okay?" Nagara asked, toying with the salt bottle in his hands. "With what?" Hi was reluctant to open up. With a cigarette in her mouth, she was peering into her black handbag again. She was rummaging around for her lighter, which she seemed to be having a job of finding. Nagara pulled a lighter from his pocket and presented it to her. "But your parents must be very upset over the death of your sister. Shouldn't you have stayed to be with them for a while?"

Hi took the lighter from Nagara and lit her cigarette. "Well, sure. Normally, that would be the case." Her cigarette glowed and burnt to a column of ash. She tapped the ash in the ashtray. The cigarette smoke rose and disappeared. Hi watched the smoke rise. "But there was nowhere for me to be," she said expressionless. For a moment, what she had said did not sink in. Both Nagara and Kotake looked at her uncomprehendingly. Hi saw how the two were looking at her. "I didn't have a place where I could be," she added and took another drag of her cigarette.

"What do you mean?" Kay asked with a look of concern. In answer to Kay's question, Hi replied as if talking about any ordinary thing. "The accident happened on her way home from seeing me, right? So, naturally, my parents blame me for her death." "How could they think that?" Kay asked with her mouth agape. Hi blew a plume of smoke into the air. "Well, they do, and in a way, it's true," she muttered dismissively. "She kept coming down to Tokyo time and time again, and each time I would turn her away." The last time, Kay had helped Hi avoid Kumi by hiding. She now looked down with a look of regret. Hi continued talking, taking no notice of Kay. "Both my parents refused to talk to me." Hi's smile faded from her face. "Not one word."

Hi had heard of Kumi's death from the head waitress who had worked at her parents' inn for many years. It had been years since Hi had answered a call coming from the inn. But 2 days ago, early in the morning, the inn's number flashed up on her phone. When she saw who it was, her heart skipped a beat and she answered it. The only thing she could say in response to the teary head waitress who was calling was, "I see." And she hung up. Then she picked up her handbag and headed to the family home by taxi. The taxi driver claimed to be a former entertainer. On their journey, he gave her an unsolicited sample of his comedic act. His stories were unexpectedly funny, and she rolled around in the confines of the back seat, roaring with laughter. She laughed long and hard with tears streaming down her face. Finally, the taxi pulled up in front of the inn Takakura, Hi's family home. It was 5 hours from the city and the taxi fare was over 150,000 yen. But as she was paying in cash, the driver said a nice round number was fine and drove off in high spirits. When she got out of the taxi, she realized she was still wearing slippers. She also had curlers in her hair. Wearing only her chemise, she felt the hot morning sun hit her with its full force. When large beads of sweat began dripping down her body, she wished she had a handkerchief. She began to walk up the gravel path to her family home at the rear of the inn. Where her family lived was designed in Japanese style and had not been altered in any way since it was built at the same time as the inn. She passed the large-roofed gate and came to the front entrance. It had been 13 years since she was last there, but nothing had changed. To her, it seemed a place where time stood still. She tried opening the sliding door. It was unlocked. The door rattled open, and she stepped into the concrete inside. It was cold. The chill of the air was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She walked from the entrance down the hallway to the living room. The room was completely dark with no sign of life. This was quite normal. Rooms in old Japanese houses tended to be dark, but she found the darkness oppressive. The hallway was completely quiet except for the creaking of her footsteps. The family altar was in a room at the end of the hallway. When she looked into the altar room, it was open to the veranda. There she saw her father Yasuo's small, rounded back. He was sitting on the edge looking out at the lush green garden. Kumi was lying there silently. She was dressed in a white robe and had hanging over her the pink kimono worn by the headwoman of the inn. Yasuo must have just moved from her side as his hand was still gripping the white cloth that would normally cover the face of the dead. Her mother, Mitko, was not there. Hi sat down and peered at Kumi's face. So peaceful was it that it looked like she was merely sleeping. As Hi gently touched her face, she whispered, "Thank God." If her face had been badly cut in the accident, her body would have been laid in the coffin and wrapped up like a mummy. This is what was running through her mind as she looked at Kumi's pretty face. The thought had been troubling her, having heard that Kumi collided head-on with a truck. Her father, Yasuo, kept gazing out at the courtyard garden. "Father," Hi called out in a stilted voice to Yasuo's back. It was to be her first conversation with her father since she left home 13 years ago. But Yasuo remained seated with his back to her, his only response being a sniffle. Hi looked at Kumi's face a while longer, then slowly rose and quietly left the room. She went into Sendai town where preparations for the Tanabata festival were underway. With curlers still in her hair, she trudged around until dusk, still in her slippers and camisole. She bought something to wear to the funeral and found a hotel. At the funeral the next day, she saw her mother, Mitko, putting on a brave face alongside her father, who had broken down in tears. Rather than sitting in the row of seats for the family, she sat with the rest of the mourners. Just once, she made eye contact with her mother, but no words passed between them. The funeral went smoothly. Hi offered incense but left without speaking to anyone.

The column of ash lengthened on Hi's cigarette and fell silently. She watched it fall. "Yes, and that's that," she said, stubbing out the cigarette. Nagara's head was bowed. Kotake sat motionless with her cup in her hand. Kay looked directly at Hi with concern. Hi looked at these three faces inside. "I'm no good with all this serious stuff," she let out in exasperation. "Hey," Kay began. But Hi waved her hand to stop her. "So lose the sad faces and stop asking if I'm all right," she pleaded. She could see that there was something that Kay wanted to say, so she kept talking. "I might not look like it, but I am really upset, but come on, guys. I need to overcome this by putting my best foot forward, don't I?" She spoke as if she was trying to reassure a tearful child. She was that kind of person, inscrutable to the end. If Kay was in her shoes, she would have been crying for days. If it were Kotake, she would have observed the mourning period, lamented the deceased, and behaved with propriety. But Hi was neither Kay nor Kotake. "I'll mourn how I mourn. Everyone's different," Hi said. And with that, she stood up and picked up her handbag. "So that's how things are," she said, and began to walk to the door.

"So, why visit the cafe now?" Nagara muttered as if to himself. Hi froze like a stop-motion frame. "Why come here rather than going directly back to yours?" he asked bluntly, keeping his back to her. Hi stood there silently for a while. "Busted," she sighed. She turned round and walked back to where she had been sitting. Nagara didn't look at her. He just carried on staring at the bottle of salt in his hands. She returned to her seat and sat down in the chair.

"Hi," Kay said as she approached holding a letter. "I still have it." "You didn't throw it out." She recognized it instantly. She was pretty sure it was the one Kumi had written and left at the cafe 3 days ago. She had asked Kay to throw it out without having read any of it. Her hand trembled as she took it. The last letter that Kumi had ever written. "I never imagined I would hand it to you under such circumstances," Kay said with her head bowed apologetically. "No, of course not." "Thank you," Hi replied. She pulled out a letter folded in half from the unsealed envelope. The contents were just as she had thought, it was always the same. But though the letter was filled with the same old irritating things, a single teardrop fell from her eyes. "I didn't even meet her. And now this happened," she said, sniffing. "Only she never gave up on me. She came to Tokyo to see me again and again."

The first time Kumi came to visit Hi in Tokyo, Hi was 24 and Kumi was 18. But back then, Kumi was the cuddly little sister who contacted her every now and then behind her parents' back. Still only in senior high school, she was already helping at the inn when she wasn't at school. When Hi left home, her parents' expectations were immediately transferred to Kumi. Before she had even come of age, she had become the face of the old inn, the future owner. Kumi's efforts to persuade Hi to return to the family began then. Despite always being busy with her responsibilities, Kumi found the time to visit Tokyo once every couple of months. At first, while Hi still saw Kumi as her cuddly younger sister, she would meet her and listen to what she had to say. But there came a point where Kumi's requests began to feel like an annoying imposition. For the last year, the last two years for that matter, Hi had completely avoided her. The final time, she had hidden from her in this very cafe and tried to throw away what Kumi had written to her. She put the letter that Kay had rescued back in the envelope.

"I know the rule. The present doesn't change no matter how hard you try. I fully understand that. Take me back to that day. I'm begging you." Hi's face was now far more serious than it had ever been. She bowed her head deeply. Nagara's narrow eyes narrowed further as he looked down at Hi, bowing deeply. Naturally, Nagara knew the day that Hi was referring to. Three days ago when Kumi had visited the cafe, she was asking to go back and meet her. Kay and Kotake waited with bated breath for Nagara's reply. The room became eerily silent. Only the woman in the dress continued to behave as if nothing was wrong, continuing to read her novel.

*Plunk.* The sound of Nagara putting the bottle of salt on the counter echoed throughout the cafe. Then, without a word, he walked away and disappeared into the back room. Hi lifted her head and took a large, deep breath. From the back room, Nagara's voice could be faintly heard calling for Kazu. "But Hi..." "Yeah, I know." Hi interrupted Kotake so she didn't have to hear what she was going to say. She walked up to the woman in the dress. "Um, so like I was just saying to the others, could I sit there, please?" "Hi, Kay said frantically. "Can you do this for me? Please." Ignoring Kay, Hi put her hands together as if she were praying to a god. She looked faintly ridiculous as she did so, but still she seemed genuinely serious. But the woman in the dress did not even flinch. This made Hi irate. "Hey, can you hear me? Don't just ignore me. Can't you give me the seat?" she said while putting her hand on the woman's shoulder. "No, he stop. You mustn't. Please." She wasn't listening to Kay. She tried to pull the woman's arm by force to take the seat from her. "Hi, stop it!" Kay yelled. But at that moment, the woman in the dress's eyes opened wide, and she glared at Hi. Instantly, she was overwhelmed by the sensation that she was becoming heavier many times over. It felt as if the Earth's gravity had begun multiplying. The cafe's lighting suddenly seemed reduced to candlelight flickering in the wind, and an eerie, ghostly wailing began reverberating throughout the cafe with no sign of where it was coming from. Unable to move a muscle, she fell to her knees. "What the... What is this?" "Well, you could have listened." Kay sighed dramatically with an air of "I told you so." Hi was familiar with the rules, but she didn't know anything about the curse. What she knew had been put together from explanations given to customers who had come wanting to go back to the past, and they had normally given up on the idea after hearing the overly complicated rules. "She's a demon, a hag," she shouted. "No, she's just a ghost," Kay interjected coolly. from the floor. Hi was hurling insults at the woman in the dress. But such abuse was useless.

"Oh," Kazu exclaimed when she appeared from the back room. One look told her what had happened. She darted back into the kitchen and came out carrying a carafe filled with coffee. She walked up to the woman in the dress. "Would you care for some more coffee?" Kazu asked. "Yes, please," the woman in the dress replied, and Hi was released. Strangely, Kazu was the only one who could lift the curse. When Kay or Nagara had tried to, it hadn't worked. Now free, Hi returned to normal. She started panting heavily. Looking very worn out by the ordeal, she turned to Kazu. "Kazu, love, please say something to her. Get her to move," she cried. "Okay, I understand what you're going through, Hi. So, can you do something?" Kazu looked down at the carafe she was holding in her hands. She thought for a few moments. "I can't say whether this will work or not." Hi was desperate enough to try anything. "Whatever. Please do this for me," she pleaded, holding her hands in prayer. "Okay, let's try it." Kazu walked up to the woman in the dress. With Kay's help, Hi returned to standing and watched to see what was about to happen. "Would you care for some more coffee?" Kazu asked again, despite the cup being still full to the brim. Hi and Kotake both tilted their heads sideways, unable to work out what Kazu was doing. But the woman in the dress responded to the offer of a refill. "Yes, please," she replied and drank the entire cup of coffee that had been poured for her just moments before. Kazu then filled the emptied cup with the coffee. The woman in the dress then proceeded to read her novel as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Then straight afterwards, "Would you care for some more coffee?" Kazu asked again. The woman in the dress still had not touched the coffee since the last refill. The cup remained completely full. And yet the woman in the dress again replied, "Yes, please," and proceeded to down the entire coffee.

"Well, who would have thought?" Kotake said, her expression slowly changing as she realized what Kazu was doing. Kazu continued with her outlandish plan. After filling the cup with coffee, she would offer again. "Would you care for some more coffee?" She went on doing this, and every time it was offered, the woman in the dress would reply, "Yes, please," and drink it down. But after a while, the woman began to look uncomfortable. Rather than drinking the coffee down in one go, she began to take several sips to finish it. Using this method, Kazu managed to get the woman in the dress to drink seven cups of coffee. "She looks so uncomfortable. Why doesn't she just refuse?" Kotake commented, sympathizing with the woman in the dress. "She can't refuse," Kay whispered in Kotake's ear. "Why not?" "Because apparently that's the rule." "Goodness," Kotake said in surprise to the fact that it wasn't only those traveling back in time who had to follow annoying rules. She watched on, eager to see what would happen next. Kazu poured an eighth coffee.

filling the cup almost to the point of overflowing. The woman in the dress winced, but Kazu was relentless. "Would you care for some more coffee?"

When Kazu offered the ninth cup of coffee, the woman in the dress suddenly stood up from her seat. "She stood up," Kotake exclaimed in excitement. "Toilet!" the woman in the dress mumbled, glaring directly at Kazu, and headed off to the toilet. It had taken some coercion, but that seat had been vacated.

"Thank you," Hedai said as she staggered over to the seat where the woman in the dress had been sitting. Hedai's nervousness seemed to affect everyone in the cafe. She drew in a large, deep breath, slowly exhaled, and slid in between the table and the chair. She sat down and gently closed her eyes.

Kumihi had always been, since she was a young girl, a little sister who had followed her big sister around, calling out "big sis this" and "big sis that." The old inn was always very busy, no matter the season. Her father was a proprietor and her mother was a proprietess. Her mother, Micho, went back to work soon after she was born. Often the task of watching over her, still a young baby, fell to six-year-old Hayai. When she started elementary school, Hedai would give her a piggy back to school. It was a country school, and the teachers were understanding. If she started crying in class, Hedai was able to take her out of class to comfort her. In school, Hedai was a reliable big sister, diligent in looking after her little sister.

Hi's parents had great hopes for Hiay, who was naturally sociable and likable. They thought she would become an excellent manager of the inn. But her parents had underestimated the intricacies of her character. Specifically, she was freespirited. She wanted to do things without having to worry what others thought. It was what made her comfortable enough to give Kumi a piggy back to school. She had no inhibitions. She wanted to do things her own way. Her behavior meant that her parents didn't worry about her. But it was precisely this freespiritedness that ultimately led to her refusal of her parents' wish that she would someday take over the inn. She didn't hate her parents, nor did she hate the inn. She simply lived for her freedom.

At 18, she left home when Kumi was 12. Her parents anger at her leaving home was just as intense as the expectation they had held that she would be their successor and they cut her off. While the shock of her leaving weighed heavy on her parents, Kumi also took it badly. But Kumi must have sensed that she was going to leave. When she left, Kumi did not cry or appear heartbroken. She just muttered, "She's so selfish."

When she saw the letter that Hedai had left for her, Kazu was standing behind Hi and carrying a white coffee cup and silver kettle on a silver tray. Her face had an elegant, calm expression. "You know the rules. I know the rules."

Kumi had visited the cafe and while it wouldn't be possible to change the fact that she died in the accident, Hayi was now sitting in the right seat. And however short the time she would have in the past, if she could see Kumi one last time, it would be worth it. Hedai gave a deep nod and prepared herself. But regardless of her preparedness, Kazu continued to speak. "People who go back to the past to meet a person now deceased can get caught up in the emotion. So even though they know there is a time limit, they become unable to say goodbye. So I want you to have this." Kazu placed a small stick about 10 cm long into Hai's cup of coffee, the kind you might use to stir a cocktail. It looked a little bit like a spoon.

"What's this?"

"This sounds an alarm just before the coffee gets cold."

"So if the alarm sounds..."

"Okay, I know. I understand. Okay."

The vagueness of the deadline just before the coffee gets cold worried he'd eye. Even if she thought the coffee was cold, there still might be time remaining. Or she might think the coffee still had enough heat in it and make the mistake of staying too long and never making it back. An alarm made things much simpler and calmed her anxiety. All she wanted to do was apologize.

Kumi had made the effort to come to visit her time and time again, but Hi saw it only as a nuisance. Apart from the matter of how she had treated Kumi so unkindly, there was also the matter of Kumi being made the successor to Takura. When Hi left home and was cut off from the family, Kumi automatically became the successor. She was too obliging to betray the expectations of their parents as Hiay had done. But what if this had shattered a dream that she held? If she once had a dream ruined by Hayai's selfish decision to run away, it would explain why she had so often visited Hedai to beg her to return home. She would want Hi to come back so that she could have the freedom to pursue her own ambitions. If Hai had found her freedom at Kumi's expense, then it would only be natural for her to feel resentful. Now there was no way of ending Hai's regret. This was all the more reason for her to apologize. If she could not change the present, then at least she could say, "Sorry, please forgive your selfish big sis."

Hi looked into Kazu's eyes and gave a firm, definite nod. Kazu put the coffee in front of Hiayai. She picked up the silver kettle from the tray with her right hand and looked at Hedai from underneath her lowered brow. This was the ceremony. The ceremony did not change no matter who was sitting in that seat. Kazu's expressions were part of it.

"Just remember," Kazu paused and then whispered, "Drink the coffee before it goes cold."

She began to slowly pour the coffee, which flowed soundlessly from the silver kettle's narrow spout like a single black thread. Hi watched the surface of the liquid as it rose. The longer the coffee took to fill the cup, the more impatient she became. She wanted to go back and meet her little sister without delay. She wanted to see her to apologize, but the coffee would start cooling the moment the cup was filled. She had precious little time. Shimmering steam rose from the filled cup. Looking at it, Hedai began to experience an overwhelming dizziness. Her body became one with the steam that engulfed her, and she felt like she was beginning to rise. Although it was the first time experiencing this, she didn't find it at all frightening. Feeling her impatience subside, she gently closed her eyes.

Hi first visited the cafe 7 years before. She was 24 and had been running her bar for about 3 months. One Sunday at the end of autumn, she was strolling around the neighborhood and casually popped into the cafe to check it out. The only customers were a woman in a white dress and herself. It was the time of year when people started wearing scarves, but the woman in the dress was in short sleeves. Thinking that she must be a little chilly, even if she was inside, Hedai sat down at the counter. She looked around the room, but there were no staff members in sight. When the bell had rung as she entered the cafe, she hadn't heard anyone call out, "Hello, welcome," as she might have expected. She got the impression that this cafe was not big on customer service, but this didn't put her off. The kind of place that didn't follow conventions appealed to her. She decided to wait to see if anyone who worked there would make an appearance. Perhaps sometimes the bell went unnoticed. She was suddenly curious as to whether this often happened. Also, the woman in the dress had not even noticed her. She just kept on reading her book. Hidai got the feeling that she had mistakenly stumbled into the cafe on a day when it was closed.

After about 5 minutes, the bell rang and in came a girl who looked like she might be in junior high school. She casually said, "Hello, welcome," without any sense of urgency and walked off into the back room. Hi was overjoyed by this. She had found a cafe that didn't pander to customers. That meant freedom. There was no way of anticipating just when one would get served. She liked this kind of cafe. It was a refreshing change from the places that treated you in the same old predictable way. She lit a cigarette and waited leisurely. After a short while, a woman appeared from the back room. By this time, Hayi was smoking her second cigarette. The woman was wearing a beige knit cardigan and a long white skirt with a wine red apron over it. She had big round eyes. The school girl must have told her that they had a customer, but she entered the room in a laidback, casual manner. The woman with big round eyes showed no sense of hurry. She poured some water into a glass and set it in front of Hayai.

"Hello, welcome." She smiled as if everything was normal. A customer who expected to be treated in a special manner might have expected an apology for the slow service at least. But Hedai didn't want or expect such service. The woman didn't show any sign that she had behaved wrongly, but instead smiled warmly. Hi had never met another uninhibited woman who did things at her own pace as she always did herself. She took an instant liking to her. "Treat them mean, keep them keen." That was Hi's motto. From then on, Hi started visiting Fikuli Ficula everyday.

During the winter, she discovered that the cafe could return you to the past. She thought it was odd that the woman in the dress was always in short sleeves. When she asked, "She must be cold, don't you think?" Kay explained about the woman in the dress and how you could return to the past if you sat in that seat. Hedaya replied, "You don't say." Though it sounded unbelievable to her. But as she didn't think Kay would tell a lie like that, she let it go for the time being. It was about 6 months later that the urban legends surrounding the cafe spread and its popularity grew. But even once Hai knew about traveling to the past, she never once considered doing so herself. She lived life in the fast lane and had no regrets. And what was the point anyway? She thought if the rules meant that you couldn't change the present no matter how hard you tried. That was until Kumi died in a traffic accident.

Amidst the shimmering, Hai suddenly heard her name being called. When she heard this familiar voice, she opened her eyes with a start. Looking in the direction of the voice, she saw Kay standing there wearing a wine red apron. Her big round eyes showed she was surprised to see Hai. Fusagi was in the cafe sitting at the table closest to the entrance. It was exactly the scene that Haya remembered. She had returned to that day, the day when Kumi was still alive. Hedai felt her heartbeat quicken. She had to relax. The tension felt like cords stretched as far as they would go as she struggled to maintain her fragile composure. She pictured her eyes becoming red and swollen with tears and becoming choked up. That was not at all how she wanted to look when she met Kumi. She placed her hand on her heart, inhaled slowly and deeply to settle herself.

"Hello," she greeted Kay. Kay was caught by surprise at having someone she knew suddenly appear in that seat. Looking both startled and intrigued, she addressed Hidai as if it was the first time she had had such a visitor. "What? You came from the future?"

"Yeah. Really? What on earth for?" The K of the past had no idea about what had happened. It was a straight question innocently asked.

"Oh, um, I've just come to see my sister." Hedai wasn't in a position to lie. She tightened her grip on the letter she held in her lap.

"The one who was always coming to persuade you to come home. That's the one."

"Well, that makes a change. Aren't you normally trying to avoid her?"

"Well, not today. Today, I'm going to see her." Hi. did her best to reply cheerfully. She had meant to laugh, but her eyes were not laughing. She was unable to produce a single twinkle. She didn't know where to direct her gaze either. If Kay got a good look at her, she would see straight through her. Even now, she knew that Kay could sense that something was wrong.

"Did something happen?" Kay asked in a whisper. She couldn't say anything for a while. Then in an unconvincing tone, she said, "Oh, nothing. Nothing."

Water flows from high places to low places. That is the nature of gravity. Emotions also seem to act according to gravity. When in the presence of someone with whom you have a bond and to whom you have entrusted your feelings, it is hard to lie and get away with it. The truth just wants to come flowing out. This is especially the case when you are trying to hide your sadness or vulnerability. It is much easier to conceal sadness from a stranger or from someone you don't trust. Hidai saw Kay as a confidant with whom she could share anything. The emotional gravity was strong. Kay was able to accept anything, forgive anything that Hedai let flow out. A single kind word from Kay could cut the cords of tension that ran through her. At that moment, it would have been enough for Kay to say just one more kind thing, and the truth would have come pouring out. Kay was looking at her with concern. He could tell even without looking, and was therefore desperately avoiding looking at her. Kay came out from behind the counter, bothered by Hidai's reluctance to look at her.

Clang dong. Just then, the bell rang. "Hello, welcome," said Kay, coming to a standstill as she automatically called out to the entrance. But Hai knew it was Kumi.

The hands of the middle wall clock said it was 3:00, and Hidai knew that the middle clock was the only one of the three that showed the correct time. This was the time that Kumi had visited the cafe 3 days earlier. On that day, Hai had been forced to hide behind the counter. The arrangement of the cafe, located in a basement with only one entrance, left her no choice. The only way in or out was via the stairs that led to the street. Hidai always turned up at the cafe after lunchtime. She would order coffee, chat with Kay, and then head off for work. That day, she had stood up from her seat, planning to open her bar early. She remembered looking at the middle wall clock to check the time, exactly 3:00. a little early, but she thought she might try her hand at making some snacks for a change. She had finished paying for coffee and was just about to leave. She actually had her hand on the door when she heard Kumi's voice from the top of the stairs. Kumi was coming down while talking to someone on the phone. In a panic, Haii doubled back into the cafe and ran to hide behind the counter. Clang dong. The bell rang. Hi glimpsed Kumi entering the room as she ducked down. That was the story of her not meeting her sister 3 days earlier.

Now Hidai was sitting in that seat waiting for Kumi to come walking in. She realized she couldn't imagine what clothes Kumi would be wearing. She hadn't seen her face properly for years. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had. It made her realize just how consistently she had avoided her sister's visits. Now her chest was full of regret. The pain intensified as she recalled the lowly tactics she had employed to avoid meeting her. But right there in that moment, she could not allow herself to cry. She had never once cried in front of her sister. That meant Kumi would not consider it normal if she broke down in front of her. Now she would want to know if something had happened. Put in that position, Hayi thought she would crumble. Despite knowing that the present would not change, she would nevertheless say, "You have a car crash. Take the train home." Or, "Don't go home today." But that would be the worst thing that she could say. She would end up being the harbinger of death, upsetting Kumi beyond measure. She had to avoid that happening at all costs. Causing her further suffering was the last thing she wanted to do. She took a deep breath to try to calm her unwieldy emotions.

"Big sis." Hearing that voice, Hidai's heart skipped a beat. It was Kumi's voice. a voice she thought she would never hear again. She slowly opened her eyes to see her sister at the entrance looking back at her.

"Hi there." Hidai lifted her hand, waved and smiled as widely as she could. The strange look that she had been wearing was gone. But in her lap, clenched in her left hand, was the letter.

Kumi stared at her. Hi could understand her confusion until now. Every time Hai had seen her, she made no effort to hide her awkwardness. She normally adopted a coldness to convey to her that she wanted her to hurry up and leave. But this time was different. She was actually looking at Kumi and giving her a full-faced smile. Usually reluctant to even make eye contact, she was now looking at her and nothing else.

"Wow, this is strange. What's up with you today?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, in all these years, you've never been so easy to find."

"You think?"

"I know. Oh, Kumi, I'm sorry about that." Hi said, shrugging her shoulders.

Kumi slowly approached her as if she was starting to feel more comfortable with her apparent change of heart. "Um, could I order, please? I'd like a coffee, some toast, and then curry rice, and a mixed parfait," she called out to Kay, who was standing behind the counter.

"I'll get right on it," Kay said, glancing briefly over at Hayai. Recognizing the Hedai she knew, she seemed much more at ease, and she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Can I sit here?" Kumi asked Hedai hesitantly as she pulled out the chair.

"Of course," Hedai replied with a smile. Elated, Kumi broke into a smile. Taking the chair opposite, she slowly sat down. For a while, neither talked. They just looked at each other. Kumi kept fidgeting and couldn't seem to relax. Hi just kept looking at her, happy just to stare. Kumi returned her steady gaze.

"It's definitely pretty strange today," she mumbled.

"How so?"

"It feels like something we haven't done for ages. Just sitting here looking at each other."

"We haven't?"

"Oh, come on. Last time I came, I was standing at your front door and you wouldn't let me in. The time before that, you ran away with me chasing after you. Before that, you crossed the street to avoid me. Then before that, pretty awful, wasn't it?" Yay agreed. She knew that Kumi could keep on going on. It was obvious what was really happening. when she pretended not to be home when her apartment lights were on. When she acted like she was really drunk and said, "Who are you?" Pretending that she didn't recognize her. She never read Kumi's letters. She just threw them away. Even the very last letter. She was an awful big sis.

"Well, that's how you are."

"I'm sorry, Kumi. I'm really sorry," Hidai said, poking her tongue out, trying to lift the mood.

Kumi couldn't let it go unremarked. "So, tell me the truth. What's happened?" She asked with a worried look.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Come on, you're acting all weird. You think? Has something happened?"

"No, nothing like that," Hedai said, trying to sound natural. The awkwardness and worry in Kumi's look made Hai feel like it was her who was living her final hours, like someone in a sentimental television drama suddenly redeeming herself in the face of death. She felt her eyes reen at the cruel irony she wasn't the one who was going to die. Overwhelmed by a wave of emotion, she could no longer maintain eye contact and lowered her gaze.

"Here we go." Kay appeared with the coffee just in time. Hedai quickly lifted her face again.

"Thank you," Kumi said politely, nodding.

"Not at all." Kay placed the coffee on the table, gave a little bow, and returned to behind the counter. The flow of conversation had been interrupted. Hedai was lost for words. Ever since Kumi had appeared in the cafe, Hedai had wanted to hug her tightly and yell, "Don't die." The effort alone of not saying this was keeping her busy. As the pause in the conversation grew longer, Kumi began to get restless. She was fidgeting out of discomfort. Bending a letter pad she held on her lap. She kept glancing at the ticking wall clock. Hidai could see she was thinking by how she was behaving. Kumi was choosing her words carefully. Looking down, she was rehearsing in her head what she wanted to say. Of course, the request in itself was simple. Please come home. But articulating this was a struggle. It was so hard to say because every time she'd raised it over the last several years, Hayi had flatly refused. And the more she had repeatedly declined and refused, the colder she had become. Kumi had never given up, no matter how many times her sister refused. But she never got used to hearing no. Each time she heard it, it hurt her and it made her sad.

When Hi thought about how hard it must have been for Kumi to have been made to feel this way again and again, the tension in her chest felt like it had reached breaking point and snapped. For so long, Kumi had had to bear these feelings. At that moment, she was imagining that Hedai would once again refuse. And naturally, this left her at a loss. Each time she battled tenaciously to find courage, but she never gave up ever. She looked up and stared directly and boldly into Hai's eyes. Hidai didn't look away. She looked directly back at Kumi, who took a short breath and was about to speak.

"Okay, I don't mind coming home," Hidaya replied. Technically, it wasn't a reply because Kumi hadn't said anything yet. But Hedai had known all too well what she was going to ask and so responded to what she expected her to say.

"I want you to come home." Kumi's face betrayed her confusion as if she didn't understand what Hedai had said.

"What?" Hedaya responded gently and clearly. "Okay, I don't mind going home to Takura."

Kumi's face still showed disbelief. "Really? But you know I wouldn't be much use, don't you?" Hedai said apologetically.

"That's okay. No problem. You can just learn the work as you go. Dad and mom will be so pleased. I'm sure."

"Really?"

"Of course they will," Kumi replied and made a deep nod. Her face swiftly turned red and she burst into tears.

"What's up?" This time it was Hi's turn to be dismayed. She knew the reason for Kumi's tears. If Hi returned to Takura, she would reclaim her freedom. Her persistent efforts over so many years to persuade Hai had paid off. It was no wonder that she was happy, but Hi had never imagined it would lead to so much crying.

"This has always been my dream," Kumi muttered, looking down, her tears spilling onto the table. Hedai's heart beat wildly. "So Kumi did have her own dreams. She wanted to do something, too. Hi's selfishness had robbed her of that. A dream worth crying over. She thought she should know exactly what she had got in the way of. What dream?" She asked Kumi with red tearary eyes.

Kumi looked up and took a deep breath. "To run the inn together with you," she replied. Her face transformed into a big smile. Never had Hedai seen Kumi show such an ecstatic, happy smile.

Hi thought back to what she had said to Kay on this day in the past. "She resents me. She didn't want it passed down to her. I keep telling her I don't want to go home, but she keeps on asking time and time and time again. Saying that she was persistent would be an understatement. I don't want to see it. I see it written on her face. Because of what I did, she is now going to be the owner of an inn she doesn't want to run. She wants me to come home so that she can be free. I feel she is pressuring me. Throw it away. I can imagine what it says. It's really tough for me by myself. Please come home. It's okay if you learn the ropes once you come." Hidai had said all those things, but she was wrong. Kumi didn't resent her, nor was it true that she didn't want to inherit the inn. The reason that Kumi didn't give up trying to persuade Hi to return was because that was her dream. It wasn't because she wanted her own freedom, and it wasn't because she was blaming her. It was her dream to run the inn together with Haii. That dream had not changed, and nor had her little sister, who was there in front of her with tears of joy streaming down her face. Her little sister, Kumi, who had loved her big sis with all her heart, had time after time come to persuade her to return to the family, never giving up. While her parents had disowned her, Kumi had hung on to the belief that Hedai would come home. How sweet her little sister still was. Always the little girl, always following her around. Big sis, big sis. Hedai felt more love for Kumi than she ever had before. But the little sister that she so loved was now gone. Hedai's sense of regret grew.

"Don't die on me. I don't want you to die. Kumi." Hedai called her name in a soft voice as if it had just slipped out. Even if the effort was futile, she wanted to stop Kumi's death. But Kumi didn't seem to have heard Hai.

"Wait a bit. Got to go to the toilet. I just need to fix my makeup." Kumi said, getting up from her seat and walking away.

"Kumi," Hidai cried out. Hearing her name suddenly screamed in that way stopped Kumi in her tracks.

"What?" She asked, looking startled.

Hayi didn't know what to say. Nothing she said would change the present. "Uh, nothing. Sorry." Of course, it wasn't nothing. "Don't go. Don't die. Sorry. Please forgive me. If you hadn't come to meet me, you wouldn't have died." There were many things she wanted to say and apologize for. Selfishly leaving home, expecting Kumi to look after their parents, leaving it to her to take on the role of heir. Not only had she neglected to think how hard that was for her family, she'd never imagined what really led Kumi to take time from her busy schedule and come to see her. I see now that you suffered by having me as your older sister. I'm sorry, but none of these feelings could be formed into words. She had never understood. But what should she say? And what did she want to say? Kumi was looking at her kindly. Even if nothing was forthcoming, she still waited for her to speak. She understood that she had something she wanted to say.

"How kindly you look at me after I've been so horrible for so long. You held on to these kind feelings while you continued to wait for me for so long, always wishing we could work together at the end, never giving up." But I... After a long silence of being lost in her feelings, Hidai managed to mutter just two words. "Thank you." She didn't know whether that one phrase could contain all these feelings or whether it conveyed how she felt, but every part of her at that moment was invested in those two words.

Kumi looked perplexed for a moment, but then replied with a big grin. "Yeah, you're definitely acting strange today."

"Yeah, I guess." Hi said, squeezing out her last strength to produce her biggest and best smile. Visibly happy, Kumi shrugged and then twirled round and headed for the toilet. I watched her walk away. Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt she could no longer stem the flow. Yet, she did not blink. She fixed her gaze on Kumi's back, watching her until she disappeared. As soon as Kumi was out of sight, she dropped her head and her tears fell from her face and landed like rain on the table. She felt the grief surge from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to scream and ball, but she couldn't cry out. If she did, Kumi would hear it. She desperately covered her mouth to stop herself from yelling her sister's name, and with shoulders trembling, she muted her voice and cried.

From the kitchen, Kay called out to her, concerned by her strange behavior. "You okay, Hai?"

Beep beep beep beep beep. The sudden sound came from the coffee cup. The alarm warning that the coffee was about to get cold. Oh no, that alarm. Kay understood everything when she heard it. The alarm was only used when a person was visiting someone who had died. Oh dear, her sweet little sister. With Kumi in the toilet, Kay looked over at Hedai. "Surely no," she muttered in dread. Hidai saw how Kay was looking at her and simply nodded sadly. Kay looked distressed. "Hidai," she called. "I know," she said, grabbing the coffee cup. "I've got to drink up, right?" Kay didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. Heai held the cup. She breathed in and exhaled with a moan filled with all the painful grief seeping from her heart. "I just want to see her face one more time, but if I do, I won't be able to return." Hedai's shaking hands brought the cup to her lips. She had to drink up. Tears surged once again from her eyes. A rush of thoughts crossed her mind. Why did this happen? Why did she have to die? Why didn't I say that I would go home earlier? The cup stopped a short distance from her lips and didn't move. After a moment, "I can't drink it." She put the cup down, totally drained of strength. She had no idea what she wanted to do or why she had gone back to the past. All she knew was that she loved her little sister. She was precious to her. And now she was gone. "If I drink this coffee now, I will never see my sister again. Even though I finally made her smile, it will never happen again." Yet she knew she would never be able to drink the coffee with Kumi's face in front of her.

"Heai, I can't drink it." Kay could see how distressed Hedai was. She bit her lip and looked grave. "You just promised," she said with a trembling voice. "You just promised your sister, didn't you? That you would return to the inn." Kumi's happy, elated smile was branded onto the back of her closed eyelids. "You said that you would run it alongside her." Hidai imagined that Kumi was alive. They were working happily together at the inn. The sound of that early morning phone call rang in her head. But she the image of Kumi lying there as if she was sleeping flashed before her. Kumi was gone. What was she to do once she returned to the present? Her heart seemed to have lost all desire to return. Kay was crying too. But Hedai had never heard such determination in her voice. "That means you have to return. That makes it more important than ever."

"How so?"

"How unhappy would your sister be if she knew that your promise was only made for today? She would be devastated, don't you think?"

"Yes, Kay's right. Kumi told me it was her dream to work with me and I promised her. That was the first time I had ever seen Kumi so happy. I can't act as if that smiling face never happened. I can't let her down again. I have to return to the present and to Takura. Even if Kumi is dead, I promised her when she was alive, I have to make sure her happiness was for something." Hidai grabbed the cup, but "I want to see Kumi's face one more time." That was her last dilemma. But waiting to see Kumi's face would mean not being able to return to the present. This was something that Hai was all too aware of. Yet, even though she knew that she had to just drink up the coffee, the distance between the cup and her mouth remained the same.

Clack. She faintly heard the sound of the toilet door opening. At the moment she had heard that sound, her instincts took over and she downed the coffee. She couldn't afford to hesitate. All rational thinking had been put aside. She felt her entire body reacting intuitively. The moment she drank the coffee, the dizziness returned, and she felt like she was blending into the steam that now surrounded her entire body. She resigned herself to never seeing Kumi ever again. But just then, she returned from the toilet. Kumi. Amidst the shimmering, part of Hai's consciousness was still in the past.

"Huh, big sis." Kumi had returned, but she seemed unable to see Hi. She was looking at that seat, the one Hi had been sitting in with a puzzled look on her face.

"Kumi." Hi's voice did not reach her. The now fading Kumi looked at Kay, who was standing with her back turned behind the counter. "Excuse me, I don't suppose you know where my sister went, do you?" she asked. Kay turned round and smiled at her. "She had to go suddenly."

On hearing this, Kumi looked bereft. It must have been a disappointment. She finally met her sister and then she suddenly left. She had said she would return home, but the reunion was short and sweet. It was only natural that she felt anxious. She sighed and slumped in her chair. Kay saw how she reacted to this news. "Don't worry. Your sister said she would keep her promise," she said, winking in the direction of where Hedai, reduced to steam, was watching.

"Kay, you're a savior. Thank you." Hidai began crying, touched by Kay's support. Kumi stood and was silent for a moment. "Really?" she asked as a broad smile spread over her face. "Okay, great. Well, I'll be on my way home then." She bowed politely, then rose and walked out of the cafe with a spring in her step.

Kumi. Hi saw everything through shimmering steam. Kumi had smiled when she heard that Hai would keep her promise. Everything around Hayai wound from start to finish like a film on fast forward. She continued to cry. She cried and cried and cried.

The woman in the dress had returned from the toilet and was standing next to her. Kazu, Nagare, Kotake, and Kay were there, too. Hidai had returned to the present. The present without Kumi. The woman in the dress paid no attention to Hi's tearary eyes. "Move," she said disgruntledly. "Ah, right," Hi said, jumping up from that seat. The woman in the dress sat back down in her seat. She pushed away the coffee cup that Hedai had drunk from and began reading her novel as if nothing had happened. He I tried in vain to fix her tear stained face. She let out a big sigh. "I'm not sure they will welcome me back with open arms and I wouldn't have a clue how to do the work." She continued looking down at Kumi's final letter in her hands. "If I went back like this, it shouldn't be a problem, should it?" It seemed that Hi planned to return to Takura immediately, leaving the bar and everything else, just going. It was typical of Hi to decide on something without feeling the need to think things over first. She had made up her mind, and her face showed no trace of doubt. Kay nodded reassuringly. "I'm sure it will be fine," she answered cheerfully. She didn't ask Hidai what had happened in the past. She didn't need to. Hidai took out 380 yen from her purse to pay for the coffee. She gave it to Nagade and walked out of the cafe, light on her feet.

Clang Dong. Kay had walked out with Hedai to see her off. Now she rubbed her stomach gently and whispered, "How wonderful was that?" When Nagare was entering the coffee money into the cash register, he looked solemnly at Kay, rubbing her stomach in that way. "I wonder if she can give it up." Without Nagata's expression changing, the bell echoed throughout the cafe. Clang dong.

Chapter 4. Mother and child.

When it appears in haiku, the higurashi cicada is a term denoting the season associated with autumn. The mention of the higurashi therefore evokes an image of it shrilling at the end of summer. In reality, this insect's cry can be heard from the beginning of summer. Somehow though, while the shrills of the Abura cicada and the minmicada evoke the images of a blazing sun, midsummer and scorching days, the song of the higurashi evokes images of the evening and the late summer. When the sun begins to set and the dusk gathers, the kana of the higurashi evokes a melancholic mood and one gets the urge to hurry home. In the city, the shrill of the higurashi is seldom heard. This is because unlike the aba cicada and the men cicada, the higurashi like shady places such as the canopy of a forest or of cypress groves away from the sun. But living near our cafe was a single higurashi cicada. When the sun started to set, a continual kaakana could be heard coming from somewhere shrilling fleetingly and weakly. This was sometimes audible in the cafe, though as the cafe was at basement level, you had to strain your ears to hear it. It was that faint. It was one such August evening. Outside the Abura Cicada was loudly shrilling, "G G." The weather office had reported that this day had been the hottest of the year, but in the cafe, it was cool despite the lack of air conditioning.

Kazu was reading an email that Hai had sent to Nagat's phone. "I have been back at Takura for 2 weeks now. There are so many new things to learn. Every day I am nearly reduced to tears. It's so tough. Oh, she does have it tough." Listening to Kazu were Kotake and Nagare. As neither Kazu nor Kay had a phone, it was Nagare's phone that received all emails sent to the cafe. Kazu didn't have a phone because she was not very good at maintaining personal relationships and she saw phones and means of communication as nothing more than a nuisance. Kay didn't have a phone because she canled it when she got married. "One phone is enough for a married couple," she said. In contrast, Hidai had three phones, each for a particular purpose, for customers, for private, and for family. On her family phone, she had saved only her family home number and her sister Kumi's number. Although no one from the cafe knew it now she had added two extra contacts in her phone reserved for family. The cafe and Nagare's mobile.

Kazu continued to read out the email. "Things are still a bit awkward with my parents, but I feel a returning home was for the best. I just think that if Kumi's death had led to unhappiness for both me and my parents, then that unhappiness would have been her only legacy. So that's why I intend to lead a life that creates a more wonderful legacy for Kumi's life. I guess you never thought I could be so serious. So anyway, I'm happy and well. If you get a chance, please come and visit. Although it's already come and gone this year, I highly recommend the Tanabata Festival. Please send my regards to everyone. Yayiko Hiay."

Nagare listening at the entrance to the kitchen with his arms folded narrowed his eyes even more than usual. He was probably smiling. It was always difficult to know when he was smiling. "Oh, isn't that wonderful?" Kotake said smiling happily. She must have been on a break between shifts as she was wearing her nurse's uniform.

"Hey, check out the photo," Kazu said, showing Kotake the photo attached to the email. Kotake took the phone in her hands so that she could get a good look. "Wow, she already looks apart for sure," she said with a hint of surprise.

"Doesn't she?" Kazu agreed, smiling. In the photo, Haya was standing in front of the inn with her hair in a bun. She was wearing a pink kimono indicating her status as the owner of Takura.

"She looks happy."

"She does." Hedai was smiling like she didn't have a care in the world. She had written that things were still awkward between her and her parents. But standing next to her were her father Yasuo and mother Micho.

"And Kumi too," muttered Nagare, peering at the photo from behind. "Kumi is no doubt happy as well."

"Yes, I'm sure she is," Kotake said, looking at the photo. Kazu standing beside her also gave a small nod. She no longer had the cool demeanor she had while conducting the ritual for returning to the past. Her face was gentle and kind.

"By the way," Kotake said as she returned the phone to Kazu. She turned and looked over dubiously to where the woman in the dress was sitting. "What's she doing over there?" It was not the woman in the dress she was looking at, but Fumiko Kiyokawa, who was sitting on the chair opposite her. It was Fumiko who had traveled back to the past in the cafe that spring. Normally the epitome of a working woman, today must have been her day off, as she was dressed casually in a black t-shirt with 3/4length sleeves and white leggings. On her feet were cord sandals. Fumiko had showed no interest in Hidai's email. Instead, she was staring at the face of the woman in the dress. Just what she wanted was a mystery. Kazu had no idea either. "I wonder too," was all that Kazu could reply. Since spring, Fumiko had occasionally visited the cafe. When she did, she sat there opposite the woman in the dress.

Suddenly, Fumiko looked at Kazu. "Um, excuse me," she said.

"Yes."

"There's something that's been bothering me."

"What is it?"

"This whole thing where you get transported through time. Could you visit the future, too?"

"The future?"

"Yes, the future." Hearing Fumiko's question, Kotake's curiosity was peaked. "Yes, I'd be interested to know that, too."

"I know, right?" Fumiko agreed. "Going back to the past or going to the future are both about being able to travel through time. So, I thought maybe it's possible," Fumiko continued. Kotake nodded in agreement.

"So, is it possible?" Fumiko asked with eyes full of expectation and curiosity.

"Yeah, of course you can go to the future," Kazu bluntly replied.

"Really?" Fumiko asked. Then in her excitement, she accidentally bumped the table, spilling the woman in the dress's coffee. The woman twitched her eyebrows and in a great panic, Fumiko wiped the spilled coffee with a napkin. She didn't want to get cursed.

"Wow," Kotake exclaimed. Kazu took in both women's responses. "But no one goes," she added coolly.

"What?" Fumigo asked, taken aback. "Why on earth wouldn't they?" she demanded, drawing closer to Kazu. Surely, she wasn't the only person to whom the idea of traveling to the future appealed.

"That's what she meant to say." Kotake also looked as if she wanted to know why no one went. Her eyes widened and she looked intently at Kazu. Kazu looked to Nagare and then back at Fumiko.

"Well, okay. If you want to go to the future, how many years forward do you want to go?" Despite the question apparently having come from nowhere, it seemed that Fumigo had already considered this.

"3 years from now," Fumigo answered immediately, as if she had been waiting to be asked. Her face turned a little red.

"You want to meet your boyfriend?" Kazu inquired, apparently unmoved.

"Well, so what if I do?" She stuck out her jaw as if to defend herself, but her face grew redder.

At that point, Nagare interrupted. "No need to be embarrassed about it."

"I'm nothing of the sort," she retorted. But Nagare had touched a nerve, and both he and Kotake were looking at each other, grinning. Kazu was not in a teasing mood. She was looking at Fumiko with her usual cool expression. Fumigo picked up the seriousness. "That's not possible?" she asked in a small voice.

"No, it's possible. It's not that it's not possible," Kazu continued in a flat monotone. "But how can you know that in 3 years he will visit the cafe?" Fumiko didn't appear to understand the point of the question.

"Don't you see?" Kazu asked Fumiko as if cross-examining her.

"Oh," Fumiko said, finally getting it. Even if she traveled forward in time by 3 years, how could she possibly be sure that Goro would be in the cafe?

"That's the sticking point. What's happened in the past has happened. You can target that moment and go back there. But the future is completely unknown," Kotake said, clapping her hands as if playing on a quiz show. "Sure, you can travel to the day you wish to go to, but there is no way of knowing if the person you want to meet is going to be there." Judging by Kazu's nonplust expression, there must have