III - 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 that 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 café was Nagare Tokita. The large-framed man with narrow eyes was wearing a cook’s uniform and standing behind the counter.

But the café proprietor didn’t seem to be who the girl had come to meet. Although her eyes were looking at Nagare, they showed no sign of emotion toward him. She seemed to be totally indifferent to his existence. But at the same time, no one else was in the café. Nagare stood there looking at her with his arms crossed.

Nagare was a large man. Any ordinary girl, or woman for that matter, might have felt a little threatened sitting in that small café alone with him. But the untroubled expression on this girl’s face suggested that she couldn’t care less.

The girl and Nagare 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 Nagare’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. Nagare came out from the kitchen. He was carrying a rectangular tray with toast and butter, salad, and fruit yogurt on it. The butter was home-made—his speciality. His butter was so good that the woman in curlers, Yaeko Hirai, would come in for some, armed with a plastic container.

Nagare 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 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 Nagare.

“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.”

“Attagirl.”

“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 boast-worthy 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. Nagare was crestfallen.

clang-dong

It was Kazu. She handed the key ring with its wad of keys to Nagare behind the counter.

“I’m ba—” she said, stopping midword when she noticed the girl in that seat.

“Hey,” replied Nagare, pocketing the key ring. He didn’t say, “ Hey, welcome back ,” like he normally would.

Kazu grabbed his wrist, and whispered: “Who is 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.

Nagare’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, Nagare 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.

“Hm? Surely it wasn’t him?” She pointed the chin-tapping finger toward Nagare.

Nagare pointed at himself. “Me?” He folded his arms and muttered, “Um, er...” as if he was trying to remember the circumstances surrounding the girl’s appearance.

The girl had appeared on that seat about ten minutes ago. Kei had needed to go to the OB/GYN so Kazu had driven her there. Normally Nagare would take Kei to her regular checkups, but today was different.

He considered the OB/GYN to be a sanctuary for women only, where no man should venture . That was why he was manning the café 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 due 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 toward 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, Nagare 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.