Short Story: Kaori Miyashita’s Dilemma

I don’t mind doing things alone. I’m fine going to the movies, eating at restaurants, and wandering around town by myself. Being with a friend might double the fun, but that doesn’t mean I feel lonely on my own. Friends have their appeal, as does being alone.

It was January 5th. I, Kaori Miyashita, had gone to the Sanjo movie theater by myself. After the movie, I wandered over to the antique shop, Kura. That was where my best friend, Aoi Mashiro, worked part-time, so I figured I might find her there.

The storefront was kind of intimidating, so I felt nervous when I opened the door. The chime rang softly, and at the same time, the scent of coffee tickled my nose. This place always smelled like coffee, as if it were a coffee shop.

“Oh, welcome, Kaori,” said a familiar male voice, surprising me a bit. It was the voice of Kiyotaka “Holmes” Yagashira, who I had thought was away for training.

I stiffened up, but unexpectedly, what my eyes landed on was the manager’s gentle smile.

“It’s been quite a while since we last met,” he continued.

The voice actually belonged to Holmes’s father, the manager. In the past, Aoi had mentioned that Holmes and the manager resembled each other, but it hadn’t made sense to me at the time. Now, I finally understood. Their voices, way of speaking, and auras really were similar.

I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart over the phone, I thought with a faint smile.

“Kaori?” The manager tilted his head, curious as to why I wasn’t saying anything.

“Oh, sorry. Um, is Aoi here today?”

“She’s attending a New Year’s party in Gion with Kiyotaka for people in the antiques industry. I’m watching the store today.”

“Oh,” I murmured.

In that case, there’s no reason for me to stay.

I bowed and was about to leave.

“I brewed coffee for myself just now, but it ended up being too much for one person to drink. Would you like a cup?” the manager asked with a smile.

My expression relaxed. “Thanks. Don’t mind if I do.”

“Go ahead and have a seat.”

“Okay.” I sat on a chair in front of the counter. As the manager had said, the glass pot was filled to the brim with coffee. I couldn’t help but laugh. “You really did make a lot.”

“Yes, I accidentally used too many beans.” He gave an embarrassed shrug and poured a cup for me.

“Thank you.” I sipped the coffee and let out a sigh.

“I can’t brew it as well as Kiyotaka does, but...”

“It’s good.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I often make mistakes.”

“Now that you mention it, Holmes said you tried to brew instant coffee in the coffee maker,” I said, holding a hand up to my mouth.

The manager held his head in his hands. “How embarrassing. What happened was, we’d never had instant coffee in our store before, so I assumed there couldn’t be any. I believed they were beans and put them in the coffee maker only to be astonished when they melted and disappeared. When I told Kiyotaka about it, he simply said, ‘Yes, because it’s instant coffee.’”

It was so easy to imagine that conversation that I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “Okay, but why was there instant coffee?”

“Kiyotaka had bought it for me since he was going to be away for training. He thought I wouldn’t have to worry about messing up if it was instant coffee.”

“How kind of him.”

“Yes, despite how he seems, he’s a nice boy.” He chuckled.

What a nice father and son, I thought as I looked down at the counter. There was a sheet of paper in front of him.

“You were working, weren’t you?” I asked.

“Yes, this is why I’m watching the store instead of attending the New Year’s party. I have a deadline coming up.”

“You write historical novels, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“It’s amazing that you can do that,” I said earnestly.

He put on a small smile and replied, “Just because they’re historical novels doesn’t mean they’re amazing.”

“Yeah, but you have to do a lot of background research, right? And I think people would’ve felt differently back then than they do now.”

“Well, you’re not wrong about that. But in general, the interpersonal drama isn’t any different. It’s just set in the past.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “For example, if you read The Tale of Genji, you’ll find that although polygamy was practiced in the Heian period, the pain and conflict that arose from jealousy were the same as today. People were angry or moved for more or less the same reasons they are now. Past or present, people’s emotions work the same way. If you have a romantic drama set in the present, you can change it to the Edo period with the exact same developments and it becomes a historical novel.”

“Now that you put it that way, you’re right. It’s true,” I said, impressed. “You really are an experienced writer.”

“No, not at all. I’m sorry to bother you with this boring talk. Did you need Aoi for something?”

“Nah, I was just stopping by on the way back from the movie theater.”

“Did you watch a movie by yourself?”

“Oh...yes.” I nodded awkwardly.

The manager smiled gently and said, “I see. That’s nice. I admire a woman who can go anywhere by herself.”

“Thank you, but because of that, I can’t really get a boyfriend.”

“I overheard Aoi and Kiyotaka saying that Kiyotaka’s friend has taken an interest in you.”

“He...got Holmes to invite me to a group dinner with the four of us.”

“By four, you mean Kiyotaka, Aoi, him, and you?”

I nodded.

“Not enthusiastic about the idea?”

“Well...to be honest, Kohinata’s decently good-looking and incredibly accomplished, so I’m flattered that he seems to be interested in me, but...”

“You two don’t click?”

“Yeah.” Before I knew it, I was nodding firmly.

“In that case, a group of four sounds like a good idea. You won’t have to worry about making conversation.”

“Well...yeah, I guess.”

“I think it’s fine to turn him down after you’ve gotten to know him. It’s possible that your second impression of him will be different than your first. That’s how it was for me.”

“It was?”

“Yes, when I first met my wife, I didn’t have a very good first impression of her. She was very blunt and avoided strangers. I thought, ‘She’s pretty, but she’s not very nice.’ But after having a proper conversation with her, I realized that she was just clumsy. In reality, she was an honest and kind person.”

“Oh...”

“You’re a kind and smart lady, Kaori, so please don’t discourage yourself from reaching your potential,” he said with a smile.

My heart skipped a beat. “Th-Thanks.” I blushed and looked down, confused by my quickening pulse.

“Is something the matter?” He peered into my face, making my heart pound faster.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing.”

Oh gosh. This is bad. Aoi, what should I do? I feel like...I have a crush on the manager.

Fearing that he could hear my still-racing heartbeat, I was torn between wanting to run away and wanting to stay longer. I meekly sipped the coffee that he had brewed.

It was a sweet yet painful afternoon. The quiet jazz music playing in the store sounded far away.