{At a Café Together 1}

After visiting the grave, we decided to grab lunch before leaving town.

We were both hungry, but it was also because Miyu said, “Since we’re here, I’d like to stay in this town a little longer.”

“I know a few good places,” she said once we got back near the station.

“There’s ramen, soba, Japanese food—pretty much anything. Oh, and there’s also a place with really good hotcakes.”

“Hotcakes? Not pancakes?”

I couldn’t help but ask, but Miyu assured me they were indeed hotcakes. She said it was an old café in one of the buildings near the station, and that she had been there a few times as a child.

“It’s a quiet and relaxing place. I’ve heard the coffee is good too.”

“Alright, let’s go there,” I said.

I was curious about the hotcakes, and we’d been walking around in an unfamiliar town, so I thought a café would be a nice place to rest for a bit. I let her lead the way.

Miyu guided me to the café without much hesitation.

It was on the second floor of an old mixed-use building, about a five-minute walk from the station. The place had a steady flow of customers, and we were offered seats at the counter, so we sat next to each other. The walls were tiled in white, and the counter was made of rough stone, with single-seat sofas instead of the usual round stools. The place was lit by retro stained-glass lamps, giving it a soft, nostalgic ambiance.

It wasn’t the kind of place I usually go to, and I felt a bit formal, but Miyu seemed more relaxed. She leaned back into the vinyl-leather sofa and immediately started looking at the menu.

“Here it is, the hotcake and drink set.”

The menu was old, with a curled corner and no pictures, just text. But we both ordered the hotcake set without hesitation. I got iced coffee, and she got orange juice.

“They’re really delicious, so look forward to it!” Miyu said with a bright smile.

She glanced around the café and continued in a hushed voice.

“It’s been quite a while since I last came here. But nothing about the place has changed.”

Even though most of the tables were occupied, the café was incredibly quiet. That probably explained why she lowered her voice.

“How many years has it been?” I asked quietly.

She tilted her head, thinking.

“Hmm… It might be close to ten years. It’s not really a place elementary or middle school kids come with their friends.”

That meant Miyu had probably come here with her family.

I wondered if her father had come with her too.

I hesitated for a moment, but since we had already visited the grave, avoiding the subject now felt awkward, so I asked.

“Did you come here with your parents?”

“Yes,” she nodded right away.

“My dad’s office was near the station, so sometimes we’d have lunch together. I remember when I was in kindergarten, I’d share the hotcakes with my mom, but by the time I was in elementary school, I could eat a whole one on my own.”

I had no way of knowing what Miyu was like back then, but I could imagine she was a cute kid.

“My dad always had a sandwich. With coffee.”

Miyu laughed a little at this.

“He actually wanted to have the spaghetti, but he always said he couldn’t risk staining his shirt.”

“Yeah, spaghetti and a white shirt is a dangerous combo,” I said, wholeheartedly agreeing now that I had more chances to wear a suit during my internship. I could see how deciding what to eat as an adult could be tricky.

Before long, the hotcake sets for both of us arrived.

The golden-brown hotcakes were stacked in two layers, though they were thinner compared to the fluffy pancakes that were popular recently. Alongside them were square pats of butter, and the maple syrup came in a small glass bottle.

“Let’s dig in.”

“Yes, let’s.”

We immediately started eating.

The hotcakes were just the right amount of crispy when I cut into them with my knife, and the texture was light and fluffy. The batter itself had a gentle sweetness, which made it feel nostalgic. When I soaked it in butter and maple syrup, the sweetness spread warmly in my mouth.

“Wow, this is really good.”

“Isn’t it?” Miyu beamed as she looked at me, her eyes narrowing happily.

“I’ve always wanted to come back here for these hotcakes. But I never really had a reason to make the trip all the way here by myself.”

“It’s a bit of a trek,” I agreed.

After all, it would be quite the journey to take a 90-minute train ride just for hotcakes.