Short Short: "Coffee Milk" #ThreeDialogueStory

Amidst the steam, "Psst... isn't that Vader?" Young men point at a man wearing a black helmet with distinctive hot spring-inappropriate cheekbones.

Pshhh... pshhh...

The unique breathing sound of the life-support system mixes with the heat of the hot spring, dissolving into the darkness of the silence.

Staring at the ripples of the hot spring, he says, "...The Force resides in the flow of the water as well." Although his face is covered by the mask and cannot be seen, he seems thoroughly satisfied.

"...Refreshed." Muttering this, the helmeted man rises slowly from the tub without making a wave. Before entering the changing room, he wipes the moisture from his body thoroughly with a hand towel and bows to the hot spring. His movements are strangely polite, almost like a samurai.
After slipping his arms into his favorite soft pajamas, he heads quickly toward the vending machine.

Clunk!

With practiced hands, he inserts a straw into the coffee milk.

"Gulp... gulp... ahhh..."

The sound of his hearty drinking echoes through the changing room.

"This is the only one that wins."

The man stares at the paper carton of coffee milk.

"But I still wish it were a glass bottle..." As if recalling the feel of that cold, heavy bottle, he tilts his head just a little.
Then, he carefully folds the empty paper carton and quietly tosses it into the burnable trash.

"Thank you..."

Still wrapped in steam, the man in the black helmet returns quietly to his guest room. The hallway lights illuminate his back, and only his shadow stretches out slowly.

End

(568 characters in body text)

Afterword

The prompts for Haratokei-san's project "Three Dialogue Story" were as follows.

■ Dialogue: "This is the only one that wins."

■Three Topics
・Hot Spring
・Pajamas
・Cheekbone

#Three-Topic Dialogue
#HotSpringPajamasCheekbone
#ShortShortStory
#CoffeeMilk
#Force
#Bottle
#Carton