[Short Story] The Sea Breeze's Catchphrase

It was a cafe with a view of the sea. Beyond the white terrace seats, the winter ocean swayed quietly. The sound of the waves was softer than I had expected, like someone turning pages in the distance.

Sanae took a sip of her tea and checked her smartphone. A message from Haruko simply read, 'Running five minutes late!' It had always been this way. Even though she would text 'Are you there yet?' ten minutes before meeting up, she was almost always late herself.

Looking at the sea, I can't help but remember last year.

Tomoki died in the sea.

It was an accident. At the end of summer, he tried to save a child who was drowning offshore and never came back. The news called it a 'brave act,' but Sanae hated that phrase. I didn't need him to be brave; I just wanted him to be alive.

I traced the rim of my cup with my finger. The winter sea is beautiful. But sometimes I think that the more beautiful something is, the more cruel it can be.

'Is this seat taken?'

I looked up to see a man standing there. He looked to be in his late twenties. He wore a black coat and had slightly wavy hair. It was a face I didn't know.

'If you're trying to pick me up, please go somewhere else.'

When Sanae said this, the man laughed and said, 'Ah, you caught me.' The way he laughed was strangely natural, and it threw me off balance just a little.

'But really, there aren't any other seats available.'

I looked inside the cafe and saw that it was indeed crowded. It was packed with couples and tourists. After a moment of hesitation, I just said, 'Go ahead.'

The man bowed his head and said, 'Thank you,' before sitting down. The way he pulled out his chair was just like Tomoki's. Even the way he made a slightly loud clattering sound was the same.

'Do you come here often?'

'Sometimes.'

'You must like the sea.'

'I hate it.'

I answered immediately, which surprised even me.

The man said, 'I see,' and didn't ask anything further. The way he handled that pause was also a little similar.

A waiter came over, and the man ordered a coffee. The way he added, 'Black,' felt strangely unsettling.

"Did I do something to make you dislike me?"

"Not at all."

"That look on your face says otherwise."

Sanae couldn't help but smile a little. Tomoki used to say the same thing often. Silence fell between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The sound of the waves and the clinking of dishes filled the gaps in their conversation.

"You know, the sea..."

The man said, looking out the window.

"Sometimes it takes things that are important to you, doesn't it?"

Sanae's fingers froze.

"...What is that supposed to mean?"

"No, just a thought."

The coffee was brought over. The man took a sip without adding sugar or milk. Then, he made a bitter face.

"...Bitter."

The moment she heard that catchphrase, her heart gave a sharp pang.

Tomoki was the same. He would try to act tough by ordering it black, only to end up laughing and saying, "Bitter." He was like a child.

Sanae looked at the man's face. But it was definitely a face she didn't know. His eyes were different, his voice was different. It was just that fragments of his gestures kept brushing against her memories.

"...Takayuki, was it?"

"Yes."

"Have we met somewhere before?"

"Who knows?"

The man smiled vaguely. Even the way he smiled was just a little bit similar.

The wind blows. Beyond the terrace, white waves break. I felt like this same wind was blowing on the last day I saw Tomoki.

"People really do just disappear suddenly, don't they?"

Before I knew it, I had said those words.

The man was silent for a moment, then replied, "That's true."

"But they can also appear just as suddenly."

His voice was strangely gentle.

Sanae looked down. No tears came. But she felt something like ice that had been frozen deep in her chest begin to thaw just a little.

At that moment, a voice came from behind her.

"Sorry, Sanae! I missed the train!"

It was Haruko. She approached, waving her hand broadly. Sanae hurriedly looked up.

"Oh, Haruko—"

She started to say, then stopped.

There was no one in the seat opposite her. There was no coffee cup either. The chair was as quiet as if it had been empty from the start.

"What's wrong?"

Haruko asked, looking puzzled.

"No... wasn't there a man here?"

"Huh? You've been alone the whole time."

Sanae lost her words. Only the sound of the waves could be heard. Where someone had definitely been just a moment ago, only the sea breeze remained.

Haruko opened the menu and laughed, saying, "Were you staring at the sea again?"

Sanae did not answer.

I look out the window. The winter sea sways with a face that knows nothing.

Only my tea remained on the table. Yet, I felt as if I caught a faint scent of black coffee from the seat across from me.

Sanae exhaled softly and reached for her cup. The sea breeze stirred her hair.

It was just a little nostalgic, and it poured milk into the black sea within my heart.

(End)