Spirit Diner: A Departure with the Taste of Memories, Episode 30

◆ Click here for Episode 1

Chapter 3: The Farewell Omelet Rice

14. The Relationship Between Kazuki and Yuko?

“Were you and Kazuki-san lovers?”
“Oh my, I’m honored that it looks that way.”
Yuko smiles happily.
“I just thought you two looked so good together.”
“Well, I wish that were true. Unfortunately, I was dumped by Kazuki.”
“What?!”
Yahiro lets out a surprised voice.
“Yuko-san, please stop with the jokes. Yahiro-kun is honest, so he’ll believe you right away.”
Yuko laughs, “Fufu.”

Huh? So it was a joke.

“But Yuko-san, you seem to know Kazuki-san very well. Um, may I ask? Who exactly is Kazuki-san?”
I hadn’t intended to pry into Kazuki’s affairs, but the words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Oh, I’m surprised. Yahiro-kun, you’ve been by Kazuki’s side this whole time, yet you know nothing about him?”
“Yes.”
“He is a psychic.”
For a moment, question marks swirled in Yahiro’s head.
“A psychic? You mean, like, someone who performs exorcisms?”
“That’s right. He’s very famous in that world.”
“Is that so?”
Even being told about “that world,” it still didn’t quite click for Yahiro.
“Yuko-san.”
Kazuki tries to stop Yuko with a troubled look, but Yuko continues as if to say, “What’s done is done.”

“Kazuki was a high-powered psychic with clients ranging from celebrities and famous figures to bigwigs in politics and business. I often sought his advice, too.”
“Kazuki-san is a psychic, and his clients were political and business bigwigs... wait, isn’t that amazing?”
Even as I said it, the idea of celebrities and political bigwigs was too grand to really grasp.
“Oh, he was amazing. There were many people who wouldn’t hesitate to pay any amount of money just to have Kazuki look at them.”
“Wow...”
To think he dealt with such big shots... perhaps the person I’m with right now is actually someone I should be in awe of.
“That’s in the past,”
Kazuki says with a bitter smile.
“The past? Did you quit being a psychic?”
“I haven’t quit. It’s just that I’ve come to feel that it suits me better to serve food to customers like this, and occasionally listen to the troubles of those—whether living or dead—and guide them toward a solution.”
“Kazuki, you’ve really changed.”
Yuko shrugs.
“Kazuki-san has changed?”
Interested in Kazuki’s past, Yahiro leans in as if begging for more stories.

“He used to have such a sharp, intense aura, and he was so cold that he wouldn’t let anyone get close to him.”
“Please, stop. That’s in the past.”
“I thought he was a person without any human emotions.”
“Yuko-san...”
Reprimanded by Kazuki, Yuko shrugs.
“What! I can’t believe it.”
I can’t imagine for a second that the gentle, calm, and healing oasis that is Kazuki-san was ever “sharp and intense.”
“It’s true. But the work he took on was perfect. He never failed. Of course, the world Kazuki was in was a harsh one where failure wasn’t an option. Most of his work involved life-or-death situations, after all. But I doubt any of the customers who come to this shop through word-of-mouth know that Kazuki is a famous psychic.”
“Wow.”
It’s hard to imagine given Kazuki’s current soft demeanor.

“So people like psychics really do exist. I see those kinds of programs on TV, but I always thought they were staged or something.”
“They exist. In fact, there was a psychic in the past who was featured in magazines and on TV as a fortune teller with spiritual powers, and because of those abilities, they made a fortune with bigwigs in politics and business as their clients.”
“Kazuki-san really is an amazing person. But why did you start this small restaurant, Kazuki-san?”
I thought I might have pried too much into his private life, but Kazuki answered.
“As I’ve mentioned before, because of my psychic abilities, I was shunned by my parents and spent my childhood with my grandparents. My grandfather always enjoyed eating the food I made.”
Kazuki pauses there.

With a look of nostalgia, he continues.
“It was three years ago. My grandfather passed away suddenly from a heart attack due to a pre-existing condition. Even after he died, I tried asking my grandfather, who was relaxing at home, if there was anything he wanted to eat. He said he wanted to eat my cooking. So I made it for him, and he was so happy, and then he passed on to the afterlife. Perhaps that’s when I started to think that this was what I wanted to do.”
The look on Kazuki’s face as he said that was truly peaceful.

“I’m sure your grandfather was happy, too.”
The atmosphere became somewhat somber.
The first to break the silence was Yuko.
“Oh, that’s right, despite how I look, I have psychic powers.”
“You too, Yuko-san!”
“Yes, well, just to the extent that I can see and hear things a little.”
“I’m surprised that you can see things too, Yuko-san. Do you ever help Kazuki-san with his work?”
“No way. I’d rather not get involved in such scary things.”
Yuko laughs meaningfully, “Fufu.”

“The Jibu-ni was delicious. Thank you for the meal. I feel energized when I eat Kazuki’s cooking. I feel like I can work hard a little longer.”
“No, thank you as well.”
“I’ll come again. I hope you find your own place soon, too, Yahiro-kun.”
Yahiro tilts his head at Yuko’s cryptic words.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m praying for you.”
“Oh... I see.”
I see Yuko off to the front of the shop.

She waves innocently and leaves. As Yuko said, perhaps Kazuki’s cooking contains a vitality that energizes others.
“The food you make, Kazuki-san, must have some mysterious power infused in it that energizes people.”
“That’s probably because I put my wish into it that the person eating it will feel happy.”
“But I’m not joking, I really think there’s power in your cooking, Kazuki-san!”
“I’m happy to hear you say that. Now, it’s about time we had our meal, too.”
“Yay!”
Yahiro’s eyes sparkle.

“Before that, let’s finish stringing the snow peas...”
Returning to the shop, Yahiro is stunned.
“Huh?”
The snow peas that should have been partially stringed were completely untouched.

— Continued in Episode 31 —

#noteCreativeAward2025 #HorrorNovelCategory