Spirit Diner: A Departure with the Taste of Memories, Episode 5

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Chapter 1: The Small Eatery 'Sou'

4. The Ultimate Meal and Cleansing of the Soul

“How is it? Do you feel a little more at ease?”

“Yes...”

　However, Yahiro sensed that Hirasawa still had some lingering regrets.

　He looked like he wanted to say something. The owner likely sensed it too.

“Mr. Hirasawa, how about this? Why don't you try going back home once?”

　Go back home? Can ghosts even ride trains like normal people? Well, he managed to get here from the bus accident site, so he must have some way of getting around. The owner continued.

“Go back home, spend time with your family until the appointed day, and then, let us depart.”

“Is that really alright? Am I allowed to return to my family?”

“Of course you are.”

　However, Hirasawa shook his head.

“But I don't know how to get home.”

　I wanted to retort, 'Then how did you get here from the accident site in Niigata?', but of course, I only thought it and didn't say it out loud. Perhaps it wasn't a physical problem like that. After all, he is a ghost. “Mr. Hirasawa, you have a daughter, don't you? Her name is Kinuko, right?” Huh?

　Yahiro wore a puzzled expression at the owner's sudden words. He was starting to find the owner even more terrifying.

　Who is this owner? Why does he know Mr. Hirasawa has a daughter? Ah, come to think of it, Mr. Hirasawa's family was being interviewed on the news earlier. She was a young woman, so maybe that's why he said he had a daughter. But I don't recall her name being mentioned.

　However, Hirasawa didn't particularly mention that. Perhaps he hadn't noticed how suspicious the owner was. “Yes. My wife passed away when my daughter was just at the age where she was starting to understand things, and I raised her as a single father. That daughter is getting married. The wedding was supposed to be three days after the accident. That day, my daughter said she was waiting for me, having made my favorite pork belly stew... I wanted to have one last meal with my daughter, just the two of us. I wanted to eat the stew my daughter made. I wanted to offer her my congratulations.” Tears overflowed from Hirasawa's eyes once again. “I wanted to see my daughter in her wedding dress with my own eyes.”

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