Gohtaro seemed to have taken the question as a criticism, as in, Why are you, a man of your age, blathering on about going back in time? He sat hunched over the table staring fixedly down at his clasped hands.

“...I’m sorry. But don’t you think it would be a little freaky? Totally unprepared, Shuichi, or whatever his name is, suddenly finds himself face-to-face with a twenty-two-year-older version of you?”

Gohtaro didn’t lift his head.

Kyoko continued, “Don’t you think that would be a bit weird?”

She looked over the counter to Kazu for agreement. “Well, maybe,” Kazu answered, in a manner that suggested she did not fully agree.

“Hey, Mum, isn’t your coffee going to get cold?” muttered the boy, who was starting to fidget now his glass of orange juice was empty. His name was Yohsuke Kijima. He was Kyoko’s son, and beginning this spring, he would be in grade four. His hair was midlength and arranged untidily, he had a sunburnt face and he was wearing a sports strip that read “MEITOKU FC” with the number 9 printed on the back. He was a soccer nut.

He was talking about the takeaway coffee in the paper bag on the counter beside Kyoko.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter. Grandma hates hot drinks anyway,” Kyoko said as she moved her face up to Yohsuke’s ear and whispered, “Just wait a little longer and we’ll go, okay?”

She glanced over at Gohtaro, anticipating a response of some kind.

Gohtaro was sitting up again, looking composed. “Yeah, I guess it would freak him out,” he admitted.

“Uh-huh,” responded Kyoko, nodding knowingly. While listening to this exchange, Kazu handed Yohsuke a new orange juice, which he silently accepted, with a quick nod of thanks.

“If it is the honest truth that you can go back in time, then there is something I really want to tell Shuichi.”

Though Kyoko had asked him the question, Gohtaro had answered looking at Kazu. His words had no effect on her expression.

Looking as nonchalant as always, she came out from behind the counter and stood in front of him.

Every now and then, a customer like Gohtaro would come to the café after hearing the rumor that you could travel back in time, and the way Kazu responded to each of them never changed.

“Are you familiar with the rules?” she asked briefly—there were customers who rolled up at the café with no idea of them.

“More or less...” he replied hesitantly.

“More or less?” Kyoko shouted. Of everyone in the café right now, she alone was a little excited. Kazu glanced at Kyoko without comment and then looked back at Gohtaro and stared. Answer the question.