Her words stopped him in his tracks.

She gave a pleased look. ‘Wonderful, isn’t it?’

Finally. Shoji greeted the news with a sigh of relief. But soon, he started to feel nervous. What kind of client would he be facing? What was going to happen now?

‘I’ve got no idea why she selected you,’ Madam said. ‘She has never requested anyone new before.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘Before you go in, let me give you a word of warning: please be extra careful in your conduct. The lady you’re going to speak with is not an ordinary client.’

Shoji nodded, feeling the pressure increasing. He couldn’t afford to fail. They entered the tearoom. Madam gestured to him to go to table number seven. He cleared his throat and went over.

‘Excuse me,’ Shoji said cautiously.

CHAPTER 3

THAT COFFEE-SCENTED SUMMER

The client who’d requested Shoji was the woman he’d run into earlier. She had removed her top hat and veil, revealing a lovely face that matched her gentle voice. She might not be what most people would call a great beauty — none of her features was particularly outstanding — yet everything about her looked perfectly put together. Anyone could easily grow fond of her.

She gave a reassuring smile. ‘Please, take a seat.’

He did as he was told.

‘Tea?’ she asked, reaching for the pot. ‘Are you fine with Earl Grey? Or would you like something else?’

He lowered his head. ‘Earl Grey is fine. Thank you.’

‘Excellent,’ she said, pouring him a cup.

Shoji took a sip. He wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to drink with the client, but her relaxed manner made him feel as if their positions were reversed.

‘So, you’re Mr Arai,’ she said.

He nodded, staring at her. It was hard to tell her age. Her skin was flawless and radiant, but he could see small creases around her eyes. He had been told he shouldn’t ask for his clients’ names unless they offered, so he kept quiet.

‘I heard you’re from Tokyo,’ she continued.

‘Actually, I was born and raised in Fukuoka, but I studied in Tokyo.’

‘I’ve never been to Fukuoka. What is it like?’

‘All right, I guess.’

She chuckled.

Shoji inched closer. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, why did you request me?’

‘We’ll talk about that later,’ she said, still smiling. ‘For now, why don’t you tell me more about yourself? What brought you to Akakawa?’

Probably the most common question he had encountered during his interviews, and one that had tripped him over and over. He cleared his throat before answering. ‘It was a woman.’

‘Girlfriend?’

Shoji nodded. ‘She was based in Minato, but the company relocated her here when they opened the new centre and needed experienced staff.’ Yoko had told him all of this after his first day. ‘She’s also a listener.’

He thought the lady was going to ask who his girlfriend was, but she only nodded in agreement. A silence descended upon them. Shoji’s mind wandered, and he recalled the day Yoko had told him about her impending move during one of her visits to his apartment.