Page 29 of The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop
But before Kaho could reply, Shiho had already pushed the door open. Standing on her tiptoes, Kaho took a peek at the shop from behind her sister, who had popped her head inside. The scent of coffee drifted through the air, and music played softly in the background. It wasBoléroby Ravel. She knew this because she had once listened to it during music class.
Shiho gripped Kaho’s wrist and pulled her inside. At first, Kaho assumed that it was a coffee shop, but then she noticed that there were bookshelves everywhere, each crammed with books. She also spotted cherry-blossom branches in individual vases all around the room.
Mustering up the courage, she placed herself next to Shiho. A girl in a white blouse and a burgundy pinafore dress stood across from them. She was about the same height as them, and although she looked a few years older, she didn’t seem to be wearing any make-up.
Holding an open book in front of her face, she was reading a passage from it:
‘“Pale rays of light tiptoed across the waters; and by and by there was to be heard a sound at once the most musical and the most melancholy in the world: the mermaids calling to the moon.”’
The girl looked up, a joyful smile rising to her lips. Her eyes darted back and forth between Kaho and Shiho.
‘W-What is it?’
‘Oh, it’s just that I’d assumed that our next guests would be young children. That was quite shallow of me. Preconceptions are never good, are they? Anyway, you are both very welcome. Please take a seat.’
The girl gestured towards a two-person table topped with a sign that read ‘Reserved’. It seemed that the same thought was going through the sisters’ minds (Wait, we didn’t make a reservation!),but since neither of them knew what else to do, they simply sat down across from one another.
Then, the girl placed a napkin and a coaster in front of each of them. Bringing her hand to her mouth, she formed a loose fist and gave a smallahemin a sweet voice.
‘Now, then. The book you two were reading, the story of Peter Pan – also known as the boy who wouldn’t grow up – was originally produced as a stage play. It was a big hit when it debuted in 1904, and quickly became a beloved Christmas tradition. Oh, and by the way, the line “… no one can fly unless the fairy dust has been blown on him” is said to have been added three or four years later at the request of the London Ambulance Service. It was rumoured that lots of kids ended up at their doctor’s after recklessly jumping from their beds. Not that I can blame them. I admit there was a time when even I believed that I could fly.’
Holding the book in one hand, the girl held up the index finger of her other.
‘The play was novelised, by the playwright himself, asPeter Pan and Wendy, the book we have right here. Personally, my favourite part in this book is in the final chapter. It’s where Wendy, who has become a mother, is asked by her daughter Jane, “Why can’t you fly now, Mother?” And this is what she says.’
Reopening the book, the girl brought her fist to her face and gave anotherahembefore speaking with a dramatic intonation.
‘“Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly.”’
Then, with a look on her face that said,Well, what do you think?she turned to the sisters. But all they could do in response was stare in stunned silence.Exactly what is going on?they both thought.
‘Now, Miss Shiho Fukamachi and Miss Kaho Fukamachi.’
How do you know our names?Kaho tried to confront the girl, but Shiho held up her hand and stopped her.
‘To tell you the truth, it was my friend who invited you both here. I believe you’ve both heard her voice already, but she would like to properly introduce herself.’
By the time the girl had finished speaking, a cat had leapt onto the sisters’ table. It was a calico cat with an impressively long coat. Deftly navigating around the coasters and napkins, the cat walked past the sisters to a relatively spacious spot at the edge of the table. Then, turning around to face them, she lowered herself into a loaf pose.
‘This is Kobako. Her real name is Kobako with an elongated “ko”, but I shortened it.’
As the cat yawned in response, it tilted its head back, and its collar came into view.
Indeed, the name written in kanji characters was ‘Kobako’.
‘But what is this place exactly? Are we supposed to order something? Or … is this a bookshop?’
‘Well, I suppose we are a bookshop, but we also serve coffee. To put it simply, it’s a bit of a strange shop. But it doesn’t matter if you buy anything. It’s just that bycoincidence, you happened to open the same page of the same book I was reading, and so the passage became connected. I say “coincidence”, but actually, it was kind of deliberate.’
‘I honestly have no idea what you just said.’
Acknowledging this, the girl pointed her index finger and tipped her head to one side.
‘I mentioned this to another customer before, but the service we offer is kind of like letting people win the lottery even when they haven’t bought a ticket. The world needs a bit of that. This one thinks so, too.’
The cat, opening just one eye, gave a sleepy meow. Kaho and Shiho gazed back and forth between the girl and the cat.
‘Each of you has something you want to know, something you want to confirm, and if possible, something you’d like to confess to each other today, am I right?’
