Sora first heard the rumors about the café while staying at a small inn in a coastal town.
“There’s a place called Marine Café,” the innkeeper said with a mischievous smile. “A curious little spot. They say it only appears when the sun sets, then vanishes again.”
To most, it would have sounded like just another local legend. But for Sora, it was more than a whimsical tale. She had come to this town in search of her younger sister, Yuri, who had gone missing three years earlier. Every scrap of information, no matter how trivial, was a potential clue.
The next evening, Sora walked along the cliffside overlooking the sea. As the crimson sun dipped toward the horizon, a small building emerged in the fading light, as if summoned by the sunset itself. A wooden sign swayed gently in the breeze, etched with the words Marine Café.
She pushed open the door, and a warm, golden light greeted her. The scent of aged wood and roasted coffee filled the air. A few patrons sat scattered across the cozy room, their voices a soft murmur. Behind the counter stood a barista, his calm smile radiating a sense of timelessness.
“Welcome,” he said. “A special cup for a special moment.”
He placed a steaming cup of coffee before her. The delicate latte art swirled into the shape of ocean waves. As Sora took a hesitant sip, vivid images flashed through her mind: Yuri, standing in front of a lighthouse, her face alight with laughter. It was as if the memory had been drawn straight from her heart, more vivid than any photograph.
“Yuri…?” Sora whispered, her voice trembling.
The barista said nothing, offering only a serene smile. Around her, the other patrons seemed almost dreamlike, as though they belonged to a world just beyond reality.
When she stepped outside, the café had vanished, leaving nothing but the cool night breeze and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing below. Yet the vision of Yuri and the lighthouse lingered in Sora’s mind, as real and clear as the stars overhead.
“Could the lighthouse hold the answer?”
Clutching this newfound clue, Sora resolved to visit the lighthouse the next day. For the first time in years, she felt a flicker of hope—a tangible thread connecting her to her lost sister.
As she began her journey toward the lighthouse, the memory of the mysterious café stayed with her, filling her steps with a strange, buoyant determination. Whether it would lead her to Yuri or not, she believed that each step forward brought her closer to the truth, and perhaps, closer to finding herself again.
