The seaside town was wrapped in the chilly winds that heralded the arrival of winter. That day, a young man wandered into a small café called Seaside Breeze, where the sound of the waves echoed gently. His name was Daiki. He had come to this town, as if escaping from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Inside the café, the faint aroma of freshly roasted coffee lingered in the air. Daiki settled into a seat by the window and gazed absentmindedly at the horizon stretching out over the sea.
“Have you decided on your order?”
A soft voice made him look up. A waitress stood before him. Her name was Sara. Her long hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, and in her eyes, there was a certain melancholic hue.
“I’ll have a hot coffee, please.”
As Daiki answered, Sara gave a polite nod and walked back to the counter. For some reason, he found himself unable to take his eyes off her as she left.
Even after his coffee was served, Daiki continued to stare at the sea, doing nothing else. Perhaps noticing this, Sara approached him.
“…Are you here for sightseeing?”
“Well, something like that,” he answered vaguely. “I had some time off, so I decided to take a short trip.”
Sara smiled slightly. “Not many people come here during this season. But the winter sea is peaceful, isn’t it?”
That was their first conversation.
The next day, Daiki visited the café again. And the day after that, too. Each time, Sara would strike up a conversation, and gradually, they began to talk more about each other.
“Were you working in the city?”
“Yeah. But I got exhausted.” Daiki gave a wry smile. “There was just too much to do, and at some point, I lost sight of why I was working in the first place.”
Sara nodded quietly. “I think I understand. I used to live in Tokyo, too.”
“Really?”
“But I had to come back here because of family circumstances.” Her voice carried a faint shadow of something unspoken.
Daiki sensed that Sara carried some burdens of her own—and so, he chose not to pry any further.
One day, Sara murmured softly, almost to herself.
“When I’m in this café, I can forget—just a little. About failures, about the past.”
Daiki nodded in silence. He, too, had started to feel a little lighter in this place.
As the cold wind began to soften, the two of them naturally found themselves sitting at neighboring seats.
“Daiki-san, have you found anything since coming here?”
“Maybe I have,” he said, gazing out at the sea beyond the window. “It feels like I’ve regained something important. Thanks to you, Sara.”
Sara’s eyes widened in surprise before she gave a quiet smile. “I haven’t done anything at all.”
“No, everything we talked about here—it all meant something to me.”
A peaceful silence settled between them. In the distance, the waves rolled in gently, their rhythm steady and calm.
Spring was just around the corner. The seaside wind was beginning to carry a touch of warmth.
Perhaps the sight of the two of them sitting together in this little café would remain in the memory of this small town, for a long time to come.
