As soon as school ended, Yuki naturally fell into step beside Toru. Their destination was always the same—the small café near their school, Café Sunset.
The entrance bell chimed softly as they stepped inside. Behind the counter, the café’s owner, an elderly man engrossed in his newspaper, lifted his head with a warm smile.
“Welcome.”
“Master, the usual, please!” Toru grinned, sliding into his favorite seat.
Yuki sat down beside him, ordering without glancing at the menu.
“I’ll have a milk tea.”
“Alright, alright. Coming right up.”
Time flowed gently in this café. It was their special place—a haven where they could talk about school troubles, share idle complaints, and chat with the master or the regulars. They thought these peaceful days would last forever.
But one day—
“Hey, Yuki… I heard this café is closing soon.”
Toru’s voice broke the comfortable silence.
“What…?”
“You’ve noticed, haven’t you? Master hasn’t been looking well lately. It seems his health isn’t great, so he’s decided to close the shop.”
Shocked, Yuki turned to look at the master. As always, he was quietly brewing coffee, but a faint loneliness lingered on his face.
“That can’t be…”
“Isn’t there something we can do?”
They tried everything—spreading the word, bringing in more customers, rallying the neighborhood. But no matter how hard they worked, the master’s decision remained unchanged.
“Thank you,” he said, smiling gently. “Just knowing you two care so much about this place is enough for me.”
Then, the final day of Café Sunset arrived.
The shop was filled with regulars, savoring their last cups of coffee. Yuki and Toru stayed until the very end, unwilling to say goodbye.
“Master,” Yuki said softly.
“Hm?”
“If you ever open another café somewhere, let us know, okay?”
“…Yeah. If that happens, you two will be the first ones I call.”
As night fell and the last customer left, the master quietly turned off the lights.
The sound of the café’s door closing echoed deeply in their hearts.
“It’s going to feel empty without this place…” Toru murmured.
Yuki held back tears and looked up at the sky.
The sunset stretched across the horizon, glowing orange—just like the café’s name.
