Sweet Bean Paste

by Durian Sukegawa

Sentaro stood over a hot griddle inside the Doraharu shop, as he did all day everyday, cooking pancakes for his dorayaki.

shuffled

She walked off in the opposite direction from the train station with an awkward, stiff gait.

It contained a delivery of Chinese-made tsubuan, the coarse sweet bean paste that he used for his dorayaki filling.

I couldn’t tell anything about the feelings of the person who made it.’

buffeted,

Tokue’s bean paste was like nothing he had ever tasted before. It had a rich aroma, and sweetness that spread across his palette. The substance he bought in plastic containers could not compare.