Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1)

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

If you could go back, who would you want to meet?

The waitress’s name was Kazu Tokita. Kazu was a cousin of the proprietor. She was waitressing while attending Tokyo University of the Arts. She had quite a pretty face, a pale complexion and narrow almond-shaped eyes, yet her features were not memorable. It was the type of face that if you glanced at it, closed your eyes and then tried to remember what you saw, nothing would come to mind. In a word, she was inconspicuous. She had no presence. She didn’t have many friends either. Not that she worried about it—Kazu was the sort of person who found interpersonal relationships rather tedious.

Several years had passed since the café had its moment of fame because of an urban legend that claimed it could transport people back to the past.

she had been interrogated on many occasions by her persistent parents, who lived in Hakodate—Still not thinking of marriage? Haven’t you met any nice men? and so forth.

“When you go back, no matter how hard you try, the present won’t change.”

The café’s name was Funiculi Funicula.

The first rule was: The only people you can meet while in the past are those who have visited the café. This would usually defeat the purpose of going back. Another rule was: There is nothing you can do while in the past that will change the present.

“You can’t meet people who haven’t visited this café. The present cannot change. There is only one seat that takes you to the past, and you cannot move from it. Then, there is the time limit.” As Kazu ran through each rule,

On some rare occasions a person can be so engrossed in a book she does not hear the surrounding voices and sounds.

The woman in the dress was reading her book, as always.

in order to return to the past, you have to sit in that seat and that seat alone.

while back in the past, you must stay in the seat and never move from it.

there is a time limit. Now

“Your time in the past will begin from the time the coffee is poured...” Kazu said, ignoring the question from Fumiko, who was nevertheless reassured by the news it would be happening soon.

“And you must return before the coffee goes cold.”

“When you return to the past, you must drink the entire cup before the coffee goes cold.”

“...If I don’t drink the coffee?” “It will be your turn to be the ghost sitting in this seat.”

Nothing about the present is going to change. It’s right that it is not going to change.

“Well, as the future hasn’t happened yet, I guess that’s up to you...” she said, revealing a smile for the first time.