Blend Epilogue

Clara made her way to the 8-blends; she hadn’t returned for some time after her fight with Hachi. She knew what she was going to find when she got there. She already knew that going back there would be different from what it had been before. It would be a café without Hachi.

Mr Hachi was a kind man. If all he cared about was coffee, he wouldn’t have made such an effort to push her away before his death. Clara knew this, but she also knew Hachi would never forgive himself if he thought she would be the one to find his body. The day he fought with her was probably his final moments.

She knew Hachi had little left since around the time they met. She would probe him, asking him questions to try and learn whether he had family or loved ones. She hoped he would have someone, anyone, who could be there for him. But the more she came to know him, the more she realised how alone he was.

He was great at listening to other people’s problems but struggled to express his own. That’s why she decided to play along when he pushed her away. She wanted to give Hachi some comfort before his death. It was the least she could do. Clara knew what he was doing, and perhaps Hachi knew she knew, which is why he left one last note for her.

Dear Clara,

I want to apologise for what I said. Your coffee was the best I’ve ever had. If you’re back here reading this, I want you to know this place is yours. There is no one else I trust more with it than you. Stay strong.

Your grumpy coffee-obsessed boss,

Hachi

After reading it, she carefully folded it and put it in her pocket. She would treasure this message. The final thing Hachi did for her. And the final thing she could do for him was to keep the café open. However, the thought of the café without Hachi didn’t feel right.

She unlocked the café door and flicked on the light. Sure enough, it remained untouched since the last time she was there. She went around to the back of the store to check the stocktake. Thankfully, there were still plenty of beans left.

There wasn’t much she wanted to change in the café. She wanted to keep the same vibe that Hachi had curated over his time at 8-blends, a vibe that Clara had become accustomed to. However, she did want to implement one change.

She pulled out of her bag a framed image. It was the photo Clara had taken with Hachi, the only photo she had gotten with the two of them together. Even though Hachi may no longer be in this world, she wanted him to remain a part of 8-blends. It wouldn’t be 8-blends without him.

She wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes. She promised herself that she wouldn’t cry, but seeing the photo reminded her of him. Hachi may have criticised images for not capturing the true essence of the object they depicted, but the difference was that they could live forever. Something that was not afforded to them. She finished hanging the image up, and as she did so, she had to cover her mouth as she began to cough.

Small spots of blood stained her hands. Her body was beginning to break down. It was starting to hurt; she had no idea how Hachi had managed to last up until his death working. That went to show how passionate he was about coffee and why Clara was passionate about carrying on his dream. Hachi was the coffee, and she was his pocket to carry the dreams he alone couldn’t.

She wiped the blood from her mouth using a handkerchief she kept specifically for that purpose. She kept it stored in her pants pocket. It was the black pants Hachi had bought her. She was glad she could wear them for work here. They reminded her of Hachi.

At most, she would have a quarter of a year left, realistically even less. Although it wasn’t very long, there was still hope for a vaccine. The biochemist did say there was hope. Even if they failed to find a cure, all she had to do was keep going about her life. She could be doing anything, but there was only one thing she wanted to do.

The bell above the door rang as a young woman entered, carrying a sleeping baby in one arm and holding a young child’s hand in her other.

“I’m so sorry. Are you open?” She asked, looking somewhat tired.

“Yes, we are.”

“Do you have room for us?”

“Absolutely!” Clara smiled. “What can I get for you today?”

∘•········ʚ ♡ ɞ ········•∘

The End