Sunset Chit-chat

The rest of the shift went relatively smoothly, despite the slow start. Mrs. Shimizu helped with the customers a bit, and I got to work making a Bienenstich cake. I remembered it from my morning looking over that binder my mum put together, and thought it would be quite a nice addition to the menu. The time passed relatively quickly, and all the staff huddled together for their customary tasting.

“This is a very interesting one,” Mrs. Shimizu said. “Is that honey? It’s really nice!”

I nodded. “Yeah! According to a story, a bee smelled the honey and flew towards the cake, stinging the baker. So its name is German for bee sting cake.”

Mrs. Shimizu nodded. “What an… interesting story! I’ll just carry this over to the front, and make sure the customers see the cake!”

Before I knew it, my shift got closer to its end, and I made my way to the staff bathroom to get changed back into my uniform. After finishing with getting changed, I checked my phone for a bit, and began scrolling through things. I heard footsteps and looked up, and saw Una casually walking past.

“Hey, Una. Do you want to continue that chat from earlier? If you’re still feeling, I don’t know, confused?”

She looked at my shirt, and then nodded. “Uh, I didn’t know if you wanted to, so I didn’t ask. But… yeah. You don’t mind, do you?”

I put my phone down into my pocket, slightly surprised that she would respond so awkwardly. “I don’t mind. I’m not doing much.”

After she got changed, she pulled the back door open, and gestured for me to come outside with her. The sun was hanging low in the sky, casting an attractive red sunset above us.

“I guess we caught a pretty beautiful view,” I said,” looking up at the thin white wisps of cloud that covered the vivid sky.

“Same as every other day,” she said, sitting down on a fence.

“Yeah,” I replied, still taking it in.

We sat in silence for two minutes, and I felt a slight chill of the wind as we sat there. I didn’t look at her, and she didn’t look at me. After the calm of waiting, she finally spoke up.

“So, roadblocks… how about we start that conversation again.”

“More seriously this time?” I looked at her. She was still facing the sky.

“Mm,” she replied. “It’s just… every logical outcome would suggest that I should probably give up what I’m working towards. And I’m not sure I’m even getting joy out of it. What’d be the point if I failed those art exams, just like I probably will? And on the other hand, if I come back, I’ll have spent so much time on this I’ll have neglected my academics. Could I even pass a regular exam?”

I paused again for a moment, thinking. “Well, there’s some things you can never get to do in life. It’s important to recognise that. It’s important to recognise that when you’re young as possible.”

Her expression turned slightly mournful.

“But one thing I’ve found,” I continued, “Is that a lot of things I assumed I could never do, I just never tried. Why don’t you just talk to your teacher for help? Then, if they say you’re screwed then, no love lost. Just head back home.”

“Just head home?” I heard more emotion in that one comment from Una than I’d probably heard from her ever. I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. The way she said it made it sound like she was about to cry.

“Hm? You said you were okay with either outcome, and that you wouldn’t push it if you were going to fail.” I was trying to read her expression, but it was hard when she kept looking into the distance. Her voice regained composure.

“Just because it’s the logical thing doesn’t mean it doesn’t upset me.”

I nodded.

“I feel that way sometimes. But you think about things logically, you just need to go over them in your head enough times. Eventually, you either accept them, or realise things aren’t as logical as they seem, and you change them yourself.”

She sighed deeply. “So, you’re basically saying you don’t know and that I should figure it out myself?”

I laughed. “All I do is stay inside and paint-”, I coughed, remembering that any normal woman my age (or man, for that matter) would think I was insane if they knew about the São Gabriel. “Well, I don’t get up to much, so it’s simple. In general, I don’t choose to take opportunities often, but I’m glad I took this one at the cafe… and made a friend.”

“Me? Your friend? You’re bold, aren’t you?” Her previously concerned voice turned to mockery in seconds, and I smiled.

“Make the most of it,” I replied. “Because soon you’ll be sent back home. No doubt you’ll fail your art exam when you can’t even spend 10 minutes in an art gallery without checking your phone. Then you really will have no friends.”

“Shut up,” she laughed. “I’m going to pass the exam just so you shut up for once.”

My phone buzzed, and I reached into my pocket. It was a text from my dad.

“Taking flight home today. Miss you a lot. Let me know if you want to come to London for university one day.”

He posted a corny sticker of a smiling anime girl after his message, and I rolled my eyes so hard I thought I could see the inside of my skull. Somebody needed to remind him that he was in his late forties.

“What’s that?” Una curiously leaned over to my phone, and I instinctively tilted it away.

“Stop looking at my screen,” I replied. “My dad’s boarding the plane home, so I guess that’s that. Probably won’t see him for a couple years, unless I want to study in London or something.”

“Your dad seems way cooler than my parents. I’m guessing you take after your mum, then?” Una asked.

“Har har,” I replied. “Very funny. Then again, my mum thinks you’re an awful person, so that checks out.” I tried to contain my laughter

She seemed genuinely hurt. “What?! She’s never even met me? Why would she say that? What do you tell her about me?”

I slid my phone back into my pocket, and laughed a little. “The truth. Kind of. But she always puts things together from the smallest pieces of information and comes to grand conclusions. She’s been like that for years now. I think she wants to protect me or something still, like I’m a baby or something.”

“And you don’t correct her?!” Una stamped her foot.

“Nah. If she thinks I can’t take care of myself, she’ll keep buying me stuff,” I half-joked.

I kept watching the sunset with her. It was starting to get a little darker, and she checked her phone.

“Well,” Una said. “Thanks for talking to me about this a bit more. Even though you’re still not very good at giving advice.”

“Must you turn everything into a backhanded insult?”

She smiled. “Yeah. I do.”

After a few seconds' pause, she continued. “Thanks, Yorito. Really. Should we walk to the station? It’s getting a bit dark.”

I nodded. “Sure.”