The Restaurant of Forgotten Dreams

It was busy at Haru’s local izakaya. People chattered as they ate from small white plates that held various delicious dishes like yakitori or the izakaya’s famous chicken namban. People down their dishes with sake or beer. And as the night got deeper, the rowdier the people become.

Haru sat by a booth at the corner of the izakaya eating his fill with the cheapest dishes on the menu as he browsed the internet for second hand Nintendo Switches. Something he has always wanted but never had the guts to buy. Whenever he had the time, he’d look at the listings for the device. Add them to his cart, but never check out. Eventually the listings would be taken by someone else and Haru’s cart would be emptied out. He had been doing this since the game console first came out. And even though a second variant of the device has launched, Haru’s habits won’t come to a cease anytime soon.

Home.

Work.

Home.

And meals in between.

That was Haru’s life.

Before, he’d find himself thinking that surely, there is something more out there for him. But as the piles of paperwork on his desk only seem to get higher and higher, Haru naturally ended up accepting that this must be it. This must be all that there is to it. He’d no longer long for something more as the years progressed. The only thing that changes in his life are the sheets on his bed and the seasons of the year. But even those things find repetition in his life.

“How is my regular doing?” A voice asked. Haru looked up from his seat, his bangs parting as he raised his head and smiled softly once he saw the owner of the izakaya standing next to his table to hand him a small plate of edamame.

“Looking forward to your meals as usual.” Haru replied. The owner, whom they call Jiijii, laughs.

“You never order meat! No wonder you’re so skinny.” Jiijii said. Haru manages a laugh.

“Even so, everything you cook up in that kitchen of yours is always so delicious.” Haru said. Jiijii laughs while he smacked Haru’s shoulders. His expression then suddenly turned serious.

“Listen kid, I know you come here every night but I have to tell ya’ you need to find a new place to have dinner at this coming few months.” He said.

“A-Are you kicking me out?” Haru asked nervously.

“God no,” jiijii exclaims. “I’ll be having surgery for my right kidney you see. I’ll be closing shop for a few months. The ol’ missus got herself worried over you since you come here all the time. Thought I’d tell ya’ cause you might have a heart attack if you find us suddenly closed.” He said before chuckling. “If you need recommendations in finding a new place to eat at-“

“I am perfectly capable of doing that myself Jiijii.” Haru interrupted. “But thanks for looking out for me.” He said before smiling.

Jiijii stared at him but smiles back after a while. He clutches the tray close to his chest before replying “alright, alright.” He leaves.

There was something taut about Haru that night. It could be from the stress of his job as an office worker. Or perhaps it was about what his co-worker told him that day that seemed to irk him.

“Your life is just so predictable, Haru.”

Haru slams down the pint glass at the table after downing its contents after only a few gulps. He wipes his mouth with the sleeves of his dress-shirt before grabbing his coat and taking his leave.

Soon, time came when Haru’s usual izakaya closed down for an indefinite amount of time. Haru spent his weekends leading up to the moment searching for new restaurants to go to for dinner for the time being. Some spots were too popular. Some offer a menu too small. Some are too expensive. There are others that are just perfect. But they’re too far. In the end, he decided on a local Teishoku-ya by the train station near his house.

Haru stood in front of the entrance of the restaurant. He repeatedly swallowed and adjusted his neck tie. Steeling himself to head inside. But just as he was about to, the doors slide open and out peeked an old woman wearing an apron. She smiles at him.

“Oh young man! Are you hungry?” Haru was startled at her sudden appearance and immediately bolted for the opposite direction while he muttered curses under his breath. He stopped by an alley and leaned against a wall and sighed.

“Dammit.” He said. He cursed at himself for finding it difficult to even just change restaurants. He thought that he was better than this. But it seems, he is not. Eventually, the man decided to just go home. But his plans changed once his stomach growled rather loudly.

A pleasing aroma wafted through the air of the alley. It was a mixture of spices and meat that had been simmering in its own fat for hours. Haru couldn’t resist. Not when his stomach insists. The man followed the scent and soon arrived at an unmarked restaurant. The only thing that prompted Haru to come inside was a signage that said “Welcome! Please come in.”

Once Haru opened the door, the scent slapped him in the face. His stomach grew even more rowdy than before.

“U-Uhm excuse me, table for one?” He said and out popped a man wearing a simple midnight blue kimono.

“Please sit here.” The man said with a smile while he gestured at the table that overlooked the kitchen. Haru walked in with small but steady steps as he talked to himself in his head that everything was gonna be fine. He sits.

“So, what will it be?” The man asked.

“I’m not familiar with the specialties of the shop…” Haru responded.

“Then shall I just serve you with whatever comes to mind?” The man asked. Haru didn’t respond. “I’m not gonna cheat you and serve you expensive dishes.” He laughed. “Why say, everything’s on the house tonight.” The chef said.

Haru immediately interjected. “I couldn’t possibly allow that!”

The chef waved his hand. “It’s alright! Just sit there and eat whatever I serve you.” He said before turning his back to face the stove. Haru didn’t insist anymore after that.

Haru sat by the table waiting patiently as his stomach threw tantrums. Eventually, the cook serves his meal. Chicken karaage with Japanese curry.

The cook laid it down in front of him with a wide grin. “That curry has been simmering in the kitchen for hours now. I hope you enjoy it.” He says. Haru looks at the food in front of him and all of his senses screamed at him to get a bite. Without hesitation, he grabs a spoon. Piles rice, a bite of chicken, and the sauce of the curry on top of each other before popping it into his mouth. Haru’s eyes widened instantly at the symphony of flavors and textures that danced inside his mouth. From the crispiness of the karaage to the velvety texture of the curry that slid smoothly from his tongue and down his throat.

“I’m glad you seem to be enjoying yourself.” The chef said.

“Its really good, sir.” Haru said in between bites.

“Call me Yuji.”

“It’s really delicious, Yuji” Haru grinned.

The two started conversing with one another after that. It started with Yuji yapping on about food he likes to cook and dishes he’s tasted from around the world. He went on and on about his backpacking trips abroad and how he slept in couches of strangers. How people’s warmth was like. And how feeding them in return for their kindness made Yuji’s heart swell into something he couldn’t quite figure out. Haru found himself wondering. Has he ever had anything in his life that made his heart swell like that as well? He racked his brain for a while. But found none. He then remembered his co-worker’s remark about him.

“Haru?” Yuji called out.

“A-Ah sorry. I was… my mind was pre-occupied.” Haru said. “You have so many cool stories about your cooking and traveling that I began to wonder if I ever had something that made my heart feel… full.” Haru continued.

“I’m sure there must be something.” Yuji said.

“Unfortunately there isn’t any.” Haru replied. The two were silent for a while.

“Have you had any dreams you want to fulfill?” Yuji asked. “Any dream.”

Haru chuckles. “When I was younger, of course I did. But they all amounted to nothing in the end.”

“What if they did?” Yuji said with a grin. Haru looked at him and the man seemed like there was something up his sleeve.

“I wouldn’t know. Like I said, I never got to a point where they went anywhere.”

Haru trails off. “But I do wonder sometimes… what if they did?”

Yuji turns his back from Haru for a while. Busy preparing something. A few minutes later, he faces the man and places a small plate of what seems to be flan in front of him. “Take a bite and you’ll know.” Yuji said.

“What do you mean?” Haru asked but his hand already found a small spoon to dig in.

“Take a bite, and you’ll know.” Yuji repeats.

Haru looks down at the flan, then back at Yuji whom he found to be grinning ear to ear at him. He thought to himself that Yuji sure is saying such strange things. But the flan in front of him looked so good that he couldn’t resist. Haru takes a spoon to invade the softness of the flan before putting it in his mouth.

The next thing he knew, everything went black.

“Mr. Sato Haru?” A voice called out.

“Mr. Sato Haru!” It exclaimed.

When Haru opened his eyes, he sat by a table on top of a stage that had a large crowd of people gathered in front of it. It was a large room and there were people with cameras at the front snapping pictures of him. When he looked closely at the crowd, they all wore a worried expression. Seemingly for him.

“Mr. Sato!” A man calls out. Haru whips his head to the source of the sound and finds a man around his age more worried than everyone else. The man reaches out for him and presses the back of his hand against his forehead. “You don’t seem to be sick…” He mutters. Haru swats the man’s hand away.

“Where am I? and who are you?” Haru asks.

“Oh dear.” The man replies. The man then leans close to Haru and whispers. “You’re here to sign your comic books for your fans, remember?”

“I was?” Haru replies. The man nods enthusiastically. “And by the way Mr. Sato, since you have forgotten, and I don’t blame you at all since I’m totally forgettable! My name is Hiro.” Hiro said nervously. Haru has never seen anyone be nervous around him. His presence has never been noteworthy, people say. Hiro sounded as if he was constantly trying to find the right words to say to him. As if he was afraid to upset Haru.

Haru had no time to adjust. Soon, a line of people forms that headed towards his table. They all carried with them a comic book that was titled “Petrichor”. Haru’s eyes widened at the sight of those comic books. When a person approached his table, he immediately snatches the comic book and flips through them. There was no mistaking it. It was the very comic book that Haru poured his entire youth to from the past. The only difference is, this one is finished.

“Oh Mr. Sato your stories completely changed my life!” The girl tells him. Snapping him out of his thoughts and confusion.

“I-It did?” Haru softly replies.

“Yes! It taught me that I must fight hard for my dreams!”

No words came out of Haru and he merely smiled at the girl. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Something he made inspired someone? He signed her copy while he fought back tears that were threatening to spill over.

More people came by his table and he signed each and everyone’s copies while hearing how his book inspired them in some way. One in particular said they almost gave up on life. But it was Haru’s stories that eventually got him through those dark times. Countless even told Haru that they too began dreaming of authoring their own comic books because of him. Haru smiled at each compliment and thanked everyone sincerely.

Haru couldn’t believe what everyone was saying. It was as if he was in a different world. And that his mundane life as an office worker was all but a dream. But a part of him felt ashamed while he hears how he changed people’s lives. Because back in his old life, he was never able to steel himself enough to finish the comic book. It was embarrassing really. He had promised himself and everyone around him that he will become a published author. He worked on his comic for a full year. But during that time, doubt and self criticisms plagued him.

He never believed he could do it.

He chose to believe he couldn’t do it.

So, he never finished it.

And so, his comic sat on his shelves collecting dust over the years. He moved on. And studied a practical course at a practical college for a practical life he never wanted. In the end, he became what he hated the most.

Mediocre.

Soon, the line fades. What was left of the crowd was the ink stains on Haru’s hands from signing countless copies of his work. His work.

“Good job on signing five-hundred copies sir!” Hiro says as he hand Haru a bottle of water. They are now at a private room of the event center. Resting from the crowd.

“I sold five-hundred copies?”

“Five-hundred? More like five-hundred thousand” Hiro replies with a scoff.

Haru’s eyes widened at the statement and he couldn’t stop himself from standing up from the couch and exclaimed: “Five-hundred thousand?!”

“It’s only been a month or so, so there may be even more sold in the future.” Hiro says in a matter-of-fact tone. As if it was completely possible to sell even more. Haru couldn’t believe his ears.

“Why are these people buying them out- I don’t understand-”

Hiro chuckles and smiles at him. The kind of smile you give to someone when they’re saying silly things. “Of course they would. Because your drawings and stories are good. Because you’re good.”

Haru couldn’t find the words to reply to Hiro. Hiro can only laugh. “I remember when you first submitted your work to the company. Nervous as you were. I thought to myself ‘wow, I didn’t know someone this good could possibly exist. He writes as if it was a personal letter to the one reading it. He sure is amazing’ but then you told me that it took you a while to finish it. Because you said you thought it was no good. Later on I’d think that good artists must really be like butterflies. They can’t seem to see how beautiful their own wings are.”

Hiro turns to Haru and smiles softly. “I’m glad you pushed yourself to finish it. The world needs artists like you.” And with those words, the author could no longer hold back his tears. Haru lifts his arm to wipe the tears from his face with the sleeves of his shirt. He parted his mouth to pour out gratitude for the kind words Hiro has shared. But when he opened his eyes,

he was back at the restaurant.

In front of him stood Yuji. Staring at him. A look of glee on his face.

“So, you saw?”

“I saw.” Haru replied while wiping the tears off his face. “Thank you for that, Yuji.”

“Anything for a good customer!”

“Excuse me Yuji, but I have some important matters to attend to.” Haru said while getting up from his seat.

Yuji grins. “They always do.”

Haru quickly ran to his apartment after that. Not even stopping to rest when his lungs burned and his legs felt jelly from all the running. He only stopped once he reached the familiar book case on his room. He ran his fingers through the spines of the books nestled on the shelves until his hand touches the familiar grooves of his old sketchbook. His heart pounding against his rib cage. As if nervous to meet an old friend.

Ding!

Haru’s thoughts quickly simmered down at the sound of his phone ringing. A familiar notification. One that comes from the shopping app where he looks through used Nintendo Switches. He unlocks his phone. Reads the notification that goes “Last one!”

He hits “buy now.”