Tales From the Cafe

Miki sings in the café, and Nagare is losing patience with her repetitive song. The other patrons include Kyoko, a regular, and Kiyoshi Manda, a homicide detective.

Kyoko questions Kazu about a man she saw her with. She is very excited to learn that Kazu has a boyfriend. She asks lots of questions and says her interest is because her late mother, Kinuyo, taught Kazu art and was very fond of her. Kinuyo always hoped that Kazu would find love and happiness.

Kiyoshi overhears part of their conversation about shopping for a birthday present for Kazu’s boyfriend’s mother. He interjects and asks for advice on buying a birthday present for his wife, for whom he has never bought a gift. Kazu suggests a necklace, and he is grateful for the advice.

Kazu asks about Kyoko’s brother, Yukio. Kyoko feels guilty because Kinuyo died recently, and at her request, Kyoko hadn’t told Yukio that she was in the hospital. Kyoko would like to go back to the past to make things right but realizes that is not possible given the café’s rules: Nothing she does will change the present.

When Kazu is alone in the café in the evening, Yukio arrives.