Kumiko hadn't been very fond of coffee ever since she'd tried it for the first time in 1963. The taste reminded her of the medicine she'd once given Ichiro, and frankly, the drink seemed like something created in the depths of hell.

However, desperate times called for desperate measures, and she needed to remedy her exhaustion fast.

She was standing outside some coffee shop named Caffé Italiano, and as she stared up at the letters printed on the large sign, a deep sense of foreboding came over her.

This cafe had to be relatively new since she'd walked through this street a few months earlier and hadn't seen it then. Although, it's elegant front didn't impress her now that she knew its name.

While Italy was home to some beautiful art and culture, the behavior of its tourists seemed at odds with its prestigious reputation.

During the few instances she had dealt with Italian people in the past, they'd proven themselves to be rather obnoxious creatures with no respect for personal space. An overweight and hairy man had once possessed the gall to stroke her head and back as if she were some docile puppy.

She'd dreamed of doing sadistic things while lying in bed that night, and although that had relieved her discomfort at the time, she now felt uneasy once more.

What was this Italian themed coffee shop like on the inside? And would the staff be as courteous as the ones in other restaurants?

There was only one way to find out, and with a deep breath, she stepped through the doors.

Almost immediately, she found herself dazzled by the glossy wooden floor, and the soft orange lights reflected on it. This place looked lovely, and as her eyes focused on the row of round tables to her left, she noticed the opera music that was being played quietly for added ambiance.

She took a seat at one table, and since there weren't many other customers around, it didn't take too long for a waiter to arrive by her side.

"Ciao, signorina..." he greeted her while doing what was evidently his best impression of a suave Italian gentleman. "What may I get for you?"

She tried her best to keep a straight face, despite finding his accent laughable.

"I...I'd like a cup of coffee, please."

"I see. What sort?" the waiter replied, reaching up to tweak a nonexistent mustache.

"What do you have?"

"Well, you could have an espresso if you prefer your coffee black. If not, there are plenty of other choices you could make..."

He spent some time explaining the menu options, and when he'd finished, Kumiko felt that she now knew a little more about coffee than when she had entered.

She decided and looked up at him.

"So, are you ready to order?"

"Yes. I would like a latte, please."

"Any sugar?"

"Um..." Kumiko replied, biting her lip in hesitation. "Just one spoon, I think."

"Grazie. Would you like anything else?"

Kumiko remembered her own hunger and quickly glanced at the menu before giving the waiter an affirmative answer.

"Yes. I'd like a cornetto, please."

"Si. It won't take long."

The waiter left with her order and returned no less than a few minutes later. He set her latte and the plate containing her cornetto down on the table while spouting out more gratuitous Italian.

"Buon appetito, signorina."

He turned away shortly afterward to serve another customer, thus leaving her to dine in peace. She eyed the cornetto for a moment before picking up her fork and digging it into the golden brown outer layer.

She placed a small morsel in her mouth and immediately enjoyed the buttery taste and flaky texture. She closed her eyes in pleasure and imagined that instead of being in a cafe in Tokyo, she was sitting aboard a gondola in Venice.

It was a picturesque scene worthy of a postcard, but she had to return to reality before the crystal blue waters hypnotized her completely.

She opened her eyes and turned her attention to the glass of coffee on her left. After pulling it closer, she picked up the teaspoon and scooped up some foam on top before tasting it.

The latte was still a little bitter, but milk and sugar had weakened what would have been quite an unpleasant taste. Thus, she soon lifted the glass and took a courageous gulp without feeling the urge to spit her drink back out.

This... this isn't bad at all...

She placed the glass back down on its saucer and used her fork to tear off another piece of the cornetto. It seemed like all this time, she just hadn't been open to the other ways of serving coffee, and now her sentiments were shifting in the drink's favor.

This experience had reminded her it was unwise to disregard the unfamiliar, which she should have already learned by all means.

Her shift was due to start in less than half an hour, so she ate the cornetto and finished the rest of her warm latte as fast as she could, then took her handbag to the counter to pay.

******

Ichiro backed away from the door after inspecting it for defects and finding none as far as he could see. Some external force must have opened it, and although he wanted to believe that Kumiko had come back to check on him, he knew from experience that it was safer to assume the worst when it came to spiritual matters.

As a precautionary measure, he went to the living room and began dragging the table into the hall to block the door. Only heaven knew what was outside, and he wasn't about to risk his existence so soon into his stay in the afterlife.

He pushed the table right up against the door's base, then froze as he considered a frightening possibility. For all he knew, they could already be inside, watching him.

In that case, he would need to defend himself through any means possible.

There had to be a knife or two in the kitchen, so he crossed the living room to try getting into the one he still hadn't had the opportunity of seeing. However, it turned out that Kumiko had sealed it shut for reasons that he could easily guess.

The kitchen was a woman's domain, and it seemed like she had taken that a step further by making the room completely off-limits. He cursed quietly to himself, and knowing that he would remain unarmed, opted to run into the bedroom instead.

Once there, he lay down on his futon before covering himself with the quilt, as if he was once again hiding from the monsters in his father's stories.

He'd since learned that some of those monsters could be benevolent as well as beautiful, but until Kumiko returned, he planned to stay put while hoping the unknown presence hadn't followed him inside.

Time passed, and he noticed his own heavy breathing. He sought to quieten down, only to come to a troubling realization. It was one thing for him to retain the urge to urinate, but breathing was a whole other matter.

He extended his right arm a little and with an unsteady left hand, reached out to touch his own wrist. He shifted his fingers while searching for the right spot, only to find that he couldn't detect his pulse anywhere.

He sighed in relief. The last thing he wanted in the afterlife was to feel as if he still needed his heart to survive, and since there didn't seem to be one inside of him, he probably wouldn't ever have to worry about overexerting himself.

However, his mind quickly returned to the threat nearby, and he grew tense once more.

No, don't be afraid. They won't hurt you if you stay still... He inhaled to calm himself and, from that point on, vowed to remain hidden beneath the quilt until he was sure that Kumiko had come back home. It would be a test of patience, but he was ready to wait any length of time if it meant seeing her again.

No matter how strong she became, she would always be his precious treasure, who he would step in to comfort if ever the world became too much for her to handle.

******

"Kumiko! Kumiko, wait!"

Kumiko stopped near the sliding doors and turned to see none other than Mayumi rushing towards her with a bag in hand. She gasped and prepared to step out of the way, but the younger woman, fortunately, came to a stop about two feet away.

"Kumiko..." Mayumi repeated breathlessly. "Today's your birthday, isn't it?"

Kumiko wanted to roll her eyes in disdain, or better still, charge out into the night with no further word. However, she had a workplace relationship to maintain, so she instead feigned pleasant surprise at her colleague's thoughtfulness.

"Why, yes, it is! February the eighteenth, I'm so glad you remembered!"

"Really?!" Mayumi squealed, overwhelmed with joy. "I was so worried that I was wrong!"

Mayumi reached into her bag before Kumiko had the chance to ask questions. The younger woman pulled out a small wrapped parcel and stepped forward to present it to her with a bow.

"As your junior, I beg of you to accept this gift...."

Kumiko sighed while knowing how cruel it would be to refuse after Mayumi had gone to this much trouble to impress her. She went back to feigning a smile of pleasure and waited until her coworker had straightened up again, before receiving the present.

"I don't know how I can thank you, Mayumi," she said in an as gracious tone as she could muster. "If I have to be honest, you seem like a little sister to me sometimes..."

A dimwitted, obnoxious little sister who just won't get off my back...

Mayumi blushed and subsequently covered her face with both hands to regain her composure. Once it was back, she looked forward again and gave her a reply.

"Well, that was what I set out to be from the moment I met you, Kumiko. You're just so pretty and cool, and I can't understand why you haven't found a man yet in this city. It can't be because you're from the country, can it? You fit in so well here..."

Kumiko clutched the present close to her chest and had to remind herself not to lean against the door, however tempting it was. Mayumi's tendency to be a chatterbox was usually irritating, but the younger woman's words had just struck a chord with her.

She headed for a seat in the foyer, and Mayumi followed as expected.

"I know you're worried about me, but it's alright now..." she began, knowing that lies would be necessary even when her feelings were genuine. "My parents are setting me up with a guy I used to go to school with, and he's nice, from what I remember..."

Mayumi looked at her dejectedly while shuffling her feet.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Your parents can't really know what you want."

"Oh, it's not so bad. I'm not very picky with men, and since I already know him, we should hit it off just fine."

It was now Mayumi's turn to sigh as she brushed aside some strands of her bobbed hair.

"Kumiko, forget all the things I said about you getting old. You shouldn't stay with him if he's not good enough..."

"I won't. I'm not that kind of person," Kumiko countered firmly, although she couldn't help but fear that Mayumi had somehow seen through her lie and figured out the truth. "I know my worth, and I won't put up with any man who takes me for granted..."

"That's good to hear," Mayumi mumbled, stepping back so they could once again be a comfortable distance apart. "Please take care of yourself. You're still young, and if anyone ever calls you a Christmas cake, then they're just being mean."

Such advice took Kumiko aback. She hadn't expected anything insightful to come out of the younger woman's mouth, and now she wondered how applicable it was to her relationship with Ichiro.

His behavior this morning had been disappointing, but it had been only a day since his resurrection. After some consideration, she decided to allow him more time for redemption, and if he continued to disappoint her, then that would be it.

******

Note:

- 'Christmas cake' is a Japanese slang term for a woman who remains unmarried into her late twenties and is considered to be past her prime.