Page 22 of The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop

Shiho gripped Kaho’s wrist and pulled her inside. At first, Kaho assumed that it was a coffee shop, but then she noticed that there were bookshelves everywhere, each crammed with books. She also spotted cherry-blossom branches in individual vases all around the room.

Mustering up the courage, she placed herself next to Shiho. A girl in a white blouse and a burgundy pinafore dress stood across from them. She was about the same height as them, and although she looked a few years older, she didn’t seem to be wearing any make-up.

Holding an open book in front of her face, she was reading a passage from it:

‘“Pale rays of light tiptoed across the waters; and by and by there was to be heard a sound at once the most musical and the most melancholy in the world: the mermaids calling to the moon.”’

The girl looked up, a joyful smile rising to her lips. Her eyes darted back and forth between Kaho and Shiho.

‘W-What is it?’

‘Oh, it’s just that I’d assumed that our next guests would be young children. That was quite shallow of me. Preconceptions are never good, are they? Anyway, you are both very welcome. Please take a seat.’

The girl gestured towards a two-person table topped with a sign that read ‘Reserved’. It seemed that the same thought was going through the sisters’ minds ( Wait, we didn’t make a reservation! ), but since neither of them knew what else to do, they simply sat down across from one another.

Then, the girl placed a napkin and a coaster in front of each of them. Bringing her hand to her mouth, she formed a loose fist and gave a small ahem in a sweet voice.

‘Now, then. The book you two were reading, the story of Peter Pan – also known as the boy who wouldn’t grow up – was originally produced as a stage play.

It was a big hit when it debuted in 1904, and quickly became a beloved Christmas tradition.

Oh, and by the way, the line “… no one can fly unless the fairy dust has been blown on him” is said to have been added three or four years later at the request of the London Ambulance Service.

It was rumoured that lots of kids ended up at their doctor’s after recklessly jumping from their beds.

Not that I can blame them. I admit there was a time when even I believed that I could fly. ’

Holding the book in one hand, the girl held up the index finger of her other.

‘The play was novelised, by the playwright himself, as Peter Pan and Wendy , the book we have right here. Personally, my favourite part in this book is in the final chapter. It’s where Wendy, who has become a mother, is asked by her daughter Jane, “Why can’t you fly now, Mother? ” And this is what she says.’

Reopening the book, the girl brought her fist to her face and gave another ahem before speaking with a dramatic intonation.

‘“Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly.”’

Then, with a look on her face that said, Well, what do you think? she turned to the sisters. But all they could do in response was stare in stunned silence. Exactly what is going on? they both thought.

‘Now, Miss Shiho Fukamachi and Miss Kaho Fukamachi.’

How do you know our names? Kaho tried to confront the girl, but Shiho held up her hand and stopped her.

‘To tell you the truth, it was my friend who invited you both here. I believe you’ve both heard her voice already, but she would like to properly introduce herself.’

By the time the girl had finished speaking, a cat had leapt onto the sisters’ table.

It was a calico cat with an impressively long coat.

Deftly navigating around the coasters and napkins, the cat walked past the sisters to a relatively spacious spot at the edge of the table.

Then, turning around to face them, she lowered herself into a loaf pose.

‘This is Kobako. Her real name is Kōbako with an elongated “kō”, but I shortened it.’

As the cat yawned in response, it tilted its head back, and its collar came into view.

Indeed, the name written in kanji characters was ‘Kōbako’.

‘But what is this place exactly? Are we supposed to order something? Or … is this a bookshop?’

‘Well, I suppose we are a bookshop, but we also serve coffee. To put it simply, it’s a bit of a strange shop.

But it doesn’t matter if you buy anything.

It’s just that by coincidence , you happened to open the same page of the same book I was reading, and so the passage became connected.

I say “coincidence”, but actually, it was kind of deliberate. ’

‘I honestly have no idea what you just said.’

Acknowledging this, the girl pointed her index finger and tipped her head to one side.

‘I mentioned this to another customer before, but the service we offer is kind of like letting people win the lottery even when they haven’t bought a ticket. The world needs a bit of that. This one thinks so, too.’

The cat, opening just one eye, gave a sleepy meow. Kaho and Shiho gazed back and forth between the girl and the cat.

‘Each of you has something you want to know, something you want to confirm, and if possible, something you’d like to confess to each other today, am I right?’

Kaho and Shiho exchanged glances. Shiho’s mouth was agape, forming an ‘O’ shape.

‘And if that is the case, the easiest thing to do is for you to go and take things into your own hands. Oh, for the record, things like this don’t happen every day. But it’s also true that unexpected things do happen, as experienced by the author of this book.

‘He was inspired to create the story of a boy who never grows up after meeting five brothers at his local park. When he turned it into a play, it became a huge success. Then, when the parents of those five boys tragically passed away, he ended up becoming their guardian, one by one. There are more miracles in this world than we tend to believe, you know. The fact that you two were born twins is one of them.’

Then, tilting her head, the girl said, ‘Seeing is believing,’ before turning to the cat. ‘Over to you, Kobako.’

At last, both of the calico cat’s eyes were wide open. Rising to her feet atop the table, she gave a long, lingering meow.

‘Oh, I almost forgot. You’ll feel a little bit dizzy at first, but please don’t worry, it’s nothing serious.’

The girl’s voice began to distort midway through.

At the same time, Kaho felt a deep discomfort take hold inside her, as though her heart alone was being gripped forcefully.

What’s so ‘little’ about this? she wanted to say.

But before she could protest, she was hit by a sensation that felt like she was being hurled away somewhere.

The next thing she knew, Kaho was standing in a corridor.

Judging from the smell, she was inside a hospital.

What’s happening? she thought, and turned to her sister.

But what she saw was truly unexpected. Her sister was a child; she didn’t even look old enough to be in the upper years of elementary school.

And the fact that she wasn’t wearing glasses yet was proof of this.

Her hands clasped behind her, the young girl stood with her head down and her eyes fixed on the linoleum floor.

Outside the nearest hospital room, four names had been written by hand. One of them was ‘Shoma Hiiragi’. Kaho noticed someone holding her hand. It was her mother. She was wearing a navy-coloured skirt, a white blouse and a green cardigan. Kaho had almost never seen her dress so modestly.

‘We’re here. I know you haven’t seen Shoma-kun in a long time, but don’t get too carried away, okay? Don’t forget that we’re in a hospital. And you too, Kaho-chan, don’t go wandering around on your own.’

Kaho was perplexed. Her mother had turned to her sister when she called Kaho’s name.

Could it be that Tae?chan couldn’t actually tell them apart?

For a moment, she thought that this might be the case, but that seemed impossible.

Kaho took a closer look at the young girl in front of her – the girl she thought was Shiho.

It was then that she realised. That she remembered.

What the girl was wearing was the outfit that Kaho herself had worn that day.

So … I’m inside Shiho’s body on that day.

But is that even possible? Unable to make sense of it, her gaze wavered until it met the eyes of the other girl – the one who seemed to be herself.

It was at this moment that she realised where Shiho was.

She must be in that place. Kaho was almost sure of it.

But it didn’t seem like her present self – the one who had just graduated from high school – was controlling the young Shiho’s body. In fact, contrary to Kaho’s intentions, the young Shiho suddenly tugged at her mother’s sleeve and said:

‘I want to go and talk with Shoma-kun for a bit. Is it okay if you and Kaho wait for me here? Actually, can you go to the waiting room and see what drinks they have?’

Rather than answering straightaway, for a moment her mother dropped her gaze and silently stared at her. Then, she directed her attention to the young Kaho and asked, ‘What about you, Kaho-chan? Is that okay with you?’

‘Me? I’m totally fine with that.’

Then her mother took the young Kaho’s hand and began to walk away from the room.

The young Shiho was now alone. All that Kaho could do now was ‘watch’ how things unfolded from inside Shiho’s body.

The one thing she had sensed, albeit vaguely, was that the young Shiho was acting with a firm sense of purpose.

‘Hey, Shiho-chan.’

Shoma smiled weakly as she approached his bed.

‘How are you feeling? You seem like you’re quite unwell.’

‘Uh… Neither good nor bad, I guess. The dizziness is getting better, though.’

‘That’s good.’

From the way the conversation was going, Kaho gathered that Shoma must have told Shiho more about his illness than she’d imagined. As this thought occurred to Kaho, Shoma averted his eyes slightly and said: