Page 28 of The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop

Even so, from time to time, people from publishers came all the way from Tokyo to visit Kozue and her father’s home.

Kozue could sense that they truly loved her father’s writing.

It was only recently that, through conversations with these people and the few relatives she had, Kozue managed to piece together the facts about her mother.

‘… could it be that you’re … my mother?’

Once again, Kozue examined the girl in front of her.

From what she’d seen in the photograph of her mother, she figured that this might be how she’d looked in her youth.

But if someone had told her that this was how Kozue herself would look in a few years’ time, she would probably believe it right away.

A shadow seemed to pass across the girl’s face as she opened her mouth.

‘Hmm… The answer to your question is kind of complicated,’ the girl said, scratching the back of her head self-consciously. ‘You’re old enough to understand – I mean, you know what your dad does for a living now, right?’

Kozue gave a nod and replied, ‘My father writes novels. He told me that he started writing because he aspired to be like Kenji Miyazawa.’

‘Oh,’ she said, covering her mouth with her hand. ‘I should probably say that he used to write novels. I think we’re living off his savings now, to be honest.’

‘You two talk about that?’

‘Oh no, he would never tell me that himself. But I can pick up on these things now.’

‘You must be worried about money.’

‘I suppose so, but— Hmm ,’ Kozue said as she pressed her fingertips together by her face.

It wasn’t until much later that she realised how similar her movements were to those of the girl in front of her.

‘I genuinely enjoy reading my father's books. His stories have this kind of understated, almost quiet narrative. But then, there are these moments when you feel like you’ve been suddenly swept off the ground; like you’re floating in the air.

I really like that about his work. As one of his fans, it makes me go, “I really want to read another book by him.” And knowing that this isn’t completely impossible makes me want it even more.

I just wish that there was something I could do to help. ’

Kozue spoke in one breath. The girl lifted the corners of her mouth into a broad smile.

‘Wow. Talk about deep reading. Be sure to tell him all of that. He'll be absolutely delighted.’

‘ Hmm .’

There’s no way I could tell him that, I’d feel so awkward . Kozue kept this thought to herself.

‘But aren’t his books a little tricky for a junior-high student?’

‘They are, but not at all compared to Kenji Miyazawa’s works.’

‘I wonder if your dad will be happy to hear that. Maybe he’ll be disappointed.’

Cocking her head to one side, Kozue deliberated for a moment.

Then, she said, ‘I guess a bit of both.’

‘I agree.’

They both burst into laughter. More than ever, Kozue understood how well the person in front of her knew her father and his works, perhaps even better than he did. This made her very happy.

‘I’m really happy so far, too. Hey, Kobako, does this count as self-satisfaction? What do you think?’

The girl turned to face the cat as she spoke. When Kozue tilted her head, wondering what she had meant, the girl returned her gaze and narrowed her eyes into a gentle expression.

‘You don’t need to worry. Kazuhiko Tonami’s next book will be released soon enough. I assure you.’

‘Will it? But how do you know that?’

‘Well, the fact that we – my cat and I – are here is proof enough.’

The cat grunted contentedly. This time, Kozue was almost sure that it was chiming in.

‘By the time you’ve grown up, your dad’s new book will have been published, and it won’t stop there – it will be read widely, and for a long time.

Writer Kazuhiko Tonami will create a character based on his lost wife and will write a story about her.

The book will be entitled A Shop Named Sakura .

But the character won’t reflect just his wife.

She’ll also be his daughter – in other words, you will very much influence how he shapes her.

And that’s why I am your mother, but at the same time, I am you.

I’m probably not doing a great job at explaining it, but that’s the essence of it. ’

While Kozue sat there, flabbergasted, the girl narrowed her eyes again, her face softening into tenderness itself. It was then that Kozue realised. She was wearing an expression that a mother would only show her child. That was why it had made her feel so nostalgic.

‘Once the book is finally out in the world, my cat and I will be able to exist here. This isn’t a metaphor or anything – quite literally, the words woven by your father have begun to flow time into this world.

Of course, here, the flow of time is completely different to that of yours.

This place is certainly not reality. But just think of it as a world that’s firmly attached to reality.

In short, your father’s words will give Kobako and me a place to belong. ’

Saying that, the girl brought her hand in front of her face, made a small fist, and let out a single ahem .

‘In other words, this is an example of how the power of human imagination can, at times, transcend the very thing we call “imagination”.

But then, the girl gently drew her brows together. The cat also exhaled through its nose.

‘The thing is, although your dad has finally managed to start writing, he’s suddenly stopped. I think it’s only natural that he’s struggling, but if things don’t change, we’ll be in trouble.’

This was news to Kozue. Her father never brought up the subject of work with her.

‘Which is why I need you to deliver a message from me and Kobako to your father. Please tell him that he needs to pull himself together. Otherwise, we’ll never be able to see you here. We’ve already been waiting way too long.’

‘What? I don’t understand.’

‘If he doesn’t resume his writing, we’ll never be able to exist. This is why we decided to invite you here – so that we can hopefully kick things off. Right?’ the girl said to the cat, and the cat responded by making purring sounds.

‘Uh, umm…’ Kozue spoke as she tried to organise her thoughts.

‘But if my father’s manuscript is incomplete, and if you therefore don’t exist, then, how do you explain the situation we’re in right now?

What I mean is – how could you have invited me here, if you don’t exist yet?

This feels like a contradiction; like the cause and effect are the other way around.

No, actually, I don’t even know if I can accept this whole thing about you only existing through my father’s writing. ’

Kozue felt as though she had become lost in a maze of words that she had created herself.

The more she spoke, the more confused she became.

Then, the girl raised her index finger in front of her face and shook her head.

It was as though she was mimicking a detective who was about to point out a critical flaw in someone’s story.

‘Like I said, here, time doesn’t flow in the same way as your world.

It can meander and it can move in reverse.

Sometimes you find it flowing along the main path, and yet the next thing you know, it’s slipped into the backroads .

And right now, as you’re listening to my explanation, you’re probably picturing in your mind the time, twisting and turning or going backwards, even though you’ve never “seen” the flow of time before.

This is the amazing thing about the human imagination.

You could say that through imagining them, such flows of time have come into existence.

Words and the human imagination are that powerful. ’

As she spoke, the girl’s voice grew more and more fervent.

‘Here’s another example. Even as we sit here, millions of people all around the world must understand what a “time paradox” is, and their minds are probably spiralling with countless theories and questions.

And yet none of them – not a single person – has experienced such a thing.

Which is why I can’t help but wonder: can we say that this “time paradox” that people are visualising in their minds actually exists?

That’s the essence of existence without physical form. ’

The girl, whose eyes had been sparkling with enthusiasm, suddenly seemed to snap back to her senses. A serious expression returned to her face as she brought her fist to her mouth again and gave another ahem . This time, however, she was just trying to hide her embarrassment.

‘Well … anyway, that’s essentially why Kobako and I are here in this shop.

First, your father will finish writing our story.

Once it’s out in the world and is read by many people, each reader will picture it in their minds.

And that’s how this shop will come into existence.

Of course, the reason it can exist is because it’s in this place, and this is the only place it can exist.’

What the girl said seemed to make sense, but at the same time, it was completely beyond Kozue’s understanding. Yet there was something about the urgency in the girl’s voice that she couldn’t ignore. When Kozue nodded her head, the girl looked pleased.

‘I guess you kind of get it? You’re right – this is a strange place. And that is exactly why there are so many conditions that need to be met before anyone can travel between the two worlds. I want to make sure your father makes this very clear in his book.’

Saying so, the girl straightened up her posture before continuing.

‘Here are the conditions that need to be met for someone in your world to be invited to this place: they have to read the same passage from the same book as me, at exactly the same time, on the same day in the same season. It also has to be a sunny day in spring, beneath the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Please, make sure you tell your father.’