My Seatmate is Apparently My Wife from My Past Life; She Still Loves Me in This Life as Well

An hour later.

Having fully prepared for school, I left home much earlier than usual and, as expected, visited a certain café with Kamidama Kagari.

It was that familiar café, a small establishment run by an elderly master and a single part-time employee. With nothing to do and plenty of time, I was invited by Kagari to kill some time there.

I wondered what Kagari thought a café was for, but the master welcomed us with a surprisingly good mood.

It’s quite peculiar that the café operates so early on a weekday morning. The master must have a lot of free time.

Or maybe it’s because he has so much free time that he runs this café. The location is not particularly conducive to business, and it’s difficult for newcomers like me to find.

Every time I’ve been here, we were the only customers. It’s as if the café doesn’t really exist in the real world.

Is this place one of those mysterious places that normal people can’t reach, like a café in the afterlife?

With so many peculiar places around, like underground libraries and schools with lots of empty classrooms, it’s no wonder my mind drifts toward such thoughts.

If not for Kagari guiding me, this café would be hard to find.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how strange and unique this town is.

Sensing my thoughts, or perhaps knowing how outsiders think, Kagari said with a gentle smile,

“It’s a quirky town, isn’t it? But don’t you find it comfortable?”

Well, it makes sense for Kagari, who was born and raised here, to feel comfortable. Unlike a remote village with strange customs, there’s nothing unpleasant about this town.

Though I don’t feel uncomfortable here either—maybe it’s just that the discomfort I feel towards the Aimon family outweighs everything else.

It’s like anything next to something stronger gets overshadowed.

Taking everything into account, if I had to judge the comfort level, it’s on the better side. Or maybe it feels familiar.

It settles in my heart just right, like the coffee here.

Despite not particularly liking coffee, I’ve come to enjoy the coffee here ever since Kagari first brought me.

I once tried ordering cocoa, but ultimately settled back to coffee, so it must be good.

“How is today’s coffee? Did you like it?” the master asked.

“Well, I’m not an expert, but it’s as good as always,” I replied.

“That’s excellent. It would be troublesome if we lost a customer.”

“You say that, but you don’t really care about sales, do you?” I remarked.

Sitting at the usual window-side sofa seat in the small café, where I’ve always sat since my first visit, the master approached me, his mustache twitching in amusement.

For some reason, he always talks to me when I’m alone. Not that I mind, but talking to someone his age is rare for me, so it’s always a bit of a struggle.

I’m always on edge, fearing I might step on a major landmine.

Yet, despite not knowing him long, there’s something about the master that makes me feel he would just laugh it off.

Maybe this is what they call an adult’s sense of acceptance.

“It’s not sales I value, but people. At my age, you come to realize how important good encounters are,” the master said.

“If you consider meeting me a good encounter, that’s an honor, but…” I began, unsure what to say, then swallowed my words.

I mean, sometimes this guy is really scary.

He looks at me with such intense eyes, it’s like he’s trying to read my mind.

“No way, I can’t read minds. I’m just a café master,” he said, laughing.

“You totally can! You’re reading me completely!” I protested.

“Ha ha ha… You’re as easy to read as always. It’s amusing,” he replied.

“Stop teasing me like Kagari does. It’s really bad for my heart,” I said.

For a moment, I seriously thought the master might have received some psychic powers too, breaking out in a cold sweat.

If he kept teasing me like this, my mental state wouldn’t hold up. Just as I thought that, the master handed me two tickets.

Or rather, what appeared to be tickets.

“Train tickets?” I asked.

Yes, they were two tickets—one for each of us.

It made no sense.

“I heard you’re investigating past lives, as Kagari mentioned. These should help,” the master said.

“Wait, what? No, I can’t accept this,” I stammered.

“You must. For Kagari’s sake,” he insisted.

“Does Kagari have something on you?” I asked, feeling like this was too much.

It felt like something only a lackey or a butler would do. I felt a surge of righteous indignation towards Kagari, but the master’s smile was so compelling that I quietly sat back down.

“Well, I guess I’ll take them. Thank you,” I said reluctantly.

“You’re welcome. Come back once you’ve wrapped things up,” the master said with a smile, his monocle gleaming as he walked away.

I sighed deeply as I watched him leave.