We walked to a hole-in-the-wall Japanese bakery three blocks away. Kazumi ordered an anpan (red bean bun) and a melon soda. I got a katsu sando. We sat on a retaining wall outside, not at a table, because tables feel like appointments.
Find a ramen shop where the broth has been simmering since 5 AM. Sit at the counter, side-by-side, not across. Slurp loudly. Let the steam fog up her glasses (if she wears them). Steal a piece of her chashu pork. best day ever with kazumi
She pulled out a small, worn notebook and sketched the scene in three minutes flat—a messy, beautiful drawing of the bridge, the ripples, and two stick figures holding hands. She tore it out and gave it to me. We walked to a hole-in-the-wall Japanese bakery three