Toshikazu Kawaguchi

A Novel

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

コーヒーが冷めないうちに

What would you change if you could go back in time? In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café's time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know. But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . . Toshikazu Kawaguchi's beautiful, moving story - translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot - explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?

Izaac Richards

With red teary eyes, Kumi looked up and took a deep breath "To run the inn together. With you," she replied. Her face transformed into a big smile

"One more thing," she said. Starng tomorrow, no more calling me by my maiden name, OK?' 

Lindy

I cannot change those sad times of yours. 

The magazine piece on the urban legend had stated, 

'At the end of the day, whether one returns to the past or travels to the future, the present does not change. So it raises the question: just what is the point of that chair?'

But Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them, It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone's heart, it clearly has its purpose.

But with her cool expression, she will just say, 'Drink the coffee before it gets cold.'

'But...' Miki smiled bashfully as she took a little step closer. 'I am really glad for the life you gave me.'

It takes courage to say what has to be said. It no doubt took Miki all of her courage to express her feelings to the mother she had just met. Her voice wavered with uncertainty, but it conveyed her true feelings.

Large teardrops began flowing from Kei's eyes.

But giving birth to you is the only thing I will ever be able to do for you.

Miki also began crying. But using both hands to wipe away the tears, she smiled sweetly.

'Mum.' She said it in a nervous, excited voice but Kei heard it clearly.

At that moment, Kei's heart sang with happiness: she was the mother of this child. She wasn't just a parent—she was the mother of the girl standing before her. She was unable to stop the tears from gushing.

The present didn't change for Kohtake, but she banned everyone from using her maiden name and changed her attitude towards Fusagi. She would be with Fusagi to continue being his wife, even though she had vanished from his memory. Hirai abandoned her successful bar to rejoin her family. While repairing her relationship with her parents, she was learning the traditional ways of the inn from square one.

Nothing about Fusagi changed, but Kohtake came to enjoy her conversations with him. Hirai had still lost her sister, but the photo she sent to the cafe showed her looking happy with her parents.

The present hadn't changed—but those two people had. Both Kohtake and Hirai returned to the present with a changed heart.

I was so absorbed in the things that I couldn 't change, I forgot the most important thing.

Filling in for her, Fumiko had been by Miki's side for these fifteen years. Nagare had been there for Miki as her father, showering her with love, no doubt going some way to make up for her absence. Also filling in for her, Kazu had lavished Miki with kindness, playing the role of mother and big sister. She realized that there had been all these loving people around Miki, earnestly supporting her growth for the fifteen years she had been gone, wishing for her happiness.

Thank you for growing up so happily and healthily. Just by growing up so fit and well, you have made me so happy. That's all I want to say to you ... this is how I feel deep down.

'Miki...' Leaving her flowing tears unwiped, Kei gave her best smile to Miki. 'Thank you, for the honour of having you.'

i know you would've been such a great mother, kei

Can you forgive me that all I could do was to bring you into this world?

We must become friends before this coffee cools.

Thinking this, a heartening feeling of elation filled her chest—an encounter between people ten years apart.

Her father's death left her in a dark place emotionally. She had encountered death for the first time, and referred to it as the very dark box. Once you climbed inside that box, you never got out. Her father was trapped in there—a place where you encountered no one, awful and lonely. 

'So why don't you smile every day so that your father can smile from his box? Our smiles allow him to smile. Our happiness allows your father to be happy in his box.'

She realized that only a deep love and understanding of her husband would have allowed her mother to say those things.

People don't see things and hear things as objectively as they might think. The visual and auditory information that enters the mind is distorted by experiences, thoughts, circumstances, wild fancies, prejudices, preferences knowledge, awareness, and countless other workings of the mind.

Kei wasn't afraid to die. Her anxiety and sadness stemmed from the thought of not being there to see her child grow up.

'But I'm really scared,' Kei muttered in a trembling voice. 'I wonder if my child will be happy.

'Will Mama's baby be lonely? Will that make you cry?' She talked to the child as she always did. 'I might only be able to have you, my child. Will you forgive me?

'I'm scared... the thought of not being there for my child is frightening,' she said, looking directly at Nagare. 'I don't know what I should do. I want my child to be happy. How can such a simple wish be so terribly scary?' she cried.

Nevertheless, she was naturally sociable and free-spirited-an expert at enjoying life. This was one of 'Kei's talents for living happily', as Hirai would say.

Things are still a bit awkward with my parents, but I feel returning home was for the best. I just think that if Kumi's death had led to unhappiness for both me and my parents, then that unhappiness would have been her only legacy.

So that's why I intend to lead a life that creates a more wonderful legacy for Kumi's life. I guess you never thought I could be so serious.

As soon as Kumi was out of sight, she dropped her head and her tears fell from her face and landed like rain on the table. She felt the grief surge from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to scream and bawl, but she couldn't cry out.

If she did, Kumi would hear it. She desperately covered her mouth to stop herself from yelling her sister's name and with shoulders trembling she muted her voice and cried. 

How kindly you look at me after I've been so horrible for so long. You held on to these kind feelings while you continued to wait for me for so long. Always wishing we could work together at the inn. Never giving up. But I...

I see now that you suffered by having me as your older sister. I'm sorry. 

That dream had not changed, and nor had her little sister, who was there in front of her with tears of joy streaming down her face. Her little sister Kumi, who had loved her big sis with all her heart, had, time after time, come to persuade her to return to the family, never giving up. While her parents had disowned her, Kumi had hung on to the belief that Hirai would come home. How sweet her little sister still was. Always the little girl, always following her around. 'Big Sis! Big Sis!' Hirai felt more love for Kumi than she ever had before.

Water flows from high places to low places. That is the nature of gravity. Emotions also seem to act according to gravity. When in the presence of someone with whom you have a bond, and to whom you have entrusted your feelings, it is hard to lie and get away with it. The truth just wants to come flowing out. This is especially the case when you are trying to hide your sadness or vulnerability. It is much easier to conceal sadness from a stranger, or from someone you don't trust. Hirai saw Kei as a confidante with whom she could share anything. The emotional gravity was strong. Kei was able to accept anything—forgive anything —that Hirai let flow out. A single kind word from Kei could cut the cords of tension that ran through her.

To her, it seemed a place where time stood still.

The destinations he made a note of were all the places that he had visited with her. She didn't notice at the time. She couldn't see. These notes were the last hand-hold for Fusagi, who was gradually forgetting who she was.

So I ask you never to forget one thing. You are my wife, and if life becomes too hard for you as my wife, I want you to leave me.

You don't have to stay by me as a nurse. If I am no good as a husband, then I want you to leave me. All I ask is that you can do what you can as my wife. We are husband and wife after all. Even if I lose my memory, I want to be together as husband and wife. I cannot stand the idea of us staying together only out of sympathy.

This is something I cannot say to your face, so I wrote it in a letter.

The kindness in his smile seemed infinite. (...)

Once she had her hands firmly on the cup, he turned his back.

It was as if their time as a couple had reached its end. A large tear began to form in her eye.

'My love,' she cried out without thinking. He did not turn round. His shoulders appeared to be trembling ever so slightly. While watching his back, she drank the coffee in one go. She drank it in one gulp, not out of a sense of urgency that the coffee was about to go cold, but rather out of respect for Fusagi, whose gentle back was turned to ensure she could quickly and safely return to the present. Such was the depth of his kindness.

'I can't let the coffee go cold,' she said and brought the cup close to her mouth.

'So I forget? I forget you?' he mumbled, looking down.

Hearing this, she was overwhelmed by confusion. She didn't even know why there was a coffee cup in front of her.

She looked at him in trepidation. Staring at him, she noticed how forlorn his expression was now. She had never imagined that he could look that way. Lost for words, she couldn't even maintain eye contact and found herself casting her eyes down.

By giving no reply, she had answered his question with a yes.

'I see. I feared as much,' he murmured sadly. He bowed his head so deeply his neck looked like it might break. Her eyes welled with tears. After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, he had struggled each day with the dread and anxiety of losing his memory. Yet she, his wife, had not seen how he had borne these thoughts and feelings alone. On learning that she had come from the future, the first thing he had wanted to know was whether he had forgotten her, his wife. This realization filled her with both joy and sorrow.

It gave her the strength to look him in the face, without wiping away her tears. She smiled broadly at him so he might interpret her tears as those of joy.

She had resigned herself to the fact that one day he would completely forget who she was. She was always preparing herself. If it happens, she thought, I will care for him as a nurse. I am a nurse, so I can do that.

Una mesa, un café y una decisión. Eso es todo lo que hace falta para ser feliz. Una novela sobre el amor, el tiempo perdido y las oportunidades que están por llegar. Un rumor circula por Tokio... Oculta en uno de sus callejones hay una pequeña cafetería que merece la pena visitar no solo por su excelente café, sino también porque, si eliges bien la silla donde sentarte, puedes regresar al pasado. Pero como incluso lo increíble está sujeto a limitaciones, no podrás salir de la cafetería mientras dure el viaje, volverás cuando el café se enfríe y, hagas lo que hagas, el presente no cambiará. A través de las emocionantes historias de cuatro clientes que se atreven a embarcarse en esta aventura por motivos diferentes, Antes de que se enfríe el café nos ofrece un relato atemporal sobre el amor, las oportunidades perdidas y la esperanza de un futuro que siempre está por llegar. La crítica ha dicho... « Antes de que se enfríe el café está destinada a convertirse en un éxito internacional.» Publisher's Weekly «Más de un millón de ejemplares vendidos.» The Bookseller «Una lectura memorable y cautivadora.» Books and Bao «A través de sus cuatro personajes principales, Kawaguchi demuestra una profunda comprensión de las relaciones y del amor.» The Straits Times «Una lectura inspiradora y llena de esperanza que se queda contigo mucho después de que hayas terminado de leer. Hará las delicias de los entusiastas de la cultura japonesa con su evocador y romántico retrato de Tokio.» Pop Culture Bandit Citas de lectores: «Un tema complejo, pero que se trata de una forma aparentemente simple, hace de esta una inolvidable novela. Las emociones que evoca son eternas y universales: el amor en todas sus formas, joven y fresco, maduro y asentado, o el de una madre por su hijo nonato. Completamente delicioso, con una profundidad sorprendente. Un libro maravilloso.» « Antes de que se enfríe el café es una encantadora e inteligente historia acerca de cómo, no importa cuánto lo intentemos, no podemos cambiar el pasado y solo nos queda aprender de nuestros errores y crecer. Disfruté mucho de este emotivo relato.» «Me gustaron los personajes tan idiosincráticos y su amable sentido del humor, que se deja entrever de vez en cuando. Si estás buscando una lectura breve y diferente, este es tu libro.» «Una novela encantadora que te deja con mucho en lo que pensar.»

Antes de que se enfríe el café

Este libro me gustó bastante ya que se lee rápido y la idea está cool, son historias cortas que tocan cosas bien humanas como arrepentimientos y despedidas sin ponerse intensas, y eso se siente honesto. Lo que no me encantó es que algunas historias se parecen entre sí y los personajes no se desarrollan mucho, cuando empezaba a conectar ya se acababa. En general me pareció un libro bonito pero sencillo, no es nada que te vuele la cabeza, pero sí perfecto para leer rápido y quedarte pensando un ratito después.

₊˚.⋆☾ eva ☾ ⋆⁺₊

the acceptance of letting go is what kept me going honestly 

cassandra

Di sebuah gang kecil di Tokyo, ada kafe tua yang bisa membawa pengunjungnya menjelajahi waktu. Keajaiban kafe itu menarik seorang wanita yang ingin memutar waktu untuk berbaikan dengan kekasihnya, seorang perawat yang ingin membaca surat yang tak sempat diberikan suaminya yang sakit, seorang kakak yang ingin menemui adiknya untuk terakhir kali, dan seorang ibu yang ingin bertemu dengan anak yang mungkin takkan pernah dikenalnya. Namun ada banyak peraturan yang harus diingat. Satu, mereka harus tetap duduk di kursi yang telah ditentukan. Dua, apa pun yang mereka lakukan di masa yang didatangi takkan mengubah kenyataan di masa kini. Tiga, mereka harus menghabiskan kopi khusus yang disajikan sebelum kopi itu dingin. Rentetan peraturan lainnya tak menghentikan orang-orang itu untuk menjelajahi waktu. Akan tetapi, jika kepergian mereka tak mengubah satu hal pun di masa kini, layakkah semua itu dijalani?

Funiculi Funicula

absolutely in love with the theme of "letting go", the whole "you can go to the past/future but nothing will change" is also really intriguing and the message delivery is *chef's kiss*. though there are still many things left unexplained (prob due to it having sequel) and the pacing left me feeling kinda bored. then again its pretty enjoyable if you're for something light to read with a few sobs in between as a bonus.

mionne

Geoffrey Trousselot

SUMPAH SUMPAH SUMPAAAAAH. aku nyesel kenapa kemarin waktu beli novel ini gak sekalian beli yang kedua jugaaaaa. fyi aku ngetik ini masih dengan ingus yang meler (maaf jorok) tapi ini beneran honest review dan fresh from the oven. jujur ya, awalnya aku underestimate novel ini (MARAHIN AJAA EMANG) soalnya pas baca awalnya kaya "hah apaan sih? kok bertele-tele banget? kok gak kaya kata orang-orang?" gitu deh intinya. jadi, bisa dibilang, aku lumayan butuh waktu yang lama buat baca novel ini. TAPIII pas udah masuk ke chapter 2, aku mulai merasa "keseruan" yang orang-orang bilang dan akhirnya aku bisa nyelesein baca novelnya hari ini. dari chapter 2, aku udah nangis jelek banget T^T narasinya gak ada yang gagal, aku menikmati banget karena gak ada tuh yang namanya kalimat dengan kombinasi yang aneh, padahal in fact novel ini tuh novel terjemahan. semakin dibaca, semakin kepo sama cerita-cerita di tiap chapternya (spoiler: total ada 4 chapter, masing-masing chapter ada ceritanya sendiri tapi masih berkaitan karena karakternya sama). intinya, aku super duper recommend novel ini BANGET kalau misalnya kalian lagi cari bacaan yang seru dan kalau lagi pengen nangis. this novel deserves 4,5 out of 5 stars!!!! ⭐

love, kinanti

What a lovely trip through time paired with beautiful and raw human storytelling. Thoroughly enjoyed this anthology, and will definitely be moving on to the sequels. 

Liv Wukasch

the writing suffers from translation for sure. also a book should not have the first story be boring as hell only for the rest to be actually a bit captivating

Vincent Osvald

Loved the stories but the book felt too long towards the end and I almost lost interest (I struggled finishing it). Nonetheless, I liked the gentleness of the atmosphere and how everything felt comforting throughout the book.

mari

Beautiful. I feel changed after reading this book. It made me both cry and smile. It was very short though. 

jordann

stories were put together by simple words and yet I feel moved. 

dylme

Made me cry while reading it and also rethink life after. I feel like it genuinely changed my life. Also the endings of each chapter were beautiful, I love how everything and everyone was connected too. Easily one of my favorite books ever.

Fausta Kaveckaitė

matti horckmans

i read this in just one day and it got me into a rollercoaster of emotions. although it felt too short for my liking, i'm yet to read the sequels so i'm hoping it can fulfill what i'm still looking for! 

very cozy, warm, and poignant read. each character had their own story worthy to be told, but kei truly stood out to me. they are all such beautiful souls and i really love the premise of the present remaining unchanged, yet the time they spend back still changes who they are as a person and how they live their lives from then on. it reminds people to always take time cherishing every moment they have and never lose the bit of hope your heart always beats for. every emotion stuck with me, every story left me in tears. 

i read this in just one day and it got me into a rollercoaster of emotions. although it felt too short for my liking, i'm yet to read the sequels so i'm hoping it can fulfill what i'm still looking for! 

very cozy, warm, and poignant read. each character had their own story worthy to be told, but kei truly stood out to me. they are all such beautiful souls and i really love the premise of the present remaining unchanged, yet the time they spend back still changes who they are as a person and how they live their lives from then on. it reminds people to always take time cherishing every moment they have and never lose the bit of hope your heart always beats for. every emotion stuck with me, every story left me in tears. 

beautiful experience to read! 💌

Short and sweet. I don't know that I'll read the other books in the series, but this was cute.

Katelyn Caillouet

Before the coffee gets cold is such a beautiful and cosy story! Only took me two days to finish, and I thoroughly enjoyed all parts of the book. I cannot wait to read the other books by the author. Intriguing at the beginning and finished on a very heartfelt note. 🥹

Olanda

While reading this book, I felt like I was wrapped in a cozy blanket in cold weather. I love all the characters; they take me to the peaceful countryside of Japan. so so so comforting if you just want to get away from your stressful life for a while, then read this.

prachi priyadarshini

this book is a gentle reminder to be grateful—not in a loud, performative way, but in the quiet kind. the kind that notices a warm cup in your hands, a conversation that still lingers in the air, a goodbye that you now realize was love.

there’s so much kindness hidden in the silence of this book. the way people love each other through distance. the way they keep showing up, even if their hearts are full of fear. I cried in the best way—not the kind of crying that leaves you broken, but the kind that makes your chest feel open. 

what stayed with me most was the message that being present—really present—is a kind of magic. we’re always chasing tomorrows or clinging to yesterdays. but sometimes, the real miracle is the now. the hot coffee. the person sitting across from you. the moment before the moment slips away.

because time may not change—but hearts can.

cherish

this book is a gentle reminder to be grateful—not in a loud, performative way, but in the quiet kind. the kind that notices a warm cup in your hands, a conversation that still lingers in the air, a goodbye that you now realize was love.

there’s so much kindness hidden in the silence of this book. the way people love each other through distance. the way they keep showing up, even if their hearts are full of fear. I cried in the best way—not the kind of crying that leaves you broken, but the kind that makes your chest feel open. 

what stayed with me most was the message that being present—really present—is a kind of magic. we’re always chasing tomorrows or clinging to yesterdays. but sometimes, the real miracle is the now. the hot coffee. the person sitting across from you. the moment before the moment slips away.

because time may not change—but hearts can.

torn between saying i liked it or i loved it because although the concept was cool and had lots of potential, the hype this had made me so excited to the point i did not enjoy it as much as i thought i would. still a really good book tho, i just had very high expectations.

mint

i really wanted to like this book more, but the majority of it was kind of boring. the only thing that saved it for me was what happened with kei at the end. it was very sweet, just not the type of book for me.

kaii

one of the books that got me out of a reading slump! Although the concept remains the same, the stories within  is what keeps the book alive

cassie

Honestly just found it really boring and couldn’t get into it.. disappointed cause I saw so much hype around it. Might give it another chance at some point? 

Enjoyed reading the book, however had trouble remembering character names throughout the book. 

HelyaSameni

Bueno… Fácil de leer, pero un poco repetitivo, y para mí no tan emotivo como pretende ser. 

Bárbara

i think the book has a good concept (time-travelling cafe) however it’s quite repetitive with the rules. it’s a quick and easy read since it’s quite short. it’s a sad book but it’s not very sad to the point where i am crying.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold A Novel

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