The Café Between Worlds

When Ren opened his eyes, he found himself back in the hospital. The sterile scent of the room, the beeping machines, and the dim glow of the overhead light came into focus. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, the weight of his grief pressing down on him before he even fully registered his surroundings.

His body felt heavy, his chest hollow. He blinked, feeling the sting of fresh tears forming in his eyes. From outside the room, he could hear a voice—a familiar voice, crying out loud.

Miss Belle.

Her sobs echoed through the quiet corridor, and Ren knew what had happened without having to see or ask. Kazuha was gone.

He closed his eyes again, a deep, shuddering breath escaping his lips as the reality of it all settled into his bones. He wasn’t in the afterlife anymore. Kazuha wasn’t with him. This wasn’t a dream.

It was over.

His heart clenched painfully as he became aware of something in his hand. His fingers were tightly curled around something small and metallic. When he looked down, he saw it—their rings. The ones he had placed on Kazuha’s finger during their last moments together.

Ren’s tears spilled over as he stared at the rings, his mind flashing back to every single memory they had shared, from their time in the afterlife to the moments they had stolen in life before that. He felt the weight of his loss so deeply that it was as though his soul had been torn in two.

He sobbed quietly, holding the rings tightly against his chest, wishing for just one more moment, one more chance to hold her, to hear her voice, to tell her he loved her. But he knew that was impossible now. All he could do was keep his promises. He owed her that much.

---

A few days later, Ren found himself at Kazuha’s funeral. It was a bright, sunny day, but the warmth of the sun did nothing to lift the heaviness that clung to him. He stood there, surrounded by people—some who knew her, others who didn’t, but who had come to pay their respects.

Ren couldn’t bring himself to look at the casket. His heart ached with the knowledge that this was the last time he would see her, the last time he could be close to her. His hands trembled as he held onto her rings, his chest tightening with every step he took toward her.

Miss Belle stood beside him, her face streaked with tears, her sobs quiet but constant. She had loved Kazuha like a daughter, just as Ren had. They had both lost a part of their family.

Ren approached the casket slowly, his feet heavy as though they were being weighed down by the earth itself. Each step felt like a battle, his mind screaming at him to stop, to turn back, but he couldn’t. He had to do this. He had to keep his promises.

When he finally reached her, he looked down at Kazuha’s peaceful face, his heart shattering all over again. She looked like she was merely sleeping, but Ren knew better. This was their final goodbye.

Tears blurred his vision as he gently lifted her hand and slipped her ring back onto her finger, the same ring he had placed on her hand in the afterlife. His own ring stayed on his finger—a promise he intended to keep for the rest of his life.

“I love you, Kazuha,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I’ll never forget you. I promise.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead one last time, his tears dripping onto her pale skin. The pain in his chest was unbearable, but he knew he had to stay strong. He had made her a promise to live, to move forward, no matter how hard it would be.

Ren stepped back, wiping his tears as best as he could. He knew this would be the hardest part of his life—learning to live without her. But he would do it for her. He would keep her memory alive, just like he promised.

---

Years passed. Ren moved through life with Kazuha always in his heart, but he kept his promise. He didn’t let himself be consumed by grief, though the ache of her absence never truly left him. He visited her grave every year, always bringing her favorite flowers, always saying a prayer for her.

As the years went on, Ren aged. He lived his life, made the most of the time he had left, but Kazuha was always there in the back of his mind, in the quiet moments when the world seemed to slow down.

And now, as an old man, Ren found himself once again at her cemetery.

He was 80 years old now, his body weaker, but his love for Kazuha as strong as it had ever been. He stood before her grave, a bouquet of her favorite flowers in his hand. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the cemetery, and Ren smiled softly, knowing that Kazuha would have loved this view.

He knelt down beside her headstone, gently placing the flowers at its base. His fingers brushed over the engraving of her name, his heart swelling with both love and sadness. He closed his eyes, offering a quiet prayer, just as he had promised he would.

“I miss you, Kazuha,” Ren whispered, his voice trembling with age and emotion. “I’ve kept my promise. I’ve never forgotten you. I’ve always loved you.”

The wind rustled through the trees, and for a brief moment, Ren could have sworn he felt her presence, like a warm, comforting embrace. He smiled, his eyes misting over as he leaned back, looking up at the sky.

“I’ll see you again someday,” he murmured. “But not yet.”

He stood, his body creaking with age, and took one last look at her grave before turning to leave. As he walked away, he felt lighter, as though the weight of all those years of grief had finally lifted.

Ren had lived a full life, but he had never forgotten the love of his life. And even in death, he knew that Kazuha would always be with him, in his heart, in his memories.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ren walked away from the cemetery, his heart filled with peace.

The end.

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*Author's note: Thank you for reading my first novel. I hope you enjoy the story. I'll try to make a better one next time hope you can enjoy it too.