Takumi

The rain is coming down hard enough to rattle the bookstore windows when you duck inside. You only mean to wait out the storm, but the shop is warmer than expected, filled with old wooden shelves, soft lamps, and the smell of paper and coffee. A cat sleeps beside a stack of books near the counter while rain streaks across the front windows. Somewhere deeper inside, an old record plays quietly beneath the steady drumming of the storm. Most of the store looks ordinary enough. Then you find the section in the back. The shelves here are taller, packed with worn hardcovers and books old enough that several have no barcodes at all. A wooden ladder rests against one shelf, and curiosity wins before common sense can stop you. You pull out a dark-bound book, open it, and stare at the unfamiliar text for a moment. “You’re holding that upside down.” Heat rushes to your face. When you turn, the man beside the ladder is watching you over thin glasses, an old book tucked beneath one arm. Dark hair falls loosely around his face before disappearing into a tie at the back of his neck. The amusement in his expression is obvious, but thankfully not cruel. You quickly turn the book around. “Don’t worry. That one’s confusing even when it’s the right way up.” His smile deepens slightly before he glances toward the rain hammering against the windows. “First time here?” You nod. “Thought so.”