Recommendation

Chapter 1: Two Rice Balls Guest
Chapter 2: Fried Chicken Lunchbox Customers
Chapter 3: Kim Dosirak Girl
Chapter 4: Taxi Driver and Customer
Chapter 5 Custard

Author's Note
Translator's Note

A close friend, a crush, a cat that follows me
A time when a small connection was everything

There are people who live alone, blaming themselves for their dysfunctional relationships.
In particular, I can't forget that moment when I was hurt and I just keep going around the same place.
Author Kato Gen embraces wounds that do not heal with the passage of time, and guides readers through fluffy imagination.
And it shows that courage isn't something grand, it's just taking a step.
It meticulously depicts the ripples of change that occurred when I barely managed to say “I’m sorry” and “thank you” that I couldn’t say at the time.
The sight of the main characters gradually growing as their estranged relationship recovers evokes a gentle and gentle emotion.


This novel, consisting of five chapters, is even more novel because it presents a three-dimensional approach to relationships, including friends, family, love, and animals.
The 'Two Rice Ball Customer' who declared a breakup because she was upset that she had a friend who was closer to her than herself, the 'Chicken Fried Lunchbox Customer' who got angry at her mother because she missed out on her unrequited love, and the 'Kim Lunchbox Girl' who ran away because she felt burdened when the stray cat she was taking care of gave birth to kittens.
Each chapter contains the stories of guests who were sensitive to changes in relationships and had difficulty expressing their feelings.
A lot of time has passed and many things have changed, but the self-reproach in the hearts of all three remains the same.
At this time, he meets Hinata, the owner of a lunchbox shop, and his pent-up emotions begin to flow out.

While the exchange of words and the thoughts that come to mind at that moment are explained in detail, the important changes in the heart are depicted in a weighty manner.
Variations in these descriptions make reading the novel even more enjoyable.
Readers who read it first left comments saying that the sentences were short and concise, so much so that it felt like reading poetry rather than a novel, which really resonated with them.


The expressions that appear as the story unfolds in a lunchbox shop also catch the eye.
The author adds a sense of realism with specific food descriptions that stimulate the appetite, such as, 'The salmon is well-cooked and has a lot of mashed meat inside,' 'It has chunks of potato mixed in, so it has a chewy texture,' and 'A whole radish is cut into pieces and stewed with lean mackerel,' making the story even more immersive for readers.

When you feel lost in life, come here.
Because this is the place for you

This book does not contain the fantastical magic or mysterious world that comes to mind when you think of fantasy novels.
Nevertheless, the slight gap in reality made readers imagine even more.
The lunchbox shop, which helps restore relationships that ended in pain, brings back memories and makes people dream of a chance reunion with someone they miss.
Imagination based on reality and empathy is powerful.


Chapter 4, which is the most fantasy-tinged, features a 'taxi driver customer' who is the same lunchbox shop customer but has a different color.
In life, the most simple and bright personality is the one whose regrets are as much as what's on the lunch menu.
It changes the mood by making the gentle flow of the story pop.
The last five chapters end with the story of Hinata, the owner of a lunchbox shop.
He is an attractive character because his behavior toward guests is indifferent and does not cross the line.
I feel even more affectionate towards him because he had the ability to see through hearts, but lived with regrets.
It reminds us once again that 'regret' is a universal emotion that no one can avoid.


The characters picked up by the taxi driver, the reason the owner of the lunchbox shop can see into people's minds, and the secrets of 'Custard', which looks like a cake shop but sells lunchboxes, are also great attractions in this book.
It shows the power of author Gen Kato, who is loved by countless fans for his works that go beyond mystery and emotion.


In fact, we often encounter our past selves by chance.
A song heard on the radio, a familiar smell of food as I passed by a restaurant.
The customers in the novel had an opportunity to win prizes from the lunchbox shop they frequented, and I hope this book will be that opportunity for readers.
Because the scenery you see when you take one step forward will definitely change.