Butter by Asako Yuzuki

Author:Asako Yuzuki
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2023-11-08T09:50:41+00:00

Upon waking, Rika checked her phone. The sky beyond the curtain looked significantly darker than it had the previous morning.

She heard the noise of a hairdryer coming from the bathroom. In a bid to outdo it, she cleared her throat and shouted, ‘Akiyama texted! He says he’s free from two. If I leave now, I should make it. I’m meeting him in a cafe in the yoghurt factory in Agano. He’s only mentioned me, though, so do you mind if I go on this one alone?’

Rika suspected her friend would put up a fight, but the glossy-haired Reiko who now poked her head round the bathroom door nodded docilely. Rika felt a burst of relief at the contrast to yesterday.

‘Got it. I’ll spend the day doing some Niigata sightseeing, then. I’ll pick up the souvenirs on the Kajimana list, too. Where should we convene this evening?’

They ate a leisurely breakfast and then Reiko saw her off at the entrance to the hotel, where Rika got in a taxi to Agano as she’d done the previous day. According to the weather forecast, tonight would bring a snowstorm.

The factory was only small, but the brand of yoghurt they manufactured was one you often found in Tokyo supermarkets. The place appeared to be a tourist spot, and when she mentioned its name to the taxi driver, he nodded immediately.

Having arrived early, Rika decided to walk around the factory grounds. A long pipe extended from a giant tank, connecting up to a truck emblazoned with the company logo. Was there milk running through it, she wondered? She felt the contents of the pipe were somehow linked with the snowy landscape around. Reiko’s words from last night came back to her, and she thought about the fate of the sperm-producing bulls.

She located the small pre-fab cafe in front of the factory. The outdoor terrace with its stone statues and flowerbeds stood covered in a blanket of snow. Stepping up to the entrance, Rika found her nostrils filling with the scent of butter. The staff behind the counter dressed in naval-style uniforms greeted her.

Akiyama was sitting in the bright white interior of the cafe. He got to his feet when he saw her. Dressed in a down gilet and jeans, he looked so much younger than he had done the previous day in his overalls that it was as if she were meeting a different person.

‘Thank you so much for agreeing to meet me, I know you’re very busy. And thanks again for showing us around yesterday.’ Rika took a seat opposite him. A girl in uniform came over to take her order. She requested a yoghurt waffle with whipped cream and a café au lait, apologising to Akiyama for eating on the job. The waffles here had been on Kajii’s list, and she felt she needed to try them.

‘It’s perfect timing, as it turns out. I managed to get hold of a stand-in who occasionally covers for me. It’s good to give my wife and parents a break sometimes, too.

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