A few moments passed, each one filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Finally, the moment came: a perfectly cooked steak sat on my grill. "Order 14, it's ready!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the busy kitchen. "Shun, new order! Hurry up, so you can start your summer vacation!" I heard an urgent shout from behind the counter. "I'm already on it!" I replied, slightly out of breath, my hands holding a pan full of fresh dumplings. The kitchen, buzzing with the sounds of sizzling food and the clattering of pots and pans, felt like home to me. At last, the rush of orders slowed down. I wasn't prepared for how tired I'd be from cooking, but the outside air felt good after a busy day.
"I'm home," I whispered to myself. But who was I really talking to? The truth was, I was all alone in my home, just me and my thoughts. Today marked the start of my long-awaited summer vacation, and I had no plans, no friends around - just my loyal cat for company. "What should I do… hmm, food!" my brain perked up. As I settled down to eat, a wave of happiness washed over me. "So good." Choosing to become a cook was one of the best decisions I made; I could make any dish I wanted as long as the fridge was full.
Stepping outside, I again saw the lovely streets of Okinawa. The weather was just right, not too hot, not too cold, but perfectly balanced. Yesterday had been a bit much; I even dozed off at the dinner table after my meal. It happened more often than I'd like to admit, but all I could do was chuckle.
As I walked, my foot bumped into something– ball? Suddenly, I heard two kids' voices shout, "Pass it here!" eager for their game. "Here," I said, kicking the ball back to them. "Thanks!" they beamed, waving as they went back to playing, laughter filling the air.
I took a moment to watch the sun's warmth. "So perfect," I sighed. But when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a different place. "What? Where am I?" The colorful streets of Okinawa had vanished, replaced by people in traditional kimonos, and everything felt steeped in history, old wooden buildings in place of modern surroundings. I was just in Okinawa, but at least the weather was still the same. "this looks like Japan to me, but like old." I thought.
Feeling confused, I approached a passing family. "Excuse me, where are we?" I asked, trying to understand this strange scene. The mother looked at me, puzzled. "You're in Tokyo." Tokyo? That doesn't seem right. "Thanks! Of course, I knew that! Just testing you!" I laughed awkwardly and hurried away.
So I ended up from Okinawa to Tokyo… and in the past, no less. As I walked through the streets of this "new Tokyo", I noticed people staring at my clothes, which clearly stood out in this era. Restaurants, various bathhouses, and flower shops surrounded me, it felt like stepping into an exhibition area. Although I didn't seem to be in the very heart of Tokyo, as the buildings here were mostly traditional rather than large stone structures. I had my phone in my pocket, but there was obviously no signal. Thankfully, it still had battery life since it had been morning in Okinawa, so I hadn't used it all day. I had just downloaded the latest manga volume onto my phone, allowing me some entertainment until the battery died. As it was the newest Samsung model, it should last quite a while. I decided to turn it off to save power.
I pulled out some cash from my pocket - ten 100-yen coins, and wondered if I could buy food with them. I hadn't eaten breakfast because I forgot, and last night's dinner had already been digested. A craving for meat surged as I walked, observing many restaurants yet hesitating to enter any as I lacked knowledge about their menus.
Eventually, I spotted a stall selling souvenirs and newspapers. I approached it and perused the selection, various drawings, fabrics, and newspapers. An old man ran the stall, engrossed in a newspaper.
"Excuse me, how much for a newspaper?" I asked, pointing at one. No response. "Excuse me?" I tried again, but the old man remained absorbed in his reading. Finally, I gently grabbed the edge of his newspaper and pulled it down slightly to catch his attention, smiling as I asked again, "How much is this?"
The man looked up and chuckled. "Wow, such a handsome young boy! Back in my day, you would have been mistaken for a girl, hehe."
I was caught off guard, unsure how to respond. Before I could ask again, he continued, "You can have it for free. Nobody beautiful ever stops by here anyway, so consider this a one-time gift."
"Oh, okay, thanks," I replied, taking the newspaper. As I walked away, I glanced at it and noticed the year printed in the middle, "1880, are you serious?" I sighed, wishing I could have landed in the 1900s, but there was nothing to be done. The Meiji era had begun twelve years prior, so there shouldn't be samurai roaming the streets. My outfit might look strange, but I hoped to avoid any trouble.
My stomach growled, prompting me to find food. I spotted a restaurant with a sign that read "Chinya." I remembered that in the future, it was an expensive meat restaurant - hopefully, the prices were more reasonable now.
Stepping inside, a waitress with beautiful short black hair approached me and guided me to a corner table with tatami mats. "Please, have a seat," she said.
After sitting, she asked, "What would you like?" Without any clarity on what they served, I used the classic line: "What would you recommend?"
"At the moment, I'd suggest sukiyaki, it's a Japanese hot pot dish," she replied. Familiar with sukiyaki, I felt safe opting for it. "I'll take that, thank you," I said.
Moments later, she brought me green tea, one of my favorite drinks. Soon, my food arrived, and it looked delicious, with egg, meat, and noodles resembling a ramen dish.
"It's so good," I remarked while eating, wondering if I could have cooked it better myself given the chance.
After finishing my meal, it was time to pay. I dug into my pocket, retrieved a 100-yen coin, and handed it to the waitress. To my surprise, she examined the coin and said, "Sir, this is not real a coin. We don't accept this. Do you have anything else?"
A chill ran down my spine as I recalled that old coins were crafted from silver and bronze, unlike modern alloys. Embarrassed, I looked down and muttered, "I don't have anything else."
The waitress frowned and said sternly, "In that case, I'll call the police."
She turned to leave, but I lunged forward and grasped her hand. "I can wash dishes! Just don't call the police, please."
She scrutinized me and eventually sighed. "Alright, follow me."
Leading me to the kitchen, I was confronted with a massive pile of dirty dishes. "This much?" I exclaimed in shock. "It'll take me all day to wash all of these!"
"Well, then you'd better get started," she replied and walked away.
There were at least a hundred plates and countless cups. I generally disliked doing dishes at home, but this was a better option than facing the police. I just had to do it.
Seven hours later, I finally finished washing all the dishes and stepped out of the kitchen. It was dark outside, and the streets were nearly empty, indicating that it was quite late. I had no place to sleep and definitely didn't want to end up on the streets. But what other options did I have? I needed to figure out how to survive in this time… and eventually, find a way back home.