MidReal Story
Whispers of the Rising Sun
Scenario: 2000s Japan: I am a foreigner, living in Japan permamently, i started my day with drinking some natural water, turning on the TV for some wonky television.
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It was early morning, one of those moments when the world was still asleep and everything seemed calm and peaceful.
This was the time of day I loved the most, when I felt like I could be myself and enjoy a moment of solitude.
I had just woken up and was getting ready to start my day, which in Japan, as in many other countries, began with a cup of coffee.
As I waited for the brew to finish, I looked out the window, admiring the view from my apartment.
I had been living in Tokyo for a few years now and loved it here.
In fact, I had decided to make Japan my permanent home.
I wasn’t sure why exactly—I just knew that this was where I was meant to be.
Maybe it was because I had always been fascinated by Japanese culture, or maybe it was because I felt like I could truly be myself here, without the pressures and expectations of my own culture weighing me down.
Or maybe it was just because I loved the food so much!
In any case, I was happy here and felt like I had found my place in the world.
As I waited for my coffee to finish brewing, I decided to take a sip of water.
It was something I did every morning, and it had become a bit of a habit for me.
I took the glass from the counter and brought it to my lips, savoring the cool, refreshing taste of the water as it flowed down my throat.
This was no ordinary water, though.
It was “natural water,” a special blend that I imported from my home country.
It wasn’t anything fancy, but it tasted like home, and that’s what I loved about it.
For some reason, it always made me feel closer to my roots when I drank it, even though I was living on the other side of the world.
Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it so much.
After finishing my water, I decided to turn on the TV.
I liked watching TV in the morning—it was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me before starting work.
I looked through the channels and eventually settled on a cooking show.
The lineup on Japanese TV was always a bit strange—I would even go so far as to say “wonky”—but that’s what made it so endearing to me.
There were talk shows featuring celebrity guests who would come on and do silly things like eat spicy ramen or take part in outrageous challenges.
And then there were news programs with anchors who would get overly excited about things like new flavors of Kit-Kats or cute animals doing even cuter things at the zoo.
It really was one of a kind—and that’s what made it so great.
I took another sip of my coffee and watched the chef expertly chop some vegetables on the screen before getting up to go get ready for work.
Just as I was about to sit back down on the couch and get comfortable, I heard a loud knock on the door.
I opened the door to find Takeshi standing on the other side, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a bag filled with pastries in the other.
He had short black hair and round glasses that framed his face perfectly, giving him an air of sophistication.
He was wearing a simple white T-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers, which were his usual attire.
“Good morning, Sakura!” he said cheerfully.
“I brought you some coffee and pastries!”
Takeshi was one of those people who seemed to be full of energy all the time, no matter how early it was, and I loved that about him.
I, on the other hand, needed at least three cups of coffee before I could even think about speaking to another person in the morning.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like people—I just needed some time to wake up and become human first.
“Wow, you’re up early today,” I replied.
“Thank you for the coffee and pastries!That’s so sweet of you!”
I stepped aside to let him in and closed the door behind him.
“That’s just the kind of guy I am,” he said with a laugh.
Takeshi lived next door to me in the apartment building, and we had become good friends over the past year or so since I moved in.
He was always inviting me over to his place for dinner or to watch a movie, and he was one of the nicest and most generous people I had ever met.
I didn’t know what I would do without him.
“You know, I heard this new bakery opened up down the street,” he said as he rummaged through the bag.
“I went there earlier this morning and picked up some stuff for us.
I thought we could try it out together.But if you’re not hungry, that’s okay too!
I can eat all the pastries myself.”
“No, I’m starving,” I said with a smile.
As much as I loved living in Japan, one of the things I missed most about home was the food.
Thankfully, Takeshi loved to eat as much as I did, so we would often go on foodie adventures together in search of the best restaurants and cafes in Tokyo.
“Good,” he replied.
“I got us some hot coffee too!
Takeshi loved coffee just as much as I did, so he would often go out of his way to find the best and most unique beans for us to try.
That was one of the things I loved most about living in Japan—the coffee here was just so good.
“Thank you for getting up early and preparing all of this for us,” I said.
“You’re so sweet!”
“It’s no problem at all!” he replied.
“I’m a morning person, you know, so this is nothing for me!”
I smiled and nodded.
It was one of the things I loved most about Takeshi—that he was always full of energy and enthusiasm.
It was contagious, and it made me happy just being around him.
“Anyway, come on over and sit down,” he said, motioning towards the living room.
"Hey, Takeshi, I heard that the nearby konbini has some awesome onigiri?"
"Really?We should go check it out sometime!"
he asked as we settled down on the couch.
“So, what are you doing today?”
“Nothing much,” I replied.
“I thought I would just relax and watch TV for a while.”
“Yeah, sounds like a plan,” he said.
“What are you watching these days?”
“I don’t know,” I replied with a shrug.
“Whatever’s on, I guess.”
“Well, I heard that there’s a new drama airing tonight at 9 p.
on TV Asahi,” he said.
“We should watch it together!”
“That sounds great!”
I replied with a smile.
We hadn’t watched a drama together in a long time, so I was really looking forward to it.
“What’s it about?”
“Hmm… It’s called ‘The Woman Next Door’, and it’s about this woman who moves into an apartment building and befriends her neighbor,” he explained.
“But it turns out that her neighbor is a really hot guy who has a dark secret.”
I chuckled at his description of the show.
Only Takeshi would be able to explain a drama like that!
“It actually sounds pretty interesting,” I mused.
“Right?”
he replied animatedly.
“I think it’s going to be really good!
It stars Rina Ikeda and Hiro Mizushima, and they’re both really popular actors, so you know it’s going to be a hit.
And it’s directed by Nobuhiro Doi, who is like, a genius.”
I chuckled at his excitement.
Takeshi was a sucker for anything related to Japanese pop culture, and he would often go on for hours about his favorite dramas, movies, anime, and video games.
It was one of the things I loved most about him—that he was always so passionate and enthusiastic about everything he did.
“Hey, do you want me to make a reservation at that new restaurant we talked about a few weeks ago?”
he asked as we settled in for another episode.
I looked at him gratefully.
Takeshi had a memory like an elephant, and he would often remember things that even I had long forgotten.
“Sure, that sounds great!”
“Awesome,” he said with a smile.
I sighed contentedly as I leaned back against the couch and sipped my coffee.
As much as I loved living in Japan, one of the things I missed most about home was the coffee.
It was just so good—strong and smooth with a rich, nutty flavor that I couldn’t get enough of.
That was one of the reasons I loved spending time with Takeshi so much.
He had a real talent for finding the best and most unique beans for us to try, and he would often go out of his way to prepare delicious drinks for us to enjoy together.
“Hey, what time is it?”
I asked after a while.
I had lost track of time while watching TV and chatting with Takeshi, and I realized that I needed to get going soon if I wanted to run some errands before the end of the day.
“It’s almost 8,” he replied as he checked his phone.
“I have to head out soon too.
I have a meeting at 9:30.”
“Oh, okay,” I said as I stood up and stretched.
“Thank you for the coffee and breakfast!”
“You’re welcome!”
he replied with a grin.
