Pancakes with Tayuu-san

 Working in Japan requires a lot of hard work, camaraderie, and a little bit of socializing outside of work. But as a foreigner, I find it quite difficult to mingle with the locals, especially when they are my co-workers. It could be because of corporate etiquette, a culture of being "shy," or even a "fear" of interacting with non-Japanese people, but it can feel lonely most of the time.

Thankfully, there are a few people who set aside that "fear" and "shyness" and approach me anyway. One of them was my co-worker, Tayuu-san. She is one of the administrative staff members at the elementary school. During break times, or whenever nobody else is around, we often exchange snacks and chat for a while.

One day, a few minutes before dismissal time, we were talking in the printing room about our weekend plans when she brought up the teachers' welcome party that would be held a few days later. I told her I didn't want to go because I felt out of place around everyone. Most of my co-workers barely even recognized me at work, so I didn't feel comfortable attending.

"How about we go to a café together instead?" she asked with a smile.

I was surprised to hear that, and of course, I was really happy. I immediately agreed. The following week, she picked me up from my apartment, and we drove to a pancake house called Mush Cafe in Asahikawa. It wasn't our first visit, but we both love sweet food and cozy cafés. We spent hours chatting, and we were both surprised by how many interesting things we had in common and how easily the conversation flowed.

After that, we walked to AEON Mall Asahikawa Nishi, which was just across from the pancake house. We visited some of our favorite stores—Kaldi Coffee, the Seria 100-yen shop, and C-Pla, the capsule toy center. I had no idea she was such a big fan of capsule toys. She loves anything cute or unusual and told me that she often visits the mall just to see the newest capsule toy collections. It seems that capsule toys are incredibly popular in Japan—not just with children, but with adults as well.

Before we knew it, it was already half past three, and we both needed to head home. She drove me back to my apartment, and we waved goodbye.

We both really enjoyed spending the day together, especially getting to know each other better. She may have started out as just an acquaintance, but spending a day together outside of work meant a lot to me. In a place where it's sometimes difficult to build friendships, her kindness and willingness to spend time with me made me feel a little less alone. It's a memory that I'll always treasure.