#azuki bean paste

[buffetlicious]

This Dorayaki (铜锣烧) from Four Leaves Bakery is the favourite snack of Doraemon. It consists of two small pancake-like patties made from castella wrapped around a filling of sweet azuki bean paste. The red bean filling is a tad sweet but I balanced it out with a cup of less sweet Milk Tea.

[sikfankitchen]

Sweet Red Bean Paste Recipe 🫘 popular filling used in asian pastries and desserts 😋

[babygray]

An idea I worked on for a little over 10 minutes before bed.

[le-jardin-inculte]

learning to cook Asian food while living in a provincial little European backwater is an endless fucking quest to Obtain Ingredient

[queenketouk]

SUGAR-FREE RED BEAN PASTE

Sugar-Free Red Bean Paste is impossible to find ready-made, but you can make your own easily. With 1.6g of carbs per 20g serving, it is perfectly usable in a keto or low-carb Asian-style confection. What kind of confection you'll use it for, is entirely up to you. Heads up, my incredibly low-carb Mochi recipe is coming next, and it needs red bean paste. Read the full article

[z-ponpoko-z]

🌸:❀｡💙Hello World🩵｡o °･:🌸 　 [Mini Knowledge of Japan]

🔴<< 和菓子:wagashi >> No-5 🔴 Wagashi is Japanese sweets.Wagashi is one of the Japanese traditional confectioneries, that is served with Japanese green tea. Japanese sweets are typically made of rice, wheat, red bean paste, and sugar etc.

🟢饅頭 Manju…, is a Japanese sweet bun stuffed with red bean paste.

🔵大福 Daifuku…, is a sweet rice cake stuffed with a sweet filling, most commonly red bean paste.

🟣カステラ Castella…, is a Japanese sponge cake made of sugar, flour, eggs, and starch syrup (or honey). It is a sweet and moist cake.

🟡大福 Daifuku…,Daifuku comes in many varieties, some versions contain whole pieces of fruit.

▪ 団子 Dango…, is a Japanese sweet dumpling made of rice flour. Normally, three or four of them are served on sticks.

▪ 羊羹 Yokan…, is a azuki jelly made of red bean paste, agar and sugar.

🔸水羊羹 Mizuyokan…, Mizu-yokan that is made with more water than usual is eaten in summer.

🔹練り切り Nerikiri…, is similar to Marzipan in appearance, but they are different things. Nerikiri is made from sweet white bean paste and gyuhi which is made of glutinous rice.

The dough is tinted with various colors and sculpted into various shapes. Nerikiri represents Japanese nature. It's so beautiful, and we can enjoy the Japanese four seasons.

Thank you as always🖐😊

[genoskissors]

Happy Birthday Monaca!!!

Monaca’s name means “in the middle” and is also the name of a Japanese sweet made from azuki bean paste and mochi.

[shoku-and-awe]

The limited-time Sakura Mochitto donuts that changed my view of donuts are back! I don't live very close to a Mr Donut and they always seem to be sold out when I do go, so it seemed like I might not get to try them before they disappear on Thursday, BUT I managed to snag two different flavors! And they only got a little squished in my bag!

Okay, maybe more than a little squished. But it's okay! They're good squished! I love the subtle sakura flavor and the chewy, mochi-inspired dough.

The frosted one, Strawberry Daifuku, was my favorite! It has strawberry icing, chewy sakura dough, and strawberry-infused azuki bean paste filling. The strawberry element is key; bean paste can be kind of a one-dimensional sweetness, but the tartness of strawberry makes it complex and tasty.

The other, Salted Azuki, was also very good! It has a restrained sweetness and seemed a bit more sophisticated/adult, without all that frosting. It also looked like it would have a cakey texture, but it still had that mochi springiness!

They were sold out of Kurosu Kinako (roasted soybean powder), which looks like a variation on the one I loved last year, and the Strawberry Custard, which has a sandwich-style filling like the Salted Azuki. It seems unlikely that I'll get to try those too, but who knows! If I got one flavor last year and two this year, then maybe next year is the year I get to try all four......?

[starshinesluvr]

I humbly request Eddie eating a taiyaki from god's sleepiest soldier

(Taiyaki is a sweetened red bean/azuki paste filling inside a fish-shaped wafer from Japan! If you look it up, you will see its' signature shape! It's healthy and yummy!)

nomnom here we aaare ive brought myself back from sleepytown! he deserves the best foods ♡(੭´͈ ᐜ `͈)੭ taiyaki is very yummy, its pretty popular in my country too :D

[anime-food-daily-postings]

anime food #51

anime: Yumeiro Patissiere E04 (Matcha roll cake with Azuki Bean Paste)

[buffetlicious]

Sis bought these individually wrapped Red Bean Daifuku (大福) from Chateraise Singapore. I can’t remember the price but it cost around the region of S$2 each. This Japanese confection or wagashi (和菓子) is a small round mochi stuffed with a sweet filling, most commonly anko, a sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. The glutinous rice mochi is slightly chewy and stretchy plus the red bean filling is pleasantly sweet.

[museenkuss]

before I go to bed - a few fragrances I've been eyeing on paper lately (I haven't tried any of them, this is a to do list)

Trussardi Pure Jasmine (pistachio - jasmine - vanilla. Doesn't that just sound heavenly? Such an interesting combination. I've always turned up my nose at the bottle because I find it quite ugly, but that was stupid of me. The comments call it gourmand, and what really hit home was someone comparing it to waffles. The dense yet delicate, melt in your mouth sweetness this evokes...)

Trussardi My Name (purple flowers(heliotrope!!, lilac, violets) - powders. It sounds so creamy, so elegant. I'm truly enamoured with the vision and I NEED to snatch up a bottle since it's discontinued and disappearing rather rapidly. The price on parfumo is ridiculous currently, 50€ where is used to be 23€ for 30ml. I adore all the flowers listed, and I'm always looking for interesting takes on powder. Ballet perfumes, so to say. Plus, this one is linked in essence to one of their private line offerings (which is, of course, a lot more expensive))

L'Instant de Guerlain (honey - ylang-ylang - amber. Very intriguing on paper, one comment compared it to orange cake soaked in honey. Mouth-watering. I have yet to truly dislike a Guerlain from this line, and this one sounds so intriguing to me. I do love honey, but I never know how to eat it. This might be the perfect way to express that love. And, frankly, I like every note listed. Jasmine. Orange. Sandalwood. It all sounds SO intriguing. Honey to me is transparent, yet full-bodied. Warm and sweet, but despite the fact that it's pure sugar, it's not overwhelming. It's fragrant, beautiful. And I do trust Guerlain to do it right. Now combine that with ylang-ylang...? I'm so intrigued.)

Nuit Tatami from Kenzo's Memory Collection (rice - pink pepper - vanilla, ambrette. It's so fascinating to me how in this collection, the notes listed are usually not what the people reviewing get at all. Coeur Azuki is supposed to smell like mochi (rice and bean paste) and people were getting rose water (which I got as well, although I do see the vision. a story for another day). So while I'm not sure I would know what rice mats at night smell like, I'm intrigued by the comments linking this to the earlier versions of Dior Addict. I LOVE Addict, and I absolutely love Coeur Azuki, so I'm thinking maybe a scent with this profile from this line will be a love for me, too. And I also really love the memories Kenzo links to these scents. Childhood nights are so precious, I wonder if I can feel the essence of that feeling without having the sensual memory of tatami mats.)

Prada Amber (citrus fruits - patchouli - benzoin. It sounds like a lot on paper. Frankly, 1) I was reminded of it again by the Devil wears Prada. 2) I'm intrigued by the Coromandel comparisons. Since I usually have problems specifically with the Chanel patchouli, but do like the dry, dark cocoa notes patchouli tends to give me otherwise, I'm very intrigued by this offering. Especially since this is said to be chocolate-y by comments. I do think the notes themselves evoke a grown up elegance, which is also reflected by the comments, and I'm very swayed by that. Definitely not the right time to test it, though.)

Roberto Cavalli - Signature (pink pepper - african orange flower - vanilla/benzoin/tonka bean. So few notes that I had to list them all. It sounds so intriguing to me. Also people compare it to the infamous(ly discontinued) Classique Essence. And! funnily enough, to nomade nuit d'egypte, which I adore. I can never get enough orange blossom. that's the bottom line here.)

Burberry Brit (almond & candied almond - lime - vanilla. Every spring I think about trying it and then I try it on paper and forget about it. Maybe I'll love it this year, maybe I should try it on skin from the get go. The idea of a lime opening melting into candied almonds is so intriguing to me... And I, for some reason, always think of an english park with rain-heavy, young leaves, shimmering in transparent green as the sun pokes through the clouds.)

[ultimate-detective]

“Do we have any dorayaki?”

Looking at old posts an YOU, KIN, AND FUKUCHI HAD A 3 SOME??

DONT WORRY ABOUT IT

[tastesoftamriel]

You know those cheesy pasta dishes with all the fancy add-ins like heavy cream and garlic so we can all pretend to ourselves that we aren't just eating mac and cheese like overgrown children? What sort of equivalent dishes do the people of Tamriel enjoy, that are basically just dressed-up "kid food" dishes?

Who doesn't love a cheeky meal that brings back memories of childhood? Across Tamriel, you'll find all manner of simple, hearty foods that will make you feel like a kid again!

Altmer

In Summerset, young and old alike enjoy mochi, a tasty sweet snack made from chewy glutinous rice flour. Mochi comes in many varieties, with fillings like sweet peanut or black sesame paste. However, almost everyone's favourite is a cold mochi filled with soft gelato of various flavours. My favourite combination is matcha mochi wrapped around a moreish azuki bean ice cream centre.

Argonians

Is there anything that makes you feel more like a kid than some snacking? Argonians are huge fans of anything that packs a crunch, both sweet and savoury. Whether it's spicy and sweet crickets, dark saltrice sauce-coated mealworms, or just good old prawn crackers with some dipping sambal, be prepared to snack your way all day long in Black Marsh.

Bosmer

If you're one of those people who stands in the kitchen gnawing a block of cheese at midnight, you're in good company in Valenwood. A popular late-night treat served at street food vendors across the Province is a simple cup of grilled witchetty grubs slathered in timber mammoth cheese sauce and topped with pulled pork. The grubs are meaty in flavour, and the pungent timber mammoth cheese complements the pulled pork when mixed all together, as the locals enjoy it.

Bretons

Pain au chocolat? Yes please! These deliciously buttery puffed pastries are essentially rectangular croissants enveloping delicious dark chocolate. Served warm, they're sure to make any breakfast or teatime a happy one! To really satisfy those chocolate cravings, pair with a classic Breton hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows and whipped cream.

Dunmer

Marshmerrow cake is the ubiquitous Dunmeri dessert that has gained popularity far beyond the borders of Morrowind due to its mild flavour and unique candy aroma. A soft sponge cake, which is sometimes soaked in comberry brandy, is layered with sweet marshmerrow crème patissiere, caramelised marshmerrow crumble, and maraschino comberries. Sure to knock some years off your age and put a couple more holes in your belt (it's impossible to stop at one slice. Source: me).

Imperials

There's nothing quite like homemade gnocchi with ragout for Imperials when it comes to comfort food. While this homey dish is prevalent across Cyrodiil, every household cooks the dish differently. In mine, my mother pan-fries the gnocchi in an obnoxious amount of butter, and tops it with her top-secret slow-cooked lamb and red wine ragout. While I cannot give away the secrets to her ragout, I highly recommend trying this delicious dish a try when you need to warm yourself, body and soul.

Khajiit

If you think you can turn away cinnamon and cardamom churros with a cup of moon sugar caramel dip, you're deluding yourself. This delicious treat can be found across Elsweyr and is considered one of the Province's most famous foods. Khajiiti churros, which are made from a mix of rice and tapioca flour, have a moist and chewy texture beneath a crisp, golden brown outer layer. They're served hot from the wok, with a cup of moon sugar caramel syrup. A truly divine pairing!

Nords

Spätzle is something I've written about in the past, and it's one of the best things I know (ask any resident of Skyrim and they'd tell you the same). These chunky egg noodles may look unrefined compared to Khajiiti vermicelli, but make up for it when liberally doused in a creamy cheese sauce and topped with fried onions. I like spicing mine up, quite literally, with some chili powder I purchased at a Sentinel bazaar.

Orcs

Nothing screams comfort food (and mess) quite like a good old echatere sausage hot dog. The echatere sausage, rather akin to Blackwood chorizo in flavour, is grilled over hot coals and served in a sourdough bun, served Wrothgar style with a good amount of horseradish mayo, fried radish chips, caramelised onions, pickles, and crispy dried baby shrimp topping. I'd say you can't stop at just one, but it's a hefty meal you can eat with one hand!

Redguards

I have probably written about gulab jamun in the past, a delicious, albeit cloying dessert popular throughout Hammerfell. An iconic dish at festivals and parties, gulab jamun is prized by dessert-lovers for its velvety, syrupy texture. These fluffy balls of cardamom-scented cottage cheese are fried and soaked in a fragrant saffron and rose water syrup, and topped with crushed pistachios. So simple, so good, and so moreish. Just be sure to stop at three, because any more and the sugar rush will send you to Aetherius!

[xuchiya]

let me espresso my love, again {j.yunho} [part 2]

if you want to check my cafe love m.list <- here's -> part 1

word count: 4.7k

It was a good day, a good sun morning as she woke up from her deep slumber. She leans on her arm as the sun kisses her face, and an arm weighing her down, she looks over her shoulders to see Wooyoung still fast asleep, “Woo~ wake up, we still have work.”

Her husband's eyebrow frowns, opening one eye, “Work? At the cafe?” This time it was her who had brows furrowed, “Yes because you have to work on Yunho’s .. “ As she spoke, Wooyoung's eyes snapped open and slowly rose from his position.

  “.. love story .. please don’t tell me you forgot about his ending?”

Wooyoung gave her a close eyed smile which she knew so well, her eyes twitching before reaching over for her pillow and smacking him. He squealed, dodging her attacks.

“It’s been 4 months and 4 months is equivalent to 4 years! They’re suffering you dumbass!” 

“I’m on it jeez woman!”  

 Opposite to the sunny day, Yunho walks down the drench road with his transparent umbrella as rain pours down the sky of Japan. The water drops effortlessly on his umbrella, resembling how his tears would stream down the corner of his eyes only to wipe it off with his brown coat— the coat you have given him.

Even if it has been 4 years, Yunho never moved one; not even once, a fling cannot remove the thorn in his heart so he lived on his new life with it. Who knows, maybe someday it will be forgotten and he’ll get used to it.

As he strolls past a cafe, his nose is hit with a whiff of freshly baked matcha bread. The aroma, so specific and comforting, stopped Yunho in his tracks. It was a scent he hadn't encountered since he moved to Japan, a memory that flooded back with the intensity of a tidal wave. He could practically taste the pillowy softness, the subtle bitterness of the green tea, the sweetness of the azuki bean paste that often accompanied it.

A pang of longing shot through him. It wasn't just for the bread; it was for the small, cozy cafes tucked away on side streets, the murmur of conversations in Seoul, the feeling of belonging he'd almost managed to cultivate in those four years. The thorn in his heart, a constant dull ache, seemed to throb a little more insistently.

How he missed those days. How he missed you.

But Yunho was no stranger to burying his emotions. He took a deep breath, the air crisp and cool against his lungs, and forced himself to move on. He wasn't in Seoul anymore. He had a new life here, a routine he'd painstakingly built. A single whiff of bread wasn't going to unravel it all.

Except, his traitorous feet had other ideas. They propelled him towards the cafe, a small, unassuming establishment with a hand-painted sign that read "Hoshizora Pan". Hesitantly, he shuts the umbrella and leaves it outside as he pushes open the door, a soft chime announcing his arrival.

     The interior was warm and inviting, filled with the aroma that had initially lured him in. It wasn’t crowded, not even a single person except for a young woman— with a bright smile stood behind the counter, dusting powdered sugar onto a tray of what looked suspiciously like matcha bread— is the only person inside the shop. Yunho cleared his throat, the familiar ache in his heart momentarily overshadowed by a strange mix of nervousness and anticipation.

  “Is the cafe open?” He asked quietly, the lady nodded, walking towards the pastry, “Yes, normally in a weather like this, there are at least 20 persons here but I guess they chose to stay inside.” 

 The lady placed a croissant and a matcha cake on the table and gestured for Yunho to sit down, which Yunho found a little bit odd as he hadn’t placed an order nor he picked one. The lady noticed his confusion and assured him. “You were my first customer, I don’t want to treat my customers unwelcome, here sit darling.”

 She pulled out a chair and as Yunho sat down, it was as if he was transported back to Seoul. The chair, the aroma and the soft buzz of the cafe— Cafe Love. His tears were back in his eyes as he looked down on the food on the table, it was exactly what he ordered when he first met you.

The lady softly placed the espresso beside the matcha to which Yunho burst into tears. It may be unruly and uncivil looking for Yunho to cry in public but with the emotions bottled up for so long, the dam broke. The sight of the matcha bread, a simple comfort from a life he'd tried to outrun, shattered the years of carefully constructed walls. Tears streamed down his face, hot and unchecked, as a lifetime of longing, grief, and buried emotions poured out.

  The lady behind the counter, startled at first, quickly recovered. She was expecting it and so she set down a box of tissues beside the matcha bread and espresso, her expression one of gentle concern. There were no words,  no intrusive questions, just a silent understanding that resonated deeply within Yunho.

   He took a shaky breath, wiping his face with a handful of tissues. Shame threatened to bubble up, but the woman's quiet kindness held it at bay. He mumbled a broken apology, his voice thick with emotion.

     "No need," she said softly, her voice like the tinkling of wind chimes. "Sometimes, a taste of home can bring a lot of things up."

Her words were simple, but they struck a chord within him. 

     Home. 

   It wasn't just a place, it was a feeling, a sense of belonging. And for a fleeting moment, sitting there in the cozy cafe with the scent of matcha bread filling the air, Yunho felt a flicker of that long-lost feeling.

   “Home …” He thought about you, his home. How are you? Were you still working at the Cafe Love? Have you moved on? Those questions lingered in the back of his head.

Hesitantly, he picked up the matcha bread. The warmth seeped through the paper, a comforting sensation. He took a bite, and the familiar bittersweet flavor flooded his senses. It wasn't just the taste; it was the memories – lazy afternoons spent in cherry blossom parks with you– smiling, chasing each other, picnics by the river han, and quiet mornings with a steaming cup of tea in your apartment with the sun blazing behind you, like a halo.

Tears welled up again, it was his fault things ended. It was his fault and he deserves what is happening to him. Karma.

“If you’re thinking that it’s your fault and you deserve this? It’s not.” A voice called out, Yunho slowly looks up, brushing off the tears, “W-what?”

    The same lady gave him a reassuring smile, sitting on the opposite side of him, “Love comes in different forms. Love ends on a different note. People learn and move on but people choose to stay and rebuild things. Love can be a choice, an option but love never left us.”

Yunho glanced at the espresso, “But why do I feel pain?” She reaches over to pat his hand, "...it's because you still believe the love story deserves a happy ending, the kind you envisioned," the lady spoke gently, her touch surprisingly warm. Her gaze held a quiet wisdom, one that seemed to see right through Yunho's carefully constructed walls.

    Yunho stared into his espresso, the dark liquid swirling like a storm of emotions within him. Denial, anger, and a deep, aching loneliness had been his companions for so long, masquerading as acceptance. But her words, spoken with such unwavering conviction, chipped away at the dam, threatening to release the torrent of unresolved feelings he'd kept bottled up.

"I..." he started, his voice hoarse, "I thought I had to move on. Forget everything, the pain..."

 The lady offered a small, knowing smile. "Moving on doesn't mean forgetting. It's about carrying the memories, both happy and sad, as part of your journey. The pain is a reminder of how deeply you loved, how intensely you felt. It's a testament to the beauty of what you shared."

Her words resonated within him, a seed of hope taking root amidst the desolate landscape of his grief. Maybe forgetting wasn't the key. Maybe acknowledging the love, even the pain it brought, was a way to finally begin healing.

He looked up, a flicker of curiosity sparking in his eyes. "What do you mean, 'love never left us'?"

The woman's smile widened. "Love changes form," she explained. "It evolves, it shaped you, taught you valuable lessons. It's still a part of you, a piece of the intricate tapestry of your life."

Yunho contemplated her words, a newfound sense of understanding washing over him. Maybe love wasn't just about grand gestures and happily-ever-afters. Maybe it was the quiet moments, the shared experiences, the impact one person leaves on another's soul.

He took a tentative sip of his espresso, the bitterness a reflection of his past, but with a hint of sweetness, a promise of a future where he could learn to carry the love, not as a burden, but as a cherished part of his story.

 But with all the wisdom gave to him, his heart still yearns for one more, “But what if I still want to go back?” His eyes glaze in hope as the lady smiles, a warm one, “The past is a beautiful place to visit, but we can't live there forever.  Sometimes, going back isn't an option, and sometimes, even if it were, it wouldn't be what you remember."

Her voice held a gentle honesty, a reminder of the realities of time and change. Yunho felt a flicker of defiance, a desperate hope that maybe, just maybe, things could be different.

"But what if..." he started, then stopped, struggling to voice the impossible wish in his heart.

The woman saw the yearning in his eyes. "It's okay to wonder," she said softly. "But sometimes, moving forward is the answer, to learn and to grow— to reflect and it also comes from accepting what was, cherishing the memories, and allowing yourself to open your heart to new possibilities."

Her words struck a chord within him.  The idea of new possibilities, of love taking a different form, was a seed he hadn't dared to plant.  For so long, he'd been fixated on the past, on the love he'd lost. But what if there was more out there, a love story waiting to be written, a new chapter waiting to begin?

He looked down at his matcha bread, the warmth and comfort against his cold fingers. Perhaps, the woman was right. Maybe going back wasn't the answer.  Maybe the future held something even more beautiful, a love story yet to be discovered.

With a newfound sense of resolve, Yunho took another bite of the bread. The bittersweet flavor lingered on his tongue, a reminder of the past but also a promise of the possibilities that lay ahead.  He smiled, a small, genuine smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you," he said, his voice filled with a newfound lightness.  "For the bread, for the coffee, and for the reminder that love can take many forms."

The woman returned his smile, a knowing glint in her eyes. "You're welcome," she said. "Just remember, the heart may yearn for the familiar, but sometimes, the greatest adventures are found on paths yet untrodden."

   He and the lady argue about paying but the lady is stubborn and threatens him that he will be banned from the cafe which results in the lady’s victory. As Yunho picks up his umbrella to leave, the lady calls at him again.

  “Yeah?” He turns around to look at the woman, she smiles, “Just a note to what I said, past is not a place for love, the future isn’t also supposed to be the choice to grow, it’s the present. Love does win all because love is all.”

      The next day, Yunho felt amazing. The sun began to shine again, the place was lively once again and Yunho decided to visit the cafe because he suddenly craved another cup of espresso. He brought a transparent umbrella in case it rained again, the newscaster isn’t always accurate with his reports so he learned to bring an umbrella all the time.

   As he took up the stairs, located in the bustling city of Tokyo,  Yunho was surprised to hear a sob. He noticed at the other side of the railings, a woman in a long gray coat squatted down, wrapping her arms around her knees, burying themselves on their knees.

 Just then, the clouds hid the sun behind it and started to pour down. Yunho slightly panics and opens his umbrella and rushes towards the lady. His Japanese was slightly rough but at least he can speak a conversation or two, “Ano~ Are you okay?” 

  If you were gonna be honest, life wasn’t okay. Not even the past 4 years of your life inside the cafe love and decided, maybe it is time to move on and let yourself heal for a while. With a resignation letter and a heavy heart, the whole staff— which you consider as your family— gave you a hug of encouragement and motivation. It was hard leaving the place you love to grow and a place you found love but growth is part of moving forward. But you are moving forward, to look for someone to share your espresso again.

Jeong Yunho

Just the name sent a fresh wave of nausea crashing over you. 4 years. 4 measly years since he made a closure. His voice is as smooth and forgettable as the lukewarm espresso he always ordered. 

  Closure? You will take that, you accept his closure and apology. You are ready to take another step forward in healing. This time, you’re gonna look for him and let love win all the pain you both went through.

As you soon realize after you step out of the airlines of Japan, you did not know a place or a thing in this country let alone a person that can help you find Yunho.  A wave of disorientation washed over you.  

 The bustling energy of the airport, the melodic announcements in Japanese, the flashing neon signs advertising unfamiliar products - it was all a sensory overload.  Excitement battled with a rising tide of panic.  

    Unlike Yunho who'd spent years building a life here, you were a complete outsider.  You didn't speak the language, didn't know the city layout, and worst of all, you didn't have a single shred of information about where to begin your search. Taking a deep breath, you forced yourself to focus. Panicking wouldn't help. You spotted a tourist information booth and pushed your way through the throng of people.

"Excuse me," you began, hoping your fractured Japanese would be enough.  "Do you speak English?"  Relief flooded you as the attendant nodded patiently.  Explaining your situation, you learned there were online resources for locating people in Japan, but they required a Japanese resident number – something you obviously lacked.

   The attendant, sensing your growing despair, offered another option.  There was a local community center known to help foreigners navigate life in the city.  It was a long shot, but it was a lead.  

    Armed with a map and a renewed sense of purpose, you set off, vowing not to let the language barrier or the sheer scale of the city deter you.

The community center hummed with activity.  You found a volunteer willing to translate your story to a group of older Japanese women.  They listened intently, their faces etched with a mix of curiosity and concern.  While they couldn't offer a guaranteed solution, they did offer something even more valuable – a network.  One woman mentioned a friend who worked at a local newspaper, another suggested a private investigator specializing in missing persons.

Suddenly, your mission didn't seem so insurmountable.  You had a starting point, a glimmer of hope.  Over the next few days, you became a whirlwind of activity, following every lead, leaving messages, and plastering Yunho's name (carefully translated) on flyers at local cafes and shops frequented by expats.  The city, once overwhelming, became a battleground in your search.

Exhaustion gnawed at you, and your nose caught a whiff of coffee beans, your head turned to the side to see a cozy coffee shop— something that resembles the one back in Seoul. The coffee shop is named "Hoshizora Pan". You were tired from going around the city so you took this chance to recharge.

   As you enter the coffee shop, you were a little bit hesitant to take another step as the whole shop is deserted except for someone familiar on the counter, “Wooyoung?!”

Wooyoung jumps from the voice but relaxes when he finds out that it was you. He gestures for you to enter, “Long time no see, darling.” 

“Is this where you guys are living now, you and your wife?” He nodded, pointing at the small frame of him in a blue suit while his wife wore a peach-cream ball gown wedding dress. Your brows furrow at the color that resembles the characters you were familiar with but did not speak one bit about it.

   “Anything in mind?” You look at the pastry, everything is tasty until it settles on the matcha bread. The bread that Yunho loves. 

  “The matcha bread is our best seller, you have to taste it.” Wooyoung scoop up the bread and place it on a plate and serve it to you on the table. You settle down, glancing at the matcha and the espresso. Your eyes whirl with so much emotion but you blink it off.

  “How have you been?” He asks softly, not wanting to overwhelm you. Your body relaxes the moment the bread melted in your mouth, bringing you back. Home. As if the food was the trigger to your tears, you found yourself sobbing as your the home-sick hit you like a tidal wave, the longing of coming back home to your apartment and to the cafe.

A warm hand settles on your back, “Things will be okay …” You shake your head, swallowing the piece of bread down before you gasp as the pain in your heart was finally released, the burden and the home-sick syndrome, “No it’s not. I don’t know what went through my head to just get up, pack my things and go here in Japan to find Yunho without any clue about this damn country. I don’t even know where he is!”

Wooyoung understood where you were coming from and his heart leaped at the thought of you looking for Yunho, looking at love again, “I think that is brave of you to find Yunho despite encountering the biggest obstacle to find him.”

“I— It is so not me to do this but here I am, looking stupid for not even thinking this through.” Wooyoung shakes his head, disagreeing with what you said, “Love does that, it makes you act impulsively, that is because you follow your heart.” He leaned back on his seat, looking at you softly, “Maybe in this generation, love isn’t well appreciated as it was back then but you can only understand it as it is your story, of writing what is love to you.”

You look at Wooyoung, “I still love Yunho?” Wooyoung chuckles, ruffling your hair.“You still love Yunho, period. You went overseas to find love, you searched to find love, you cried and stood up again for love.”

You look back on the matcha and the espresso, “But why?” Wooyoung thought through, “Because the past is not a place for love, the future isn’t also supposed to be the choice to grow, it’s the present. Love does win all because love is all.”

“Have you thought of giving up?” You shake your head, that is the least option you had in your head. You came a long way to find him and you are not giving up, “I see that you did not and that is love. You wanted to do it again but in a different chapter, in a different form.” Wooyoung ruffles your hair, “Just remember, love is a journey, not a destination.” He got up and went back to the kitchen, leaving you in silence. Your mind was jumble with thousands of possibilities, doubts. You sigh, things were not going great and you do not want to have yourself sprialling down further.

   As you thank Wooyoung and his wife from the treat, you walk out of their cafe with a light chest, it was somehow reassuring to see Wooyoung again, it also felt home as he feed you his espresso drinks. You walk the silent night street, as you thought about your situation, you flew weeks ago, you have been looking for Yunho for the last almost 3 weeks and half yet no result, but the thought of giving up was unthinkable.  

You love Yunho, you have always love him; it may be too late for you to fought for your relationship before he step out of the coffee shop; not it wasn’t. You have always believe that there are things must happen on a right time and you held on to that fate.

Until this evening, your phone buzzed.  It was the woman from the community center – the friend with the newspaper connection had a lead.  A name. A neighborhood. Your heart hammered in your chest as you realized this might be it, the culmination of your frantic search.

And it was just around this area! 

The next day, you got up and prepared yourself as you stumbled inside your room to look at least decent in hopes of meeting him after 4 long years and weeks of searching. You bid the elder ladies as you rush outside and towards the location you receive that night.   The familiar street stretched before you, but today, every landmark held a renewed significance.  With each step, your heart hammered against your ribs, a frantic drumbeat keeping time with your racing thoughts.

The location scrawled on it was all you had, a single thread in a tapestry of unanswered questions.  Yet, it was enough to fuel your determination, to propel you forward on this journey that had consumed you for so long.  The weight of the past four years pressed down upon you, but laced through it all was a sliver of hope, a fervent belief that today, your long search would finally end. 

As you run up the flight of stairs, your phone buzzed making you halt on your tracks. You pull out your phone and to your dismay, it was a text from the community center– apologising to you as they mistaken sent you a wrong address, destroying the hope you last held onto. For a moment, you stood frozen, the world spinning around you. The carefully constructed image of your reunion dissolved, replaced by a crushing emptiness.  Tears welled in your eyes, blurring the already faded message on the screen.  Four years of relentless searching, of dead ends and dashed expectations, all culminating in this cruel twist of fate.

Tears streamed down your cheeks, pain choking you as you crumbled on the stairs, squatting down as you finally let go the las tstring of hope, determination and suddenly— your fate. You have only went this far because you love him. The weather wasn’t on your side today as it started pouring; nothing was on your side the day you started looking for him, it keeps leading you in nothing despite the multiple hands to help you look for him but it’s like the world did not want you to see your happy ending.

That was until you realise what you just said, ‘You love him’, your breath steadies as you collect yourself, you love Yunho. You love Yunho that is why you never stop believing in fate to let you lead back to him. This wrong address wouldn't break you. You had come too far, endured too much, to give up now.  Taking a shaky breath, you wiped away your tears, the sting a harsh reminder of your resolve. 

“Ano~ Are you okay?”

Maybe it is time for both of you to forget the past, maybe this is the time, the present, where a love story is waiting to be written for the both of you, a new chapter waiting to begin. A new beginning for the two of you, it doesn’t always need to be a new book, a new paper, a new pen to move on. It is the chapter that was saved just for the two of you to write again. 

You slowly look up, the familiar voice of the person you have been searching for, the 4 painstaking years of yearn of his warmth, love and affection that you crave to bring back to you. Through your blurry tears, your eyes caught the sight of Yunho.

Both of your breaths hitched like forgotten melodies, suspended in the air as your eyes met. Raindrops clung to his transparent umbrella, mirroring the glistening tears tracing paths down your flushed cheeks. The brown coat you recognized instantly, the one you gifted him years ago, hung damply on his frame. A silent testimony to the passage of time, yet the familiarity of it sparked a comforting warmth in your chest.

You rose up from your position, never breaking eye-contact with him, “Y-Yunho?” HHis own shock gave way to a soft smile. Witnessing your breathtaking features, even damp and disheveled, filled him with a kaleidoscope of emotions. This was the woman he dreamt of, the love that time hadn't diminished.

   You could no longer help it as you stride towards him— despite the red railings of the staircase and him being on the other side of the stairway— you threw your arms around his shoulders. Your embrace engulfed him, a whirlwind of emotions and years of longing compressed into a single moment.

Taking him by surprise, the umbrella falling from his hand as he caught you in his arms, “I have not and will never stop loving you, Yunho.” You spoke breathless as you the tears continued running down your cheeks— this time a happy tears, joyous about finding him through the painstaking days of searching, tumbling and close to giving up.

Yunho chuckled, a wet, shaky sound that mirrored the tears now tracing his own cheeks.  He cupped your face, his touch both familiar and new, gently brushing away the rain and your tears.  "Neither did I," he confessed, his voice rough with emotion. "You were always here," he tapped his chest, "always in my heart."

 Just like the kind lady Yunho spoke to, ‘The greatest adventures are found on paths yet untrodden’ and what Wooyoung told you, ‘Love is a journey, not a destination.’ Your lovestory was a long journey to learn, to reflect and to understand that love comes a long way to bring people together. Fate is another story that you have to learn, it comes in a right time.

You chuckled, his face, etched with the lines of time, held the same warmth you remembered.  With a gentle touch, you traced your finger along his cheek, a gesture both intimate and familiar.  "You've gotten older, Yunho," you teased, the playful glint back in your eyes.

He mirrored your smile, a playful glint of his own returning.  "And you," he countered, leaning closer until your breaths mingled.  "You've only gotten more beautiful."

The world around you faded away, the rain a mere backdrop to the symphony playing in your hearts.  In that moment, the years of searching, the wrong turns, and the crushing disappointment melted away.  All that remained was the undeniable truth whispered on your lips, a truth that echoed in his answering gaze.

"I love you," you murmured, the words carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken confessions.

Yunho's response was a silent promise, spoken in the way he held you close, the way his thumb brushed away a lingering tear.  He leaned in further, his lips brushing against yours.  "I love you more," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion before crashing his lips to yours.

And with that, under the soft curtain of rain, your love story found its new chapter.  A chapter not defined by the past but brimming with the promise of a present written together.

~The End ~

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Wed 9 April - Wed 30 April

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