The Secret Life of Vending Machines
Lone man & his cat spy on manga café residents
Content warnings1
A German version of this story can be found here.
Maekawa didn't have to venture far into the manga café to find his first luckless of the evening. He'd barely passed two cubicles when a deep voice thundered through the wall. "Shit, and you're telling me now? I just went to the convenience store! Two bags of food, your favorites, and that beef noodle soup's 500 yen more than the standard one! Who's going to eat all that shit, huh?"
Silence.
Maekawa leaned against the wall and shot Sen, who was slinking around his legs, a meaningful glance.
"No, no, you don't have to! It's just, I thought we'd have a nice night in… I've already downloaded the film we were talking about. Or we could play games. We'll do whatever you want, baby."
More silence. The second hand on the wall clock ticked on ten times before the cubicle resident spoke again.
"Baby, I didn't know…"
"Should I step in?" Sen asked. When Maekawa looked down, the cat's yellow eyes seemed to hover somewhere above his own feet. His black fur was one with the shadows enveloping the manga café. No windows, no daylight.
Maekawa nodded. Sen's eyes winked out.
The girl's voice, a mere ghost through the phone speaker, changed its tone. Three sentences later, the resident sighed. "Oh, so that's why… Of course, you have to go! Your mum needs you… No, don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
Another beat of silence.
"I hope she feels better soon. Give me a ring when you're back in the city, yeah? Bye, now."
Maekawa strolled on and before long, Sen was back at his side. "His girlfriend left him for another guy. Now he believes she has to go take care of her sick mother in the country."
Maekawa shook his head. "Humans." Sen's tail whipped through the air, a gesture of agreement.
Ahead, a high-pitched anime voice drifted through a door that had been left ajar. Peering inside, Maekawa spotted the café's usual 24-inch monitor and in front of it, a teenager with unkempt hair falling past his shoulders. He sat watching a silver-haired Vtuber with big breasts who giggled and sang to entertain thousands of live viewers.
"Thank you for your generous donation, Mr. Niku1q8q! You've got me blushing! Oh, of course I'll sing a little song for you as well, since you requested it…"
While she prattled on, the boy laid his head on the low table. "Gini… I'd donate so much more, if I had any left. Last week, you said my name so many times…" He sobbed once. "Don't you know I'm going without food just to look at your cute smile?"
Maekawa sighed. Sen disappeared toward the computer.
"Hey, guys, do you still remember Mr. Melonpan3? That guy who was so kind to me last week?" Lost in thought, Gini put a finger to her chin. "Has anyone seen him in chat recently? Mr. Melonpan3, wherever you are, we're thinking of you! Come back soon, ya hear me?"
The boy looked up, still sniffing. "You're thinking of me? Oh, Gini… I knew you're the best…" And he began furiously typing into her live chat.
Sen appeared on Maekawa's shoulder and dug sharp claws into his sweater. "What's the matter?" he hissed when Maekawa didn't pet him.
"Nothing." Maekawa stopped at the vending machine in the corner for some café au lait. He took a sip, then continued: "Manga cafés are full of people on the fringes of society, who were forever cast out of it for some reason or other. Even these people have someone by their side though. They're not all alone."
"You have me," Sen whispered into his ear.
"I know," Maekawa agreed hastily. Whether he liked it or not, he was bound to this place, its refugees. Maybe his feelings were beyond what a not-cat could comprehend.
When a middle-aged man in search of a can of sake kicked the vending machine because he'd botched yet another job interview, Sen spoke through his phone and suggested asking at the convenience store across the street as they were currently looking for part-time help.
Later that night, Maekawa's hunger drew him to the warm food corner. After retrieving a cup of steaming instant ramen from yet another vending machine, he sat at one of the plastic tables and slurped.
When he swallowed the last of the soup, two bottles of yakult were plunked down in front of him. Looking up, Maekawa recognized the boy who'd reunited with his adored silver-haired Vtuber. His unruly mop of hair nearly eclipsed eyes that were no longer teary but anxious like a small animal's. "I-I've been seeing you around for a few weeks," the boy whispered. "I don't know how you do it, but everything goes smoothly when you're around. Everyone's in a better mood. I just wanted to say… thank you. For being here."
He touched his yakult bottle to Maekawa's in a wordless kampai before shuffling off.
Maekawa stared at his back. Finally Sen purred: "Good for you, old friend," and he realized he was smiling.
Author Notes
Manga and internet cafés in Japan are open 24-7 and differ from typical coffee houses by offering tiny isolated cubicles to rent for a couple hours or an entire night. Since they are cheaper than hostels or capsule hotels, there are quite a few people permanently residing in those cafés. (You thought Japan doesn't have a homeless problem? Think again.) These people are also called net café refugees or cyber homeless.
On a lighter note, the title is related to the story, I promise. I'd love to hear your ideas as to how! Please don't forget to leave a little heart of appreciation and as always, thank you for reading!
Poverty, loneliness, mild swearing