The second most seriously awkward silence follows. Ryu has never been good at this. But he says, "No." And then, "But I used to."

He sets the filter and the grounds and then flings his arm out to rinse the pot. "My sister used to call me often at work. It was years before I stopped thinking, 'That'll be Haruko,' whenever the phone rang." With swift motions he deftly sets the coffee to brewing.

And he turns to lean against the counter next to Shotaro. "Sometimes, I still do."