The Call of Adventure

On the street corner of a small suburban town, just outside of a larger metropolis, there was a café.

This outside of the café was quite the unassuming thing, dull and grey to a common passerby, mostly due to the building owners not allowing exterior decorations to allow a sense of uniformity to their renters. But when one got up towards the window to see through the dark tint, visions of color and light would assault the senses. It was like a firework in the empty night sky.

This was Café Mangaten, a manga café in a small town in the central United States of America, and it was dying.

To be fair, this café died a relatively slow death for what it was, being able to last just under ten years with a small yet fervent community. Some patrons of the café drove for many miles to visit on weekends and holidays, and some even came from other States! Alas, with the niche community the café catered to as well as the fluctuating economy, the business was ultimately doomed to fail.

But for John, he had achieved his dream.

John Capet, owner of Café Mangaten was quite a nerd in his youth, soaking in the niche culture of anime, manga, and games that while becoming more mainstream in the United States, was still a small culture group where he lived. In his young childhood he discovered cartoons, elementary school books and games, in his early teenage years he discovered anime, manga and other Eastern Asian media, and by the time he graduated and became an adult his hobbies and interests were uniquely Eastern.

It was then in the confusion of puberty and emerging adulthood that he discovered his dream. He wanted to share his passion with his little section of the world and inspire others to find interest in a culture and community beyond his little town.

He struggled for many years to make his dreams a reality, for he did not have a solid support structure to help fund his dream. John had to work hard, take loans, and make poor decisions to get his building and media to run it. But by his mid-twenties he had sacrificed his chances at higher education, romantic relationships, and solid job opportunities to get what he wanted, a place to inspire others.

And inspire people he did! Every day a customer would come in from an older adult who knew more about his hobbies than he did to a child finding anime for the first time, his heart swelled, and his pride soared. He was making a difference in the world, and he was happy.

So, after years of fighting to keep his shop alive, fighting to keep the dream going, and he was content. If anything, his only regrets was that he could not keep it going for a bit longer, and that he did not really plan for what to do after he closed shop. How was he going to pay off those debts of his? That was a thought for another day.

So, on this last day of the Café's business, John was standing behind his counter cleaning some glasses as his final customers left through the front door, thanking John for allowing them to take some of his extra copies of some manga home with them. John was cool with that, he already had his own copies, and maybe those copies they took with them would inspire others.

As those customers were leaving, an older gentleman passed by them and headed into the store and up to the counter in front of John. His height and physique were as average as could be, and his unkempt brown hair reminded him of a shaggy dog that just took a bath. He was well dressed in a casual tee-shirt with jeans, obviously not trying to impress others yet still looking suave. He was like a flower on the side of the road, great to look at and admire, but unless you are focusing on them, they tend to blend into the background.

This was Alex, a man in his early forties and one of John's most supportive customers, coming to the store at least twice a week, as well as peer. Though he did not buy much besides the occasional soda and always put off John by reeking heavily of cigarette smoke, Alex and John often talked about everything to the latest manga and anime trends to world events and political views. Though they never hung out outside of business hours, they were great friends, and John would argue that Alex may be the only friend he has.

"So, this is finally it, yeah?" Alex questions, settling into the stool by the counter.

"Yeah. Finally, time to shut her down. I think she deserves a break, maybe turn into a proper business once this is over."

John smiles to himself as he thinks about the building. It really went through a lot, from the constant repaints of whatever manga was popular at the time to the drill holes in the wall when he installed those televisions so re-runs of anime could be played. She deserved a more "normal" owner after what he put her through.

There is a moment of silence as John finishes wiping off a glass and goes to grab another. Alex meanwhile is fidgeting in his seat.

"Mind if I have a smoke? Haven't had one all day and it is getting to me."

John frowns a bit at the request. Even though Alex always smells like smoke, he has never once smoked in the building, or even asked to. It was an odd request.

"Sure, might as well. Just please don't get the ashes anywhere or blow on the wall, I don't want the owners to try to pull extra cleaning fees out of their ass."

Alex looks surprised before slipping into a warm, appreciative smile. "Thanks." He pulls out a cigarette and lighter, lighting the end and slowly inhaling.

And so, for the next few minutes the only thing in the empty store were two men, one cleaning and one smoking in silence. It was an odd kind of calm that permeated the room as both men just stayed in place, surrounded by the bright lights and media.

Finally, the silence was broken once more.

"What do you plan to do after this?"

John continues cleaning the glass he is holding, as if it is the only thing in the world. "I don't know. Get a job obviously, the bills aren't going to pay themselves, but nothing solid yet. Maybe try to be a manager at some restaurant, I certainly have the experience for it."

Another long silence, only broken by the occasional breaking of glass and the exhalation of smoke.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?"

John looked up from his glass to Alex, confused. What else was there to say? The café was done, and it was time to move on. What was Alex on about?

"Well, yeah. I did my best, so I got to pay up for my passions then find something else."

"That's not what I mean."

Alex slowly takes a long breath of his cigarette before snubbing it out on a napkin on the table and chucking the cigarette butt at the trashcan at the other side of the room. John could not help in this serious moment to admire Alex's great aim.

"You spent all this time, so much of your life on this place. That is admirable, something I don't think I would ever be able to do even if I had all, the courage in the world." Alex started to sound more agitated as he now stares at some of the posters on the wall, not looking at John. "But now at the end of the road you just want to go and work under another and call it a day?"

John was not sure whether to be confused or concerned at Alex's remarks. Is he mad at the closing of the café, or just at him for being unsure of his future?

"I am not sure what you are talking about? If this is about the café then I must go pay off what I took to get it going. Dreams aren't cheap man."

Alex snapped his head towards John at that remark.

"That is what I mean, that attitude right there. You are speaking as though this dream; this café was the only dream you could have, or that mattered." Alex turns his expression from one of annoyance to one of excitement. "You are not thinking ahead to the next dream!"

Now John was just baffled. Alex was a strange guy, sure, but he never just swapped from emotions like annoyance to excitement that like. And what was this about pursuing a new dream now? They had been discussing the imminent closure of the café for almost months now and this was never brought up once!

John put down his glass and looked at Alex with a concerned face. "What is going on man, is something up?" He just could not see what Alex was getting at.

At that question, Alex suddenly stopped as his face drooped, as if he were caught in a lie, before changing to a unique expression John had never seen in his whole life, embarrassment.

"Sorry, I guess I got too riled up there. It's just, well um." Alex stops for a bit, looking like he about to choose his words carefully. He then puts on a serious look before turning to John once more.

"Would you like to go on an adventure?"

John stood there for a moment, contemplating the question. Adventure? What is he talking about?

"What do you mean, adventure?"

Alex cocked his head, looking a bit confused, "You know, an adventure! Going off into the unknown, having a blast learning and seeing new things, maybe get some danger in your life, save a princess or something if that is your thing."

John, if he could be asked, would describe his feelings on Alex's question as 'baffled'.

"What are you even talking about?"

Alex pushes himself off the stool, then starts to slowly pace around in front of the counter, speaking to John.

"John, I have seen you run this café for years now, and I was always impressed by how you ran it with a passion and positive attitude I have never seen before." He stops for a second and stares at John right in the eyes. "I do not want that passion wasted on paying for an old dream when you can be pursuing a new one."

"Oh!" John exclaims now thinking he understands the attitude Alex is displaying. He is not mad that the café is being giving up, but that a new goal is not apparent and ready to be chased after!

"But I still have to pay off what I owe before I just go on to the next thing. I don't want to chase my new dream with my old one stilled in the rear-view."

Alex smiles that warm smile again, again putting John on edge with his mood swings today.

"That, my dear John, is where I come in!"

John thought he understood what Alex was getting at but is now confused again.

"John, I will buy this building off you, and pay off all of your debts."

John's brain stopped working for a second. All his bills, and the building? But that was an insane amount of money!

Before John could even speak Alex continued, "But there is a price to be paid John. I want you to live your life to the fullest with no ties to the past. I want you to go on a true adventure fraught with danger, excitement, perhaps even love! I want you to find yourself!" Alex looks serious once more.

"I want you to have an adventure of a lifetime."

And with that, Alex extends his arm towards John, hand ready as if to accept a handshake. At that moment, John did not know what to say. With Alex's heartfelt offer, as well as the sudden fear of not knowing what his next passion would be after this, John was frozen in place.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, John moved once more, and shook his head. Then looking Alex in the eyes once more, he spoke.

"Okay. What do I have to do?"

Alex just smiled at him once more. "Let's just shake on it first. We can discuss the details afterwards, friend to friend."

And so, nodding his head, John smiled a smile of his own, reached out his arm and took Alex's hand, sealing the deal.

Suddenly, there was a large flash of light and a loud sound reminiscent of the turning of gears, and the Earth itself seemed to stand still.

After a few moments passed, the light was gone, and all returned to normal.

In Café Mangaten, a manga café in a small town in the central United States of America, within it's walls stood only a single man by the name of Alex who still had his arm outstretched and a smile on his face.

As he lowered his hand to his side, he reached into his pocket to grab another cigarette, lit it up and took a big breath.

As he exhaled, he looked up at the ceiling of the café and smiled to himself.

"I hope you have an adventure of a lifetime John."