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Tomako Matsuzawa
The ghost is a pale, gaunt woman who almost constantly occupies the seat that allows customers to time travel. However, there is always one point in the day when she stands up to use the bathroom, and this is the window that customers can use to go back in time. The ghost is usually immersed in a book, but she sometimes is more attentive to the goings-on of the café around her than she appears to be. For instance, she stares at Kei when the baby is sapping her health, seeming to be more aware of Kei’s imminent death than anyone else. If anyone tries to force the ghost out of her seat before she’s ready to go to the bathroom, she lays a harmless but uncomfortable “curse” on them, immobilizing them until Kazu pours her another coffee. Kazu tells Fumiko that the ghost was once a customer who went back in time to see her dead husband and didn’t finish her coffee before it got cold. As a consequence, she’s forced to remain in the chair and abide by the café’s mysterious rules until someone else makes the same mistake.
The Ghost Quotes in Before the Coffee Gets Cold
The Before the Coffee Gets Cold quotes below are all either spoken by The Ghost or refer to The Ghost. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3 Quotes
Kazu continued with her outlandish plan. After filling the cup with coffee she would offer again: “Would you care for some coffee?” She went on doing this, and every time it was offered, the woman in the dress would reply, “Yes, please,” and drink it down. But after a while, the woman began to look uncomfortable.
[…]
“She looks so uncomfortable. Why doesn’t she just refuse?” Kohtake commented, sympathizing with the woman in the dress.
“She can’t refuse,” Kei whispered in Kohtake’s ear.
“Why not?”
“Because apparently that’s the rule.”
“Goodness…” Kohtake said in surprise to the fact that it wasn’t only those traveling back in time who had to follow annoying rules.
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Water flows from high places to low places. That is the nature of gravity. Emotions also seem to act according to gravity. When in the presence of someone with whom you have a bond, and to whom you have entrusted your feelings, it is hard to lie and get away with it. The truth just wants to come flowing out. This is especially the case when you are trying to hide your sadness or vulnerability. It is much easier to conceal sadness from a stranger, or from someone you don’t trust. Hirai saw Kei as a confidante with whom she could share anything. The emotional gravity was strong. Kei was able to accept anything—forgive anything—that Hirai let flow out. A single kind word from Kei could cut the cords of tension that ran through her.
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Chapter 4 Quotes
“Will Mama’s baby be lonely? Will that make you cry?” [Kei] talked to the child as she always did. “I might only be able to have you, my child. Will you forgive me?”
She listened, but no answer came.
A stream of tears flowed down her cheeks.
“I’m scared…the thought of not being there for my child is frightening,” she said, looking directly at Nagare. “I don’t know what I should do. I want my child to be happy. How can such a simple wish be so terribly scary?” she cried.
Nagare gave no reply. He just gazed at the paper cranes on the counter.
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The woman in the dress closed her novel. She hadn’t finished it: a white bookmark with a red ribbon tied to it was left inserted between the pages. Hearing the book close, Kei looked over at her. The woman in the dress looked back at Kei and just went on staring at her.
With her eyes fixed on Kei, the woman in the dress gently blinked just once. Then she smoothly got up from her seat. It was as if that blink had been meant to communicate something, yet she walked behind Nagare and Kohtake and disappeared into the bathroom as if she was being drawn inside.
Her seat—that seat—was vacant.
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The Ghost Character Timeline in Before the Coffee Gets Cold
The timeline below shows where the character The Ghost appears in Before the Coffee Gets Cold. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...woman is silent. Kazu comes up behind her and explains that the woman is a ghost, but Fumiko doesn’t believe her. She doubles down and tries to force the ghost out...
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Fumiko, cold and weak, slumps on the floor while the ghost holds her gaze. As Fumiko cries out for help, Kazu calmly makes coffee and offers...
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...that it’s not love of the coffee that brings him back—rather, he’s waiting for the ghost to leave her seat.
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...Even so, Kohtake gently encourages Fusagi to leave the café with her, suggesting that the ghost won’t use the bathroom today after all. Still listening, Fumiko agonizes over this possibility but...
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A little while later, Kazu wakes Fumiko. The ghost has gone to the bathroom. Shocked and thrilled, Fumiko rushes to sit down in the...
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In the present, the ghost returns to the seat and orders Fumiko to get up. As Fumiko stands in a...
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Chapter 2
...of remaining in his life, even as his nurse. As Kei starts to cry, the ghost stands up from her seat and goes to the bathroom. Her departure reminds Kohtake of...
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...idea that it’s a love letter for Kohtake. She eagerly suggests that Kohtake take the ghost’s seat now and go back in time to read the letter. Kohtake is initially surprised,...
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The ghost returns from the bathroom and tells Kohtake to move. Now utterly happy, Kohtake tells Kei...
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Chapter 3
Three days later, a teenage girl sits in the ghost’s seat. She and Nagare are alone in the café, and he watches her with interest,...
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...rest of her coffee, and vanishes in a cloud of steam. In her place, the ghost appears and reads her book as if nothing is unusual. Kei wonders aloud who the...
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...walks into the back and calls Kazu away from her break. Impatient, Hirai approaches the ghost and tries to force her out of her seat. The ghost curses her until Kazu...
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Hirai pleads with Kazu to find a way to get the ghost out of the chair. Reluctantly, Kazu agrees to try. She pours the ghost cup after...
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...as it was three days ago. Kei greets her in surprise, seeing her in the ghost’s seat. She asks Hirai why she has traveled back in time, and Hirai replies only...
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In the present, the ghost comes back from the bathroom and tells Hirai to move. Hirai stands up and explains...
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Chapter 4
...Kumi’s legacy a happy one. Kohtake asks Kazu about a woman sitting across from the ghost. It’s Fumiko, staring intently at the ghost. Kazu isn’t sure what Fumiko is doing there,...
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Kei starts to put away dishes, and the ghost stares at her. When Kei drops a glass, she finally agrees to lie down and...
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...the baby will resent her for leaving it alone. As Kei starts to cry, the ghost stands up, blinks at her, and goes to the bathroom. Seeing the now-empty chair, Kei...
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