Owl Cafe

Kaito had never been on a date before and gripped the car wheel so tightly his knuckles went white. This date wasn’t his idea but his parents had insisted. “How are you 32 already and haven’t even had a girlfriend?” He could hear the disapproving scolds of his aging mother. The wrinkles on her face seemed to carve themselves even deeper in her skin, as if the frustration of her bachelor son aged her several years in minutes.

The car he had wasn’t fancy, and he never cleaned it. The smell of old dust was prominent in the air and floated around them both. Kaito definitely wasn’t comfortable having Nodoka there, he just didn’t know what to say to a girl.

She looked at him pleasantly, while awkwardly adjusting the bag at her feet, moving some old Happy Turn rice cracker wrappers along with it. “Thank you again so much for taking me out today,” Nodoka said happily. “I don’t get out too much, so it’s nice to be able to go to a cafe.” Kaito nodded but was unable to reciprocate the same feelings. “Yes, I’m always in the office myself.” he said.

“What do you do again? My mother didn’t tell me too many details. She just said your mom and her used to go to middle school together in Tachikawa.”

Kaito nodded again. He didn’t think his parents really knew what he did. “I work in administration at the city hall.” He said simply.

“Do you like working there?”

He paused for a moment. “It’s easy to go through the motions. I don’t have to think too much so it makes the time go by.”

Nodoka nodded blankly, letting out a quiet sigh. She looked out the window to the metallic barriers around the highway. Vines had slowly crept up over them, creating a beautiful green canopy to juxtapose the greyness of the city. While trying to be as optimistic as she could, Nodoka remained frustrated that her mother set her up with someone who wasn’t interested in talking to her. She had been on a lot of dates this year, and had even tried Omiai, but without any luck.

They drove off the highway and pulled into a small street, heading towards a parking lot.

“What about your hobbies?” Nodoka suggested, desperately searching for a common thread, “What do you like to do when you aren’t working?”

“I like to go to karaoke sometimes.” He said in response.

“Oh, that’s fun!” Relieved that he was interested in something she liked. “I love going, it’s so much fun to rent a room with friends and fight over who gets to sing.”

“I usually go by myself,” Kaito said quietly. Nodoka turned her head away, pursed her lips, and looked forward into the road. She was at a loss at what to do, or what to say. She felt a sense of dread, wondering what on earth they would talk about while they were at the cafe. They had only been driving for thirty minutes, after all. She wondered if it would be rude to take the train home.

He pulled into a Times parking lot, relieved that he found one so quickly. In Harajuku, there were rarely empty parking lots. He swirled the wheel and backed up into the automatic lot, and they were ready to go.

“I’ve never been to an owl cafe before,” Nodoka said, “I’m excited. I love the cat cafes, and I’ve even been to a hedgehog cafe before, but never an owl cafe. Thank you so much for being open-minded to going.” The gravel from the parking lot ground underneath their feet as they walked out.

Kaito flicked his nails inside his jacket pocket. “I don’t usually go to cafes. I never know what to do and they’re usually too loud.”

Nodoka grasped at her bag, hoping that she didn’t make a mistake by suggesting this cafe. She had always wanted to go, but now was realizing that going to an owl cafe for the first time might have been more fun with friends instead of a first date.

They turned down a small alley, walking in silence until they came to a corner with a small laminated sign. “Owl City” said the name of the cafe on the poster. Nodoka was suddenly excited again. She loved animals and had never seen an owl in person. “Oh," She said, "There’s a 1,000 yen seating charge. I hope that’s ok?” Kaito winced. Another reason why going to cafes like this made no sense. Why did it cost so much to go see an animal in a cafe? He had been to the zoo before when he was younger and he knew that was still cheaper than this.

They began to walk up the steep stairs up to the entrance and grabbed onto the metal railing for support. Lining the entrance were laminated photos of the owls they had in the shop. They had American names like Tiffany and Sarah, and other unusual names like Latte. One was named Bob, and on the laminated card it said he was 1.8 kilograms. Just as heavy as the bags of rice Kaito would buy at the supermarket.

Nodoka opened the door, and there was a little bell jingle to greet them, and they both stepped inside.

Kaito had indeed been to the zoo before, and despite living in the city, he had a cat growing up and knew that his fascination for the animal kingdom was essentially non-existent. But an unusual feeling came over him as he stepped into the entrance of the cafe.

In front of them was a little owl, just a bit taller than his thumb, and stood with a tiny chain tied to its feet. Kaito stared at it, as the tiny owl stared back.

The staff stood at the entrance to greet them. “Is this one a baby?” Asked Kaito.

“Hello, sir! Welcome to Owl City.” A friendly girl, about the age of a university student, greeted them. “This one is Latte. She is an Elf owl, one of the smallest owls in the world. She’s an adult, so she won’t be growing any larger.”

Something curious was erupting inside him. He knew what an owl was, but he had never seen these little creatures in the wild or in captivity. In Japan, it’s just not something you see too often. But here he was, with this little woodland creature in front of him, so small it could fit in the palm of his hand.

“Hey, are you going to sit down?” A voice said behind him. Kaito spun around. Nodoka was already seated and was looking at the menu. “Oh yes,” said Kaito, and he made his way to the table and sat down.

Names of drinks were being thrown around, 800 yen Cassis Orange Fizz, 900 yen Earl Grey Tea, but Kaito couldn’t pay any attention. As he sat down, he realized that owls were lining every wall of the room. From owls as small as Latte to ones as long as a human arm.

He tried to focus on the menu but was distracted by the large owl that sat two meters away from him. He had talons as thick as his thumbs and had chains that dangled down from their ankles to the pearches. The sign underneath him said his name was Chai.

“I think I’ll get a cafe latte,” said Nodoka as the waitress came over with her pen and notepad.

“And you, sir?” Asked the waitress.

“Oh yes yes, of course.” Said Kaito, frantically skimming the menu. “Can I just have a glass of water?”

“So sorry sir, it is actually one drink order per customer.” The waitress said apologetically.

“Oh, I see,” Kaito said. He ordered a black coffee and was done with the excruciating interaction. He was glad that it was all over, but then began the second part of the date. He had almost forgotten that he wasn’t there alone.

They both looked around the room at all the owls. “You look quite surprised.” She said, “I didn’t know you liked owls so much.”

Kaito smiled for once. “Do I look surprised?” A flutter of wings brushed behind him, an owl seemed to be stretching. “I didn’t know what to expect, I guess.”

They then stood up to look at the owls more closely, and to take pictures with them.

“Do the chains hurt them?” Kaito asked the staff.

“Oh no, of course not. The chains don’t hurt at all. And in fact, having them chained here is quite calming for them. During the day in their natural habitat they sleep, and then at night is when they fly. We take them out in the evening to give them exercise.”

Kaito looked at the owls. “But they’re awake. They’re all awake.”

Somehow, despite the kind and charming demeanor of the staff, he felt that it wasn’t a calm and soothing environment to be watched by cafe go-ers drinking 800 yen coffees at all hours of the day.

His gaze landed on one bird in particular, with a round plate of a face and deep-set eyes. He had never seen a creature like it before. Something about its stare felt intrusive, and Kaito was unable to sip his black coffee with any degree of comfort. He felt unsettled. There was something he wanted to say, but he didn’t know what.

Kaito then realized why he must have felt so uneasy. It dawned on him that it had been a long time since another had simply looked at him. He couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t eyed with more than a meager glance, even by his parents. As if a longer look would infect them with the same ailment that he had: A self-induced loneliness.

This inquisitive stare of the owl began to consume him, and he felt he must stare back, as to participate in an unspoken, secret conversation. It came upon him like a pounding in his head, a drumbeat that refused to quell.

“That one is an American Barn Owl.” The waitstaff interjected cheerfully.

“I see,” Kaito responded. Outwardly, his composure remained. Up until this point he had not affixed himself on anything in life before, and it had all been one meaningless blur or civil duty, and things he knew he was supposed to do in life. Individual pleasures were to be calculated tactfully or extinguished.

He brought the coffee cup to his lips, his hands jittered slightly, inadvertently revealing his inner perplexity. He didn’t understand why this simple creature brought so much emotion, and nearly drove him to tears.

He was unable to draw his gaze away from the owl’s, a face that was so void of expression gripped him. The owl itself stood still, and its frightful talons gripped tightly on the faux wood perch, a stark juxtaposition between the delightful face it had set on display.

Nodoka looked at him curiously throughout the date. Cafes such as this only allowed you to stay for 60 minutes, a short enough time to remove yourself from any unfortunate dates.

She hoped that he would enjoy himself at the cafe, but she had no idea that his attention would be fully removed from her. While he sat upward, in an almost priestly manner, his eyes darted back and forth as if lost in an inner maze that he couldn’t escape.

The staff came up to them and said “I’m so sorry, but the time limit is up. Thank you so much for coming today, and we hope to see you again. Can I take your cups?”

Kaito walked out of the cafe with Nodoka. “I just remembered an errand I have to run,” She began, “I’ll be taking the train. But it was nice to meet you, please tell your mom I say Hi.”

“I will, Thank you,” he said, turned around, and walked towards the parking lot, still in a daze from the unusual emotions the cafe had introduced to him. He knew not of how he was possessed, but he knew that no matter what, something had changed within him. What had changed, he couldn’t say, be it spiritual, emotional, or clinical.

There was something that was beginning to itch in the back of his mind, and he suddenly felt an unusual nagging that he had not experienced prior, like a highlighted sentence on a page. His eyes kept leaping back to it, this strange experience that had unlocked something in him. He knew that he would be back at the cafe.

***

For about two weeks, he visited that cafe daily after work. An almost religious zeal came over him. In his frequency, he had hoped that the staff wouldn’t recognize him, and sloppily attempted different hairstyles and looks to disguise his appearance. He felt a quiet shame about revealing his obsession, and yet this shame was not enough to barricade him from coming.

During this period of time, he took note of the patterns of the staff, how they took care of the animals, what they did, when they ate for lunch. All the while, his fascination with the little Barn Owl grew. He began to feel that it started to recognize him. He liked to think that they were becoming wayward friends. They would stare at each other, while he feigned more interest in his coffee to offset any curious glares.

Once in a while, he would ask the staff more questions about the owls. Where would they fly at night? What did they eat? This curiosity with them began to monopolize the entirety of his thought life.

That evening, as he laid himself down in his bed, he pulled the covers up over his face. A helpless frustration for this animal passed over him in waves of nausea. Flashes of its eyes and the thickness of the chains that were wrapped around its talons consumed his brain and threatened to choke him.

Everything in his previous life had required only one thing of him: to be as bland as he possibly could. As long as he could fulfill the roles he was given, he would be able to survive. There was no eagerness to stand out or to excel in any particular way, and absolutely no room for passion.

And yet, in his 32nd year, the captivity of this animal had bewitched him in ways that eating meat, and keeping domesticated animals like dogs and cats never did. He wasn’t able to make sense of these feelings, almost as if they didn’t belong to him.

Kaito knew what he needed to do, despite having no evident reason why he was driven to do so.

***

The next day Kaito returned to the cafe at the same time. He knew that while the staff were attentive, they were at ease with their schedules. Being university school girls, they went through the routines that were demanded of them, without expending any extra energy.

Because of this, it was easy for Kaito to come into the cafe with a bolt cutter. To conceal it within his overcoat was simple, and left no obvious outline of it being present. He knew that the staff would take time off during noon, slip into the back room to grab their lunches, and bring them into the main hall to remain watchful of the customers.

It took but an instant to snap the chains. He felt his heart beat faster than any moment he had in his life before. Nothing could have prepared him for it, as there were no instructional books or videos online on how to steal an owl.

Once the chain broke at the strength of the cutters, he took a gloved hand out to the talons of the bird. He had been afraid of this part. What if the strength of the bird was too much for him, and it attacked or squawked in fear at this unusual break in his routine? Kaito knew he would feign any knowledge of the broken chain, and remove himself quickly from the premises, but he would be unable to return for a second attempt.

But the quiet owl seemed to understand completely what was transpiring, and obediently clamped onto his gloved hand, and was then tactlessly concealed within his overcoat. Despite this display taking place in view of the other cafe go-ers, they remained happily oblivious to the thievery that was taking place underneath their noses.

It was at that moment that Kaito ran faster than he had ever attempted in his life. He felt the head of the bird bob against his chest at his awkward dash. Nothing pushed him faster than this crime he had just committed, not even in school during sports day when he was younger, and it carried him to his car while gripping the broken end of the chain the whole way.

The days after this theft was a magical blur. He had never known a more clever animal. It was a struggle to keep it in his tiny apartment and was filled with anxiety during his work hours when he was absent from it, in fear that he would walk in and find the owl expired on his arrival. Yet, each time he would walk through his small doorway relieved to find the owl very much alive.

Every moment he had the owl, he was hellbent on uncovering the reason for his obsession with it, as if to decipher a telepathic message the owl had transferred to him. Kaito found himself sobbing at intervals, unable to fully comprehend the reason for his fits of emotion.

He would often talk to the owl when he was with him, when he was feeding it, or when it would attempt to fly around his narrow apartment room, leaving scratches behind with its sharp talons.

He would tell him stories about his own life. The owl was there, staring as if expecting each ending of the story to trail off to a new one. He entertained his feathery friend with anecdotes from his childhood of growing up in the suburbs of Tokyo, to narratives about his workplace. “My co-workers always go out to lunch together,” he would say, branching off from talking about his countless duties at the city office, “but despite being there for so long, no one has ever asked me to.”

He stared quizzically at the owl, which rested on his knees. “I don’t know why they treat me like that.” A small foreign tear ran down his cheek, and Kaito brushed it away. “I suppose I feel more trapped than I thought.” He concluded.

He was surprised at how during the day, the owl was mostly satisfied with remaining in one place, despite being free from its chains, but went into frightful nightly tirades, flying from the open door to dangling desperately on his nightshade. Kaito hardly slept, and remained engrossed with this animal, watching it diligently throughout nights that were only speckled with sleep.

One day, after turning the TV on, Kaito saw a pixelated video of his own gangly figure darting down the road next to the owl cafe. “THE OWL THIEF”, read the captions in bold letters. “My staff and I are incredibly shocked,” said the blurred face of a man, “In all my years of owning owl cafes, I have never had to worry about one being stolen.”

Kaito had no idea that there had been cameras, he had looked for them inside the cafe. And yet, for some reason, he thought he was protected once he stepped outside. He looked towards the owl, now resting on top of a bookshelf.

“You felt trapped in that life, didn’t you?” Kaito said, looking towards the owl. The bird stared back in response and scratched the back of its head with a balletic twist of its leg.

***

About a week after the emancipation, Kaito had the window open, allowing the coolness of the autumn breeze to roll into the room through the screen. He was leaning back in his chair, reading his favorite manga magazine. The pages were dappled in curry.

“I’m so glad the latest Shonen Jump came out,” He told the owl, “I get it every week. I haven’t missed one in 6 years.” He said proudly.

The owl sat still, with a nonjudgmental glare. “If you were a human, I think you’d like it.” Kaito uttered, lazily flicking through the pages.

In that instant, despite Kaito never receiving visitors, there was a sudden angry knock at the door, which made him jump from his seat. The magazine he was reading was flung to the floor, tipping over a cup that rattled along the laminated floor.

Knock Knock Knock. "Keisatsu desu." "It’s the Police." The combination of the knock and the booming voice seemed to rock the whole room.

More than the fear of becoming a criminal, he was reminded of when his parents would pull him away from his childhood friends and say “It’s time to go home.” He felt a sickly dread trickle down the back of his neck.

He looked at the owl, who stood regal and silent. He wondered if the bird, with its large bulbous eyes, could see the sadness that washed over him. Kaito turned his face away in embarrassment, just in case it could.

Bang Bang bang, pounded a fist on the metallic door. “Kaito Nakamura, we have a warrant for your arrest. We know you’re inside.”

Looking helplessly at this bird he felt his destiny to protect, an impulse came over him. He knew, deep down, he would be convicted, no matter if they found the owl in his possession. They would never listen to him, as someone that society had deemed unworthy. They would never understand his reasoning. But he knew that the owl couldn’t go back, there was no reason for the two of them to be locked up.

Kaito quietly inched his way towards the screen window, between each pounding of a fist at the door. He peered over it, and below on the street he could see two police officers standing solemnly, guarding the road, lest he made a run for it. Kaito pulled the screen of the window quietly, opening it fully.

He took the large flying thing in his arms, and said goodbye, petting it on its head. “Thank you,” he said, “For making me feel something.” And he lifted it to the window and it took flight silently into the air.

He could hear a commotion below him on the streets. One of the police officers must have spotted the owl fly away from the window, because the pounding on his door grew louder and louder, and the faceless voice of the officer became angrier.

Kaito walked toward the door and unhooked the chain, a chain very much like the one he had emancipated from the bird, and in came the rushing waters of officers, angrily spitting words and expletives, handcuffing him behind his back. From the window, everyone could see the faint silhouette of the owl flying off into the distance.

Amidst the commotion and the flood of officers in his one-room apartment, Kaito felt the urge to speak, as if to defend his actions. “At least he was free.” He said out loud to the officer.

The police officer sneered and scanned the small apartment. Littering the room were week-old bento boxes open with leftovers spilling out, a collection of pet bottles in the corner, and dirty laundry flung in every corner of the room.

“In here?” He said mockingly.

Kaito looked around his room, his arms tucked behind his back, and felt his heart sink.

He was ushered out of his apartment, and was guided outside. Before being shown inside the police car, he looked up to the sky one last time to see if he could get a glimpse of the owl. Except for a few clouds that were scattered across the horizon, the sky was empty, and his little friend was nowhere to be seen. But he did wonder what it would look like to finally be free.