No.119 Eating Yakisoba in the Cold

A deserted park wrapped in crisp winter air. I pulled up my coat collar and gently took the steaming yakisoba container in my hands. The sauce’s aroma slowly thawed my cold fingertips and heart. Forget all the tension of being seen, all the anxiety of seeming strange—just for now. Here, I am simply “me.” This time spent being “me” instead of “I” feels a little special, requires just a bit of courage, yet is incredibly gentle. It’s precisely because it’s cold winter that warmth sinks deep into my bones. Rather than worrying about the eyes of someone unseen, I choose the comfort of this moment, right now. This is a story about those moments when everyone wants to be their “true self.” If you’d like, why not sit beside me and warm up together? May someone’s “time to be themselves” become even warmer.