Before I Knew I Loved You

コーヒーが冷めないうちに #6

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot (Translator)

とある町の
とある喫茶店の
とある座席には不思議な都市伝説があった
その席に座るとその席に座っている間だけ
望んだ通りの「時間」に移動ができるという

ただし、そこにはめんどくさい……
非常にめんどくさいルールがあった

１．過去に戻っても、この喫茶店を訪れたことのない者には会うことができない
２．過去に戻ってどんな努力をしても現実は変わらない
３．その席には常に白いワンピースを着た女が座っている
４．その席に座れるのはその女が席を立った時だけ
５．過去に戻っても、席を立って移動はできない

制限時間はカップにコーヒーを注いでから、そのコーヒーが冷めるまでの間だけ

めんどくさいルールはこれだけではない
それにもかかわらず、今日も都市伝説の噂を聞いた客がこの喫茶店を訪れる

喫茶店の名前は、フニクリフニクラ

この物語は、そんな不思議な喫茶店で起こった心温まる四つの奇跡。

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Japan, Japanese Literature, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Asian Literature

222 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2024

About the author

Toshikazu Kawaguchi (in Japanese: 川口 俊 和) was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He formerly produced, directed and wrote for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. As a playwright, his works include COUPLE, Sunset Song, and Family Time. The novel Before the Coffee Gets Cold is adapted from a 1110 Productions play by Kawaguchi, which won the 10th Suginami Drama Festival grand prize.

Reviews

[ree]

can't wait for the english translated version in the next few years!

[har. (semi-ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

┆ ⤿ 🥐⌗ started: february 20, finished: february 21

3 stars 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹
⤿ arc review with some spoilers.

if you could go back in time, who would you want to meet?

ⓘ thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for the early edition in exchange for an honest review.

thoughts: ⋆˚࿔
i did feel the heartbreak, the stories carry that quiet, reflective sadness that this series is known for, and there were definitely moments that tugged at me. the themes of regret, parental sacrifice, and unresolved emotions were strong, and i appreciated how gently everything unfolded.

but for some reason, it just didn’t fully connect with me. i understood what the stories were trying to convey, and i could see the emotional weight behind them, yet i felt slightly removed from it all. it was like i was witnessing the sadness rather than being completely immersed in it. the emotions were there, but they didn’t hit me as deeply as some of the earlier books in the series.

that being said, i still respect the softness of the storytelling. kawaguchi has a way of making ordinary conversations feel meaningful, and i admire the simplicity and restraint. this one just didn’t resonate with me on a personal level the way i hoped it would. bittersweet, thoughtful, but not one of my favorites in the series.

stories: ⋆˚࿔
i. the runaway
this story covers about azami kishimoto and her stepmother yumiko togo. this story hurt in the softest, most devastating way. azami was a troubled child who pushed away the one person who never stopped loving her. after losing her biological mother, she took her anger and grief out on yumiko, the stepmother who never tried to replace anyone, never forced the “mother” title, but still stayed. yumiko endured everything and continued to care for azami as her own, quietly and patiently.

what made this story even more painful was the realization that azami only truly understood her stepmother’s love years later, after yumiko had passed away. once she became a stepmother herself, she finally felt the weight of what yumiko must have carried. the guilt, the regret, the pain of telling her to never look for her again… it all came rushing back.

this chapter beautifully captured regret, guilt, and unspoken love. it shows how sometimes we only understand someone’s sacrifices when it’s too late, and how heavy that realization can be.

ii. the patient man
the patient man follows koku, who has quietly loved kazu for years, knowing she keeps everyone at a careful emotional distance. while those around her sense a wall, kōkū never pressures her to lower it. instead, he remains steady and patient, accepting her responsibilities to the café and the grief she carries from her late fiancé, goro katada.

running alongside this is the story of okishima and kanna, which explores a more innocent, youthful kind of affection. their dynamic contrasts with koku's enduring devotion, highlighting different stages and expressions of love, one built on subtle glances and growing awareness, the other rooted in years of quiet waiting.

overall, the chapter centers on themes of patience, unspoken feelings, and enduring love. it’s gentle and reflective rather than dramatic, focusing more on emotional undercurrents than major twists.

iii. the secret
this story follows rikako, who is anxious about her future with gaku, a kind but struggling comedian whose career feels uncertain and unstable. frustrated by his lack of clear success and worried she might be settling, rikako chooses to travel forward in time to see what becomes of their relationship. she wants reassurance. she wants proof that staying will be worth it.

this chapter explores insecurity, doubt, and the fear of choosing wrong. it asks whether love can survive without certainty, and whether knowing the future truly brings peace, or just exposes what we’re too afraid to face in the present.

iv. the father and son
this story follows tsuguo, who travels back to meet his late father, ryutaro, one more time. raised alone by his father after a divorce, tsuguo grew up without fully understanding the sacrifices ryutaro made. through their quiet conversation, he begins to see his father not just as a parent, but as a man who did his best with what he had.

it’s a soft, bittersweet story about parental sacrifice, misunderstanding, and finally seeing someone clearly, even if it’s too late.

[grebxy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In qualche modo piango sempre, assurdo.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

حلم العودة الى الماضي يتحقق في مقهى فونيكولي فونيكولا بشرط العودة قبل ان تبرد ☕️.
حكايات أشخاص عادوا للماضي و عبروا عن مشاعر الحب بكل أنواعه.

[Phillipsbooknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are always a great way to reflect on the past and present. What if we had the chance to go back, would it be to make a change for us or for the other person?

[onelmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cried ugly at the last story 🥲 A mix of heart warming story makes the book a nice balance. Some lines do feel like they are there to increase the word count but still okay, I guess.

One confusing bit in the book is where in the last story, Koku told Kinuyo he was going to France "the next day", but Kazu apparently received a message from him attached with his selfie in France "that very evening" 🤷‍♀️

[Makisaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cried, alright.

[Adriana Moretti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il tema del libro è che la vita va presa a morsi ogni minuto. ma ho trovato che alla fine è come tutti gli altri libri; nessun capolavoro, solo un libro tranquillo e carino, da leggere giusto per passare un po' di tempo.
Inoltre penso che dal terzo in poi siano troppo ripetitivi; mi ha dato l’impressione di leggere lo stesso libro.

[pages_amour]

A massive thanks to Pan Macmillan for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

A cute and cosy addition to the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series! I love little magical realism reads, the endearing mundanity of everyday life, the way the small stories show the threads of human connection between all of us, it’s just a comforting palate cleanse. Now I’ve only read the first book of the series and nothing in between, but the simple language and simple premise mean you can easily read this one as a standalone.

By no means a life changing read, but an enjoyable one all the same, albeit less impactful than the original. I would love nothing more than to spend a day in a time travelling cafe in real life.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was delighted to see a new installment.

It was a quick, enjoyable read.

My main gripe though was the overuse of the character Fumiko. She was inserted very prominently into the first three stories. To me, it felt very unnessary and a little irritating.

[Camila · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always - heartwarming ☺️

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If you could return that day, who would you want to meet?”

If you were given the chance to go back in time to meet someone, would you go? The sixth book of “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” series, “Before I Knew I Loved You”, explores a cozy cafe in Tokyo that allows customers to go back in time. However, there are rules to follow and the most important rule is to return before the coffee gets cold.

Another book from the “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” series that tugged at my heartstrings. Despite the grief at the beginning of each story, it still gave me comfort and heartwarming feelings throughout the stories. “The Patient Man” stood out the most and was my favorite story in the book. A man patiently waits for his first love and hopes that she remembers him after an accident. This story gave me Korean drama vibes

Thank you, HaperCollins and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC! I appreciated it and enjoyed reading it!

[Anna Mikulec · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've absolutely loved and cherished this whole series so much!

This new installment is sadly my least favorite so far. I remember the rules being repeated a lot in previous books but it felt like it was happening way more in this one. Considering this is now the 6th book in the series it does get a little annoying having the rules of time travel explained almost every 5 pages. Then there was also way more handholding to explain exactly what characters were feeling than I remember. I know that absolutely existed in previous books but the stories were so emotional and impactful that I could overlook it. I just couldn't do that with this one as much and it stood out a lot more when reading.

Still very heartwarming, slice of life stories but not on the same caliber as previous installments.

[claire (franchaela pilled) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 5 ⭐

credo ancora che questa serie sia molto molto bella da leggere, nel suo insieme, anche solo per le interconnessioni tra i personaggi e le loro storie che si evolvono con il tempo.

penso, però, che alcuni racconti, soprattutto le dinamiche e l'incipit alla base, stiano divenendo un po' ridondanti e ripetitivi.

comunque, non ho pianto nemmeno una volta rip

[Rachele Stoduto · Rating 4 out of 5]

In una strada defilata del Giappone, a pian terreno, esiste una caffetteria in cui è possibile viaggiare nel tempo, rispettando poche, semplici regole: si può viaggiare nel tempo solo una volta nella vita, si può rincontrare una persona solo se è stata nella stessa caffetteria, per viaggiare nel tempo bisogna accomodarsi su una sedia subito domo che "la dama bianca" si alza, si può stare nel passato/futuro solo finché il caffè è caldo. "La bottega del tempo ritrovato" è una raccolta di quattro racconti, ognuno con un messaggio ed un insegnamento importante il cui filo conduttore è il tempo. Lo stile narrativo è piacevole e scorrevole nonostante l'importanza delle tematiche: avere una seconda possibilità per dire ciò che non si è mai detto, oppure decidere se vivere il momento ed essere felici o rinunciare a tutto ... in altre parole, prendersi un attimo per sé stessi, ascoltarsi, ripartire.
Una lettura sicuramente consigliata, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[The Calm Chapter Mandi Wiencek · Rating 4 out of 5]

☕️ 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕀 𝕂𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕀 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕐𝕠𝕦 ☕️
((𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣-𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝔸𝕣𝕔 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨))

𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖- 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕀 𝕂𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕀 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕐𝕠𝕦
𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣- 𝕋𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕜𝕒𝕫𝕦 𝕂𝕒𝕨𝕒𝕘𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕚
𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤- 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕖 𝔾𝕖𝕥𝕤 ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕕 (#𝟞)
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕖- 𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕞

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖 ℂ𝕚𝕥𝕪-
☕️ ℂ𝕒𝕗𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘
☕️ 𝕋𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕝
☕️ ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖
☕️ 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕥 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤
☕️ 𝕄𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟
☕️ 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕖 𝔾𝕖𝕥𝕤 ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕪 𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖. 𝕍𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕚𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕔𝕒𝕗𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕜𝕪𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕝. 𝕄𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖, 𝕚𝕥'𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕖𝕧𝕖 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕟𝕖, 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕚𝕤𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕'𝕧𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕞𝕖 𝕔𝕣𝕪. 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕀 𝕂𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕀 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝟜 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤! 𝔼𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕠𝕟 𝕒 𝕛𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝕔𝕒𝕗𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕚𝕣. 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕦𝕡 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕖 𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕕...

ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕋𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕜𝕒𝕫𝕦 𝕂𝕒𝕨𝕒𝕘𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕚! 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 ℕ𝕖𝕥𝕘𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕡𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕔 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕞𝕖!

[Vicky Sp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esiste un luogo dove é possibile tornare indietro nel tempo, per la durata di un caffé, purché si ritorni prima che questo diventi freddo.
Dove? Nella caffetteria piú famosa del Giappone, in una stradina defilata, dove esiste una bottega del tempo ritrovato.
É l'occasione giusta per rimediare a errori, o per esprimere semplicemente affetto e riconoscenza ai propri cari.
Tante le storie emozionanti raccontate con la sensibilità tipica dell'autore, fenomeno editoriale degli ultimi anni, che abbiamo imparato ad amare in Finché il caffé è caldo. Un meraviglioso libro coccola che vi farà sognare .
Anche questa copertina è semplicemente stupenda.
Consiglitissimo

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'd think after 5 previous installments in this series that it would get old. But no, even the repetitive parts about the coffee ritual have remained somewhat fresh. And this installment expands the concept a bit more, which was interesting as well. I will continue to read these stories as a nice uplifting break from my normal reading. While the people involved are sad before they come to the cafe, I love that they, and the reader, leave better off.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does Kawaguchi do it? How does he continue to write fresh, tasty instalments of a series that should have gone cold long ago? The formula isn't all that complicated. Some of the stories might seem repetitive after a while. But you can't stop yourself revisiting Cafe Funiculi Funicula, because the setting and the recurring characters make it all worthwhile. As usual, there was one story that made me cry... and some where I came very close. Gosh, Kawaguchi really wants to torture us with that Kazu/Koko slowburn lol...

[Anna Nenci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torna Kawaguchi, una delle penne più acclamate del Giappone con la sua indimenticabile, ineguagliabile sensibilità. C'è un luogo in cui si può ripartire, in cui si può tornare indietro e sperare di recuperare o cogliere quell'attimo di svolta, perché a volte ci si rende conto dei propri errori quando è tardi, rimpiangendo quell’attimo perso.
Un abbraccio mancato, il rifiuto voluto, ingiustificato con l'inevitabile sofferenza di chi invece crede in quel sentimento sano e vero di una madre; una dichiarazione mancata per paura, rinviando ad un domani che non arriverà mai.
Tante storie, diverse esperienze in un romanzo toccante, delicato, che ci accarezza, riflettendo sull'importanza di vivere e godere di ogni attimo. Ripensare alla propria vita vivendo con la consapevolezza dello scorrere del tempo, cercare la felicità e trovarla anche nelle piccole cose in quei piccoli gesti che possono fare la differenza ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Teminikan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars

This was an emotional read. I loved how the book explored different forms of grieve and how each story seemed to have their own forms of happy endings. The concept of the cafe is so cool that I wished it was real and didn't have that many rules.
It was a short read but it started to get boring at some point while I was reading.

Overall, it was a Goodreads, I liked the concept and I recommend it.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for granting me this ARC.

[Emi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In una piccola caffetteria giapponese, avvolta dal profumo del caffè e dal silenzio delle attese,
il tempo può piegarsi — avanti o indietro — per chi ha qualcosa da ritrovare.
Ogni storia è un frammento d’umanità, un gesto semplice che sa di cura.

[Nicole Perrotta · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Soffriva, ma tormentarsi non avrebbe cambiato nulla, perciò doveva solo pensare a come vivere il tempo che le rimaneva.»

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series maintains the sweetness of the original with its genuine connections and human stories while keeping the concept of traveling back in time fresh and interesting.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books never fail to make me want to cry

[Talya · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite one yet 🥲

[Jessica Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an emotional read. The stories felt comforting and reflective with reminders about love, regret, and human connection.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Anna Bellin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect way to start September. It’s always a nice and calm reading that makes you think about important topics and makes you dream of seeing again those who are no longer with you. It brings hope, and it never disappoints.

[Alfonso · Rating 1 out of 5]

La ripetizione di un suo precedente lavoro. Per di più abbastanza melenso e vuoto.