A Moment With You

CHAPTER 1 | Finding the Lost Chance

There are moments we waited to happen,
Patiently prayed for to come,
and moments we never expected to find,
including the realization that we may have missed moments
we never thought we'd need

*********

It's been a while since Ray had taken the bus and gone to the countryside. A decade or more perhaps. Back then he would take a bus ride to visit one of his pub's suppliers as he didn't have his own car. He started small and that meant he did almost everything on his own, including the need to travel by bus. Such trips were humbling especially with the thought of pursuing his father's dream -- his Sweet Night, a pub Ray's father was working on before tragically dying in a car accident. However, despite finally making the pub thrive and having his own car including someone to drive for him, Ray decided to still take the bus.

The bus ride was relaxing. Ray sat and stared out the bus' window and watched the leafless trees and wide countryside they passed by. No building was in sight -- and if there were, these were only small and rustic ones. The view was definitely something he needed. To be honest, he had always thought of having a day-off like this -- unfortunately, this wasn't one.

The reality of what this trip was made Ray's thoughts wander off to what happened a few days ago. It may have seemed like a momentous event -- finally someone wanted to invest and have their pub branch overseas -- and it wasn't just someone.

They all know Mr. Yami, a Japanese businessman who was influential and well respected worldwide. Ray had heard a lot about him. He seemed interested to invest and had a meeting scheduled immediately.

Ray and his team were completely drawn to Mr. Yami when they met him. Mr. Takeshi Yami is a senior businessman with a gentle aura that mused them. He has eyes that both smiled and sparkled with fascination despite his old age. He seemed drawn to things with a "story to tell", including businesses. Yet behind the gentle and musing personality, the man is known to be very strict in business.

With Mr. Yami's reputation, the possibility of him investing gave Ray and his team hope to see Sweet Night branching out to a different shore. However, what was supposed to be a business meeting led to a surprising discovery-- Another Sweet Night... What made it even more intriguing was how their potential investor seemed interested in it too.

"A Sweet Night Bookstore?" Amber, one of Ray's directors and business partners, asked in surprise. Mr. Yami just nodded with a smile.

"I wanted to meet the young man who owns it," Mr. Yami explained. "That's why I wanted to invest. I thought it was the same Sweet Night." then he laughed.

Was this all an honest mistake?

Amber tried to compose herself after realizing the old man might have mistaken their franchise for a bookstore. Or maybe this was all a joke? Yes, the other Sweet Night was a bookstore and not a pub. Didn't Mr. Yami's staff even bother to research them? She made sure their pub was all over the internet. Sensing Amber's frustration, and before she can say anything to Mr. Yami, Ray cut in....

"Sir, does that mean you were interested in investing in this bookstore instead of our pub?"

Mr. Yami turned to Ray with an amused smile. "Yes."

Ray nodded, understanding the man's thought. He kept his calm and tried to see things in Mr. Yami's eyes -- Ray learned that from his father, "ask the right question and never assume you know everything".

Maybe it wasn't time for their business to branch out overseas, Ray thought. In fact, there was something about the bookstore that made him even wonder about it as well.... A small town bookstore catching the attention of a tycoon. How?