Peace. Just what is it? Sanctuary for the soul? A moment of bliss? Rest from the world?

    The café I have been going to offers all that. As the daughter of an architect, the cuboid has always been my favorite shape. And this place is the embodiment of that framework, inspiring this brutalist structure, with the surrounding green foliage and blue sky providing the finishing touches. The indoor seating is arranged along the window wall, with each section divided by a bamboo curtain. You get a low table, bean bags, and the tatami flooring to relax on. There’s no internet connection here. The only link you get is to heaven. I come here regularly for light meals. It is the only place where I can eat without feeling like vomiting from stress.

   Yes, my job is stressful.

     “Excuse me, you are Miss Kaede Sato, aren’t you?” One customer noticed me and approached. “I voted for you in the last election…”

      A café staff hurried over, objecting to this intrusion, “Sir, please respect other customers’ privacy.” And so, I was left alone once more.

       They say that even prime ministers go to bars, and that politicians sometimes prefer to sit alone in a park. A little peace is a luxury in my world, where lies and scandal are part of everyday life. Those who fail hang themselves. And those who survive long enough to win an election, like me, are the true living demons.

     Still, even a demon sometimes seeks the Buddha. Without this nectar of life called ‘peace of mind,’ life would be a living hell.

     Now, I am ready to get back to work. There are voters whose livelihood relies on me, after all.