The day after arriving in Taiwan.
As I walked around looking for the same place my grandfather had sketched, the map app kept losing my current location no matter how many times I checked it.
"...I’m lost again."
The moment I muttered it to myself in Japanese.
"Are you in trouble?"
When I turned around, there was a young man standing there.
Fluent Japanese.
A softly gentle smile.
"Are you from Japan?"
"Yes. My grandfather used to teach in Taiwan a long time ago... and I’m here to trace his footsteps."
The young man narrowed his eyes a little, as if surprised.
"A teacher."
He quietly repeated only that word.
"If you have time, would you like me to show you around?"
After hesitating a little, I nodded.
He led me through alleyways and old-fashioned coffee shops that weren’t in the tourist guidebooks.
It felt like walking through my grandfather’s sketchbook.
At parting, I took out an old photograph.
"Actually, I’m looking for this person..."
When the young man took the photo, he drew in a breath.
"...This person."
His fingertips gently traced the other man in the photograph.
"He’s my grandfather."
I looked up without thinking.
"Huh... ?"
With an expression mixed with surprise and confusion, the young man said quietly,
"If you don’t mind, tomorrow..."
"Would you meet my grandfather?"
