Ch. 1: Him in the Rain
The sound of the rain hitting the ground echoed in my ears.
This country was wrapped in an endless rain and thus a slightly dark atmosphere.
The Kingdom of Mei in the Land of Darkness…-.
Shigure had invited me back to Mei, and I headed towards the castle.
(The rain seems like it’s quickly getting stronger.)
Several rivulets trickled down the umbrella and dropped off the edge, gradually increasing in number.
It made me feel a little uneasy, and I reflexively started walking faster.
(I should hurry.)
I approached a road near the castle when…-.
(Is that…Shigure?)
Standing in the darkness, I saw Shigure, wrapped in a gentle aura.
(Shigure’s soaked through.)
He was crouched on the roadside without an umbrella.
I approached him and slowly held my umbrella out.
OO: “Shigure, what’s wrong? You don’t even have an umbrella.”
Shigure: “Ah…OO…”
I called out to him, and Shigure turned to smile in embarrassment.
In his arms, he held a puppy with an injured leg.
OO: “…a puppy?”
Shigure: “Yeah, it looks like it stepped in the drain and hurt its leg.”
Shigure smiled shyly.
Shigure: “Thanks, for the umbrella. But you’ll get wet.”
He smiled awkwardly, and it seemed to shine beneath the dark sky.
The puppy in his arms started licking the water running down his cheek.
Shigure: “Haha…that tickles.”
(He has such a kind smile.)
His clothes were wet, and they were dyed a deep, jet black. But to me, Shigure’s smile shone with the light and warmth of the sun.
Ch. 2: His Precious Item
The rain continued to fall in a drizzle…-.
OO: “Shigure, you’re really wet…aren’t you cold?”
Droplets continued to fall incessantly from the tips of his hair.
Shigure: “I went for a walk, and it started raining…when I thought to go back, I found this puppy. It called out in a weak howl, and I was worried…”
At that moment, the puppy pushed up with its paws and wriggled in Shigure’s arms.
Shigure: “Ow…”
There was a fresh scratch on the back of Shigure’s hand, tinged faintly red.
OO: “Shigure, are you alright!?”
Shigure: “Yeah…it’s not that bad.”
Shigure kindly pet the struggling puppy, and smiled at it affectionately.
(Even though it hurt him.)
Shigure: “I have to hurry, and help it…”
He gently stroked the puppy’s injured leg.
We hurried to the castle…-.
OO: “Alright…that should do it.”
Puppy: “Woof!”
Inside Shigure’s room, we had treated the puppy. Now, it was running around the room, full of energy.
OO: “Ah.”
The puppy leapt up onto Shigure’s bed and messed up the sheets, then started to bite and pull them onto the carpet.
Shigure: “W…wait…don’t…!”
Shigure looked troubled, and tidied up after the puppy had scattered the bedding.
Shigure: “A~aah…but I’m glad it’s feeling better.”
OO: “I-is anything broken?”
Shigure: “No, it’s fine…probably.”
(Forget mad, he looks happy about all this.)
Then there was a sudden bang like from something being knocked over.
Looking towards the sound, I saw the puppy had knocked off a dagger that had been decorating a shelf.
Shigure: “Ah…!”
For the first time, I saw Shigure look irritated.
Shigure: “That’s not for you!”
The puppy seemed quite interested in the dagger, and before we could move it away…
It snatched up the dagger and ran out of the room.
Shigure: “Aah…oh dear.”
OO: “Let’s go after it Shigure!”
Shigure: “Ah…no, it’s fine…”
Shigure was staring at the door, flung wide open.
OO: “What is that?”
Shigure: “It’s… important, or something.”
Shigure’s face was filled with a complicated mix of feelings.
OO: “Then we have to run after it!”
I moved to chase after the puppy, but Shigure gently took hold of my wrist.
Shigure: “Ah, s-sorry!”
He hurriedly let go of my wrist in a panic, then tightly wrapped his arms around himself as if to protect his body.
Shigure: “…it’s alright. It’s not like it’s anything I really need…”
(Something he doesn’t need?)
Shigure: “It’s… something I got from my father. I’m always so timid and nervous…he said it was so I could be more manly.”
OO: “If it was a gift from your father, we have to get it back.”
Shigure: “It’s fine, really…”
Shigure cut in to stop me from saying anything else.
OO: “Shigure…”
Shigure: “I’m… too timid…I don’t think I can be manly anyway.”
Shigure stood there, looking isolated as he smiled and spoke softly. Seeing that, I thought he looked incredibly lonely.
The ceaseless sound of the rain echoed in my heart.
Ch. 3: Even Without Courage
The glittering sunlight came in through the window and spread throughout the room…-
(Has the rain stopped?)
I opened the window and looked to the sky. From between the breaks in the clouds, a gentle light shone through.
OO: “It cleared up.”
Shigure squinted up at the clear sky.
Shigure: “It’s pretty…I like when the sky is clear.”
Shigure seemed to be looking at something he loved as the light peaked between the clouds.
Shigure: “In this country, it’s always raining, or cloudy…and it’s always dark… but when it’s a clear day, it lights up the whole country…that’s why I like it.”
Shigure, who was always one of little words, was slightly more talkative.
(Shigure looks happy. I’m glad.)
——————–
Shigure: “I’m too timid… I don’t think I can be manly anyway.”
–——————–
Shigure’s voice was cheerful, without a trace of the loneliness from before.
Seeing him like that, I…-
OO: “Shall we go outside?”
Shigure: “Eh…”
OO: “I’m sure it’ll feel nice to be out after the rain. And we might be able to find the puppy.”
OO: “Shigure, should we go look for the puppy?”
Shigure: “Eh…”
OO: “It ran off with your precious dagger right? We have to find it. And it’s so nice outside.”
I replied with a smile, and Shigure looked embarrassed.
Shigure: “Yeah…OK.”
Shigure looked at me shyly.
Shigure: “…let’s… try going outside then.”
(Good.)
We left the castle and went outside…-.
…
……
In the field of flowers after the rain, the flower petals sparkled and shone with water droplets.
(How pretty. I really am glad we came outside.)
I wondered if Shigure felt the same way, and I looked out fondly at the scene before me.
OO: “I love the time after the rain.”
I spoke it to myself, and Shigure turned to me in surprise.
(Did I say something weird?)
OO: “Well…without the raindrops, the flowers wouldn’t sparkle like this. And the air feels so nice and cool.”
Shigure: “So it’s beautiful after the rain… I…never thought of the rain like that.”
OO: “Shigure?”
Shigure: “So the rain shows you a beautiful world…when you think of it that way… I guess the rain is a good thing too.”
Shigure looked like a little boy who’d just made a new discovery, and he turned to me with a sparkling smile.
At that time…-.
Shigure: “Hyaaa!!!”
Shigure screamed and collapsed in front of me.
I looked and…-.
Puppy: “Woof!”
The puppy from before had been hiding in the field of flowers and jumped out onto Shigure’s leg.
OO: “It’s the puppy from before!”
The puppy didn’t seem to be carrying the dagger it had run off with.
OO: “There there, good boy. Can you take us to where you left the dagger?”
I pet the puppy’s head and spoke kindly to it…-.
Puppy: “Woof!”
It barked enthusiastically, and then ran off somewhere.
OO: “Ah! Wait!! Shigure, we have to follow it! Shigure…?”
Shigure was still on the ground, his face pale and taking deep breaths.
OO: “Ah.”
And then before long, the puppy was gone, deep into the forest.
OO: “…there it goes. Shigure, are you alright?”
I reached out my hand, but he just curled in on himself.
OO: “Shigure? It’s alri-…”
Shigure: “I’m… no good…”
OO: “Eh?”
His voice was quiet and shaking.
Shigure: “I’m… pathetic. Even though I’m a guy. I’m not brave like the princes from other countries…and I’m a crybaby…that’s why even Father is disgusted with me.”
Shigure let out a small sigh, and his shoulders slumped.
(Shigure…)
OO: “Even if that’s true, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
Shigure: “OO…?”
OO: “I don’t think that’s true.”
Shigure: “…OO.”
I remembered Shigure, saving that puppy even while the rain pounded down on him.
——————–
Shigure: “Yeah, it looks like it stepped in the drain and hurt its leg.”
Shigure: “It called out in a weak howl and I was worried…”
——————–
OO: “You say you’re not brave…but I think you’re a wonderful person.”
Shigure: “OO… That’s the first time anyone has said that to me.”
Shigure looked at me, and then smiled in delight.
Shigure: “That puppy… its leg… looks all better. I’m glad.”
(See…you’re such a kind person Shigure.)
His smile sparkled beneath the sun.
And I thought the world after the rain was beautiful, from the bottom of my heart.
Ch. 4: Have Courage
Afterwards…-.
I went after the puppy with Shigure and entered the forest.
OO: “I wonder where it ran off to.”
We looked around and around when…
Puppy: “Woof!”
In between Shigure and me, the puppy ran out of the forest with its tail wagging.
OO: “Oh good, we found you. Now, where is Shigure’s dagger? It’s very important to him.”
Shigure: “…”
The puppy barked and looked at us for a moment, then ran off again.
OO: “Where are you going?”
Puppy: “Woof!”
The puppy once again turned to look back at us and gave us an encouraging look…
Before long, it had gone deep into the forest.
OO: “It’s like it’s telling us to follow it.”
Shigure: “Yeah…”
OO: “Let’s go!”
As we chased after the puppy…
Shigure: “H-hey. Why does getting my dagger back worry you so much OO?”
OO: “Why?… Because you look worried about it.”
Shigure’s eyes went wide, but in the end…-.
Shigure: “…I see. Thanks. And sorry.”
Shigure smiled kindly at me.
OO: “Ah, please don’t apologize.”
Shigure: “…sorry.”
OO: “See, you did it again.”
The two of us smiled at each other.
OO: “Why?…Because it’s important to you Shigure.”
Shigure: “…but I said it was fine.”
OO: “You can’t just give up.”
I smiled as I said it.
Shigure: “…I guess you’re right.”
Shigure gave a gentle smile.
And so Shigure and I went after the puppy, deep into the forest.
…
……
Deeper in the forest, we came to a small hole that looked like the puppy had dug it.
(A flower, nuts from a tree, a broken toy…)
It seemed this was the place the puppy hid all of its treasures.
The puppy raced around the area, as if boasting to us.
(I wonder if it’s bragging…hm…?)
OO: “Ah…!”
Inside the hole, I could see Shigure’s dagger.
Shigure: “You hid it here…”
OO: “Isn’t it great, we found it!”
Shigure: “Yeah, thanks to you OO.”
Saying so, Shigure moved to pick up the dagger and…
A low growl came from the puppy.
Shigure: “…”
Shigure quivered in surprise and started to back away from the puppy.
OO: “You can do it Shigure!”
Shigure: “Y-yeah…”
Shigure nodded vigorously as if trying to comfort himself.
Shigure: “Would you…give it back?”
Shigure gazed intently at the puppy, a kind look on his face.
Puppy: “…”
Then the puppy made a small noise and sat down.
Shigure: “OK…?”
As if in answer, the puppy licked his hand.
Shigure: “…th-thanks!”
Shigure looked delighted as he turned to me, and I blushed.
OO: “I’m glad for you Shigure.”
Shigure: “Yeah…”
Shigure had gotten back his dagger, and I felt relief wash over me when…-.
Shigure: “…!?”
Shigure started to look around.
(Is something wrong?)
Suddenly, Shigure grabbed my shoulder and pulled me closer.
OO: “…!”
My heart sped up, and I could feel my cheeks starting to get warmer.
(Shigure…?)
I saw restlessness in Shigure’s eyes.
I followed his gaze and…-.
OO: “…!”
From the thick, dense shadows of the forest, I could hear a beast growling.
Shigure: “Wolf…!”
OO: “A wolf!?”
The growling steadily grew louder.
(Is it coming this way? I’m scared…)
I unintentionally gripped Shigure’s sleeve tightly…
Shigure: “…”
He was shaking more than I was.
Shigure: “D-don’t leave my side.”
Even so, Shigure made absolutely no move to take his hand away from my shoulder.