All throughout the rest of July and on into the end of August, Hodaka got accustomed to living with the Bisin cult, which, roughly translated meant "rain god". It was also the honorable title given to him by Bi Jun himself for obvious reasons. Remembering his own experience with Hina and the over exhaustion that led to her powers going out of control (such as the early winter that reflected Hina's pain), he decided to provide his rain services every Wednesday until he had to go back to college. This notice was spread onto online articles throughout the district, but the weather channels and television stations in the urban areas remained true to their astronomical guesses until Hodaka's powers proved otherwise.

Farmers and villagers who believed the cult went into the city to buy umbrellas and raincoats to prepare for next few Wednesdays and several of them were granted audience to the Bisin temple where they could ask Hodaka for requests. But of course, Hodaka was not willing to sacrifice himself, let alone find himself in the same boat as Hina three years ago, and he turned down every request no matter how many times the farmers pleaded.

"Wednesday's child is full of woe," Hodaka would always say. "So it only seems fitting that I could summon the rains on that day."

Not everyone in the district was happy with the new seasons of rain. On the last Wednesday of July, a school bus nearly drove off the road due to the slippery road and the roads that weren't paved over caused cars and wagons to be stuck in mud. Others got sick with colds and some social events were cancelled due to the rain.

Hodaka didn't mind all of this. It was all a part of life taking it's natural course. From his throne, dressed in the traditional robes we wore on Ojiisan Okazaki's birthday party, he felt like a god, like a Buddha, like Emperor Puyi, like Emperor Sunjong, and like Emperor Hirohito all rolled into one. Yet he couldn't help but feel sorry for all those people who suffered because of his rain. Suffering was always around him, or at least it was outside. Inside, he was very friendly every other member of the cult.

Bi Jun was like a second grandfather to him, much more open-minded and congenial compared to Ojiisan Okazaki, as were See Kyung-sang, Kim Bora, her husband Moon Dae-sung, who acted like second parents to him (or third counting one Keisuke Suga). Tum-sung and the other children, Chin-sun, Chul-moo, Wan-bo, Sun-bo and Kojo-hee, were more than enough siblings that he needed compared to Nagi but he still loved their charm and innocence. The two teenagers, Kae Gun-seok and Lee Eun-hoon were practically brothers, to themselves, the other children and Hodaka. Chang-min visited him on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the days in which he was the least busy with his practices at the church as well as weekends.

The men and women of the Bisun told him stories about other times when it rained—reminiscences from older ones, events told them by their parents or grandparents repeated by younger ones. He could see generous faces in so many of the faces around the throne, hear a loving voice in their voices. It's like a previous incarnation of me was here himself, he thought; I can see how life must have been when the other me was here.

He didn't spend most of his time indoors however, sometimes helped the villagers tend to the crops with buckets of water, knowing very well not use his abilities on something so trivial. At other times, he helped to tend to the needs of the other members of the Bisun with their problems, like mathematical equations for Sun-bo and Chin-sun. The district itself was so small and rural that everybody knew everybody, and knew everybody's business. But smaller, closer, more comfortable somehow. What he was hearing and sensing, without recognizing it, was that the tiny world he was seeing was kinder than any he had ever known. He knew only that he was enjoying being in it very much. Korea had it's ups and downs to the Japanese, but aside from its cities and docks, the rural countryside was what he needed at this time. Best of all, it was different compared to home.

This is the best vacation a person could possibly have. I'll have so much to tell Hina. Maybe we'll come back together sometime; she'd love to go on a vacation with me. Of course we couldn't live like this, it's too… too… peasanty. But it's so quaint and charming and fun. Tomorrow I'm going to wear my street clothes when I go out. July will soon be over and I could use a break from the dress code.

On the last day of July, he found an old Chinese man that became aware of his supernatural abilities. Hodaka found him in the dining room while paying a social call to the farmer family of Gwan. The man was hawk-faced and he wore a black suit, which made Hodaka presume that he was hot under the sun. The man looked fearless, with greying black hair, a strong, proud face and eyes that were somewhere in between black and blue.

"My uncle told me a great deal about your actions, Hodaka Morishima."

Hodaka's feelings were beyond words…for a moment or two before he found his voice.

"Does he live here?"

"He does. My name is Fang-Lin. I come from a high standing position in the government of Hong Kong."

"You're Chinese?"

"On my father's side, actually. My mother is Korean, and her brother is my uncle."

"Should I tell him you've come?"

Fang-Lin chuckled.

"Listen to yourself, are you a demigod or a man?"

"I prefer to go by human being thank you," Hodaka said in a stiff upper lip.

"My apologies," Fang-Lin bowed respectfully. "Perhaps, a handsome young jewel such as yourself should be introduced to higher society. That should get them to believe in miracles."

"Maybe next year when I'm off," Hodaka said. "Even 'demigods' like myself need to study. After all, I am only a freshman."

When Fang-Lin's nephew, Gwan Soon, entered, the two men flinched. But without so much as a goodbye, Fang-Lin turned on his heels and walked away.

"I'm not certain if you should be talking with him, Hodaka. He is the wickedest man in all of Hong Kong. Perhaps even a lot more than Mao Zedong himself."

"How come you two don't get along?"

"For the same reasons as your country and mine. It all comes to politics."

This comment was an enigma that Hodaka found hard to decipher.

When he got home, it was quiet. The members of the Bisin were sitting respectfully at each seat of the table, focusing on their dinner as Hodaka told everyone about his day. He sat at the front end of the table while Bi Jun sat at the end. The males and females took opposite ends.

"And the way his farm looks now, with all the green grass and vegetables growing around it reminds me of the time I went to the park with Hina, Nagi, Suga and his daughter Moka. The grass there looked very green under the sun. I also met this Chinese guy Fang-Lin who was Mr. Soon's nephew, and I know how some of you feel about the Chinese, I've seen some pictures of the Forbidden City in a book at school, and they sure know how to build palaces."

No one, it seemed, had anything interesting to say.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"We already know from Mr. Soon that you have been consulting with his nephew," said Kyung-sang. "And there's nothing that the whole district doesn't know about by the fall of dark."

"Best you keep that in mind for future reference," scolded Dae-sung.

Hodaka heaved his shoulders, not once did his eyes switch between his noodles or his fellow members. He kept two sharp eyes at them, making sure their attention on him was cognizant.

"I am very fond of you and I have the greatest respect for everyone in your cult. But I find it to be an objection when I have to follow a rule of people who I can talk to and who I can't."

"Even we have our standards, Hodaka," Bi Jun said before filling his mouth with a noodle string. "You have nothing to do with our personal troubles, but we also have our morals as to who we see as bad or good."

"I think it should be his decision to make and not ours," Bora told the leader.

"Would you please stop talking about me as if I was somewhere else?!" Hodaka could not believe he was seeing another side to them.

"But you're not somewhere else," said Kyung-sang in a sweet voice. "You are here and that is the point of it."

But Hodaka couldn't help make himself look outspoken.

"If it has anything to do with politics or rules, I mostly know more about the latter. I've been through a strict household in the first sixteen years of my life and I can see what it can do. My own father wasn't afraid to hit me…because I wasn't perfect. Because I wasn't what society expected me to be! Because I was some kind of clumsy clod who didn't know his place, but I knew better than them! I had my share of abuse and I could stand it no more! So I ran away to Tokyo…and that's where I met Hina."

Every word about his father increased the anger in Hodaka's adrenaline, remembering the harsh beatings he suffered, the relentless conditioning of his future status as a man of the house, the pain of becoming a Taishō era soldier.

"I'm sure you know by now that Hina was a sunshine girl," Hodaka went on. "Not that you ever want her since all you want is rain."

Hearing about Hina's position seemed to attract Bi Jun's attention.

"Perhaps, a young woman who can bring the sunshine and a boy such as yourself who can bring the rain, should be allowed to have a relationship. Once which will keep the weather in balance."

Hodaka thought about this, even when he went to bed. If what Bi Jun said was true and Hina's powers were restored, maybe they could bring the weather back into it's proper balance. After all, love conquers everything, but the question was: could it really work? Maybe once he went back to Tokyo, he would ask Hina, regardless of how she would react to his new powers.


Back in Tokyo, on the first day of August, Aito popped in to Hina's apartment, with a bouquet of wisterias, asking her for a date.

"Where would you like to go?" Hina asked him.

"How about a walk through Ueno Onshi Park? My parents always go on walks for the sake of exercise."

And so, they did. The sky was overcast, the mood was gloomy and Hina was longing for her powers to be reinstated to full capacity, then the day would be even livelier.

"I know how you and Hodaka have been avoiding each other these past couple of days," Aito was saying. "What do you think could be the matter with him?"

"I don't know," Hina sighed. "We have spoken at least a few times before he decided to leave. But the reason I've been harsh on him is because…well, I'm pregnant."

Aito tried to hold back his laughter.

"You're joking."

"No, I mean it, I have been carrying Hodaka's child with me for almost four months now. I think it happened when we made out in the cave."

"Now Hodaka, I understand, but you didn't bother to tell me and the others?"

"If I did, one of you would have told Hodaka. Hodaka and I have been on a considerable on and off relationship for some time now. After what he did to save me from being sacrificed, I feel like his concept of the truth is severely lackadaisical, but on another hand, maybe he did the right thing to save me. Nagi would have been left all alone if he didn't."

She paused before looking at Aito with loving eyes.

"Not that I want to break Hodaka's feelings but, I am starting to find you to be a refreshing change."

"You do?"

"You bet."

"But still, don't you think you might be a little harsh with Hodaka?"

"Hodaka hasn't always exactly played by the rules, but his heart's in the right place…and I think mine is."

And they continued walking under the light drizzle, letting the water clear out their heads.


They decided to have dinner out, at the McDonalds where Hina once worked at as a part time cook and server.

"You know, Hodaka and I first met here," said Hina once they found an adequate table that was close to the window.

"What did you serve him?"

"A Big Mac. He looked so hungry I thought he needed something more nourishing."

"Well, there are plenty of Subways in the city. You could have tried applying for them. My mother tells me that places like Subway's and Blimpie's are a lot healthier than McDonalds."

"I've tried applying for there when I was fifteen. But McDonalds was so popular my brother liked eating there when my parents were still alive that I just had to work there."

At that time, their meal came. Aito ordered a Big Mac, while Hina brough chicken nuggets. She was doing her best to keep cravings at bay, and her mind was wagging it's mental finger over and over, telling her that she shouldn't eat too much.

"You know, I've been thinking," Aito paused for a few seconds. "About what you said about Hodaka saving you. Sometimes love can blind us from what really matters in life. If he hadn't saved you, none of this would have happened, and the weather would have probably been restored to normal. But then, since he has, I never would have met you."

Hina's eyebrows shot up.

"Are you trying to hit on me?

Aito's reply was a non-verbal "yes".


During the first week of August, Hodaka was busier in helping the other members of the Bisin with their chores, and, in some ways, happier than he had ever been. He felt stronger physically than he could remember ever feeling. Freed from the constriction of his parent's and the metal cage of conditioning on being a proper young man, he could move more quickly and breathe deeply for the first time in many years.

Chang-min was eager to take him out to a party that night in the city and introduce him to some of his friends.

"Are they nice?" Hodaka asked.

"As can be expected of any church," Chang-min replied.

They called an Uber to get there and they drove out of the countryside into the direction of the setting sun. With the sky growing darker and the speed of the car growing slower, it seemed that they would reach the city by midnight before the car sped up again.

It was almost ten miles to Busan—not far, Hodaka thought after a half-hour. But the road twisted and turned and veered off from time to time, in directions away from the one they wanted, only to twist and turn some more until finally they were going again where they wanted to go. Hodaka agreed enthusiastically when Chang-min suggested they stop at a bar for a drink. Back in the trap they went a short way to a crossroads, then turned onto a wider, straighter road. They travelled further and further until the lights of the city were seen up ahead and the urban buildings surrounded them on both flanks.

"That place looked deserted," he said when they slowed again. "Why is that, Chang-min?"

"No one will live in all of the farms; some of them have a bad history."

"What a waste. That one on the left looked right handsome."

"Have you ever been a party or a celebration, Hodaka?"

"Only once to a real one, a fireworks festival in Tokyo, but at home on Kozushima we had social parties and gatherings all the time with the other families in my neighborhood, and they were boring because they were always the same narrow-minded people with the same senseless chatter. Otousan and Okasan were so polite compared to me. I was a real rebel. He couldn't bear seeing me speak my mind out like I was some kind of modern man."

"And why not?"

Hodaka laughed. Chang-min was so like his father on his best days sometimes.

The night lights of Busan's metropolitan area were so colorful with vibrant blues, purples and yellows, that Hodaka felt like he had died and gone back to the 1980s. Yet when they got further into the city, the colors become more diverse, right down to reds and greens. The Haeundae Oktop Bar was four stories high. Workmen were just completing installation of a new neon light. The drinks and food served there were a strong variety of traditional and international foods. Chang-min parked the car to a tree some distance from the track, and they worked their way into the crowd.

Everyone was in high spirits, and everyone knew Chang-min; they all wanted to meet Hodaka, "the young rain god who brought their country out from the dreadful draught."

"I feel like the belle of the ball," she whispered to Chang-min.

"And who better for the position?" He led the way, with many stops, to the open topped roof where restaurateurs dined and socialized.

"But Chang-min, this view is magnificent. What makes you think that this city is so beautiful?"

He explained that the city's beauty had advanced with it's technology, or perhaps that the Koreans were just as smart as the Japanese in the specific field.

"Just like sakes, I suppose," said Shuji Morishima's son. He'd heard both claims all his life. The televisions screen were displaying sporting events from both sides of Korea, even horse races. And on the fifteenth, there would be National Liberation Day. Truly, no one could wish for a better vacation.

A sort of undercurrent rumble ran through the talking, laughing, shouting crowd. "Fight! Fight!" Chang-min climbed up on the rail to see. A big grin spread across his face, and his fisted right hand smacked into his cupped left palm.

"Will you be wanting to place a small wager, then, Chang-min?" invited the man next to him on the rail.

"That I will. Five hundred won on the rain god."

Hodaka nearly toppled Chang-min when he grabbed his ankle. "What's happening?"

The crowd was flowing away from the oval toward the disturbance. Chang-min jumped down, took Hodaka by the wrist, and ran.

Three or four dozen men, young and old, were grunting and yelling in a melee of fists and boots and elbows. The crowd made a broad uneven circle around them on the third floor, shouting encouragement. Two piles of coats and jackets to one side were testimony to the sudden eruption of the fight; many of the coats had been stripped off so quickly that their sleeves were inside out. Within the ring, shirts were getting red with spilled blood, from the shirt's owner or the man he was hitting. There was no pattern, no order. Each man hit whoever was closest to him, then looked around for his next target. Anyone knocked down was pulled up roughly by the person nearest him and shoved back into the fray.

Hodaka had seen men fighting with their fists before, his father no withstanding. The sounds of blows landing and the spurting blood from mouths and noses made him cringe. Four of the fighters were no more than kids, and he begged Chang-min to make them stop.

"And lose my five hundred won? Don't be daft, young sir."

"You're awful, Sun Chang-min, just awful."

He repeated the words later, to Chang-min and to Mak-min and Jae-min, two of Chang-min's brothers he hadn't met before. They were all in the kitchen at the Bisin temple. Kyung-sung and Bora were calmly washing the wounds, ignoring the yelps of pain and accusations of rough handling. Chang-min was passing around glasses of whiskey.

I don't think it's funny at all, no matter what they claim, Hodaka said to himself. He couldn't believe that faction fights were part of the fun of bars and public events for the Sun families and their friends. "Just high spirits," indeed! And the girls were worse, if anything, the way they were tormenting one of them because he had nothing worse than a black eye.

After the next Wednesday he made it rain, Hodaka thought about Hina. It would be her birthday soon and even with the money he had, he wasn't sure if he would make it in time for the party. At the very least, he would go out into the city and buy a present for her. If not, somewhere close by. But then, of course, there were the matters of chores around the temple, socializing with the farmers, and other tasks like groceries.

Why am I so skittish? Hodaka wondered. There couldn't be all that much to do for one girl's birthday. A cake, of course, but what else was there? He'd already decided to give Hina the lovely pearl necklace he saw on a window at a small shop in the village. There'd be plenty of time to buy it on the way home, even if it was expensive. Good heavens, the 22nd was a week from now!

Hina would still be there, too. Let her wait. He'd waited for her long enough in Numazu, but things were different now.

As for Nagi and Suga, he'd do something very generous for them, for Suga anyhow, he deserved it. There was lots of good land and mystery just going begging to be explored in this country. He could set up a new office in Busan, Hina would come and live with him, they could use their powers to bring balance to the global weather, and they would live happily ever after.

But for Hina, it would be a lonely birthday without Hodaka.


The 22nd of the month arrived in due time. It was the 34th Thursday of the year and the rain that was coupled to Hodaka's powers from Korea made it's way into Tokyo, offering stronger storms and heavier showers. As she prepared for her party, coming her hair six times over in front of a mirror in the guest room, Hina spoke sadly to Nagi.

"I should have told him about the baby. I'll never forgive myself."

"No need to fret, Onēsan. Should-haves solve nothing. It's the next thing to happen that needs thinking about."

"He'll never take me back. Not if his heart's so hard that he'd go away. I kept waiting for him to come after me, Nagi, I was so sure he would. How could I have been such a fool? How can I have a baby when I don't have a husband?"

"Well you do have that other guy, Aito."

"Well, Aito's very sweet, but Hodaka is the father my child and no doubt about it."

"Well, there's always birthday wishes. Maybe you can wish for Hodaka to come back."

"That's as tantamount as wishing for Okasan and Otousan back."

"At least this one may come true. All it takes is a little time."

Reassured, Hina brushed her hair three more times before heading down to her birthday dinner.

It was 8:00 PM around this time and the air outside had quite a chill, but in spite of the darkness that blackened the night sky completely, it was nice and warm in the kitchen when Hina came down. Suga, and his family greeted Hina with a chorus of "Happy Birthday to You", surrounding an ice blue frosted cake with 18 burning candles, sitting on the direct center of the table. Moka and Ame Asuka were wearing party hats and party favors were held by Wadashi and Natsumi.

"Make a wish," Nagi encouraged her.

Hina lowered her mouth before the candles and closed her eyes, letting out a soft breath.

I wish that my powers were fully restored and Hodaka would come back soon.

She blew out the candles. Then there was a roar of thunder that echoed outside. All of this was followed by a sharp pain in her stomach.

Her back was in total pain. She put her hands over the pain. Then a new pain ripped through her side and down her leg, shoving the back pain into insignificance. She grabbed the side of the table for support and stared dumbly at the liquid streaming down her legs and across her bare feet to pool on the scrubbed wooden floor.

"The water broke," she said at last, "and it's clear." She looked at the window and the heavy rain outside. "Sorry, Suga-san, but I'm about to have the baby."

Everyone stared at Hina in shock. It was four months early for the expected arrival. Then Suga turned to his father-in-law.

"Call the doctor!"

Quickly, Mr. Mamiya activated the medical alarm device and its red light blinked on and off. Then everyone else looked out at the storm from the safety of their windows, knowing that any chance of the doctor coming would be an exercise in futility.

"I'm afraid the doctor's too far off," said Mrs. Mamiya after a minute had passed. "Right now, we should get you into the birthing pool."

"Good idea," muttered Hina as Nagi and Natsumi helped her upstairs into the guest room.

The ripping pain was not repeated. With cushions under her head and the small of her back, Hina was quite comfortable. She wished she had something to drink, but she decided she'd better not get up from the pool. If the pain came back she might fall and hurt herself.

Why aren't you here?… No, I mustn't think about Hodaka, I'll go crazy if I do.

Why doesn't it stop raining? Pouring, more like it. Wind's rising, too. This is an honest to goodness storm. Fine time I picked to have a baby, to have my water break… but on my birthday? I wish my powers were back soon, then I can make it sunny again. This night is too special.

Hina was barely concentrating her eyes on anywhere else but the ceiling, ignoring Natsumi and Nagi's attempts to keep her breathing under control. Suga had already put Ame to bed and he joined Wadashi and his wife's parents in the guest room, doing whatever they could to deliver the baby. Natsumi left Nagi to console his sister while she began her duties as the midwife.

"Help me," Natsumi ordered Mrs. Amiya. "I'll show you how to hold her legs."

Hina screamed when Natsumi's hand thrust into her womb. "Stop! Jesus, the pain, make it stop." When the examination was over she was moaning from the hurt. Blood covered the pool and her thighs, was spattered on Natsumi's shirt and her right arm was red halfway to the elbow.

"I'll have to try it with both hands," she said.

Hina groaned. Mrs. Mamiya stepped in front of her husband, asking for an alternative.

"Get me a knife!" he ordered. "I'm going to give her a C-section. I saw them do it when you gave birth to Asuka."

Mrs. Mamiya rushed downstairs to get one.

The room was lit suddenly by a flash of brilliance through skylight and windows, and a heavier torrent of rain slashed against the glass. Wadashi brought in a flashlight from the cabinet and shone it under Hina's rear end, providing Natsumi with an additional light against the cold-lit bed lights of the guest room.

Suga's face glistened with sweat as he crossed himself, praying for a miracle.

"Keep pushing!" Nagi yelled and Hina tried harder. Her groan was dramatically operatic.

Then Natsumi cried out.

"I can see it coming!"

Hina pushed harder. Before the sound of her groan was gone, Natsumi was holding a blood-covered baby in her two hands. The baby's arms jerked, then its legs.

Smiling, Suga whispered the Hail Mary.

Mrs. Mamiya came in with the knife she was looking for and with a whisk of the knife, she cut the cord, the baby was laid on the folded sheets and Natsumi was back beside Hina. "Hold the lights closer," she said.

Her hands and fingers moved quickly, sometimes with a flash of the knife, and bloody bits of membrane fell to the floor beside her feet. She poured more dark fluid between Hina's lips, then a colorless one into the horrible wound in her belly. Her cracked humming accompanied the small precise movements as she sewed the wound together.

"Wrap her in some blankets while I wash the baby," she said. Nagi sighed in relief as he sat down on his behind and rested his hands, blowing into them to restore their un-flattened state.

When Suga and Mrs. Mamiya were finished, Natsumi returned with Hina's baby swaddled in a soft white blanket. "Sorry that I forgot this," Natsumi said. Her chuckle brought an answering throaty sound from the baby, and the infant boy opened his eyes. The blue irises looked like pale tinted rings around the black, unfocused pupils. He had long black lashes and two tiny lines for eyebrows. He was a little red and a little mishappen since he had passed through the birth canal. But he still made a recognizably adorable baby just the same. His tiny nose and ears and mouth and soft pulsing skull were perfect. His olive skin was very dark against the white blanket.

Hina thought about the name. It seemed to her that was the happiest moment of her life since Hodaka prevented her sacrifice. Then she thought about the bright blue sky and how its color was reflected into the irises of her newborn son.

"His name will be Sora."