"this morning JMA has declared the start of early rainy season in multiple prefectures…"
The sound of the reporter on the television filled his apartment as he prepared his dinner. Cutting the vegetable while only listening to the news on the Tv to avoid any injuries as he cut the tomatoes on the cutting board. Behind him, a boiling pot of water filled with noodles is sitting on the stove. It was one of those rare moments where he would cook as the majority of the time he would eat outside.
Placing the cut tomatoes into a bowl filled with noodles, boiled eggs, and dried seaweed before filling the bowl with the soup. Bringing the bowl to the table in front of the kitchen counter. Placing himself comfortably in one of the four-chair he began his dinner accompanied by the news reporter on the tv.
As he ate, his eyes wandered around his home. He just moved here from his old cramped home in Shinjuku as his salary increases, the apartment layout was somewhat reminiscence of his family home in Chiba. A kitchen that overlooked the living room and two doors that led to the bedroom and his messy office.
Finishing his dinner and washing the dishes, before settling back into his office. Well, some sort of an office. Stack of books laying around as he still didn't find the time to install a proper bookshelf as he took a seat on the chair facing his work table. Opening his laptop and beginning work on a new test paper for his class. He caught the tanka that he has written on a piece of paper.
He still couldn't help but felt a little attraction to the mysterious woman. Who read a tanka and then leave like that. He sighed, he wouldn't get anywhere like this. He needs to find out more.
His thought was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringtone. Looking at the screen the name Komachi was displayed on it. He has not contacted home regularly despite what he promised to her. So she was probably worried.
"Yahallo! Onii-chan!"
"Hello Komachi."
He answered somewhat blandly.
"uwaaa what a spirit… anyway how are you doing onii-chan!"
His little sister replied with a disappointed tone before becoming cheerful once more.
"I'm doing fine. Just a lot of work."
"oh, I see good! Komachi, dad, and mom is doing fine too! But we are a bit disappointed that you didn't make it home last holiday."
Ah yes, he usually would return to Chiba for holiday but recently he didn't make it home due to increasing workload and another reason.
"I'm sorry I was at the educational ministry for a business that day."
"oh, I see…"
His little sister became quiet for a while.
"onii-chan could it be that you didn't come home for holiday because of Yukino san?"
"no."
'yes' he didn't come home on purpose true but it was also true he has business with the educational ministry.
'I'm sorry but perhaps we shouldn't see each other anymore.'
That painful winter. That day when he decided to move away from Chiba.
"Onii-chan if you are having a problem please tell Komachi. I want to help you. Drowning yourself in work wouldn't solve it."
"If I have any problem I will tell you Komachi."
"ok!"
She replied somewhat cheerfully.
That night as he goes to sleep, he couldn't help but stare at the ceiling of his room. Wandering where has it all gone wrong. His cowardice, his inability to move on from the past led him to what he was today. As his friend is enjoying life and living happily he was miserable. As he closed his eyes that night he couldn't help but dream of that simple days.
The days where he, Yuigahama, and Yukino would sat and enjoy each other presence in that warm sunlight-filled room.
On the next morning, he woke up and began doing his daily routines. He prepared breakfast, took a bath, put on his working suit. Taking his glasses from the table and began leaving his home, making his way through the silent corridor of his home. He walked to the subway station in silence passing the many people who didn't pay enough attention to their surroundings.
As always he transferred subways before walking the rest of the ways to Shinjuku High, his workplace. Walking past the students who either greeted him or ignored him outright.
Yet, the question still floats around in his mind.
'what the hell is he doing?'
With the ring of the school bell, his day begins.
"This will be in your next history test so pay attention…"
In the morning he would teach his class followed by another afterward.
"Hikigaya sensei! Could you please advise this student…"
And during recess, he would handle students that are too troublesome for other teachers to handle.
"Please file this report Hikigaya sensei."
Followed by work that comes with his seniority.
His work as a teacher never ends as he continued to drown himself in work to forget the past.
As the last period ended he finally managed to rest. He placed his head on his desk, breathing in deeply before turning his head to face the left side and at the corner of his eyes. He could see the paper with the woman tanka written on it.
Now that he remembered it Tanaka did stop by and left him a Japanese textbook. Getting up and walking toward the coffee table behind him. He picked up the textbook that Tanaka left him and sat down on his chair while flipping through the textbook.
As he flipped the textbook page he finally stumbled upon it on a lower page.
A faint clap of thunder,
Clouded skies,
Perhaps rain will come.
If so, will you stay here with me?
Answered with:
A faint clap of thunder,
Even if rain comes or not,
I will stay here,
Together with you.
Man'yōshū vol. 11, verse 2514 – 2513
So she is a teacher, well she could have stumbled on this tanka anywhere but the fact that this tanka is rarely found outside of the textbook writing is interesting.
"So a Japanese language teacher."
He said to no one in particular as he closed the book and placed it on his desk. Suddenly he felt a headache, he have little sleep last night and he'd been dealing with more work lately alongside that business with the education ministry. Taking off his glasses and placing it on his desk, he decided that a little nap wouldn't hurt.
As the light of the setting sun enters the prep room. He could be seen sleeping on his desk, as around him paper and book spread around him. His phone suddenly blared to life as he slowly woke up from his sleep. An alarm, as he looks around realizing it is getting late.
He quickly scrambled around the room grabbing his bag and phone, before turning back to grab his glasses on the desk. Yet as he was attempting to walk out of the room, his vision became blurry before he finds himself holding to the door handle for support. His legs felt like noodles and the world is spinning, as the darkness swallowed him whole.
The next time he woke up was in the hospital ward. With an iv drop to his right and the headmaster sitting next to him. A kind elderly man in his forties who take care of the teachers and student. He asked him what happen to which he replied that he passed out from overwork and stress. The doctor advised him to take a rest.
"take the vacation Hikigaya sensei, I will find someone to fill the gap. After all, we cant have an up-and-coming Shinjuku high model teacher get sick can we?"
The headmaster said to him. What is he even going to do with three weeks' worth of vacation days?
He accepted it reluctantly.
He was released from the hospital on the same day.
As the next morning came around, Hikigaya Hachiman finds himself listlessly staring out of the window of his room while drinking a cup of coffee and watching the rainfall down like cats and dogs.
"I wonder if Tokyo could be submerged with this much rain."
He mused to himself before sighing and walking toward his desk. There is no work as the test paper is already finished by him the night before and Tanaka volunteered to take over his remaining workload. Looking out of his window once again he decided that perhaps a breath of fresh air in the rain might help him.
Putting on a long-sleeved white shirt with a vest over it, simple yet elegant as they say it. Surprisingly even during his vacation he still wore clothes like going to work. Walking through the same quiet corridor of his home, opening the door stepping outside with an umbrella in his hand, locking the door to his apartment as he made his way for a stroll.
As he walks on the side of the street with an umbrella in his hand accompanied by the sound of water hitting the pavement and the umbrella as he walked slowly and taking in the sight of his surrounding. The Shinjuku Gyoen national garden is indeed a sight to behold.
A place filled with greenery in the middle of bustling Tokyo metropolitan. The large lake in the middle of the park is surrounded by green trees and bushes with pathways and bridges to help the visitor navigate around the park.
As he walked across one of the bridges leading to a resting place across the lake. The park itself is barren of visitors and devoid of human sound yet filled with the sound of chirping birds, which choose to make the park their home.
He continued his walk down the dirt pathway avoiding puddles, as he turns around the corner he could see the resting place and a raven-haired woman staring down at the beer can in her hands. Her legs were crossed on top of each other as she stared down at the can as if thinking of something. Wearing a grey blazer covering what looks like a pink ribbon dress underneath. He stopped in the middle of the pathway weighing his option.
A frown marred the beautiful face.
And in a split moment decision he moved forward, something made him do so. Yet he couldn't help but compare this to that time when he first entered the service club room and met Yukino.
He could see the plastic filled with can beer on her left, is she mourning or trying to forget her problem.
as he approached the resting place, his footstep became louder and sure enough, the woman looked up at him and smiled.
"good morning"
She said in a soft-toned voice.
"good morning"
He replied as he took a seat on the bench to her far right. Placing his umbrella to his side and taking out a simple handbook from his pocket. While she continued her drinking looking away from him. The two sat in comfortable silence accompanied by the splashing sound of raindrops and the occasional chirping of birds.
As he read into the handbook filled with tanka and haiku, he occasionally glanced to his left. The woman is looking at the lake while sipping her beer, her feet dangling up and down. He chooses to focus back on his reading.
"hey?"
The woman asked.
"yes?"
He answered looking away from his book and at her. She was looking at him with a smile.
"no work today?"
She asked him, he sighed as a frown make its way onto his face.
"what about you? Is your school celebrating international beer day?"
She smiled at his question somewhat sadly. This of course didn't go unnoticed by him.
"I'm skipping work again today."
The frown on his face turned into somewhat of an analyzing look as Hikigaya looked at her more closely.
"I was forced to go on vacation by my boss."
"oh, I see."
"by the way, you should probably eat something alongside the beer if you want to drown away your sorrow."
This grabbed her attention as she watched him with a shocked look on her face. While he chooses to focus back on his reading.
"you…"
She said to him, as he waits for the incoming anger from her.
"you never speak with women before have you?"
"wh.. wha?"
Hikigaya sputtered as he looked at her with a face of embarrassment. She giggled at his look.
"I have you know, I spoke with my sister, a grown woman, last night."
He answered looking away somewhat bashfully.
"but that is someone from inside your family, what about outside of the family?"
"it's different you know."
She continued.
"what the different?"
"you can joke around and talk with no tact just like before with your sister. But with a woman from outside your family, talk wrongly once and they lost interest in you."
She replied to him as she leaned forward placing her chin on her right palm.
"then I suppose I just go on a marriage interview like the old days then. No need for those long-termed date thing."
He said as he once again settled into his reading.
"hahaha…"
She laughed at him, which is somewhat melodic to him.
"you are interesting, anyway."
She interrupted her musing.
"you know a lot about drinking for a guy who dresses that neatly on vacation."
He closed his book before looking back at her.
"I did not drink, I have a friend who insisted that he should only drink beer during one of those after-work party things."
"oh but I have snacks to go with the beer."
She said to him. She turned to her handbag unzipping and taking out a handful of chocolate bars of various sizes and showing it to him.
"want some?"
She asked him. An excited look on her face, as if a child trying to make friends while bribing them.
"are you trying to speedrun yourself into diabetes?"
He muttered to himself, as the woman pulled her hand back and smiled at him.
"you must have said 'this woman is weird' haven't you?"
"wha? No. after all I did do the same as you for a while."
He said to her as he looked longingly at the lake.
"you have? Then how did you stop?"
"I throw myself into work and even then it looks like it hasn't worked well for me."
He said. She stared at him and back into the chocolate in her hands.
"well regardless everyone has their coping method. Just make sure that sorrow doesn't swallow you whole."
Unbeknownst to him, the woman next to him stared at him with a surprised look.
"truly?"
"definitely."
He said in a rare smile as his eyes stared at her through the glass he was wearing.
Both of them settled into comfortable silence once more as Hikigaya continued his reading and the woman settled into staring at the lake as the sound of rainwater and chirping birds once again filled the area around them.
The wind suddenly picked up as it blew some of the rainwater away. While the rain began to lessen.
"well look like it's about time."
He said suddenly as he closed his book and picked up his umbrella.
"going home?"
She asked him, he turned to face her.
"no, the rain is letting up and what better for people who want to forget their sorrow other than walking around and admiring the beautiful scenery around us."
He said as he looks at her. The woman's face came into a realization. He was inviting her for a walk in the park. She struggled at first but looking at his expressionless face, she realized that he knew she is facing a problem and probably wanted to help.
"sure"
She said with a smile as she picked up her umbrella and shoving the plastic filled with beer can into the trashcan.
Both of them opened their umbrella and fell in step as they walked together in the park. He led her around the lake as both of them admired the sound of nature that is rare outside of the park. Occasionally he would chime in explaining interesting plants, while she would ask him about every bird that she could see. He sees her smile, and that somewhat gives him a fulfillment he rarely felt anymore.
They finally came to a stop underneath a tree at the edge of the lake. Watching a flock of birds flying toward the horizon. She was smiling while next to her. He was looking up at the skies, his hand shoved into his pocket.
"you know, I want to be a bird. To flew ever forward and forgetting the past that bind me."
She said in a somber tone. He stared at her at the corner of his eyes. She smiling much more now but still that sadness from before linger in her.
"hmm… I don't think you can survive as a bird, they need to eat good food to survive."
He lazily said to her.
"my, I don't think you would survive as any other animal because most animals need to be more social."
She replied looking back at him with a smile. He too smiles at this.
"ok then miss bird"
She giggled at him as he continued to smile. He liked this, and deep inside he hoped that this will continue.
Yet, time isn't on their side, as evening approaches both of them decided to return home. He walked to the park's front entrance. The rain has stopped and the evening sun shined through the cloud.
"thank you for today."
"no need to thanks me, I'm just doing what I can to help a fellow teacher."
She smiled at this but before that, a questioning gaze appeared on her face.
"How did you know I am a teacher?"
"you know giving me a Tanka taken from a Japanese textbook is a dead giveaway."
"ah… I see"
She said again before smiling.
"then goodbye."
"walk home safely."
He said as she nodded and walked toward the opposite side as he turned and began walking toward the subways.
"hey."
He stopped as she could hear the woman's voice from behind him. As he turned to look at the woman whose face was now shined upon by the sunset light.
"let see each other again, perhaps on a rainy day like today."
She smiled before turning around and walking away from him. Not realizing that her word has left Hikigaya Hachiman with a red face.
"What an interesting one."
He turned around and walked toward the subway with a small smile not present on his face earlier this morning.
