For Hokuto, the hot air mingled with the moisture was not very pleasing, especially in August, with him living in a major city.
Hokuto was standing in the carriage, scrolling through his brand-new cellphone. He felt a little bit too cold as the cool wind was blowing straight towards him from the air conditioner.
Although Hokuto was able to avoid the heat on the ground, he couldn’t escape from the noise. The City Metro was newly constructed, however, making so much noise that everyone tended to wear headphones.
Ten minutes later, the train arrived at the Gojuu Middle School. Hokuto stepped out of the train. However, he couldn’t walk home yet.
“Shit…” He murmured. “I think I need to stay here until the rain stops.”
The firmament was half-covered by huge cumulonimbus clouds. On the eastern side, the sky was crystal clear as lazurite, and the sun was shining like a fireball. Nevertheless, below the dark clouds where Hokuto was standing, heavy rain was pouring down fiercely.
The Gojuu Middle School was clearly taking an unpleasant shower.
Though the heavy rain was pouring, Hokuto didn’t feel annoyed. Somewhere deep in his heart, he liked the rain as no one did, and the story between him and Rain happened at the Gojuu Middle School, which was right in front of him.
It was drizzling.
The droplets were relentlessly tipping the window, but Hokuto didn’t hear it. His mind was taken by Rain. It had nothing to do with the raindrops falling down outside, though.
Her name is Ame Haruka.
“Hey. Why are you gazing at me?” Ame turned her head slightly.
“No… Ahh… Nothing. I am looking at the rain.” Hokuto was incoherent, with his face flushing. He wanted to perform nice and smooth when talking with Ame, but all in vain.
Hokuto was gazing at the silhouette of Ame. To some extent, it was not incorrect to say that he was looking at the rain. Ame was sitting there, right next to him, sharing the very same desk, and the name Ame actually means rain.
“The raindrop drifting far, far away…” Hokuto murmured. His mind was also drifting far, far away.
The rain stopped.
Hokuto could smell the petrichor. It was a rather good scent, as if he was chewing a mint gum in his mouth.
The cloud was drifting away, together with the raindrops. A golden line was gleaming in the sky.
Hokuto was walking home. He felt nostalgic seeing the cumulonimbus cloud disappeared under the horizon. Like someone was also disappearing in his mind, slipping in-between the gap of his memories.
