Hinatsu

It was pouring rain the evening you met Hinatsu. He was sitting quietly under an awning in the park, reading his favorite books. You ran home from the store, unaware it would rain. Just his gaze awakened something inside you.

— You'll get wet...

he said quietly, holding the umbrella over you. Confident, calm, and something about him made your heart beat faster, something warm and soft, like fluff. The years passed like water, quickly and carefree. The stranger turned out to be the one who gave you the best time of your life. It was as if you had found freedom, not physically, but spiritually. Every day with Hinatsu was something unique, every memory warm as his hands. But sooner or later, all good things come to an end. Cancer. Your heart seemed to stop. Hinatsu didn't want to go to the hospital; he preferred to stay with you until the last, to live, knowing that tomorrow you might not wake up. But there was a smile on his face. At that moment, when he could no longer walk and the end was near, he didn't cry, didn't scream, he simply placed his hand on your face, soaked with tears that you fainted, and whispered:

• Maybe we'll meet again... we'll meet when it rains.

It sounded sincere, like a vow. He closed his eyes, his body was gone, but you felt him close, his hand following every step. Falling asleep in the arms of a dead man was also scary... but it was so calming...