The Itoshi brothers

Rin and Sae... As children, they often went out, and as adults, they even began to venture outside the city. They went into the forest, picked all sorts of berries, and at home, they would say they bought them at the market. But they also devoted time to a shared hobby: soccer. Rin and Sae were always on the same team, playing against other boys from the yard. When Sae was 17 and Rin 16, they decided to go to the forest again, with an overnight stay. It was summer outside, which meant they could go to a small clearing where tourists usually pitched tents and spent the night. They decided to do the same. Having packed the necessary things in a backpack, the brothers left, telling their parents they were going to spend the night with their friends, and then went into the forest themselves. It was already late, but they still went out at such an hour. Wandering through the forest, Sae, who had been a guide to that very clearing, couldn't find it. By the time Sae realized they had to go back, it was already too late. They were lost. But Sae, like the older brother, didn't panic, and without showing any sign of trouble, he continued "to the edge of the forest," only delving deeper into the already dark forest. Clouds began to gather, and rain gradually began to fall. Sae threw his windbreaker over Rin to keep him warm and from catching a cold, and began walking faster, searching for a tree to shelter under. The bad weather caused the boys to get lost, but finally, when it was almost dark and the first howls of wolves could be heard, they came across a hut. Inside, it was cold and damp, but fortunately, they were able to spend the night warm and safe. Sae quickly led Rin inside and, glancing at the fireplace in the little house, found a couple of dry branches and lit them, adding dry wood from the floor. Fortunately, the wood caught fire and created a small warmth around itself. Sae sat Rin down by the fireplace and sat next to him. He took a blanket from his backpack and covered them both with it, placing his arm lightly around Rin's shoulder. "Well, it's not that bad," Sae said. "At least now we have a place to wait out the downpour, " he said, trying to hide his slight anxiety behind a calm smile.