-3-

“So…they’ve met on their own?” A female’s voice asked.

The taller one, face adorned by thin-lensed glasses, nodded, holding the notebook out in front of her at an arm’s length.

The first female nodded at the written information, the time of occurrence written beside each one, as she leaned towards them. She stood straight beside a tall man with piercing eyes. “Strange coincidence.”

“So, are we still falling through with the original plan?” the second one altered her glasses and pulled the notes back, unsure of their boss’ intentions.

His raven curls were pushed from his face as the girl beside him stroked his firm skin. She all-but-purred in his ear as she bent over his sitting form, “I wanna make this fun…”

The man sighed, a thin tress blowing upward. “Nade, I assigned you the most enjoyable tasks to begin with.” He stated calmly.

“I know, but stiiill,” her lips pouted cutely as she stared up at him.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to allow you to do whatever you wish as long as it does not interfere.” His shadow-hued eyes flickered with a lighter one, both females noticed. Their boss had gained a certain adoration for Nadeshiko recently and allowed her nearly anything.

“Domo, Hiro…” she purred against his neck briefly, bringing her face closer to his to place a soft kiss on his lips, while snaking her arms around him as well.

“Ahem,” the hazel-haired female cleared her throat to gain the attention of the couple. “If I may interrupt, may I get back to work?”

A simple answer of, “Do what you want,” from Nadeshiko was accompanied by a dismissive wave from Hiro’s hand as he gave back to the woman’s kiss.

On the other side of the door, after exiting the room, the lighter-haired woman sighed, still clutching the notebook tightly. “Damn children…” her jaw clenched as she hissed this before continuing down the white hallway.



Ishigi sighed heavily, readying himself to venture out into the freezing rain. This became almost ritual, the rain would come with the memories and soon after would wash them away.

Five sets of stairs down, Ishigi was outside, immediately assaulted by nature’s tears. Each drop added weight to his pitch-black hair, doing its job of curling it slightly at contact. “Dammit,” he sighed, combing his fingers through his hair damp hair. “I hate the rain.”

Pushing his way through the growing crowds, Ishigi heard the suffocated club music and the ocean tide as hushed whispers. Unbeknownst to himself, Fukuoka paths led to Ohori Park. The center of the emotional memories.

Breathing halted as his eyes altered shakily, both hands unfolding and hanging limp at his sides. Puddles of rainwater shined under the neon lights, reflecting the shyly seen stars overheard, each constellation mapped out under the ripples. Each puddle mirrored the past.

The crimson pools.

His smile.

It was too much right now for Ishigi. “Soushi, it’s like you continuously bring me back here every time it rains. As if the rain is your tears. Or mine that I’ve cried for you trying to reenter me from the sky. Like you’re telling me to stop worrying…” His eyes shut, forcing back more tears form escaping their respective ducts. “But I can’t, like I’ve said a million times.” Under the heavy liquid-weather, it was difficult to discern if the teen was crying, aside from his ragged breathing and shaky stare.

He knelt in the exact spot he had before, the exact patch of earth beneath him where he held his brother before being torn from him and forced to observe the sorrowful attempt to bring him back from death. The ground hadn’t seemed to change at all in Ishigi’s eyes, the sight of blood still lingered in his mind every time he returned there.

“I still haven’t found out who killed you, neither have the police,” his words were ignored by even his own ears, being drowned under the pitter-patter of rain. “But I promise that when I do, I’ll… make sure to have them feel both our pain.” The image of his brother’s smile returned. This time not shunning it away, Ishigi smiled back sadly. “Onii-san, you made me feel everything was alright, I felt safe, I was comfortable… I was whole.”

If not for the rain and the human-induced ambience, Ishigi would have heard the wind’s breath fall close to being Soushi;s voice whispering a calming “Daijoubu” or “I’m always here.”

Ishigi fell into silence as did the rain. Every time he returned to Ohori Park, he would not retreat until the rain did as well.

It seemed that the was the duration of Soushi’s soul’s visit was.