[Poetic Stories] You are still here in this season / Shirokuma Literature Club

I heard the sound of summer.

In the twilight where no one should be,
it was a sound that made my heart sway, just a little.

Clink—

The moment the wind chime rang,
time suddenly rewound.

“After all, it’s got to be watermelon at the end,”
that voice, laughing as he said it, comes back to my ears.

A childhood friend who lived next door when I was in middle school.
Every year, we had a barbecue in the garden.
The smell of yakisoba, the battle for ice cream,
the night we both shouted “Whoa!” at the fireworks at the exact same time.

A wind chime was always hanging on that veranda.
There was a small goldfish painted inside the glass ball,
and you would laugh, making a nonsensical joke, saying, “It’s a goldfish, yet it rings.”

Whenever I hear the sound of that wind chime,
my chest aches a little for some reason, because that summer of that year,
was the last summer.

About moving schools,
I was told the day before you left.

Told so suddenly, I couldn't find the right words,
so I just said “I see” and drank my barley tea.
Only the sound of the ice clinking remained between us.

Many years have passed since then, but—

The wind blows, and it rings again, clink.

If I listen closely, I feel like you are calling me from somewhere.
That’s not an illusion.
I truly felt that you from that day were there.

Only your voice is ringing in this season.
That is, for me—
the sound of summer.

I am participating in the Shirokuma Literature Club.
Chief Komaki, thank you as always!

Thank you for reading until the end.
If some words were lit in your heart too... please tell me quietly if you'd like 🌿
Perhaps, from that one word, a “poetic story” might be born.

I am weaving small stories called [Poetic Stories].
If today's story touched your heart,
—that alone makes me happy. Thank you.
I will continue to gently put the light and shadows of daily life into words.
🌸 [Poetic Stories] 🌸
→ Click here for the Poetic Stories magazine

I have started a magazine about “writing,” not limited to novels.
✍️ In this magazine, I will write about small events related to writing and the behind-the-scenes of creation.
I would be happy if I could gently accompany your desire to “try writing once more.”
📘 Click here for the magazine

I received an honorable mention for "Scenery of Sadness."

In the Happy Writing Marathon #5,
Ken Honda featured my article as a recommendation!
Thank you so much!!