The World Beside Me, Episode 4: Taking Shelter from the Rain
The World Beside Me
Episode 4: Taking Shelter from the Rain
Miyuki's Perspective—The Sound of Rain on the Eaves
The rain we didn't think would fall always surprises us just a little.
A single drop, plop.
As if chasing after it, raindrops begin to fill the sidewalk.
We dashed under the eaves of a shop and looked at each other, laughing softly.
The sound of the rain hitting the roof was louder than I expected, pushing our conversation a little further away.
People walking on the street quickened their pace, and cyclists passed by with their shoulders hunched.
On rainy days, everyone is in a bit of a hurry.
You were looking up at the sky.
It looked like you were watching the rain clouds, but also like you were looking at what lay beyond them.
I lightly brushed off my wet sleeve.
That was when I noticed a small raindrop still resting on your shoulder.
I gently brushed it away with my fingertips.
"Thank you."
That one word was enough.
The rain was still falling.
But strangely, I didn't want it to stop anytime soon.
My Perspective—Rain as a Boundary
Rain is a phenomenon that reconnects the sky and the ground.
The dry world changes its contours with every single drop.
The asphalt reflects the light, and the trees deepen in color.
The city itself is being rewritten into a different expression.
We were standing on the thin boundary line of the eaves.
Step forward, and you get wet.
Step back, and you stay dry.
That difference of a few dozen centimeters divides the world in two.
I found that boundary somewhat interesting.
People feel secure by drawing boundaries.
Indoors and outdoors.
Myself and others.
Today and tomorrow.
Yet, the rain makes those boundaries a little bit blurry.
The sound of wet footsteps and the sound of folding umbrellas all melt into the same rain.
Suddenly, Miyuki reached out toward my shoulder.
That casual gesture of brushing away a small raindrop.
I finally realized that I hadn't been looking at the rain, but had overlooked that single drop.
When you only look at the structure of the world, a single drop of rain passes by too easily.
But she finds that one drop.
The rain lets up a little.
We looked at each other and started walking, neither of us saying who started first.
It wasn't because it had stopped.
It was because we felt we were ready to walk through this rain.