Three-Topic Dialogue: 'That Child's Name'

■Dialogue
"So, what do you think?"
■Three Topics
・Umbrella
・Gummy candy
・Horizon

It had been raining in my heart for a long time.
An umbrella was nowhere to be found, and I was just getting soaked.

Right in front of me, a little girl fell down.
The child ran to her mother while crying.
The mother hugged her daughter, comforted her, stood up, and walked toward me.
Then, she came right in front of me and said,
" So, what do you think? How does it feel to know you had a daughter this old?"
The mother didn't really have the look of the person I once knew.
The look from five years ago.
"Why... didn't you tell me? Even if we broke up, you could have contacted me."
" ...I wonder. Maybe it was my pride. The feeling that I couldn't rely on you anymore."
"That's not the point, is it? I would have acknowledged her anytime. If she was clearly my child..."
" ...I guess I didn't want that to be doubted either. I don't really know."
"You don't know..."

The girl, while being held by her mother, pointed at me and said,
" ...Who?"
The mother... Misaki, looked at me and answered,
"This person is someone important to Mommy and Riho. Someone who was... important, I guess."
"Stop it, don't say it like that."
"I'm not wrong, am I? Especially for this girl."
The girl searched her pocket.
And took out a gummy wrapped in a bag.
"Here."
"Huh...?"
"Mommy said, give your precious things to the people who are precious to you."
When I looked at Misaki, she was nodding with satisfaction.
The look from those days came back to me just a little.
"Her name is Riho. That's a nice name."
"Yeah. Mommy gave it to me. She said they are her favorite kanji characters."
"Hmm. ...Which characters are they?"

We had tea together at a cafe I used to visit with Misaki.
Coffee, tea, and a strawberry parfait.
"So? What happened to your dream? It doesn't look like a triumphant return."
" ...I threw it all away. Or rather, maybe I was the one who was abandoned."
"You said you were going to achieve your dreams and set off big fireworks, didn't you?"
" ...I couldn't see anything back then. Not the important things, not anything."
"I see. ...So? Did you come back to this town to find what's important?"
" ...Lately, it's been raining in my heart the whole time. It won't stop, and I don't have an umbrella. I wanted to step out into the sun soon, and when I thought about that, this was the only place that came to mind."
"Hmm. What could possibly be in this town? ...Could it be us?"
"Well... but it's certain that there is a sun in front of me right now. It feels like I was in a world of darkness, and the morning sun rose from the horizon."
" ...Hmm? Is that about Riho?"
" ...Maybe. And you."
"That's very convenient of you. Even though you were gone for so long and we were a single-parent household."
"I know. But I found a light that might let me start over. In this child's name."
" ...Riho? ...Ah, is that what you mean?"
"Yeah, even if it's a misunderstanding, that is my only hope and my sun."
"Well... it's not a mistake. That's exactly what it is, Yuuri."

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