The Town of Marbles

[Synopsis] The Ramune marbles that fell from the sky

On a hot summer afternoon, a mischievous cloud tipped over a bottle of Ramune, and marbles rained down all over the town.

Inside them, the scenery of someone's heart is reflected, like a dream seen yesterday or the ice cream one wants to eat tomorrow.

A story about a curious boy named Haru who finds an "empty marble" and searches for its owner with a shy girl named Natsu.

Main Text

Led by the hand by Haru, Natsu climbed the shining slope.

At their feet, countless marbles were rolling about.

"Hey, Haru, look. It looks like something is moving inside this marble."

Natsu gently picked up a pale lavender marble that had fallen at her feet.

When she peered inside, a small rain cloud was drizzling softly.

"You're right! And this one has cicadas chirping!"
From the golden marble Haru picked up,
the scent of the scorching summer sun drifted out.

"Everything in this town is a fragment of someone's summer."

Haru said proudly, but when he looked over,
Natsu had stopped with a slightly lonely expression on her face.

"What's wrong, Natsu?"

"...I might not have a marble of my own. I can't capture sparkling memories like everyone else."

Natsu looked down and stared at her own shadow.

She thought that, being shy, she didn't have any treasures worthy of this shining town.

At that moment, Haru crouched down in front of Natsu.
"That's not true. Look, look at your feet."

Where Haru pointed, on the ground where Natsu's shadow fell, a transparent marble—with just a hint of rainbow colors mixed in—was rolling, shining more quietly than any other.

"That is the 'light of the present' from when you gathered your courage and walked with me."

Saying this, Haru placed the transparent marble into Natsu's palm.

"Oh..."

When Natsu held the marble up to the sun,
it reflected an image of herself holding hands with Haru,
smiling just a little.

"Chirin."

A wind chime rang somewhere.
When she realized it, the swirl of light that had enveloped the area had vanished,
and the usual summer afternoon had returned.

"...Thank you, Haru."

Natsu was no longer looking down.
She felt that the courage she had picked up back then
was still tucked away in her pocket, cool and precious, just like a marble.

"Let's play again tomorrow."

Haru's cheerful voice melted high into the blue summer sky.

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