The Story of Haru and Takumi

🍊Episode 42: Three Themes
🎈Theme 1: "A Small Door Opening to the Sky"
🐾Theme 2: "Lost Items Above the Clouds"
⏳Theme 3: "A Dream That Fell Into the Cracks of Night"

🌱Foreword

There is a school above the clouds, too.
Today, they were having a big spring cleaning.

However, among the rooms, there was one
that no one was allowed to enter.

This is a story that begins when two boys
opened that door.

📖Main Text

Above the clouds, everyone is busy with the big cleaning.
Our cloud school is following suit, involving the entire student body in the cleanup.

"Hey, Haru, are we going to clean the room next to the science lab, too?"
"Eh, that place is off-limits."
"But it's a big cleaning, we have to clean it."
"I suppose so. Well, I'll go ask the teacher."
"You don't need to ask the teacher. We'll just keep it a secret."
"Is it really okay to do that?"
"We just have to make sure no one finds out."

Haru and Takumi stood in front of the door that never opened.
It was locked with multiple layers of security.

Takumi skillfully picked the lock.

The classroom was dim, and something bumped into my foot.
When I shone my flashlight on it,

"Lost Items Above the Clouds"

That was what was written on it.

"Hey, isn't this a storage room for lost items?"
"Yeah, that might be it."

In the back of the classroom, there was a faintly glowing spot.
When we approached it, there it was—

A small door opening to the sky.

When he reached for the door, Haru muttered.

"I'm scared. We might not be able to come back."

"It'll be fine. We'll definitely be able to come back here."

The two of them slowly opened the door.

What was there was—
the "gap in the night."

"Haru, I came here to search for the dreams that fell into this gap in the night."

"Huh, what do you mean by that?"

"Do you know why we are above the clouds?"

"That is... because we were summoned, right?"

"Ah, yes. I suddenly ended up here.
Leaving my precious family behind."

Takumi lowered his eyes just a little.

"I found it in a book at the library of the clouds—
that the dreams that fell into this gap in the night
are the only way to connect us with our families."

"So, you thought they were here?"

"Yes."

Takumi smiled quietly.

"You want to see them too, don't you?"

Haru nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I've wanted to see them for so long."

"From now on, we will pick up the dreams from the gap in the night."

"Yeah."

The two of them reached out their hands gently.

In the gap in the night,
a small light emerged.

🌸Afterword

I want to see my loved one again.
Perhaps that feeling never truly fades, no matter where you go.

The "gaps in the night" that appear in this story
are places where such feelings quietly fall.

And perhaps—
someone might be picking those feelings up.

Thank you for reading.