Chapter 3: “A Moment on the Rooftop”
The rain kept falling without pause‚ slowly dissolving the outline of the city. Only the rooftops of the half-submerged buildings jutted above the water’s surface‚ scattered like small islands.
Nagisa climbed onto one of those rooftops‚ spread her arms wide‚ and shouted.
“Yaaay! Being somewhere high up feels great! You can see the whole city from here!”
Her laughter mixed with the sound of the rain and melted into the gray sky.
Rin slowly climbed onto the roof from behind‚ checking her footing as she watched over Nagisa.
“…It’s slippery. Be careful.”
“It’s okaaay! Look‚ from here you can see the streets that are sinking‚ and the lantern lights too!”
Nagisa pointed her finger‚ indicating a small light swaying in the distance. In the sinking city‚ it was proof that someone was still alive.
The rooftop was cold from the rain‚ but the wind gently brushed their cheeks in a pleasant way. Receiving that wind‚ Nagisa pulled out her sketchbook.
“If I draw from here‚ it’ll definitely be suuuper beautiful!”
The pages were wavering with moisture‚ but she didn’t mind and began moving her pencil.
Rin silently watched her. In her eyes‚ Nagisa’s innocent figure drawing a picture looked like a small hope resisting the rainy world.
“…You really like drawing‚ don’t you?”
“Yeah! Because you can keep what you’ve seen! Even if the city disappears in the rain‚ a drawing will stay‚ right?”
At Nagisa’s words‚ Rin gave a small nod.
The city visible from the rooftop could not resist its fate of sinking. Yet the two of them searched for a certain light within it.
Nagisa sat down on the roof and spread her wet sketchbook across her knees. The hand holding the pencil trembled slightly‚ but her eyes were shining.
“Yaaay! If I draw from here‚ it’ll definitely be wonderful! A rainy city feels kind of fantastical‚ doesn’t it!”
She gazed at the sinking city stretching beyond the rooftops and ran her pencil across the page.
Rin sat beside her and quietly watched over her.
“…The paper’s wet.”
“It’s okaaay! If it smudges a little‚ that just gives it character!”
Laughing‚ Nagisa layered more lines. Each time raindrops fell onto the paper‚ the drawing changed little by little.
An old can was rolling in the corner of the roof. Nagisa picked it up and used it as a pencil holder.
“Ta-daa! Now it’ll be easier to draw!”
“…You’re just playing around.”
“Ehehe! But it’s fun!”
While drawing‚ she occasionally spoke to Rin.
“Hey hey‚ Rin-chan‚ have you ever drawn anything?”
“…No.”
“Eeh! What a waste! The world you see would probably look really cool!”
Rin averted her gaze slightly. Deep inside‚ Nagisa’s words were stirring something in her.
The sound of rain continued endlessly‚ tapping out a rhythm on the rooftop. Nagisa’s laughter and the sound of her pencil overlapped‚ creating a small melody in the sinking city.
As Nagisa kept sketching absorbedly‚ a sudden strong gust of wind blew through.
“Waaah! The pages are flying away!”
The pages of the sketchbook scattered and slid across the rain-soaked rooftop.
Rin quickly stood up and pinned down a flying sheet with one hand.
“…Here.”
She picked up the wet page and held it out to Nagisa.
“Thanks! Rin-chan‚ nice catch!”
Nagisa accepted it with a smile and hugged it to her chest.
But in the next moment‚ Nagisa herself slipped.
“Kyaa!”
She slid toward the edge of the roof‚ nearly falling.
Rin reflexively stretched out her arm and pulled her back.
“…I told you it was dangerous.”
“Ehehe! But thanks for saving me!”
Nagisa gave an embarrassed smile and clung to Rin’s arm.
The two of them stayed like that for a while‚ catching their breath in the rain.
The city visible from the rooftop could not resist its fate of sinking. Yet by supporting each other‚ there was certainly a moment where they could feel safe.
“Hey Rin-chan‚ when you help me like that‚ it kinda feels like we’re really living together.”
“…You’re exaggerating.”
“But it’s true! If I’d been alone‚ I definitely would’ve fallen!”
At Nagisa’s words‚ Rin narrowed her eyes slightly. Deep within her heart‚ something warm had certainly begun to sprout.
The sound of the rain grew stronger‚ pounding on the roof. Even so‚ the girls’ laughter didn’t disappear‚ dissolving into the gray sky.
The rain kept striking the rooftop without pause. Yet somehow that sound had become a rhythm that calmed the heart. Nagisa held the sketchbook to her chest and looked up at the sky beside Rin.
“Hey‚ the rain keeps falling forever… but when we sit like this‚ it kind of sounds gentle‚ doesn’t it?”
“…Yeah. It’s quiet.”
At Rin’s short reply‚ Nagisa smiled brightly.
The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder on the rooftop‚ looking out over the sinking city. In the distance‚ streetlights floating on the water swayed‚ and the old couple’s lantern cast a small glow.
“There are still people hanging on out there…”
“…Yeah. Everyone’s still alive.”
Rin’s voice was calm‚ but there was a certain warmth behind it.
Nagisa flipped a wet page and showed her the half-finished drawing of the city.
“Look‚ the rain smudged it… but somehow it makes the city look like it’s alive!”
“…Not bad.”
“Yay! Rin-chan praised me!”
Nagisa exclaimed happily‚ and Rin slightly narrowed her eyes.
That moment on the rooftop was miraculously peaceful in a world nearing its end.
Wrapped in the sound of rain‚ a real bond had begun to grow between the two of them.
However‚ the city stretching out before them was slowly sinking into the water‚ and more than half of the utility poles on the streets were already hidden beneath the surface.
“…At this rate‚ everything will sink.”
“Yeah… but we’ll be okay! As long as we’re together‚ we’ll figure something out!”
Nagisa’s words were innocent‚ yet strong. As if supported by that voice‚ Rin quietly nodded.
—And then‚ in the distance‚ a whistle sounded. The sound of the euthanasia train that runs on weekends.
It was a signal announcing the end of the world‚ and at the same time‚ a sign that the girls’ journey was about to move on to its next stage.
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