Chapter 6: “Memories of the Old Couple”
The rain continued to fall without pause‚ quietly submerging the streets of the town. The girls walked‚ guided by the streetlights reflected on the water’s surface‚ and eventually arrived in front of an old house. The wooden gate was half submerged in water‚ and the stone pavement of the garden was covered with moss.
“Wow… someone still lives here!”
Nagisa’s eyes sparkled as she pushed open the gate.
Rin cautiously looked around and pulled her hood deeper over her head.
“…It’s too quiet.”
“But I can see the light of a lantern! That means someone must be there!”
Nagisa’s voice rang brightly‚ loud enough not to be drowned out by the sound of the rain.
A soft light leaked from inside the house. When they knocked on the door‚ a wrinkled hand slowly opened it. An elderly couple stood there. The two leaned gently against each other as they looked at the girls with calm eyes.
“Oh my… young girls coming out in rain like this.”
“Please‚ come inside. You’ll get soaked.”
Nagisa raised her voice happily.
“Yay! Thank you so much!”
Rin gave a small nod‚ took off her shoes‚ and stepped into the house.
The interior was wrapped in the warm glow of lantern light. Old photographs decorated the walls‚ and faded books and small items lined the shelves. The rain continued to strike the roof‚ yet the inside felt strangely quiet and calm.
“This place somehow smells nostalgic…”
“…An old house.”
Nagisa peered at a photo frame on the shelf while Rin quietly watched her.
The elderly couple sat down as if to surround the girls‚ smiling.
“This house will probably sink under the water soon. But memories are the kind of things that remain.”
At those words‚ Nagisa widened her eyes while Rin listened quietly. Inside the house wrapped in the sound of rain‚ the girls were about to open the door to a new story.
The room was bathed in the gentle glow of the lantern‚ and the sound of rain echoed faintly in the distance. In the photo frames lined up on the wall were images of the elderly couple in their younger days. The two smiling with their shoulders together‚ tending flowers in the garden‚ and the lively atmosphere of an old festival.
“Wow! This looks so fun!”
Nagisa picked up a photograph‚ her eyes shining.
“Where was this festival held?”
The old woman answered with a smile.
“In the town square here. It’s already sunk under the water now… but back then every year it was full of lights and very lively.”
Rin quietly watched the exchange‚ her eyes stopping on an old lantern placed on the shelf.
“…Does it still work?”
“Yes‚ if you replace the wick. When we were young‚ we used to carry it on our night walks.”
The old man gently stroked the lantern‚ looking nostalgic.
When they stepped out into the garden‚ rows of flowerpots soaked by the rain stood there. Most of the flowers had withered‚ but the old woman gently stroked the leaves.
“In this garden‚ we used to play with children. Their laughter echoed louder than the rain.”
“Wow! That sounds so nice! I wish I could’ve played in a garden like that!”
Nagisa spread her arms wide and spun around as if imagining it.
Rin looked at the wet stone pavement‚ holding a quiet feeling deep in her heart. —This couple had truly lived here. Even in a town sinking under the rain‚ memories do not disappear.
Each memory the elderly couple told was a fresh and warm story to the girls. The house and garden wrapped in the sound of rain became a quiet stage connecting the past and the present.
In the living room illuminated by the lantern’s light‚ the elderly couple sat side by side with the girls. The rain continued to beat against the roof‚ sounding like a quiet melody.
“Hey‚ hey! Grandpa and Grandma‚ how did you two meet?”
Nagisa’s voice was lively and bright‚ and the elderly couple looked at each other and smiled.
“Long ago‚ on a rainy day‚ we took shelter from the rain under the same roof.”
“That’s right. Since that day‚ we’ve walked together the whole time.”
“Wow! That’s so romantic! It’s just like a story!”
Nagisa spread her arms in delight while Rin quietly watched.
The old woman took out an old album from the shelf and showed it to the girls. When she turned the pages‚ smiling faces from their youth and photos with their children appeared.
“These children have already gone far away… but the memories remain here.”
“Wow! Everyone looks so happy!”
Nagisa leaned closer to the photographs‚ her eyes sparkling.
At that moment‚ her elbow bumped into a teacup placed on the table‚ and it clattered as it rolled.
“Ah! I’m sorry!”
The teacup was about to fall to the floor‚ but Rin quickly reached out and caught it.
“…Calm down.”
“Hehe! Thanks‚ Rin!”
The elderly couple shook their heads with laughter.
“That’s alright. Just hearing lively voices like this makes the house feel alive again.”
“When young people visit‚ even the sound of the rain seems a little gentler.”
Nagisa gave an embarrassed smile‚ and Rin quietly returned the teacup to the table. Even a small mishap turned into laughter. In that moment‚ the girls were wrapped in the warmth of the elderly couple.
The sound of rain continued to strike the roof without stopping. Yet a strange warmth filled the room. The memories told by the elderly couple illuminated the girls’ hearts like a light.
“Hey‚ hey‚ that’s really wonderful! Meeting on a rainy day and staying together forever!”
Nagisa’s eyes shone as she gazed at the photo as if hugging it to her chest.
“…A strong bond.”
Rin quietly spoke and looked at the elderly couple’s hands. Those hands‚ which had stayed together for many years‚ were full of wrinkles yet clearly held warmth.
The old woman said to the girls with a gentle smile.
“Memories are not washed away by the rain. The proof that people lived remains in the heart.”
The old man nodded and looked at the lantern’s light.
“Even if this light goes out‚ the days we walked together won’t disappear. So you two should cherish your days as well.”
Nagisa nodded strongly‚ and Rin quietly closed her eyes. —The preciousness of everyday life‚ the weight of human connections. Even in a sinking town‚ they certainly existed.
Before long‚ the girls stood up and thanked the elderly couple.
“Thank you! We’ll come visit again!”
“…Take care.”
The elderly couple smiled as they saw the two off.
When they stepped outside‚ the rain still covered the town just the same. The utility poles along the street had sunk even further‚ and the streetlights flickered on the surface of the water.
“…This town will soon sink completely.”
“But the memories will remain! Let’s make lots of them too!”
Nagisa’s voice rang brightly‚ loud enough to overcome the sound of the rain‚ lighting a steady flame in Rin’s heart.
In the distance‚ a train whistle sounded. The sound of the euthanasia train that runs on weekends. It was both a signal announcing the end of the world and a sign that the girls’ journey was about to move on to its next stage.
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