Chapter 8: "A Promise on a Rainy Night"
The rain at night sinks the town more quietly than it does during the day.
The sound of drops—tap‚ tap—striking the roof felt like someone far away softly knocking.
“Rin-rin! Over here‚ over here!”
Nagisa waved both hands wildly as she ran up toward the roof of the half-submerged shopping street. Rain splashed around her feet‚ her steps as if she couldn’t believe this world was about to end.
“…If you rush like that‚ you’ll slip.”
Rin tilted her umbrella slightly and followed behind Nagisa. Her voice was calm‚ but her stride was just a little faster than usual.
When they reached the rooftop‚ the view suddenly opened up.
The outline of the sinking town wavered and melted into the rain. The streetlights reflected on the water’s surface‚ like stars floating on a night sea.
“Wow… today’s rain is kind of beautiful!”
Nagisa spread her arms and spun around as if embracing the rain.
“Hey‚ hey‚ Rin‚ look! The town is glowing!”
“…It’s not glowing. It’s just sinking.”
Even as she said that‚ Rin’s gaze was drawn deep into the city.
A bridge blurred by rain‚ a bus stop half submerged in water‚ evacuation lights swaying in the distance.
All of it was real‚ yet somehow dreamlike.
“But even if it’s sinking… it still feels like it’s alive‚ doesn’t it?”
Nagisa murmured.
Her profile was wet with rain‚ yet strangely bright.
“…You really are positive.”
“Hehe—did I just get praised?”
“I wasn’t praising you.”
Rin replied instantly‚ but her ears were faintly red.
Nagisa noticed and grinned mischievously.
When they sat down at the edge of the roof‚ the sound of the rain grew closer.
Drip‚ drip… whoosh… a steady rhythm wrapping around the world.
Even at the end of the world‚ this sound hasn’t changed.
“Rin‚ the reason I wanted to come here today is…”
Just as Nagisa began to speak‚ a strong gust of wind blew‚ shaking both their umbrellas.
“…You can tell me later. Let’s wait until the wind settles down first.”
Rin gently pulled Nagisa by the shoulder and brought her under her umbrella.
“Wah… R-Rin‚ you’re so kind…”
“Not really. It’d just be a problem if you got blown away.”
A rainy night.
A sinking town.
Within it‚ only the distance between the two of them was slowly growing smaller.
The wind weakened‚ leaving only the sound of rain returning to the rooftop.
Nagisa peeked out from under Rin’s umbrella and blinked.
“Hey‚ Rin. Looking down at the city at night like this… doesn’t it feel kind of special?”
“…I don’t know if it’s special. But it’s quiet. That’s nice.”
“Right?!”
Nagisa smiled with satisfaction and brushed her wet hair aside.
Watching the gesture from the corner of her eye‚ Rin felt a small warmth bloom deep in her chest.
The sinking town was losing its shape‚ melting into the rain.
Yet the lights from homes and the glow from a few small shops still open flickered across the water’s surface.
“…That place still has the lights on.”
Rin pointed to an old café.
Through the window‚ the silhouettes of what looked like an elderly couple sat close together.
“Wow‚ you’re right. They look so close.”
“…Yeah. That kind of thing isn’t bad.”
Nagisa looked at Rin’s profile.
Rin’s voice sounded a little softer than usual.
“You know‚ Rin… when you see things like that‚ your face gets kind of gentle.”
“…Not really.”
“Hehe—someone’s embarrassed!”
“I’m not.”
Rin looked away‚ but her ears had turned red again.
Nagisa giggled quietly when she noticed.
Suddenly‚ Nagisa took a small sketchbook out of her backpack.
Holding it against her chest to keep it from getting wet‚ she flipped through the pages.
“Hey Rin‚ look‚ look! I drew this for today!”
“…What did you draw?”
“Tada!”
On the opened page was a drawing of the sinking town under a rainy night sky—and the two of them sitting on the rooftop from behind.
The lines were a little crooked‚ but there was warmth in them.
“…When did you draw this?”
“Last night! I thought it’d be nice to see it together with you.”
“…I see.”
Rin stared quietly at the drawing.
The world Nagisa drew felt gentle‚ even though it was supposed to be the end of everything.
That gentleness slowly seeped into Rin’s heart.
“Rin‚ why don’t you try drawing something too?”
“…I’m fine.”
“Ehh? It’d definitely be fun!”
“…I like looking more than drawing.”
Nagisa blinked in surprise for a moment‚ then smiled brightly.
“Then next time‚ let’s draw together! I want to see the lines you draw‚ Rin.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
“There it is—Rin’s ‘I’ll think about it’! That usually means yes‚ right?”
“That’s not true.”
Rin denied it‚ but her voice was gentle.
The rain kept falling as always.
Yet between the two of them flowed a strangely warm air.
Even on a night at the end of the world‚ there was still time like this‚ when they could laugh together.
Nagisa closed the sketchbook and hugged it to her chest.
“Hey Rin. The reason I wanted to come here today…”
Her voice sounded more serious than usual.
Rin slowly turned her face toward her.
The sound of rain deepened the silence between them.
“…What is it?”
“Mm… I’ll tell you later. I want to look at this view a little longer.”
Nagisa turned her gaze back toward the sinking town.
Rin looked in the same direction.
The rainy night was not over yet.
The rain grew a little heavier‚ and the wind rattled the edge of the roof.
Nagisa stood up with the sketchbook still hugged to her chest and leaned toward the town.
“Hey Rin‚ don’t you want to go onto that bridge too? It must be really beautiful!”
“…Hey. Watch your footing. It’s wet.”
“It’s fiiine! Come on‚ let’s go—wah!”
The next moment‚ Nagisa’s foot slipped.
Her sketchbook flew into the air as her body began to fall backward.
“Nagisa!”
Rin instinctively reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Pulling her forward‚ Nagisa stumbled straight into Rin’s chest.
“W-wah… R-Rin… you’re close…”
“…You’re the one who moved without thinking.”
Rin turned her face away‚ but her arms still firmly supported her.
Nagisa’s heart pounded so loudly it felt louder than the rain.
“S-sorry… but thanks for saving me.”
“…Be careful. Seriously.”
Rin slowly released her hand.
Nagisa picked up the sketchbook and hugged it again.
“Phew… it got wet‚ but I can still draw!”
“…You should worry about yourself first.”
Sighing softly‚ Rin brushed the raindrops from Nagisa’s hair with her fingers.
The gesture was surprisingly gentle.
“Rin‚ you’re so nice…”
“It’s not that. Just checking.”
Grinning mischievously‚ Nagisa walked beside Rin again.
Together they crossed the narrow passage leading from the roof to the bridge and looked down over the rain-shrouded city.
The bridge looked as if it were floating on the water.
The old bridge stretched over the half-submerged road‚ shining with rain and reflecting the swaying streetlights.
“Wow… this place is amazing…”
Nagisa gasped.
Rin silently watched the scenery as well.
The city sinking in the rainy night felt almost fantastical.
Even at the end of the world‚ moments this beautiful could exist.
“Rin‚ hey…”
Just as Nagisa began to speak‚ a sudden gust of wind blew.
“Ah!”
Nagisa’s umbrella flipped inside out‚ nearly flying away in the wind.
“Don’t let go!”
Rin grabbed the handle‚ and the two of them struggled to hold it down.
Rain suddenly pounded their bodies‚ their clothes clinging coldly to their skin.
“Waaah‚ Rin‚ it’s going to blow away!”
“…Like hell it will. Come over here.”
Rin raised her own umbrella above Nagisa and pulled her closer.
Feeling the warmth‚ Nagisa blushed slightly.
“Rin… you’re warm…”
“The rain is just cold.”
Rin said that‚ but her voice sounded a little shy.
When the wind weakened‚ they finally managed to straighten their umbrellas again.
Nagisa placed a hand on her chest and sighed with relief.
“Rin‚ thanks… really.”
“…It’s nothing. It’d be trouble if you got blown away.”
“Hehe‚ that again.”
Laughing softly‚ Nagisa gently grabbed Rin’s sleeve.
In the rain‚ the distance between them naturally grew smaller.
“Hey Rin… the thing I started to say earlier‚ I think I can say it now.”
“…I’m listening.”
The rain quietly wrapped around the bridge.
Nagisa took a deep breath and turned toward Rin.
“Rin… I want to make a promise about the future with you.”
The words fell softly into the rainy night.
On the bridge.
The rain continued to fall quietly‚ and the streetlights shimmered on the water.
Nagisa held the sketchbook to her chest and faced Rin.
“Rin… you know‚ I’ve been thinking this for a long time.”
Her voice wasn’t trembling. Yet it was serious—quieter even than the rain.
“…What is it?”
Rin braced herself slightly.
Whenever Nagisa made that serious face‚ it meant something important was coming.
“Even in a world at the end… maybe we can still create something we can call a ‘future.’”
“…The future‚ huh.”
Rin looked up at the sky.
The rain showed no sign of stopping.
The government had declared: “One year left.”
The city was sinking‚ and on weekends the trains carried those seeking euthanasia.
Even so.
“If I’m with you‚ Rin… it somehow feels like things will still be okay.”
Nagisa smiled shyly.
“So I want to make a promise. Something really small and kind of silly.”
“…A silly promise?”
“Yep!”
Nagisa opened the sketchbook and showed the drawing she made today.
The rainy night city. The two of them on the rooftop.
Beside it‚ a blank page.
“On this next page‚ I want to leave a drawing we made together.”
“…With me?”
“Yeah! Even if we don’t know what the future holds‚ even if we’re scared tomorrow might not come… if we have proof that we ‘drew it together‚’ that’s enough!”
Rin was at a loss for words.
The “future” Nagisa spoke of wasn’t a grand dream or hope.
Just a tiny‚ tiny wish—to spend tomorrow together.
And that pierced her heart.
“…Is that really enough?”
“It’s not just ‘that.’ Because it’s with you‚ Rin!”
Nagisa smiled.
Raindrops on her cheeks sparkled in the streetlight.
Rin slowly breathed in… and then out.
“…Alright. I’ll draw.”
“Really!?”
“…Yeah. If you’re that serious about it.”
Nagisa’s face lit up instantly.
Her smile brightened the rainy night for just a moment.
“Yaaay! Rin‚ I love you!”
“…Hey. Your voice is too loud.”
Rin looked away as if to hide her embarrassment.
But the corners of her mouth softened slightly.
The two leaned against the bridge railing and looked down at the sinking town.
The sound of rain echoed softly‚ and evacuation lights swayed in the distance.
“Hey Rin. Let’s draw on the rooftop tomorrow.”
“…Yeah. It’s a promise.”
Those words quietly dissolved into the rainy night.
A form of “future” that certainly existed—even in a world at its end.
And then the two of them began walking side by side through the rain.
Beyond the sinking city‚ tomorrow—still unseen—seemed to glow faintly.
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