Chapter 10: "The Fading Streetlights"
The night rain was colder‚ deeper‚ and quieter than the daytime rain.
The sinking city looked like a ruin at the bottom of a massive aquarium‚
and only the streetlights’ glow barely rippled on the water’s surface.
Nagisa stood at the edge of the sidewalk‚ twirling her umbrella.
The spin was so fast that droplets splashed onto Rin’s cheek.
“…It’s deeper than yesterday. About twenty-five centimeters.”
“Twenty-five centimeters!? That makes you like the ‘Prime Minister of the Pudding World’!”
“Puddings don’t have a political system.”
“They do! Caramel is the ‘finance‚’ the sponge is the ‘territory’…”
“Stop it.”
(Where does the idea of running a country with pudding even come from…Does her brain imagine sweets holding parliamentary sessions…?)
Nagisa peered into the water‚ her expression serious.
“Rin‚ this water… it feels like it has the ‘depth of life.’”
“It’s deep‚ alright.”
“No‚ I mean the depth of the heart!”
“Water doesn’t have a heart.”
Nagisa slumped in shock. At that moment‚ drops fell from the tip of her umbrella‚ splashing directly onto Rin’s shoes.
(I wish being depressed didn’t cause physical damage…)
Raindrops hit the streetlights‚ scattering into tiny points of light.In the distance‚ only the rooftops of the sunken buildings floated like black shadows.
“Rin‚ that streetlight… it looks like it’s about to go out.”
At the spot Nagisa pointed to‚ the streetlight flickered weakly.Its light was being swallowed by the rain‚ like its final breath.
“…The power must be reaching its limit.”
“I see… then let’s watch it properly as it goes out‚ okay?”
Nagisa waved gently at the streetlight‚as if saying “thank you.”
(Why are you saying goodbye to a streetlight…?No‚ actually… I don’t dislike this…)
As Rin thought this‚ Nagisa suddenly looked serious.
“Rin… if the streetlight were a person… what position would it have in life?”
“Position?”
“Yeah. Like a ‘side character in life’?”
“It’s not a side character.”
“Then… the ‘lighting person in life’!”
“Well… that might not be entirely wrong.”
“Right!? Rin’s a lighting person too!”
“I’m not illuminating anything.”
“You are! You’re lighting up my life!”
“…”
(Stop throwing straight lines at me…I’m not ready… no‚ even if I were‚ it wouldn’t be enough…)
Nagisa looked over the rain-soaked city and muttered.
“Hey Rin… this city looks like it’s ‘crying.’”
“It’s because of the rain.”
“No‚ tears of the heart!”
“The city doesn’t have a heart.”
“Eh… so I’ve been talking to the city’s heart all this time…?”
“You haven’t.”
Nagisa pressed her chest‚ saying seriously.
“Good… I’m still barely in reality…!”
(Don’t say “barely”…But… just having her voice makes the city feel a little brighter…)
The rain was quiet‚ the city was sinking‚ the lights were fading.Still‚ under Nagisa’s umbrella‚ it felt somewhat warm.
The closer they moved toward the center of the sinking city‚ the heavier and deeper the rain sounded.The streetlight reflections on the water swayed thinly‚ like creatures that had forgotten how to breathe.
Nagisa splashed through the water at her feet as she walked.Each splash made Rin instinctively step back in silence.
“Rin‚ this water… looks like it might have a taste.”
“Don’t drink it.”
“I won’t! But it looks like diluted soda…”
As Nagisa leaned closer to the water‚ the rain intensified‚and the surface rippled.
“Ah! The water’s angry!”
“It’s not angry.”
“Then is it shy?”
“It’s not shy.”
Nagisa whispered to the water.
“Sorry… for talking about its taste…”
“Don’t apologize.”
(Why apologize to water…?No‚ but… I don’t dislike this side of her…)
The arcade of the sunken shopping district remained with only its framework‚rain-soaked steel glowing coldly.
Nagisa looked up at the steel and said.
“Rin‚ that… looks like a ‘dinosaur skeleton.’”
“Dinosaurs are bigger.”
“Then… a ‘slim dinosaur in the rain’!”
“There’s no such dinosaur.”
“Then a ‘dinosaur ghost’!”
“Even less likely.”
Nagisa pressed her hands together toward the steel.
“Dinosaur… please rest in peace…”
“It won’t.”
(But… I kinda imagined it anyway…What is a slim dinosaur ghost…?)
Rin frantically tried to push the strange dinosaur out of her mind.
Nagisa suddenly grabbed Rin’s sleeve.
“Rin… don’t you feel some kind of ‘presence’ around here?”
“Presence?”
“Yeah… a ‘damp presence’!”
“The rain is damp.”
“Then a ‘wet presence’!”
“That’s rain too.”
“Then… a ‘moist presence’!”
“Stop expanding your vocabulary.”
Nagisa looked around and continued.
“Rin‚ I feel a ‘melancholy presence’ from over there!”
“That’s… probably just the atmosphere of the city.”
“See! You feel it too!”
“I don’t.”
(I don’t… but… the quiet of this city does pierce my heart…)
As Rin slightly lowered her gaze‚Nagisa peered at her face.
“Rin‚ you just made a ‘melancholy face’!”
“I didn’t.”
“You did! Look‚ your eyebrows are at the ‘melancholy angle’!”
“There’s no such angle.”
“There is! Like this!”
Nagisa forcibly bent her own eyebrows to demonstrate‚and her whole face twisted oddly as a result.
“…That’s not it.”
(Not it… but… somehow cute…)
Rin quietly looked away in her heart.
The rain grew heavier‚ and the streetlight’s glow was almost gone.The deeper into the sinking city they went‚ the more quietly‚ steadily‚ the world approached its end.
Nagisa suddenly grabbed Rin’s arm.
“Rin‚ look! That building has sunk more than yesterday!”
“I know.”
“Feels like… a ‘sinking pro’!”
“Not a pro.”
Nagisa waved at the sunken building.
“Sinking talent is at its peak today too!”
“Don’t cheer for it.”
Rin felt a warm sensation in her chest.
After passing through the sunken shopping district‚ the two stopped under an old streetlight.The pole leaned at its base‚ rain-soaked steel groaning ominously.The light was weak‚ about to go out.
Nagisa looked up at the streetlight‚ frowning for some reason.
“Rin… this streetlight looks like it’s ‘on the verge of enlightenment.’”
“It doesn’t have a face.”
“But look‚ the light says‚ ‘I’ll soon become nothing…’”
“It doesn’t say that.”
Nagisa bowed deeply to the streetlight.
“Before you vanish… thank you…!”
“Don’t offer memorials.”
(Why offer a memorial to a streetlight…?No‚ but… I don’t dislike this side of her…)
As Rin thought this‚ a dry “crack” sounded from above the streetlight.
“Rin‚ just now…?”
“Above‚ get away!”
As Rin pulled Nagisa’s arm‚ part of the streetlight collapsed.It fell violently into the water‚ splashing around their feet.
“Ah…! I feel like my ‘luck today’ just fell!”
“It didn’t.”
“Then… only the ‘skin of luck’ fell…?”
“There’s no such skin.”
Nagisa pressed her chest and took a deep breath.The motion shook her umbrella‚ dropping rain onto Rin’s shoulder.
“Rin… my ‘life HP’ just dropped by about three…”
“HP system‚ huh.”
“Yeah. But since you’re next to me‚ it’s ‘auto-recovering.’”
“…”
(Why does she say things like that…Well… I’m glad‚ but…)
The water beneath their feet surged.
“Rin‚ that shake… it’s like the city just ‘sighed.’”
“It didn’t sigh. It just sank.”
“Then… a ‘city turning over in its sleep’!”
“It’s not sleeping.”
“Then a ‘city in a restless sleep phase’!”
“There’s no such phase.”
Nagisa stared intently at the water.
“Hey Rin… doesn’t this water seem like it’s trying to tell us something?”
“It isn’t.”
“Like‚ ‘You’ll sink too someday…’”
“That sounds like a villain’s line.”
“Then there’s a kind version‚ like ‘Sinking isn’t so bad…’!”
“Either way‚ stop assuming we’ll sink.”
Nagisa gave a small bow toward the water.
“Please… let the sinking be later…”
“Don’t ask.”
(But… somehow cute…)
Rin quietly looked away in her heart.
The rain grew heavier‚ and the streetlight’s glow was almost gone.The deeper into the sinking city they went‚ the more quietly‚ steadily‚ the world approached its end.
Nagisa suddenly grabbed Rin’s arm.
“Rin‚ look! That building has sunk more than yesterday!”
“I know.”
“Feels like… a ‘sinking pro’!”
“Not a pro.”
Nagisa waved at the sunken building.
“Sinking talent is at its peak today too!”
“Don’t cheer for it.”
Rin instinctively covered her face.
(I don’t think there’s anyone else cheering for sunken buildings…But… just her voice makes the city feel a little brighter…)
Nagisa peered at Rin and suddenly spoke seriously.
“Rin… I think sinking is just… ‘the ground’s whim.’”
“It’s not a whim.”
“Then… the ground is ‘stretching!’”
“It’s just sinking.”
“Then… the ground is on a ‘diet!’”
“It’s not losing weight.”
Nagisa crossed her arms and nodded.
“Rin… the ground is surprisingly free‚ huh…”
“It’s not free.”
(Free ground… what is that…But… her world is endlessly gentle…)
Rin felt a warm sensation in her chest.
From a slightly higher vantage point‚ they could see the entire sinking city.Rain-soaked roofs‚ fading lights‚ rippling water in the distance.The world quietly‚ steadily sank.
Nagisa hugged her umbrella to her chest and muttered.
“Rin… was the city always this quiet?”
“…Because the people are gone.”
“I see… so now it’s like a ‘silent bargain sale.’”
“Silence isn’t for sale.”
Nagisa held out her palm‚ catching the falling raindrops.She stared at them and spoke seriously.
“Rin… this rain tastes… somehow gentle.”
“Don’t drink it.”
“I’m not! But… it feels soothing to the heart…”
“That… I think I understand.”
Rin was a little surprised at her own words.Nagisa also widened her eyes in surprise.
“Eh‚ Rin… empathizing…?”
“Sometimes I do.”
“Rin’s empathy is a rare card…!”
“Don’t turn it into a card.”
Nagisa laughed and gently moved her umbrella closer to Rin’s.Their shadows merged as one.
“Rin… you feel like… a reliable presence in the rain.”
“Abstract.”
“Then… a ‘rain-attribute guardian’!”
“Don’t assign attributes arbitrarily.”
“But with you around‚ the rain isn’t scary‚ you know?”
Rin was speechless.Her chest quietly‚ warmly burned.
(…If she says that… I can’t not protect her…)
At that moment‚ something rippled on the distant water.A figure like a person‚ like a light‚ something indiscernible.
“Rin‚ just now…”
“…There might be someone. Let’s go.”
Nagisa squeezed Rin’s hand.It was warm‚ and sure.
“Rin… even if… this city completely sinks…”
Nagisa slightly lowered her gaze‚continuing without minding the raindrops on her cheek.
“As long as I’m with you… I’m a little less afraid of sinking.”
Rin caught her breath.
(…Why say that…I have no choice but to protect her…)
Rin held Nagisa’s hand back.
“I won’t let it sink. Never.”
Nagisa’s eyes widened in surprise‚then she smiled gently.
“…Yeah.”
The two walked into the depths of the sinking city. 
In place of the fading streetlights‚ their shadows stretched together.
Only the sound of rain quietly saw them off.
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