<- Back to Chapter 4 | [Back to the Table of Contents] | Forward to Chapter 6 -> Chapter 5 Summer Drizzle Hall Once a year, the temperature rises, the truly Japanese rainy season ends, and Kourindou is bathed in intense sunlight, just as always. The growth of mold in times of heavy rain inflicts damage on trees and tools, and this causes no end of troubles to the antique shop. That melancholic season has finally announced its end. ...However, my worries have not yet cleared up. It's not that I especially dislike the sunlight; the strong sunbeams make the shops interior darker, perhaps because of the angle. The contrast of the darkness of the shop and the brightness outside the window really makes it feel like summer. I like both the darkness and the brightness. However, this summer is different. The sunbeams are indeed strong - and they are, without a doubt, the sunbeams of midsummer - but what about inside the shop? More light than necessary is shining in through the window...it's as if the shop were standing in a high tide zone; the reflected light seems to be illuminating the shop mercilessly: This brightness doesn't feel like summer. For some reason, this weather is only occuring around my shop; what's more, it's been like this for three days straight now. Unfortunately, this kind of "incident" investigation is not my specialty. Usually, even in the slightest occurance of an incident, there would be people around to solve it for me immediately. Except...somehow, it seems that only the area around my shop is affected, and it looks like she hasn't noticed yet. But going out of my way to request an investigation in the middle of this kind of weather is troublesome... ...Well, if it's that human, she's bound to come here even if I leave her alone. Whether it's convenient or not, she still turns up. Like help, or hindrance... *Knock-knock.* "Hey! Why's the rain only falling around your shop?!" Ah, there she is. The Incident Specialist I mentioned: "Well, if it isn't Reimu." I was just about to add "You came at just the right time," but for now, I decided to see how things would turn out with Incident Specialist Reimu. She might know something about this incident. "Of course it's me. Jeez, do you even know what kind of state your own shop is in right now?" Although the rainy season is over, why has the seasonal rain continued to fall with no sign of stopping? It is indeed a strange occurance: Even though the blue sky hasn't a cloud in sight, this phenomenon is solely located in the vicinity of my shop. However, for the time being, I've decided to see what happens if I play dumb: "What kind of state would you be talking about?" "I'm amazed. Don't you go outside at all? It's raining so hard around your shop you can't even see outside. And there aren't even any clouds. From far away, it's as if there's a white blanket covering just this area. Do you think another strange experiment has started?" "...Ah, so it really was just around the shop." Well...I knew that much. "What are you scheming?" "I don't do those kinds of things, Reimu." "Even so, this is an amazing fox's wedding you have here. It doesn't look like this is your average fox." Though Reimu says that, it probably doesn't mean she has any information; perhaps I should devise a way to get her interested, and request an investigation. I handed a towel over to Reimu and told her to dry her dripping form with it. "Anyhow, it sounds like you had it rough back then." "What do you mean, 'back then'...? I always have it rough, so I don't really remember in particular." "Snow fell until the rainy season started. Weren't you the one who solved that, Reimu?" "Oh, that? That wasn't such a big deal; I've had far worse run-ins than that...actually, they weren't even that big either, I guess." "I never have any clue whether it's tough for you or not." "That's just how it is; if you ask me, it'll get worse if you leave it alone. If spring hadn't arrived, it would be troublesome, so it had to be fixed. If the mist didn't clear up, that would be troublesome too, so that also had to be fixed...Just as I thought, you're in trouble now yourself, right?" "It seems like you understand perfectly. Yes, I'm in trouble." "You should have said so in the first place! I guess I have no choice: I'll investigate this fox's wedding for you." Reimu seems to be having fun. However anyone looks at it, she doesn't look bothered. Rather than looking like she's solving it because I'll be in trouble if she doesn't, she looks nothing else but thrilled at the thought of flying headlong into strange happenings. "Sorry, but I have a few things I need to do; I'm worried as to what I should do about them." Actually, I don't really have anything particular to do right now - you could clearly see that I'm unoccupied. However, this kind of incident is outside my field of knowledge. "Well...whatever. My clothes are soaking wet anyway, so it won't make a big difference if I go out into the rain again. You should do your 'things I need to do' and stay here, though I think this kind of minor problem can be tidied up in an instant." Upon saying that, Reimu left the shop in decidedly high spirits. As I had predicted, Reimu had taken up the job for me. But, if you think about it very carefully, you'd follow that Reimu came to the shop even though she had no special appointment. Actually, maybe this time, she had come with the intention of solving this incident all along. As for why I think so, the towel I had handed to Reimu seemed not to be wet; Reimu hadn't dried herself. It looked like she had intended to go back out again right from the start. Or maybe she just didn't care whether she was soaking wet or not...? If I leave things up to Reimu, after a few hours, the crisp summer sunlight will beat down upon the shop, and the shop's interior will once more regain its summer darkness. Once Reimu starts working, the usual incident will be resolved if I give it from two to three hours, up to half a day, and at the very most, a full day. That's usual. I wondered if I should make some fresh green tea and read a book; I can leave the rest until later. The pleasant smell of tea makes you forget the passing of time. Though, if Reimu, working hard, were to see me like this, she might become angry... ...Even so, Reimu didn't seem to know the reason behind this fox's wedding, but actually, I think I have an idea of what it is. I never thought it would be possible, but...if it is what I think it is, it's an omen. If I wait a short while, things will return to normal, so perhaps this is something that can only be handled by Reimu's emergency treatment; besides, it would've been dangerous to tell anyone else; I especially couldn't tell Marisa. *BOOM!* *Rumblllle...* It happened in an instant: the shop's interior lit up with a blue-white light so bright that I couldn't even read my book, and then, along with the exterior, darkened in the next instant. Following that, the rain became even heavier than it already was, the sky that should have been clear darkened, and the distant scenery became obscured. The sudden heavy rain made me worry a little about Reimu...but it was her idle complaints after she solved the matter that really worried me. I don't doubt that she'll solve this matter, but clearly I had not predicted the pouring rain...I should probably prepare a change of clothes for Reimu. As for which was the real problem, it had to be the issue of Reimu's mood. Thinking to see how it was outside, I approached the window and took a look outside, but I couldn't see Reimu's figure at all. The rain just kept getting stronger, like it was trying to drain the color from the world. The outlines of the forest and the mountains gradually began to fade, finally becoming a world of dark grey. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the rain striking the roof. At that point, I saw a human run past the shop - a figure that, like the current surroundings, possessed no color: it was a black and white monotone shadow. *BAM! Clatter-clatter...BANG!* "Hey! What happened here?! This is no normal thunderstorm!" What wasn't normal was Marisa barging in. And her dripping wet isn't exactly normal either. "You say 'what happened?' like it's not normal. These summer evening showers happen often, you know?" "Ya liar. The rain's only fallin' around this shop. There aren't any evenin' showers like this!" And so we exchanged our casual greetings. It was no use lying to Marisa, so I told her what had happened up until now. "...Alright. I can prob'ly make this sudden shower clear up in a flash, but I guess Reimu'll get mad at me if I get in her way, so I'll leave it to her." "For now, why don't you dry yourself off? I mean--" "If I sit down on items for sale wearing wet clothes, it'll be a problem, right? I know, I know. But since I flew here, I'm not all that wet." Still, even with a "Besides, the rain's only around your shop anyway," Marisa snatched a towel and started drying herself anyway. She looked considerably drenched to me. Had the rain extended over a wider area than I thought? Or was it that she stopped by here before actually coming into the shop? I can't believe Marisa would act so obediently given such an incident before her. When Marisa had decided she'd dried off enough, she planted herself on a pot that was for sale. "So yeah. You've gotta be the reason behind this weird thing happenin' around the shop." "I really have no idea what you're talking about." Actually, I did have an idea. But I couldn't tell Marisa. It was the rain falling around the shop right now. "Rain" can also be read as "heaven." That the rain is falling solely on the shop, all is under heaven. In other words, this means that a ruling power is present. A little while back, I had tricked...well, negotiated a sword out of Marisa: that was no average sword. That sword was the Sword of Kusanagi, by another name, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi ("Heavenly Gathering of Clouds Sword"). It holds the power to unite the land - no, even greater than that. As for this rain, I firmly believe it is a good omen that the heavens had approved of me. I think manipulating the weather is a feat that normal youkai can rarely achieve. "Whatcha grinnin' about? I've been thinkin' 'bout this rain. Maybe it's the work of the mischievous fairies around here." "Ah? Y-you think so? Can they make rain fall that easily?" "It's not too hard to make rain fall. There are always a few youkai who can manipulate the weather, though they have a small range of effect. Mabye someone prayed for the rain...?" "The rain is only falling here...hmm...hmhmhm..." "Huh? Don't you ignore me." I feel that I've already unified all under heaven, but I have to make sure Marisa doesn't suspect me of anything; it would be a bad idea if I were to give away the secret of the sword I received from Marisa. Marisa kept worriedly looking out the window. Perhaps because the downpour was on her mind, she couldn't calm down at all. "...Maybe Reimu will fail, give up and come back...?" "Wow. It's not like you to wish failure upon others." "What're you talkin' about? I came here just 'cuz I had some free time. There's somethin' I can do to kill time right in frontta me, and you want me to just wait around?" "In that case, shall I ask you to investigate this matter too? I suppose I don't mind if you both do it." "...Meh. I don't wanna get soakin' wet again." "Really, you're so selfish, Marisa!" I'm the one in a pinch, so I'd be grateful if someone would help me investigate, but I couldn't very well shout at her. It looks like these girls spend their time how they want to, so to each their own, I suppose. *Flash!* *Rumbllllllle...* "Whoa! What's with the lightnin'? That sounded way too close!" Since the rain is falling only around the shop, then it's a given the lightning is also nearby. However, after that great thuderclap, the rain suddenly ceased. The sound of the waterfall-like downpour faded and became silent in an instant. I thought at first the loudness of the thunder had damaged my ears, but due to Marisa's constant rambling, the shop immediately became noisy again. "Ooh, it stopped rainin'. Looks like she did it, huh?" "Of course. I was wondering what might have happened to her since this maelstrom started." "If it were me, I would've solved this more smartly." Marisa had calmed down again. Outside, summer had returned with intense sunlight, and the inside of the shop returned to its summer darkness. Not a cloud in the sky could be seen from the window. Looking at it, you could never have guessed that it was raining just a moment ago; I couldn't believe it either. *Knock-knock.* "Ahh, it's over. Honestly, making me do this kind of job. I hope you'll at least make me some tea, and- oh, Marisa's here." "Kourin made you do all this, but he hasn't made any tea at all. Only some for himself." I started preparing the tea in a hurry, and Marisa said "It's been a while, so let's have lunch." "What, you're trying to say I took too long? Well, I don't mind if you're offering to make the food yourself, Marisa." "Ya did take too long, but whatever, I'll cook today. What ingredients did we have again?" This is my house you know. Oh well. I guess I'll let it slide this time. Marisa volunteered on her own, but really, what ingredients were there? Because of the rain, I'd been secluded for a while, so I doubt there would be anything fresh. Well, I'm sure Marisa will manage to make something. She's always bringing ingredients here, so I don't keep much anyway. For now, I gave my thanks to Reimu, and handed her a new towel. Reimu immediately started drying her hair, hurrying me by asking "...and the tea?" "Alright, be patient, I'm making it now. So, what was it? Our strange fox's wedding." "Hmm? Oh, well, it was only a rain fairy that started living in your attic. I threatened it a little, and it ran off. I don't really know why the rain got heavier midway though. Maybe someone interfered with it?" ...A rain fairy? "A fairy that mischievously lengthens the duration of rain. Just like you." "What are you talking about? I can't make it rain." "I'm talking about your name. It's the long spelling of 'rain', right?" "I wasn't given my name for that particular meaning. So, then what? What about the fairy?" "Since mold has been growing in your shop for such a long time, it happened to settle down because it felt like a nice place to live. It liked the mold! It'd help if you cleaned out the shop thoroughly once in a while; you never know when something like that might settle in again. Ah, thanks for the tea...ahh, fresh green tea." The outside was awash with beyond-brilliant greenery and dazzling light, not subtle in the least. The rain was now like a magnificent sprinkling, and carried a cool, welcoming wind into the dark interior. From the back of the shop, I could hear Marisa's voice; it seemed that she had managed to prepare something. "It's hopeless, Kourin. There's mold on a whole lot of the ingredients. The rain lasted for a while, so you're gonna have to sort this out. I didn't have much of a choice, so today it's miso soup with pickled veggies for the main dish. No complaints outta you now." Even so, mold...I guess my sovereignty is still far away, I thought while gazing at the sword that decorated the inside of my store. <- Back to Chapter 4 | [Back to the Table of Contents] | Forward to Chapter 6 ->