Rainy and Sunny Days

This is the second series starring Mariko Shinoda, after One Summer.

Rain started to fall, gently tapping against the window panes. I looked at her, my heart pounding from anxiety and excitement. She turned her gaze away from me, seeming unbothered by our reunion after a year of separation.

**Maybe you should stay here tonight,** she said.

When we met up for the second time, Mariko still didn’t want to talk about my life or her own past. Even though there was so little I knew about her, she refused to tell me anything else.

**Hey... I don't know your last name,** I said.

**That's too personal,** she replied with a coy smile.

**And what about your birthday?** I asked.

**I can't really remember...** she answered.

**Ah. And... Your birthplace?** I persisted.

**At a hospital, of course!** she responded teasingly.

There was a long pause in our conversation. During the silence I looked at Mariko, wondering why she would never tell me anything about herself. After a while, her voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts.

**You know... I don't like answering questions,** she murmured.

**Why?** I asked.

**That's a question too,** she said.

(We sat in silence after that)

The sound of the rain outside seemed to be dulled by the pounding of my heart. As we sat face to face in the bathtub, she slowly pulled the strap of her camisole from her shoulder. Her sultry eyes trapped my gaze and held me completely captive.

Completely taken in by her allure, I was unable to look away from her face.

**Come here,** she told me.

After we both had awoken, I walked to the other side of my bedroom to dress. She stood up and opened the curtains, illuminating the room with warm sunlight.

**The sun has woken up,** she said while looking out of the window.

**Shall we go outside together?** I asked.

**Why not?** She replied, a half smile on her lips.

On a clear-skied afternoon, I finally worked up the courage to ask her on a real date. To my surprise, she readily accepted, and we met up at the pool.

There was no enclosed room, none of the secrets that had been a barrier between us. Mariko’s playful smile reminded me of the first time I had ever laid eyes on her.

One rainy evening, I invited her to come visit my house. As I came back from the kitchen, I found her browsing through TV channels.

**Did you find a good drama to watch?** I asked.

**No… They all seem so boring,** she replied with a sigh.

**Hmmm... Why don’t we go to a movie theater instead?** I suggested.

**That's a great idea! I’d love to go,** she exclaimed, smiling at me.

The late afternoon sunlight shone as we lay on the bed together. She seemed so pensive, looking up vaguely at the ceiling. I started to gently caress her legs, and asked her what she was thinking about.

**I just... I want you to make me feel alive. You know exactly what I mean, don't you?** She murmured.

Mariko watched the rain fall as we sat together at the windows. However, I couldn’t focus on the rain, because I was distracted by how beautiful she looked. All of the constant shifts in her expression fascinated me.

**I really love looking at the rain. I'm not even sure why... But it always fascinates me. It’s so mesmerizing to watch the droplets run down the windows,** she whispered.

**I love it too, because of all the rainy days we’ve spent together,** I quietly replied.

**Like today...** She said.

Glancing over at Mariko, I realized that she was deep in thought about something. She shifted on the bed, and then spoke with uncharacteristic hesitation.

**Falling in love... Really loving another person... It makes you weaker, doesn't it?** She suddenly asked.

**You’re actually thinking about love? I must be dreaming,** I replied, laughing softly. She glared at me for a moment, then sighed.

**I guess you must be. Someone like me wouldn't ever think about it,** she replied in a serious tone. This made me laugh harder.

**Alright, fine. Come over here then, and I'll teach you how to love... Thoroughly,** she said.

The two of us stayed awake late into the night, talking quietly by the light of my bedside lamp.

**What are you doing for the holidays? Will you visit your family?** I asked.

**My family? No way,** she replied with a short laugh. I was surprised at the resentment in her voice.

**I’d rather spend Christmas with you,** she said.

On New Years Eve, she decided to throw a party just for the two of us. She had covered her living room with garlands and balloons. We counted down to midnight, and when the clock struck twelve, kissed.

**Happy New Year!** She exclaimed, smiling playfully at me.