The rain was falling from the sky. The entire area was damp due to the continuous rain. There was no one on the street. The cloudy sky shielded the sun from warming the Earth. Noon was dark and dull.
He raised his head, looking up to the sky. His eyes felt heavy as his body turned colder. He shivered in his black jacket. Wrapping himself tightly, he glanced around the area.
He had just arrived in this unknown village. After changing buses twice and got on a local bus, he stepped inside the village's territory. Since it was raining, he couldn't see anyone from the bus stand he took shelter.
Ren looked at his watch. It was at 2 PM. He needed to get out of this cold weather. His head was already throbbing painfully. The wind blew past him, making him sneezed. This situation was unbearable when you felt that you were not in good health.
He doubted there would be a proper hotel here, not that he minded after he decided to leave home. Maybe he could knock on a villager's door, asking for help to get a shelter. But first, he should try looking for a direction.
After changing the bus twice and took a local bus, he arrived in this unknown village. He just decided his path randomly, in a haste to run away far from the city. That was when he came across an old man who said he was going to this village. It seemed like only a few people boarded the bus going to this small city. While waiting for the local bus, he boarded the first bus that arrived.
Eventually, he stepped his foot here.
Ren rubbed his temple. His consciousness was drifting away. He almost slipped when his body leaned down suddenly. He quickly reached out for the pole, trying to stable himself. His breath turned slower.
"..."
In the end, he blacked out. While his view turned blurry, he could faintly hear the sound of urgent footsteps running to him.
"Sir? Sir? Are you okay?"
"Sis, I think he faints. Why don't I call for our neighbor?"
"Let me go find Uncle Wataru. You stay here and watch for him."
Two different voices lingered beside him. He wanted to see who were they but his view turned completely dark.
When he finally woke up, a comfortable feeling surrounded him.
Ren opened his eyes slowly. The threating headache was still there but it was bearable unlike before. He adjusted his gaze on what he assumed was the ceiling of a house. Turning his head to a side, two tall bookshelves greeted his sight. Ren tried to move but his limbs felt stiff so he could only raise his upper body up.
His throat was so dry. A few coughs escaped from his mouth. He covered his mouth to mask the sound but it was so severe it was like his throat was bleeding.
"Are you okay, sir?"
Ren looked up. A young boy was standing in front of him. His complexion was pale and he was quite skinny. Without waiting for him to reply, the boy quickly left the room and returned with a glass of warm water. He handed the glass to him.
"Drink this."
Ren nodded in gratitude as he took the glass from him. He drank the water slowly, his throat was no longer parching. The boy took the empty glass from him. He looked at the boy, his head was still throbbing.
"Where am I?" His voice sounded huskier due to his throat's condition.
"You're at my home," the young boy replied. "I'm Hanada Satsuki. We found you laid unconscious at the bus stand yesterday. Since we couldn't find any of your identification, we decided to bring you home. Thank God your fever has subsided this morning."
"We?"
"Me and my sister. Oh!" The young boy gasped. "I forgot to tell her that you're already awake. She's in the kitchen, making some porridge for you. Just wait for me here!"
The young boy ran from the room, heading to the kitchen. Ren didn't listen to his advice. He slowly got off the bed and followed the boy from behind. His usual steady steps were a bit shaky. As he left the room, he could see the silhouette of the boy moving to his left. A sweet aroma came for the boy's direction. He turned his body and followed the sweet scent.
"What are you doing here, Satsuki? I told you to rest."
Ren's ears caught the sound of a young lady's voice coming from the kitchen. It was so soft and pleasant to his ears and there was a hint of warmth carried by it. He quickened his steps, suddenly so eager to meet whomever who had rescued him before.
"The man has woken up, Sis! His fever has subsided. I think he's hungry."
"Oh? Thank God the porridge has almost done." The lady spoke again.
By the time Ren stepped in the kitchen, he could see the boy named Satsuki was standing behind a young lady who was stirring the porridge inside a pot. The lady in beige home clothes stood almost as tall as the young man. Her long hair was tied up into a loose bun.
"Bring me a bowl. I'll scoop some porridge for him," the lady asked. She was still focusing on the pot before her.
"Okay, Sis!" Satsuki swiftly moved to the cabinet. As he wanted to open the door, the corner of his eyes caught a tall silhouette at the kitchen's door. He turned his head. "Sir? Why are you here?"
Satsuki's remark caught his sister's attention.
Ren's eyes was on her when she slowly turned her head around. He wasn't sure whether it was due to the fever or something else when his heart started beating furiously.
Their eyes met.
The clarity in her big brown eyes made him felt that his soul was sucked into the brown pools of her eyes. Her looks wasn't outstanding but the charm and serenity that he felt was different from when he saw the socialites in their heavy makeup.
Her beauty was delicate, the one that made ones felt peace just by looking at her.
"You shouldn't be here." The young lady turned her entire body around, facing him properly. When she spoke, her lips curled up into a small smile. "Just wait in the bedroom. I've finished making porridge. I hope it's alright for you."
Ren just nodded. Suddenly, he lost any words to say to her.
He felt strange.