It rained. Hanataro Iku laid within his night sheets and listened to the water drops clattering on the roof which kept him awake for several hours. It was another one of those days, where sleeping wasn't a solution, or rather an escape route, to choose from. He had to keep staring at his tatami mat floor, continue thinking. Thinking about his sweet shop, his future; but also soccer. He truly hated those nights; the rain distracted him. Made him think of unnecessary things he needn't to waste his thoughts on. Actually, he didn't understand himself in this special regard. Probably through the influence of all surround him; or just because he's getting old? Perhaps the lady from next door was right -- he really should find himself a girlfriend sometime. A light apologetic grin showed itself on his face which kind of meant that he knew he won't do such thing. Going for something with half-hearted feelings and ulterior motives weren't really anything he would do.
Thus Hana closed his eyes and slowly, the sound of the rain fall back to behind... until it was completely vanished from his mind. At that time he didn't know that a play of destiny will change his life forever.
It was a cold and muddy feeling. A distracted frown appeared on his face and quickly a hand went searching for the blanket which apparently wasn't there any longer while his eyes were still shut, stubbornly refusing to open themselves. From several hand stretching movements it suddenly stopped. Hana grew tired and thus he went for the second plan. To escape from the cold ground, he crouched there, taking his legs together on his chest and hugged them tightly. Yet the cold did not fade.
Where was his blanket? But more importantly, why was it so cold? It was summer season, right? He remembered that the yesterday was so hot, several kids and other passers-by who never bothered to visit his little shop came inside to cool themselves down and eventually bought ice cream and some sweets along their conversation. It was pretty nice; Hana honestly favoured warm days. It meant more customers.
The coldness started to spread, sought him to below his skin so much, he couldn't see any other way and thus opened his eyes. Darkness was surrounding him, not really blind blackness, but dark enough to make him feel insecure right in that same second. Plus, everything appeared so strange... so foreign... he wasn't used to this kind of feeling and urged for something he can refer to. Yet, nothing. Blinking surprised, he hoped for this to be a bad joke but it wasn't. The scenery of darkness, which gave off something like a graveyard similar feeling, was unchanging.
Whilst not understanding a thing about his current situation, he sat up from his lying position and noticed the earthy wet ground. Heck, where were his bed sheets? No -- where the heck was he? Suddenly there was like an ahah effect while he sat there in the correct way of sitting in japan (seiza) where he was kneeling on his own lower legs, with the feet under the buttocks, toes pointed backwards. Yes he knew the answer to the problem: Simply, he was dreaming. A creepy dream, but the thought that it was merely a dream comforted him tad bit. At least, for awhile.
Patiently, he waited for the dream to be over. To somehow awake himself with silently pinching his cheeks or pressing his eyes close. Yet whatsoever he may try, it did not work. Panic overcame him. He wasn't used to display much emotion, but one is able to see that frustrations might as well get the best of him soon. He needed to wake up. To feel secure again... but his wish did not come true. He stayed right on the spot, still sitting in that overcorrect way with his back straight (which truly looks weird for a random observer definitely) and had that frustrated glare on his face which probably may cause assumptions that he was going to do harakiri (suicide) in any second.
However, it never came close to such. Instead, he stood up. The cold was still bothering him, as he was wearing his usual night wear (which was a simple yukata) without having the sash which wrapped around his body, which on the other hand makes his wear loose and allow more cold to enter. No, he was definitely not in any kind of ideal condition to be facing this kind of situation. Still not wanting to accept what he saw, hoping that everything is still a dream he went for a nearby tree. Slowly, with shivering hands he touched the bark of that tree and felt that realistic feeling. Are you kidding me?
Suddenly, anger got the best of him and with brute strength, he kicked the tree just like that, hurt himself in the process then leaned on the tree to calm himself and slumped down to the ground. The pain from the kick wasn't as hurtful as he thought it'd be, yet it was burning like the injury he had back then. A sigh escaped his lips, as he gazed above. Black clouds were covering the skies, gave him neither hope nor any clue of what is happening. Eventually he looked around, meeting nothing but lonely naked trees and unknown range of darkness. At least, the earth here is not wet and cold; so his thought to keep being optimistic despite everything.