In the middle of the night, thunder rolls and lightning flashes across the overcast sky. A furious storm rages, with powerful winds driving sheets of rain. The world is awash in a downpour.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Shinka!"
A frantic knocking echoes in the hallway. Ryosuke pounds on the door of the Nibutani residence, but there's no answer. The rain intensifies, showing no signs of stopping. He regrets not making Shinka stay at his house.
Since no one answers, he rushes to his own balcony. He opens the sliding glass door, and a gust of wind howls past, carrying fat raindrops into his apartment. He looks at the Nibutani family's balcony across from his, making a bold decision. The distance is about two meters. On a normal day, he could jump across with ease. But the rain has made the railing dangerously slippery. The howling wind makes it even more difficult.
He carefully climbs onto the railing, gripping it tightly with his hands. He crouches low, waiting for the wind to die down. After a strong gust passes, he seizes the opportunity. Ryosuke leaps with all his might, landing on the other balcony and rolling a few times to absorb the impact.
The Nibutanis' sliding door is locked from the inside.
"Shinka! Can you hear me?!" he shouts, banging on the glass. There's still no response. He takes off his jacket, wraps it around his right fist, and punches the glass near the lock.
Crack! A fracture appears. He punches it again.
Smash! The glass shatters. He reaches in and unlocks the door.
The power is out, and the apartment is pitch black and silent. Ryosuke finds his way to Shinka's room and turns the doorknob. The door is unlocked, and he breathes a sigh of relief. He steps inside, into her familiar, girlish room.
He finds Shinka sitting in a corner on her bed, her back against the wall. Her eyes are vacant, and her face is deathly pale. Ryosuke drops his jacket and walks closer, seeing that she's clutching an old photo frame. It holds a picture of an expressionless boy with a wooden sword, and a girl next to him, smiling widely with both hands in a peace sign.
Ryosuke climbs onto the bed, carefully, and gently embraces her head. He runs a hand through her brown hair and pats her trembling back.
"Don't be afraid," he murmurs softly in her ear. "I'm here."
He tries to take the photo frame from her so he can hold her better, but he finds her clutching it with all her strength. Her hands and feet are cold, and her body is shaking. Ryosuke gives up on taking the frame, and just holds her, still and quiet.
His thoughts drift back three years. It was a similar night, with lightning, thunder, and heavy rain.
"Ryosuke! Do you know where Shinka is?" Mrs. Nibutani had burst into his house, her eyes filled with desperation.
"I don't know," Ryosuke replied. "I just got back with my sister from our master's place. I haven't been with her today."
"Shinka has been missing since this afternoon," Mrs. Nibutani sobbed, completely at a loss. "And now it's raining so hard. Where could she have gone?"
Shinka's father was away for work, so there was no one to rely on. Mrs. Nibutani had no choice but to turn to her neighbor, who was closest to her daughter. Since Shinka was still young at the time, Ryosuke's sister, Shizuka, called the police, and a search party was organized. But as the night wore on, there was still no news, and everyone's heart sank.
Finally, Ryosuke found Shinka in an abandoned park. The small girl was curled up inside a concrete pipe. She was shivering from the cold, her face was pale, and her eyes were empty.
"Shinka!" Ryosuke shouted, holding an umbrella and bending over. His voice echoed, bringing her back to her senses. Her face was dirty, like a frozen stray cat. She looked up, saw Ryosuke, and smiled in relief.
"Ryosuke," she said hoarsely. "I knew you would find me." Then she passed out.
Ryosuke, struggling with his wind-battered umbrella, carried her home on his back. Later, he found out that Shinka had been playing hide-and-seek with her friends. When it started to rain, they all went home, and no one went back to look for her. At first, she had been proud of her good hiding spot. But as time went on, it got darker, and she got colder and hungrier. The rain intensified with the thunder and lightning, and she was alone in the empty park. She was too scared to leave the pipe. Even then, little Shinka had held onto the belief that even if no one else found her, Ryosuke would.
After the incident, Ryosuke secretly found the group of kids and taught them a lesson. As for Shinka, it seems she developed her chuunibyo from that day. She fantasized about being a magical girl who could listen to the whispers of fairies and guide people to drive away the darkness. She often played games with Ryosuke where he was the knight and she was the magician.
Back in the present, the storm rages on. Shinka, with tears in her eyes, says the exact same words as she did years ago. Her voice is soft but full of trust. "Ryosuke, I knew you would find me."
Like a cat that has been found by its owner, she nestles in Ryosuke's arms, feeling the warmth of his body. He doesn't move, just holds her close and gently nuzzles her hair. They stay like that, leaning on each other.
After some time, the color returns to her cheeks, and her body stops shaking. Ryosuke tries to get up to get her a glass of water, but she grabs his hand.
"Don't go."
"I'm not leaving. I just want to get you some water."
"I don't want water. Just don't go."
Her voice is shaky. She is afraid that if she lets go, he will disappear, and she will be alone in the darkness again. The power outage had made her fear grow. The pitch black, silent room, combined with the pouring rain and thunder outside, had been terrifying. Before Ryosuke came, the only thing that gave her a sense of security was the old photo frame.
Ryosuke sits back down on the bed and gently strokes her hair. He whispers in her ear, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Even if there's no rain, I'll stay here."
He doesn't know if Shinka heard him. Perhaps it's the sudden release of tension after a long period of fear. When he looks at her again, she is sound asleep in his arms, a peaceful smile on her face.
Ryosuke holds her on the bed. He pulls the blanket over her, wrapping her up, and leans against the cold wall. As the sound of the rain lashing against the window fills the room, he, too, drifts off to sleep.