PROLOGUE: — “Poyo & Mochi”

The rain had been falling steadily for hours, a gray curtain over the quiet streets. I tugged my umbrella tighter, cursing under my breath. Of course it had to rain tonight, of all nights. My sneakers were soaked through, my jacket clung to me like a second skin, and my hair, well, it was plastered to my face in miserable wet strands.

Another day of juggling school and my part-time job. Another day of counting coins and realizing they’d barely last the week. I let out a heavy sigh. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered trying to keep it together.

And then I heard it.

A faint sniffle, followed by a quieter, almost pitiful sound.

I froze. My heart skipped a beat. “Hello? Who’s there?” I called cautiously, peering into the shadows of an alley I’d never noticed before.

The box was small, sodden with rain, and sat off to the side as if someone had abandoned it. Its cardboard sides sagged, and on the front, scrawled in large, uneven letters, was a single word: “ADOPTED!”

I crouched down, peering inside. And there they were. Two tiny blobs, trembling and soaked through. One was soft pink and round, bouncing slightly as if trying to shake off the wet. The other was a timid blue, smaller, shivering, and huddled in the corner.

My chest tightened. “Oh… no…” I whispered. I crouched closer. “You’re… just little things, huh? And… so wet… and abandoned.”

The pink one let out a soft, bubbling noise. “P…poyo…”

The blue one squeaked: “M…mochi…”

I blinked. Did I just… hear them speak? No, that’s impossible.
My brain was probably running on pure exhaustion.

I shook my head, trying to focus. “I… I can’t take you home. I barely have enough money for myself… I don’t have the time, the space, or—”

The pink blob’s eyes widened, watery and pleading. The blue one cowered slightly but peeked at me. Their little faces were so… desperate.

“…I wish I could, really. I wish I could just pick you up and take care of you, but I can’t,” I said, voice breaking a little. I swallowed hard. “Life… it’s… too hard already. I… I’m sorry.”

I stood up slowly, brushing rain from my shoulders. My heart told me to walk away, to leave them there and pretend I hadn’t seen anything.

I took a few steps.

And then… my chest ached. My mind screamed, You can’t just leave them there! Look at them!

I stopped. My stomach twisted. I turned back, umbrella dripping, and crouched again. “Fine,” I muttered, trying to sound firmer than I felt. “I’ll… I’ll take you home. Just… don’t cause too much trouble, okay?”

Poyo bounced happily, wobbling in what I could only describe as pure joy. Mochi shuffled closer, still timid but somehow relieved.

I picked them both up carefully, cradling them against my chest. They were warm. Soft. And somehow… alive in a way I didn’t expect.

Walking home, I finally introduced myself. “Uh… hi. I’m… Hanae. Hanae Yukimura.” I chuckled nervously. “You… you’ll be living with me now, I guess.”

For a moment, everything was quiet. And then Poyo, the pink one, bubbled out a little attempt at my name:

“He…nae…na…”

I froze. My heart skipped. Did… did that just happen? Did the blob actually try to say my name?
My lips parted in shock, my umbrella tilting as I adjusted my hold on them.

“…Wait. You just… said my name...?” I whispered, disbelief warring with a strange sense of relief. They weren’t just blobs. They weren’t just pets. They were… smart. Somehow, they were… alive in a way that made sense in a storybook kind of way.

Mochi squeaked softly, shyly nudging Poyo, while Poyo bounced again, a little impatient.

I exhaled, a small laugh escaping me despite the rain. “…Alright, I get it. I’m keeping you. Just… stay close, okay?”

And with that, I walked home, two little squishy companions cradled in my arms. The rain still fell, cold and relentless, but for the first time in a long while, my chest felt a little lighter.

Maybe happiness wasn’t about money, or perfect lives, or being prepared for everything. Maybe… it was just this. A small, wet, bouncy little miracle in your arms.

And tonight, that was enough.