Rainy Days

Present

The rain in Saitama is a dull drizzle that turns the pavement grey. It is the kind of rain that feels heavy, soaking through layers of clothing and chilling the bone. Abby’s sedan pulls up to a modest, two-story house with a small garden that looks meticulously tended. The neighborhood is incredibly quiet, providing a stark contrast to the neon lights and constant, vibrating noise of Tokyo. Here, the only sound is the rhythmic thrum of the windshield wipers.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Rie asks, her fingers twisting a strand of her short black hair. Her blue highlights look almost purple in the dim afternoon light. It looks so cozy. It looks like a place where someone actually belongs."

"This is definitely it," Abby says. He checks his reflection in the rearview mirror, adjusting his black baseball cap to cover more of his blonde hair. Even when he is nervous, he has a way of looking sharp, his high cheekbones catching what little light remains. "Yuki was very specific on the phone. After three hours of us pleading with her and explaining the situation, she finally realized we weren't the villains the company made us out to be. She wants us to see for ourselves that Akira is okay."

They walk up the path, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the wet grass. Rie rings the doorbell, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. After a long moment, a woman in her late twenties with a gentle, friendly face opens the door.

"You must be Abby and Rie," she says with a small smile. "I am Hana, Akira’s wife. Please, come in"

As they step into the warm hallway, a toddler with big, curious eyes and messy dark hair toddles toward them. She clutches a plush rabbit and stares up at the newcomers.

"And this is our daughter, Mika," Hana says, picking the little girl up. "Akira is in the living room. He has been expecting you."

They follow her into a bright room filled with the scent of cedar and vanilla. A man stands by the window, his shoulders broader than they were in his teens, but his face is unmistakable. It is Akira. The silence in the room is absolute as they lock eyes.

"Akira," Rie gasps, her voice breaking. She sinks into a nearby chair as her knees give out, her petite frame shaking. "You are fine. You are actually okay."

Akira looks at them with a mixture of pity and relief. "I am okay, Rie. I had some smoke in my lungs and minor burns, but I was discharged before the sun even came up the next day."

"We went to the hospital to see you," Rie cries, the tears finally spilling over. "The morning after the fire, we rushed there, but the staff said you weren't on the list anymore. We asked the company every day for weeks, but they told us you were in a coma in a private facility. They said we weren't allowed to discuss you ever again."

Abby leans forward, his face tight with a cold, simmering anger. "They made us sign those NDAs, Akira. We were kids, and we were terrified. They told us that if we didn't sign, they would sue us for the damages to the building. They said the fire was a result of our 'negligence' in the practice room."

Akira sighs, sitting across from them. "The NDAs weren't about you. They were about the building's wiring. The company knew the electrical system in that old wing was a death trap and they had ignored the warnings for years. If I had gone public with my injuries, the investigation would have ruined them. So, they made me a deal. They found out my girlfriend, Hana, was pregnant. They told me they would pay for my university and a house if I signed away my right to speak and disappeared."

"They used our fear to cover up their own crimes," Abby mutters, his hands clenching into fists. "They told us you were practically a ghost so we would be too guilty to ever question them."

"I should have tried harder to find you," Rie whispers, wiping her eyes. "After five years, I thought it was too late. But we truly didn't know you were alive."

Akira reaches out, patting Rie's hand. "I chose this life. I wanted to be a father more than I wanted to be a star. I don't blame you for signing those papers. You had no other choice."

Abby’s phone vibrates on the table. He pulls it out and reads a message from Haru.

Haru: We checked the digital archives. The footage is missing. The directory is completely empty. We are heading back to the old building storage room to check the physical backups tomorrow. Stay safe.

Abby looks at the screen and then back at Akira. “We have to go,” Abby says, standing up. He looks at Akira with a newfound respect, a flicker of his usual witty confidence returning.

As they drive away from the quiet house in Saitama, leaving the peace of Akira's new life behind, the weight of the coming day hangs over them.