Chapter 06 The Book

The night had fallen, and Ayumi had left, but Koji couldn't take his eyes off the spot where she had stood. Despite living for 800 years, waiting until the next day now felt like an eternity. Every passing second only increased his longing for her return. He had never felt this way before.

The next morning was a particularly rainy day, Koji was inside his vending machine as usual, ready to watch the people walking by. He was sitting in his little chair, watching the rain pour down outside. The sound of the raindrops hitting the metal roof was comforting to him.

As the day went on, Koji noticed that fewer and fewer people were passing by his machine. The rain seemed to be keeping everyone inside. Koji didn't mind, though. He was content with his quiet day inside the machine.

He spent the morning reading a book that children showed inside his vending machine while messing around. It was an old Japanese novel about a samurai warrior, and Koji was completely absorbed in the story.

As the afternoon approached, Koji started to feel a little sleepy. He was used to the rain and the sound it made but it was starting to get to him. He decided to take a little nap to pass the time.

Koji had slept for what felt like an eternity, and as he slowly stirred, he was met with the sound of heavy raindrops pattering against the vending machine's glass walls. He had no desire to face the dreary day outside, so he curled up deeper inside the machine and drifted back to sleep.

But his slumber was short-lived as he was awakened by a gentle knock on the glass. A soft, sad, and quiet voice called out to him, "Little fairy, are you there?" It was Ayumi, her voice barely audible over the sound of the rain. Koji couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the sound of her voice, knowing that she was out there, in the rain, all alone.

Koji bolted out of bed at the sound of Ayumi's voice, his heart pounding with excitement. He raced over to the glass of the vending machine, his face beaming with joy at the thought of seeing her again. But as he peered outside, his smile quickly turned into a look of concern and sympathy. He saw Ayumi's face, something was wrong.