"Mr. Yoizumi?" Komatsuse cautiously reached out her hand and waved it gently in front of Yoizumi's eyes. However, Yoizumi remained as still as a statue, completely unresponsive, his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if his entire being was immersed in another world.
"What's wrong?" Komatsuse couldn't help but feel a hint of worry, asking softly. But Yoizumi still maintained his dazed expression, completely ignoring her calls.
Time passed by minute by minute. Just as Komatsuse was at a loss, Yoizumi suddenly stirred again. He slowly turned his head, his eyes empty and lifeless, and then said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I'm a bit... tired. I'm going to... leave first." After speaking, he stood up on his own and walked away into the distance.
"Ah? Mm!" Komatsuse was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded in response. She stood there quietly, watching Yoizumi gradually disappear until his figure completely vanished from her sight.
"What's wrong with Mr. Yoizumi...?" Komatsuse murmured to herself, her heart full of doubt and unease. Recalling the fleeting look of confusion and sadness on Yoizumi's face just now, she felt even more strongly that something was amiss. Although they had only known each other for half a day, through their interactions during this time, Komatsuse knew that Yoizumi was an introverted person with a detached emotional nature, rarely showing obvious joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Yet, just now, he had displayed such complex emotions, which was truly perplexing.
"Why did he have such an expression just now?" Komatsuse furrowed her brows, trying to figure out the reason. What could have caused such a significant emotional fluctuation in Yoizumi, who was usually as calm as still water? Had he encountered an intractable problem? Or had he experienced some unexpected change? The more Komatsuse thought about it, the more anxious she became, wishing she could immediately catch up to him and ask for clarification.
At this moment, Komatsuse subconsciously squeezed the once sweet and delicious cookie in her hand. For some reason, it now felt tasteless.
"Ugh~" Yoizumi leaned weakly against the wall, as if all his strength had been drained, his hand tightly clutching his heart. The surging, tide-like stinging pain attacked him again, even more intensely than before, as if it wanted to tear his heart apart.
Every time he thought of that woman, his heart felt as if it was being tightly squeezed by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible for him to breathe, forcing him to gasp for air.
Finally, exhausted, he slowly sat down on the ground, his head resting against the wall like a puppet without support, his eyes staring blankly at the moon in the sky.
The sky was covered with dark clouds; the moon, like a shy maiden, was completely hidden by the clouds, revealing only a faint, hazy moonlight, and all the stars had vanished without a trace.
What was wrong with him?
Why?
Why was he in such pain?
Yoizumi still held the unfinished sweet cookie in his hand; it was his last comfort.
When you're sad, eat a candy, and then you won't be sad anymore.
Recalling her words from his memory, he took a bite, and the sweet taste spread across his tongue.
So sweet~
But... the excruciating pain, like a venomous snake, constantly slithered through his heart, seemingly telling of endless sorrow.
What did she look like in his memory?
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't clearly see her face, as if it was shrouded in a thick fog that he couldn't dispel.
Only her long, orange-yellow hair, cascading like a waterfall down her back, and her brilliant golden pupils, shining like stars, were remarkably clear to him.
Every time he thought of those eyes, Yoizumi's heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer; he was experiencing an emotional storm unlike anything he had ever known.
Until a crystal tear slid down his cheek, dropping to the ground and splashing a tiny ripple.
Immediately after, the tears flowed out like a bursting dam, continuously gushing forth, rolling down like pearls from a broken string.
Yoizumi reached out his hand and slowly touched his face, feeling the warm liquid.
I'm... crying... Is this sadness?
Because of... her?
Finally, Yoizumi ate the entire cookie, but that inexplicable emotion still clung to him like a shadow, like a persistent disease, refusing to leave.
A lie!
He was still sad!
...The next morning, the sky was so gloomy it seemed to drip ink. Heavy dark clouds, like a black curtain, completely covered the entire sky, creating an inexplicable sense of oppression.
Soon, large raindrops began to patter down, instantly forming a torrential downpour. The rain was so fierce, like a river bursting its banks, pouring down endlessly.
Amidst this stormy weather, there stood a rather dilapidated house. It stood alone, enduring nature's merciless cleansing. Inside the house, the "drip-drop" of rain was incessant, especially in the kitchen, which had a hole in the roof, becoming the hardest-hit area for the rampant rainwater.
Helpless, Komatsuse had to find a wooden bucket and place it beneath the hole, hoping to catch the continuously dripping rainwater. However, how could this small bucket withstand such a surging rain? Although she tried her best to position the bucket, a large amount of rainwater still flowed down the walls, gradually soaking the formerly dry floor.
Looking at the increasingly wet ground, Komatsuse couldn't help but frown, secretly worrying. There was nothing she could do, so she rummaged around the house, gathering every container she could find to hold water, placing them in all the leaking spots, hoping this would slightly alleviate the current predicament.
Just then, a faint sound of footsteps approached. Komatsuse looked back and saw that it was the elderly woman of the house, slowly walking in with a cane. When she saw the large hole in the roof, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed in shock, "Oh my, what happened?"
Facing the old woman's question, Komatsuse's heart tightened, and she stammered an explanation, "Grandma! Uh... this... this... this was from the strong winds yesterday, a large tree branch fell and hit the roof directly." After saying this, she herself felt it was a bit far-fetched, and a fine layer of sweat unconsciously appeared on her forehead.
The old woman listened, looking at Komatsuse with a mix of belief and doubt, then looked up at the large hole, saying with a pained heart, "Was the wind that strong? That's strange, why didn't I hear anything yesterday?" As she spoke, she slowly walked to the wall and gently stroked the wall, which was soft from being soaked by the rain, her eyes filled with deep attachment and reluctance.
After all, this house was where she and her late husband had lived together. Although it was now dilapidated, it held a lifetime of her memories.