Choices: The Sequel to Weathering With You

A Tearful Reunion

Before anyone else had a chance to ask where he was going Hodaka was out of the house and on his personal quest to find the girl of his dreams. The girl that brought so much light and happiness into his abused, neglected life. But that was more of an opinionized matter. With his umbrella in his right hand, he set off for the train station. He boarded the Yamanote Line at Shinjuku Station. It wasn't a circle anymore, it was a C-shape, interrupted by the sunken area. The ends of the C were Sugamo Station and Gotanda, crossing a pier and transferring to a two-story boat. The second floor of the boat was open to the elements, and like him, a few passengers were bundled up in raincoats, gazing out over the water. Hodaka had hoped that he would find Hina's apartment just over the hill.

After getting off, he walked along the narrow, sloping road.

He had walked this road lots of times that summer. There was a line of cherry trees on the embankment on his right, their blossoms half-unfurled and a panoramic view opened up below him on the left. Before, it was a crowded view of train tracks and buildings, but now it was an inland sea, and it goes all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Here and there, the tops of all sorts of buildings protruded from the water. The elevated Shinkansen track ran in a straight line, almost like an enormous pier. Green ivy and bright flowering weeds tangled around the vast, deserted blocks of concrete, claiming new ownership over them.

He heard the rain striking the earth and sweet bird songs. Water-bus engines, and the distant noise of cars and trains. His own footsteps, his trainers on wet asphalt. He took a ring out of his pocket and examined it. It was small and silver in the shape of a wing.

Could I ask her to marry me?

Suddenly, the water birds took flight and his eyes followed them.

Then his heart leaped.

She was there, on the top of a slope wearing a raincoat with her hands folded, eyes closed. Praying.

Could she still be using her powers after all the trouble I went through to save her?

Hodaka didn't seem to care anymore.

"Hina!"

Hina looked at him. Just then, a strong gust of wind sent cherry blossom petals flying and whisked the hood off of her head. Her long black hair, tied back in two ponytails, fluttered in the mind. Her eyes filled with tears and she broke into a big smile. As soon as she did, the world blushed into brilliant color

"Hodaka!" Hina yelled, and the boy threw his umbrella aside. The two crazy lovebirds started running at the same time. Her face came closer, bobbing up and down. Then, when she was right in front of him, Hina jumped into Hodaka's arms and clung to him, surprising the boy with a long kiss.

Well that was awkward, Hina had never kissed him before. Maybe she was too happy.

After their lips released, Hina's big eyes gazed up at Hodaka, from a different height than before. Hodaka realized for the first time that he had grown a couple of inches. She was wearing her high school uniform, and it struck him that next time, she really was going to be eighteen. Suddenly, worry began to cross his face and her fingers touched his cheek.

"Hodaka, what's wrong? Are you all right? You're crying."

Hodaka realized the tears streaming down from his eyes, mixing in with the raindrops and wiped them away. His eye sight was clear to notice that Hina was crying too. But he just smiled at Hina, his mind made up and held his hands on hers very firmly.

"Hina...No matter how drenched we are by the rain, we're alive. No matter how much the world changes, we'll live. We'll be all right."

It was a long trip back to Suga's place. Hodaka and Hina brought themselves up to speed on the events that happened over the past few days. The old apartment that Hina and Nagi had been staying in got washed out by the floods and now she was, coincidently staying in an apartment at the high school, which was not too far from the same university that Hodaka was going to attend at. It seemed to Hodaka that fate was bringing them together once again.