Choices: The Sequel to Weathering With You

Journey to South Korea

Hodaka thought it best to wait until the summer holidays when he could accompany Sun Chang-min to South Korea. By the time July 20th rolled around, Hina was in her second month of pregnancy, and the bump in her stomach was barely noticeable, so much that Hodaka didn't bother to look. Whenever he saw Hina again, in the classrooms, in the hallways or even in the cafeteria. He would always make small casual conversations with her. He told her a few interesting details about his relatives on both sides of his family, most notably how large-by-numbers his Morishima relatives were, but until it seemed right for him to tell her that he was an ame-otoko, he remained tight-lipped.

He didn't even notice some of the signs that Hina was pregnant because she was doing her best to hide it, trying as much as she could to refrain from the usual pregnancy symptoms like mood swings and cravings, but those mood swings only made things difficult between her and Hodaka. One moment, she would be as happy as always, the next it was the anger and angst of a rebel without a cause.

During the weekends, Hodaka seldom wrote to his parents, unsure of what he could say to them about his newfound powers or Ojiisan Okazaki's inheritance and he soon got to meet Natsumi's baby girl. He told Keisuke ahead of time a week before he left for South Korea, telling him about the religious cult that Chang-min had mentioned back in Numazu and how much of a story it would make if K&A Planning went international. Keisuke saw this as a sequel to his little "weather-girl saga" he had written about three years ago, and if all went well, he would pay Hodaka a month's salary. Hodaka was careful not to tell Suga about his newly-discovered control over the rain until the time was right...that time being his college graduation. He feared that no matter how nice he seemed, Suga would have probably written an article about his most cherished employee having control over the rain...which would have probably led to Hodaka being lynched the Tokyo populace in revenge for losing their homes. He even got to spend some time with Nagi, trying to set him up with a date or two.

Chang-min's phone number had been added to Hodaka's contacts during his extra stay in Numazu. He ordered a taxi cab to take him to the airport where he would meet up with Chang-min, who had already brought his ticket. The color and chaos of Tokyo International Airport was exciting to everyone who came and went to get away from the rain for higher ground. Some planes were even going to China and Russia. Hodaka had already made his passport and was buying a Japanese to Korean translation book from the store while Chang-min bought him, oddly enough, a Big Mac. for lunch.

"I hope you're not expecting to be paid extra for the white hairs you've put on my head," Chang-min said to Hodaka. "Even in this climate, these flights are expensive."

"You've not forgotten my luggage, Chang-min?" he said. "I don't want to see either your's or mine getting on the wrong plane."

"I'll make sure we get our luggage the first thing we land."

After getting some Sakuma Drops for the flight, Chang-min spoke quietly to Hodaka. "You'll not forget what I told you about your Korean name, Hodaka?"

"I won't forget." He smiled, enjoying the harmless conspiracy.

"You'll be Hanghae Seom and no other on this flight and in South Korea," he had told him with a wink. "It's nothing to do with you or yours, Hodaka, but a South Korean name is better than a Japanese one because of our tense relationships."

Hodaka didn't mind at all. He was going to enjoy being in South Korea for as long as he could.

The plane that they were due to leave on was a commuter jet which bore the colors of Air Seoul. Hodaka admired the colors of the plane from the window of the terminal, reminding him of the colors of the rain. He waited for ten minutes before they started boarding and with the spirit of great adventure coursing through the veins of his body, Hodaka walked down the long skybridge behind Chang-min and entered straight into the tube of the airplane. They two had window seats close to the middle of the plane on the right-hand side; Hodaka took the window while Chang-min sat next to him.