The Garden Of Words Chapter 1

Original story by Makoto s.h.i.+nkai(based on the Anime film )

Chapter 1 - A stranger

It's the month of June, The season of monsoon. Rains dripping down from the clouds, early in the morning, It's beautiful. "My name is Takao Akizuki 15-year-old shoemaker, running down the train to school as I stand in the middle of the crowd carrying a school bag hands up clutching the Handle while it was shaking", on the other hand, he was carrying a limpid umbrella. Even on the rainy morning, the train was quite a horde. An old woman sitting near the door, a kid on her lap. As she was daydreaming,  the kid was playing with a small ball, he looked at me and smiled. At that moment I felt like it would be nice being a kid again, no problems, no fear, just smile for no reasons. Few stops go by, people entering and leaving the train, Phone in everyone's hands, some are reading news and some are having a nap, with such a hectic crowd he was just standing to wait for his stop to come.
"until I enter high school 2 months ago I thought I - - I didn't know anything. The dampness of my uniform's hem, soaked by someone else's umbrella, the smell of naphthalene, clinging to someone's suit, the warm body pus.h.i.+ng up against my back, the chill breeze of the air conditioner"
"s.h.i.+njuku... s.h.i.+njuku station"
The train stopped at s.h.i.+njuku station, the sound of the door opening. He moved out of the train, umbrella in everyone's hands as the train was vacated. Akizuki walking along with the crowd and stops in the middle of the platform looking up for a minute or two.
"when I was little the sky was closer. As with it comes the smell of the sky, That's why I like the rain"
Akizuki removed his railway card from his pocket, placed it upon the AFC Gate, the green light blinked the door open. He moved out of the station it was raining, opening his umbrella. Looking at the rain he marched out.
"on the rainiest morning I don't take the transfer, I exit out the station gates"
People were carrying an umbrella and walking they're usual path, cars were stopped at the red light. As he was crossing the road, a high school couple in front of him sharing the same umbrella. He murmured in his mind "there is no way I would have something like that".  Akizuki walks for a mile along with the people he doesn't know, he reaches s.h.i.+njuku gyoen national garden. walking in the garden, while he put 100 yen coin in the entryway machine at the second gate, the Gate opened soon after he paid. "As I was going inside I show a huge lake, lots of trees and the rain to make it more beautiful, there is nothing more I need". He walks over the wooden bridge. A smile on his face as there were no visitors in rainy days, except him. He was proceeding slowly to the small shelter around the lake while looking at the beautiful flowers near the trees. As he came close to the shelter he saw a lady sitting on the bench, he stops, his eyes widened and unexpected look on his face. Both of the eyes meet and a tender glanced. He walks slowly inside the shelter, the lady stood up and sat on the other side of the bench. Akizuki closing the umbrella and sitting down, he opened his bag removing a book and a pencil box. He started sketching, slowly as he drew line-dots and drowning a curve from one end to the small line joining, it was a ladies shoe that he was drawing. He stops for a second as he looked anxious, he took a glance at the lady. He saw red umbrella, chocolate on the bench and a beer can she was holding, her age might be around 25 - 27 he guesses. He said to himself "chocolate and beer, she looks familiar though!", while he was erasing his mistake, his hand slips and the eraser falls. The lady picked up "here" she said while giving back, "thanks" said Akizuki as he leans towards her. There was just the sound of rain as they sat silently for a minute or two.
"U-Um...I am sorry but, Have we met before?"
"No," she said confidentially
"Right, yeah of course. My mistake"
"It's okay"
The wind blows, thunder and lightning strike. The lady drinking the beer, she took a glance at Akizuki's uniform. He was wearing a black pant, with a blue sweater over the white s.h.i.+rt and a school emblem at the left near his arm. At first, she was surprised but then she smiled, the beer can she lay down.
"Um... That outfit"
Akizuki looked at her, she was smiling.
"A faint clap of thunder, clouded skies, perhaps rain comes. If so, will you stay here with me" she said, she took her umbrella and leaves. Akizuki sat there contemplating her, as she was going.