CHAPTER 5 : DANCING IN THE RAIN

The park lay cloaked in darkness, the dim glow of the streetlights casting long shadows across the damp pavement. Seimei and Jiyuu walked together, their figures illuminated only by the faint flicker of lamplight. Yet despite the somber surroundings, Jiyuu's laughter rang out like a beacon of light, her carefree spirit a welcome respite from the night's heaviness.

As they ambled along the winding path, Seimei's curiosity finally got the better of him. "Why did you approach me?" he inquired, his voice soft with uncertainty.

Jiyuu turned to him, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Just because," she replied with a playful grin. "I heard your song and thought, 'What a lovely song it is.'"

Confusion furrowed Seimei's brow. "But everyone hated it," he recalled, his tone tinged with bitterness. "They said it wasn't great."

Jiyuu shook her head, her expression earnest. "That's because you didn't give it any emotion, Seimei," she explained gently. "Remember, pour your heart into every song. Who would listen to a song that lacks soul? Instead, treat each song as if it's your final one."

As if in response to her words, raindrops began to patter softly against the leaves overhead. Jiyuu tilted her head back and laughed, lifting her arms to the sky in a gesture of pure joy. With uninhibited grace, she danced amidst the gathering storm, her movements fluid and free.

Seimei watched her in wonder, a small smile gracing his lips. In her radiant presence, the darkness that had enveloped him seemed to wane, replaced by a glimmer of hope. With newfound courage, he stepped forward and joined her in the dance, his movements tentative at first, then growing bolder with each passing moment.

Together, they twirled and spun beneath the canopy of night, the rhythm of the rain providing a hypnotic backdrop to their impromptu performance. In that fleeting moment, they were no longer two strangers bound by circumstance, but kindred spirits united by the magic of music and movement.

END OF CHAPTER 5