Chapter 27: Hibiscus in the Rain

"I can't wait to meet our little one."

"I can't either," came the soft reply, a hand resting over the growing belly.

The warmth of an embrace followed, arms pulling tight, offering comfort and security. "We're going to be great parents, together. We've got this."

Laughter filled the space, echoing in the stillness of the dream. But then, it all unraveled into silence.

Tsukiko jolted awake, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. Trembling, she pressed her hands against her eyes, trying to erase the images. The words, the laughter, her own cries, it all lingered like a shadow of what had been lost.

"Hey… are you okay?"

The voice cut through her haze, anchoring her to the present. Blinking, Tsukiko looked up to find Haruki kneeling over her, his face mere inches from hers. Concern was etched deeply into his features. 

"Yeah," she whispered, her voice strained. She rubbed her temples, forcing a breath to steady herself. "Just… tired."

Haruki didn't press her. He lingered, his presence steady and unintrusive, as though giving her the space to find her footing. After a moment, he stepped closer, holding out a cup of tea.

"Take a break," he said, his tone low and deliberate.

Tsukiko hesitated, then took the cup, the warmth seeping into her hands. She managed a faint smile, though the ache in her chest lingered, heavy and unyielding. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

As she sipped the tea, the bitter taste grounded her, even as her memories continued to tug at her. 

The slow pace of the countryside and Haruki's bizarre, often ridiculous behavior were a far cry from the orderly, structured life Tsukiko had once known in the city. 

She had come here expecting discomfort—after all, the countryside was a far cry from the manicured streets of her former life—but it had turned out to be... fun? Well, fun in a strange way.

One afternoon, after a particularly grueling hike up a hill that had left both of them winded, Haruki had taken it upon himself to entertain her with a series of utterly ridiculous stunts. 

"Watch this!" Haruki had said with enthusiasm, eyes gleaming, as he tied a knot in the rope he always carried around his waist. Tsukiko had raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was planning.

Without another word, Haruki took a running leap and swung himself from the edge of a low branch, arms flailing dramatically. He missed the branch entirely and landed in the soft grass below with an exaggerated grunt. He quickly jumped to his feet, wiping the dirt from his pants as if the whole thing had been part of the plan. 

"See? You should try it. It's a great workout!" Haruki said, breathing heavily but wearing a proud grin.

Tsukiko blinked, momentarily stunned by the sheer ridiculousness of it all. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the sight of Haruki, who, despite his meticulous nature in his work, seemed to have no sense of grace whatsoever when it came to physical antics.

"I think I'll pass," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I'm not exactly in the mood for a stunt show today." 

Haruki put his hands on his hips, clearly undeterred. "You'll thank me when you're in better shape. I could teach you some moves, you know."

Tsukiko couldn't help but shake her head, a laugh escaping before she could stop it. "You're something else, Haruki. I've never met anyone quite like you." 

"Ah, that's because I'm one of a kind!" Haruki said with a wink, clearly proud of his antics. 

She watched him for a moment, her amusement fading into something a little softer. This... Haruki, with his strange sense of humor and spontaneous antics, was a far cry from the reserved, awkward man she had first met. 

There was something oddly refreshing about his openness, about his ability to make even the most mundane tasks feel lighter with his oddball charm.

Over the next few days, she found herself looking forward to the moments when Haruki would go off on one of his ridiculous tangents—whether it was attempting to jump over a small creek and landing in the mud or trying (and failing) to balance a rock on his head. 

She was surprised at how easily she could laugh with him, how the tension of her past seemed to ease whenever she was around him. 

And there was something else, too. Despite Haruki's absurd behavior, there was an underlying sincerity to everything he did. His actions might seem goofy, but it was clear he was trying to make the best of the situation, to bring a little lightness into their otherwise heavy journey.

One morning, as they trudged along a particularly difficult path to get to a field of flowers Tsukiko had been hoping to study, Haruki suddenly stopped and looked at her with a mischievous grin.

"Race you to the top of the hill!" he challenged, before taking off without waiting for a response.

Tsukiko stared after him for a moment, shocked by his sudden burst of energy. She hadn't expected him to be so... competitive. But before she could stop herself, she found herself running after him, laughing despite herself. 

For the first time in a long while, Tsukiko felt like she was truly living in the moment. It was almost like the world slowed down and allowed her to just... enjoy herself.

By the time they reached the top, both of them panting and red-faced from the exertion, Tsukiko couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this much. 

She leaned on her knees, catching her breath, while Haruki stood tall, acting as if he hadn't just nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

"I... I can't believe you actually beat me," she gasped between laughs. 

Tsukiko looked at him, her heart light in a way it hadn't been for years. Maybe she had been too focused on work, on being constantly driven by the weight of her past. Maybe it was time she learned to enjoy the little things, just like Haruki did.

After all, she had never realized how much fun it could be to run through the countryside with someone who didn't take life too seriously.