Thisbe_Lukene

Yuki Hoshino lives a quiet life, painting the world she’s too afraid to feel. Ever since a childhood storm took her parents, she’s feared the rain—and the emotions it brings.

Then she meets Ren Sakamoto: drenched, smiling, and full of questions about clouds and wind. Their paths cross on the first rainy day of the semester, and for the first time, Yuki begins to see the rain not as a threat, but a memory—one she’s finally brave enough to revisit.

As the skies clear between them, so do the shadows of their pasts. But just when Yuki begins to open up, Ren vanishes without a word. Left with only fragments—a broken umbrella, an unfinished letter, and the memory of his smile—Yuki must confront the storm inside her to uncover what really happened.

Can love find its way back when the rain falls again?

When the Rain Falls Again

The art clubroom was quiet except for the soft tapping of rain against the windows. Yuki sat at her desk, nervously arranging her latest painting on the easel.

It was different from her usual soft landscapes or dreamy clouds.

This one was raw — swirling grays and blues clashing violently, lightning splitting the canvas with jagged streaks of white and yellow. The sky was a tempest, a storm from her past.

Ren had asked to see her paintings today.

"Can I?" he asked gently, stepping closer.

Yuki nodded, hands trembling slightly as she turned the easel to face him.

His eyes scanned the image carefully.

"Is this… the storm you told me about?" he asked softly.

Yuki swallowed. "Yeah. It was the night my parents—" Her voice broke, and she looked down at her hands.

Ren didn't say anything. He just reached out and gently touched the edge of the canvas, as if afraid to shatter the fragile memory.

"I never knew," he whispered. "You carry so much inside, Yuki."

She looked up, surprised to see no pity in his eyes. Only understanding.

"I try not to remember," she said quietly. "But sometimes, the thunder… it's like the past is right here, crashing over me."

Ren nodded slowly. "I get that. Storms can be terrifying, but they also clear the sky. They change things. Maybe you're like the storm—strong, even if it hurts."

Yuki blinked, overwhelmed by how much he saw beneath her quiet.

"Thank you for sharing this," he said after a moment. "I'm honored."

For the first time, Yuki smiled — fragile but genuine.

As the rain outside softened, she felt a weight lifting.

Maybe, with someone like Ren, even the darkest storms could become something beautiful.

Episode 8 – Fragments of the Storm