The Days We Have

Good People Die Young

Giyuu stood quietly beneath the open sky, her eyes fixed on the clouds slowly gathering overhead.

The sky had been clear earlier, but now dark gray clouds were creeping across it, spreading from one horizon to the other. They looked heavy, almost as though they were carrying the weight of something they had no choice but to release.

It was going to rain.

Giyuu already knew that.

Somehow, it always rained on this particular day.

She couldn't remember when she'd first noticed it. Maybe it was simply coincidence. Maybe the weather had nothing to do with the date at all. Yet every year, whenever this day came around, the sky seemed to turn gray.

And every year, Giyuu found herself looking up at it.

She didn't know why.

Perhaps it was because the rain gave her something to focus on. Something simple. Something that didn't ask questions or expect answers.

Her thoughts wandered.

She remembered things, she normally tried not to think about. Faces. Voices. Places she hadn't seen in years. Memories that were usually buried beneath layers of time somehow had a way of resurfacing whenever this day arrived.

Giyuu's expression remained calm, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed the people passing around her.

She really needed to pay better attention to her surroundings.

"HEY!"

The sudden shout shattered her thoughts.

Giyuu's eyes widened slightly.

"QUIT STANDING IN THE WAY!"

She turned her head.

A man was approaching her, waving one hand impatiently as he tried to get past. He looked irritated, as though she'd been standing there for an eternity instead of only a few moments.

Giyuu blinked.

For a second, she simply stared at him.

Then she realized where she was standing.

Right in the middle of the path.

"Oh."

It was the only response she managed.

She quickly stepped to the side.

The man grumbled something under his breath as he passed her, continuing on without another word.

Giyuu watched him go.

Then she looked around.

There were people everywhere.

Some hurried along with umbrellas tucked beneath their arms, clearly expecting the rain to begin any minute. Others were already pulling coats tighter around themselves as the wind grew colder.

She hadn't noticed any of them.

Her gaze returned to the sky.

A single raindrop landed on her cheek.

Giyuu didn't move.

Another drop struck her forehead.

Then another landed on the back of her hand.

She slowly looked down at it.

Rain.

Of course.

The first drops began falling more frequently, darkening the road beneath her feet. The wind carried the faint scent of wet earth, and the distant rumble of thunder rolled quietly through the sky.