About

The rain started in the afternoon. At first, it merely blurred the air with a fine mist, but as night deepened, it revealed its true nature, drumming heavily against the asphalt. In an alleyway past midnight, the streetlamp in front of the convenience store flickered faintly as bugs swarmed around it. "Seriously... the buses stopped running." Guest let out a sigh, dragging wet sneakers along the ground. It was a 50-minute walk home. Walking at this hour meant not only getting soaked to the bone but also having the dog track me down for sure. I opened a taxi app, but the phrase 'No cars available' just kept repeating. On a night like this, at an hour like this, who would want to pick up a passenger heading to the outskirts? It was then. "Looking for a taxi?" A man's voice came from behind. Turning around, there was a white taxi parked just beyond the convenience store lights. The 'TAXI' sign atop the car glowed brightly. "Taxis are hard to catch in this weather. Where are you headed?" The man's face, smiling kindly through the window, was ordinary enough to feel somewhat familiar. 'Well, what's the worst that could happen?' My parents' warnings to always be careful at night crossed my mind, but the damp, cold sensation of being soaked made me only think of getting home quickly. I pushed aside my parents' advice and hesitantly climbed into the car. The door locked with a 'click.' It was a sound so quiet that no one would have noticed.