The park clock showed that more than an hour had passed since the appointed time. Guest sat on the bench of the wooden gazebo, staring at his smartphone screen for what felt like the hundredth time. The message that had arrived from his girlfriend, Yui Sakuraba, two weeks ago was just one short sentence. — "I want to break up." He had begged her repeatedly to talk in person and finally secured a promise to meet at this park. Her only reply was "Okay." Since then, his messages were marked as read, but no new ones arrived. Looking up, black clouds were slowly spreading across the pre-dusk sky. The figures walking in the park were sparse, the laughter of children was fading into the distance, and only the wind shook the leaves of the trees. Guest let out a deep sigh. Was Yui really coming? Every time he thought about the reason she hadn't appeared past the promised time, his heart sank heavily. It was true that recently they hadn't had much time to see each other, using his busy work as an excuse. Eventually, one drop, then another, began to fall. What started as a light tapping on the leaves instantly turned into a violent evening shower. Rain so thick it looked like white smoke covered the paths and struck the ground fiercely. "...She's not coming, I guess." His murmur was drowned out by the heavy sound of the rain. It was then. Through the rain, a small figure appeared. A young woman in a white short-sleeved top and pale blue denim. Her black hair swayed as she ran toward the shelter with more intensity than a mere jog. She shielded herself from the rain with one hand over her forehead, while her other hand held a beige handbag. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks, and her clothes looked heavy with water. Even so, her steps were light, and despite her slightly troubled expression, there was a certain brightness about her. She burst into the gazebo and caught her breath. Droplets fell from her hair, and her gesture of searching her bag for a white handkerchief was somehow elegant and composed. When her eyes met Guest's, she flashed a soft smile and bowed slightly. "Good evening. ...The rain suddenly became quite intense, didn't it? Would you mind if I joined you for a moment?"

Guest gave a small nod. "Yes, of course." At those words, the woman smiled in relief and bowed softly, saying, "Thank you." Heavy raindrops incessantly hammered the roof of the wooden gazebo, and the surrounding scenery was wrapped in a white curtain of rain. Puddles spread across the paths, reflecting the flickering lights of the streetlamps. The woman sat down at the edge of the bench. Her shoulder-length black hair was completely wet, and fine droplets fell drip, drip onto the wooden floor from the tips. Her white top was also soaked, but she didn't seem to mind, taking a small white handkerchief from her bag and gently dabbing her cheeks and bangs. There was more grace than haste in her movements. "I was really surprised. The weather forecast didn't say it would rain this much." Her bright, laughing voice melted into the sound of the rain and was strangely pleasant to the ear. Guest also looked out through the open side of the gazebo. "Summer rain is sudden." It was a short reply. The woman didn't try to force the conversation further and quietly looked outside. Her profile was calm, and she carried a natural air that made it hard to believe they had just met. Guest suddenly glanced down at the smartphone placed beside him on the bench. The screen remained dark. Not a single notification had been added. The woman seemed to sense that slight movement without even turning her gaze. She didn't ask anything and kept her distance from Guest, listening to the sound of the rain. Guest was grateful for her reserved consideration that prevented any awkwardness. After a while, the woman tucked her wet bangs behind her ear and gave a small smile. "I was just passing by on my way home from work, but I ended up fleeing in here because of this rain." That smile seemed to brighten the heavy air of the evening shower just a little. Then, she softly looked at Guest's expression and asked tentatively, yet in a gentle voice. "If you don't mind me asking... why are you here in this gazebo? You were here... even before it started raining, weren't you?"

She asked while gently folding her hands over her knees. Her rain-dampened black hair flowed moistly over her shoulders, shining glossily in the faint light of the streetlamps. Her soft smile remained, but her tone was slightly reserved as if being mindful of him. Guest couldn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the path blurred white by the rain, and he quietly gripped his smartphone again. The screen stayed dark and motionless. She didn't rush him and accepted the silence. Her willingness to wait until he was ready to speak came across very naturally. Eventually, Guest let out a small sigh. "...I was waiting for my girlfriend... or maybe my ex-girlfriend now." They were short words. She only replied, "I see," and didn't interrupt further. Guest continued with a slight, bitter smile. "My girlfriend suddenly messaged me on social media saying she wanted to break up." Only the sound of the heavy rain filled the space between them. "I wanted to talk to her directly, so I called her to this park. I thought if we met and talked properly, something might change." Fatigue was etched into his profile as he stared at the grain of the bench. The tension had left his shoulders, and a stillness akin to resignation drifted about him. "The promised time has passed... but in the end, she didn't come." Guest opened his smartphone, looked for a moment at the message screen where nothing had changed, and closed it again. "No reply, either. I don't know if she's just late because of this rain, or if she never intended to come from the start... I just don't know anymore." The sound of raindrops hitting the roof hard enveloped the lingering echoes of his words. She quietly watched Guest's profile. Her large eyes held no trace of forced sympathy, only a calm warmth trying to accept his feelings. Guest looked out into the rain and laughed softly. "And then, this sudden shower came... so I'm still here." As he finished speaking, only the sound of the rain echoed quietly in the gazebo once more.

The rain was beginning to weaken slightly, but the sound of it hitting the gazebo roof had not yet ceased. Guest sat shallowly on the bench, blankly watching the wet paths. The woman sitting next to him finished lightly tidying her wet black hair with her handkerchief and quietly folded her hands on her lap. Her profile, illuminated by the soft streetlamp, was calm, and she carried an air of security that made it hard to believe they had just met. Guest opened his mouth as if hesitating. "...What would you do?" She didn't look surprised and slowly turned her gaze toward Guest. "If your lover suddenly said they wanted to break up, and you couldn't even get them to meet you without knowing the reason... what should I have done?" Beyond the sound of the rain, a cicada chirped once and immediately melted back into the silence. She didn't answer right away, dropping her gaze as if thinking. Her long eyelashes were lowered, and her calm expression radiated a sincerity that didn't judge the other person's feelings lightly. Eventually, she smiled slightly. "If it were me... I think I would be very happy just that you tried to talk to me." Guest listened in silence. "But sometimes people's feelings are hard to organize, even for themselves. So, perhaps your partner couldn't find the courage to meet you." Her voice was gentle, not accusing or defending anyone, but quietly laying out possibilities. "Of course, only the person themselves knows the real reason. But..." She looked out into the rain. "I don't think coming here and waiting today was in vain at all. The fact that you tried to face it properly won't disappear." Guest laughed bitterly. "I wonder if a day will come when I can think that." "It will." She answered without hesitation. Those words weren't a forceful declaration, but had a softness that gently pushed him forward. "It must be painful now, but please don't blame yourself for today. You tried to speak properly with someone important to you. I think that is a very sincere thing to do." Guest shifted his gaze from the rain-blurred scenery to her. "Thank you... I'm Guest." As she smiled calmly while tucking her wet hair behind her ear, she looked incredibly warm amidst the cold air of the summer evening shower. "...I'm Minami Endo." The rain gradually lost its force, and a quiet dusk began to return to the park.

Outside the window, a soft rain continued to fall quietly. It was a gentle sound, different from the evening shower that had brought the two together at the park that day, and it wrapped warmly around Minami's room. The living room, based on white and wood grain, was filled with a cleanliness characteristic of her. Novels and photo books were neatly arranged on the bookshelf, and a small houseplant sat by the window. Guest and Minami sat side-by-side at a natural distance on the pale-colored sofa. Minami was in her loungewear. It was a simple outfit—a pale cream knit and a long skirt—but her glossy black hair and translucent skin accentuated her calm atmosphere. She held a steaming mug with both hands and gave Guest a soft smile. "Thank you for your hard work today." Guest smiled back, saying "Thank you." The awkwardness from when they first met was gone. Through spending time going out on holidays and exchanging casual messages, they had become lovers. There was no strained silence in the room, only a comfortable quietness. Guest looked around the room and laughed softly. "This room is so like you, Minami." At those words, Minami lowered her gaze as if slightly embarrassed. "Is it? I try not to let things pile up too much." Her gesture of tucking her hair behind her ear as she spoke was the same as that day in the park. Each of her calm movements put Guest's mind at ease. Suddenly, Guest looked out the window. Raindrops were quietly tracing paths down the glass. "It was raining that day, too." Minami also looked toward the window and nodded gently. "Yes. If it hadn't rained that evening... I don't think I would have passed through that park." She turned her body slightly toward Guest. "We probably would have remained strangers, not even knowing each other's names." Guest smiled. "Life is unpredictable." "It really is." Minami laughed softly, her smile retaining the brightness of the day they met. For a while, only the sound of the rain enveloped them. Eventually, Minami softly placed her hand over Guest's. Her warm body heat was quietly transmitted, and she smiled as if a little shy. "...I'm really glad I found the courage to talk to you in the park that day." Guest gently squeezed her hand back. Outside, the rain continued to fall quietly, but unlike that day, there was no longer the loneliness of being stood up between them. Even the sound of the rain sounded like pleasant background music coloring their peaceful time.

It was a season still early for autumn rain, but the sky that day was covered in leaden clouds, and a weak rain continued to fall outside the window. Guest was in the meeting room of the architectural firm, finalizing the documents for a large-scale project. It had been several months since he started dating Minami. At first, the breakup with Yui had weighed heavily on his heart, but supported by Minami's kindness, his work had gotten on track, and he rarely looked back at the past. During lunch break, while organizing documents in front of the copier, a female employee from general affairs brought over an old document box with a troubled expression. "We have to clear out Mr. Kurosawa's desk entirely before his transfer." Kurosawa, a senior colleague who had been involved in the same project, had been assigned to another branch a few days ago, without waiting for the project's completion. "I'll help you." Guest casually picked up a cardboard box. The lid opened slightly, and a diary slid out from inside onto the floor. The moment he went to pick it up, he saw a business card tucked inside. "Yui Sakuraba" His breath hitched. Why did Kurosawa have Yui's business card? Guest unconsciously opened the diary. There, mixed with meeting schedules and site notes, were scribbled memos he didn't recognize. "Talked to his girlfriend." "This should keep him away from work for a while." "Replacement of the project leader is becoming realistic." They were short sentences. But those few lines were enough. Inside Guest's head, the gears that had stopped began to turn with a grinding sound. Yui, who had told him she wanted to break up. The love that ended without him hearing the reason. The evening he spent waiting in the park that day. Everything connected into a single line. "...No way." Just then, his eyes met Kurosawa's as he came out of the meeting room. Guest approached him, clutching the diary. "This... what does this mean?" Kurosawa's expression clouded for a moment, but he soon let out a small sigh as if resigned. "You saw it." Silence flowed. Raindrops quietly traced down the window glass. Kurosawa looked away from Guest and said in a low voice. "You stood out too much in that project. If it succeeded, it was only a matter of time before you surpassed me and went independent." Guest couldn't say anything. "So I needed you to step away." Kurosawa continued in a tone that suppressed emotion. "I thought if you were mentally shaken, you wouldn't be able to focus on work. ...I told Yui that you had another woman you liked." The diary slipped from Guest's hand. A dry sound echoed in the quiet hallway. "But... you recovered, didn't you... In the end, my scheme failed, and you succeeded... Hey... it's all in the past now, right?" After saying that, Kurosawa picked up the diary and walked away. In Guest's ears, only the sound of the rain could be heard in the distance. Yui hadn't betrayed Guest. She had just believed she was being betrayed and stepped away herself. The regret and anger welling up from deep within his chest spread until it was suffocating.

Even after several days had passed since hearing Kurosawa's confession, the turmoil in Guest's heart did not subside. On his way home from work, he stopped at a cafe in front of the station while walking through the post-rain streets. At the window seat, steam rose quietly from the coffee, and through the glass, the twilight city made the wet pavement glow dully. The person he was meeting was Nao Shinohara, a woman who had been close to Yui since their college days. When Guest, who had learned about Kurosawa's actions, contacted her, Nao only replied, "There's something I want to tell you." The cup on the table was barely touched. Nao looked down for a while, then took a small breath and slowly opened her mouth. "...Yui went to the park that day." Time stopped for Guest. The sound of cars outside the window and the music playing in the shop receded in an instant. "What...?" Only a raspy voice came out. Nao continued while watching Guest's expression. "The train was delayed by an accident, so she didn't make it by the promised time. But Yui didn't give up. She ran all the way to the park." Guest couldn't say anything. "But when she got near the gazebo... she said she saw you sitting side-by-side with a woman she didn't know." His chest tightened. That day. The evening shower. Minami. Everything came back vividly. "Yui... she was worried until the very end, thinking 'maybe it was just my imagination.' But since she was the one who said she wanted to break up, she felt she couldn't go back." Fine raindrops began to hit the window glass again. "Her overseas assignment was decided right after that. She got busy preparing to go to Brisbane... and in the end, she couldn't say anything to you." Guest couldn't move. Yui hadn't failed to come. She had been there. Only a few dozen meters away. If she had taken just one more step, the misunderstanding might have been cleared. Kurosawa's lie. The train delay. And the evening shower. The chance shelter with Minami. Several small events overlapped, and the two had passed each other by. Guest slowly closed his eyes. The regret welling up in his chest, along with the sound of the rain from that day, now quietly filled his heart.