The Non-Believers

Prologue - The Non-Believers

Rain came pouring down outside my bedroom window as I turned on my television to check if there were classes today. Unfortunately there was no signal, and all I heard from the radio sitting on my shelf was static. When I tried to call my best friend Ria, there also wasn't any phone signal. When I asked my mother who was knitting downstairs, she says she hasn't been on TV ever since Wednesday when the TV in our living room was taken away to be fixed.

"Do you think we have classes today?" I questioned my mother skeptically, flopping onto the couch right beside the chair she was sitting on. Her eyes stayed focus on the cloth and hummed, "Maybe you should go and check your school, dear. To make sure" she suggested carelessly. Has she even looked out the window?

"Mom, the rain's heavy. Do you expect me to go out there in raincoat and walk to school just like my normal routine?" I pontificate, my eyebrows bending, shaking my head in the process.

She just smiled at her cloth, "Who knows? Maybe on your way to school something wonderful might happen" she fancied before humming to herself quietly and completely ignoring me.

"What can something wonderful happen on a rainy day?" I muttered under my breath. But it's better than just stay here at home where it's boring. My brothers aren't here: Kakeru and Tsurugi. They've started working already, and the only brother that's left here is non-other than lazy-ass, Ryuhei.

Deciding I don't want to spend my rest of the day at home with him, I dressed myself up with civilian clothes at least to go on and check if there really is school. I feel stupid because I know myself there isn't because of how strong the raindrops are, but because of what mother had said, it made curious. What if she was right?

I grabbed my thickest coat from my closet and went downstairs to the shoe cabinets to wear my favorite blue rain boots and my umbrella. Ryuhei happened to passed by, coming out of the living room and saw me. "Eh? Machiko where the hell are you going? There's a fucking storm outside. Are you stupid?" he told me. Gee, thanks for the concern.

"The reporter last night said it's just a low-pressure. I'm just going to check something. I'll be right back. Tell mom that" was my reply then opened the front door, going outside.

I was starting to believe Ryuhei's right; that there might be a storm in our area. But there was something dragging my urge to go out.

Heaving a deep breath, I marched towards our gate, using my arm to block some water blowing pass me. I pulled my hood on and didn't used my umbrella until I reached somewhere the wind was calm.

I walked through my usual route to school, passing by the shops; I and Ria always go to. They were all closed due to the weather. There weren't any people on the streets either so if ever someone other than Ryuhei saw me, they'd call me the same as he did. Stupid.

Well, admittedly I can. And I decided to be stupid right now. I don't know why though.

Upon reaching my school gate, I had a mixed proud and embarrassment. Proud, that my intuition was right and embarrassed that I believed my mother's words that there might be something wonderful that may happen to me.

"Stupid superstition" I utter to myself, digging my pockets with my freezing hands. It's so cold out here. I should go home.

Turning my heel to go back my tracks, I surprisingly bumped into a person who headed to the school's gate. "Oh, sorry" I apologized, looking up at him since he was taller than me. I didn't see his face though. It was covered with a black scarf, and his goggles that covered his eyes were foggy and wondrously, he was wearing a grey beanie on his head that was covered by a hood. He walked pass me, as if he didn't notice my presence and continued to disappear into the rainstorm.

Wait... what's he doing out here? Does this mean I'm not the only idiot of going out during a storm?

Running to where he had gone, I squint my eyes to see that his figure wasn't all that far. Is he headed downtown?

Out of curiosity, I followed him. There's this tiny voice in my head that was telling me to go after him. We reached a bridge that was the landmark confirming he is headed downtown. Halfway walking through the bridge, I saw stop on his tracks. Did he notice me stalk him?

I hid behind the pole and watched as he holds onto the railing on the bridge before climbing on it.  Wait - is he going to jump? There's running water at the river beneath! He's going to be washed away!

He had this dramatic wind that played along with his actions; him removing his hood and his grey beanie getting blown away. He had bleached blond hair that I've seen somewhere before. All there's left is his goggles that he slid off before I realize who he was.

Tatsumi Ota. My schoolmate.

He's this weird loner kid from the other section. We aren't classmates but, from what I heard from rumors, he was a pretty lonely kid who never went out of the classroom unless it's dismissal. He was entitled the 'phantom' of class 1-A since he doesn't talk to anyone unless spoken to, and always wore black sweaters, jackets and his headphones included, and never removes his grey beanie even if the teacher asked him to do so.

I figured he may have problems that affected his social welfare but I didn't think he was suicidal! "Wait!" I screamed, stopping him from taking his own dear life by jumping. His head turned to look at me and displayed a shocked expression when he saw running towards him. "Don't jump!" I exclaimed pulling him off the railing, as we stumbled down on the cemented bridge, my hood getting taken off by the wind.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tatsumi growled, sitting up after he received a massive haul from me. Is he serious? "You tell me! Why were you about to jump off a bridge and into a running river in a middle of a storm?! Are you crazy?!" I spat at him, standing on my feet. I can feel the storm get worse.

He clicked his tongue. "I'm crazy? What kind of girl goes out in a middle of a storm?" What?

"Then I guess we're both crazy for going out of our house in a storm! But you're crazier for attempting to jump like that! You could've been washed away into the sewers!" I reprimanded, yelling at him. I didn't care if we never talked last year. I just couldn't let someone commit suicide in front of me without me stopping them.

"It's none of your business! Leave me alone!" he shouted angrily, hitting our foreheads together. I slightly stumbled backward but stood still on my feet. Tatsumi scoffed at me before walking away, leaving me in the middle of the bridge.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" I called out, running after him. He disappeared once more. I didn't get to find him because the rain wasn't getting any better. Plus my head was soaked because of my hood getting gust off.

I decided to go home, praying that Tatsumi wouldn't plan on jumping off anywhere in the meantime. What's his deal?

Walking back to route I took, I saw the grey beanie on the floor just as I was a few meters away from the bridge. I picked it up, feeling the fabric souse up.

I should give this back to him when spring break ends. Now that I've thought about it. Rain during the spring season is weird...

Grandma always tell me that's all because the rain god always does this to mock the spring deity or something. She had many myths to tell me, many superstitions. But remembering them made me realize how a child can be gullible to adults. Right, dad?

I kept the beanie with me until I had the chance to talk to Tatsumi again. As I got back to my house, my mother greeted me at the door with the same smile she always gave us. "How was your walk dear? Did something wonderful happen?" was the first thing she asked me.

"Mom, I already told you. Nothing wonderful can happen during a rainstorm" I replied to her plainly. Actually someone almost died in my stead; even happened to be someone I know. I kept a sour look as I pass by her but stopped when she noticed something that I held - "To whom is that?" she glanced down at my hands that was holding Tatsumi's beanie. I flinched and shot her an astonished look. She tilted her head at me. "Did you meet someone there?"

"C'mon mom. I'm the only idiot here who has the idea of going out during a snow storm" I pointed out, laughing awkwardly, and hiding the beanie behind me.

Mom blinked at me. "Well there must be another idiot out there to join you, dear" she smiled at me. Is she serious? Why am I involving myself in stupid conversations?

To escape my mother's assumptions, I excused myself to go up my room and change my drenched clothes into new warm dry ones. As I finished, I hooked myself up with some music while drawing up a portrait that had a dark theme since it was a rainy day. I like drawing. Ever since I was a little kid, I was inspired by sketches and manga drawings that I see at the stores and on books my brothers read. But, I don't really plan on pursuing it when I grow up... I've already planned myself for other things.

Something wonderful might happen.

As my mother's words echoed inside my head, my hand stopped moving as I realize what I was starting to draw. "Something wonderful...

I ended up drawing the scene I saw earlier; Tatsumi standing on top of the bridge railing.

...might happen..." I repeated what my mother had said to me. Wonderful? Now I realize it, I might have saved someone's life earlier...