Summer Rain

It was the summer season, and the afternoon sunlight poured warmly through the open window. A gentle breeze drifted through the air, carrying with it the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers. A beautiful butterfly fluttered across the clear blue sky before slipping through the open window and landing quietly on the wall.

The room was small but cozy. A simple bed stood near the window, where a little girl lay fast asleep. Her long eyelashes rested gently against her soft cheeks, which puffed out slightly as she slept, making her look just like a little angel. Her tiny hands were tucked close to her body, and her small feet peeked out from beneath the blanket, making her look irresistibly adorable.

The peaceful silence lasted only a moment before a man quietly stepped into the room. His well-built frame and toned arms hinted at his strength, yet the warmth in his eyes softened his appearance. He paused for a moment, taking in the calm atmosphere of the summer afternoon before walking over to the bed.

Sitting beside the little girl, he gently placed a hand on her head and lovingly stroked her hair.

"Zali," he said softly, "wake up. It's morning."

His voice was filled with warmth and affection.

Still half asleep, Zali frowned a little and turned onto her other side, trying to escape the sound of his voice. Seeing her reaction, the man couldn't help but smile.

"Zali," he said again with a playful grin, "Grandmother is making your favorite food today. If you don't wake up soon, I'll eat it all."

That immediately caught her attention.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she sat up on the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. As her vision cleared, she noticed a beautiful butterfly resting quietly on the wall in front of her.

Her eyes instantly widened with excitement.

She pointed at the butterfly without saying a word.

Curious, the man followed the direction of her tiny finger and looked toward the wall, where zali point.

The man looked at the butterfly before turning to Zali with a gentle smile.

"Do you want that butterfly?" he asked.

Zali nodded eagerly.

The man gently held her little hands and pulled her closer.

"Zali," he said softly, "how many times have I told you? Everyone in nature has the right to be free. We cannot capture them. If we catch that butterfly, it might die."

He patiently explained it to her, but Zali wasn't willing to listen.

"But I want to..." she mumbled.

She walked toward the wall and reached out to catch the butterfly. However, before she could touch it, the butterfly fluttered away through the open window.

Zali pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

Seeing her disappointed expression, the man smiled. He walked over, lifted her into his arms, and said,

"Don't be sad. Come on, let's go brush your teeth."

Carrying Zali, he walked outside to the tap. He handed her a toothbrush and patiently showed her how to brush her teeth properly. Zali followed his instructions and brushed her teeth.

After a short while, they finished brushing their teeth and walked into another room.

An elderly woman was setting breakfast on the table. Zali climbed onto her chair and looked happily at the meal in front of her. Today's breakfast was her favorite-a boiled egg with toast.

A moment later, the elderly woman came out of the kitchen carrying a glass of milk and placed it beside Zali's plate.

Looking up at her, Zali smiled.

"Good morning, Grandmother."

The elderly woman gently kissed Zali on the cheek.

"Good morning, Zali."

The man sat beside Zali and looked at the elderly woman.

"Good morning, Mom."

She smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Ronan."

After greeting one another, they began eating breakfast together.

Ronan finished his breakfast first because he had some work to do. Looking at his mother, he said,

"I'm going to the market. Mom, do you need anything from the market?"

His mother shook her head.

"No, I don't need anything."

"Alright."

Ronan then looked at Zali with a smile.

"Zali, do you want me to bring you anything?"

Zali thought for a moment before answering,

"I want a dragon."

"A dragon?" Ronan chuckled softly. "Alright, I'll get you a dragon."

His mother's expression softened.

"Ronan, you just brought her a toy last week."

"It's okay, Mom," Ronan replied with a smile.

He stood up from his chair, said goodbye to everyone, and walked out of the house.

Just outside the house, a cycle was parked. Ronan got on it and began riding toward the market.

After a short while, he stops his cycle and gets off.

In front of him stretches a vast field filled with lush green rice plants. Ronan walks into his field and turns off the water supply. He had started the irrigation at two o'clock that morning, so he only comes here to shut it off.

Once he finishes his work, Ronan returns to his cycle. Just then, a man walks out of a field on the opposite side of the road.

Ronan walks over to him and greets him politely.

"Good morning, Uncle."

"Oh, Ronan! Good morning. Did you come to check on your crops?"

"Yes. I had a little work here, and I also needed to turn off the water."

"Your crops are looking really good this year. Your hard work has paid off."

As he speaks, the man places a hand on Ronan's shoulder and gives it a gentle pat.

"This year's harvest is really good. Once I sell it, I'll return your money," Ronan says politely

The uncle gently shakes his head.

"It's alright, Ronan. You can return it whenever you have the money. You borrowed it for Zali's medicine. She's like my own granddaughter. The least I can do is help her."

Ronan nods gratefully.

"Thank you, Uncle."

The uncle pats Ronan's shoulder once more before saying,

"Today's weather is hot. I'm heading home now. You should finish your work and go home too."

Ronan simply nods with a faint smile.

The man continues on his way, while Ronan gets back on his cycle and rides toward the market.

After a while, he stops near the entrance of the village market.

The market is not very large, but it is the heart of the village. Everyone sells their crops there, and whenever the villagers need something from the city, this is the only place where they can buy it.

Ronan walks into the busy market. Today, it is more crowded than usual.

He is heading toward a familiar shop when someone suddenly begins walking beside him.

The man is taller than Ronan, has fair skin, and looks slightly younger.

At first, Ronan ignores him. But when the man continues walking beside him without saying a word, Ronan finally stops.

Looking at him, Ronan says,

"You should go home, Sun."

Sun smiles.

"I was on my way."

As soon as he says that, he steps forward and hugs Ronan.

"I missed you, my friend."

Ronan gently pulls himself out of the hug.

"You just came back from the city. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to buy something, so I came here first," Sun replies.

"Did you buy what you wanted?"

"Yes," Sun replies.

"Then go."

"How heartless! Don't you miss me, Ronan?"

"You go to the city to study. It's good for you. Why would I miss you? Besides, it's peaceful when you're not here."

Sun clicks his tongue dramatically.

"It's a waste of time talking to you. Where's Zali?"

"Zali is at home."

"Alright, then I'm going to see her. At least she'll be happy to see me." Sun pauses for a moment before adding, "Amai should be here by now to take me."

The moment Ronan hears Amai's name, he looks at Sun.

"Why is Amai coming to take you?"

"My mom said he'll pick me up from here because I wanted to buy something before going home." Sun shrugs before a playful smirk appears on his face. "Look at you... suddenly taking an interest in my business. You'll never change."

Sun waves his hand casually.

"I'm leaving now."

"Let's meet back in the village."

With that, Sun walks away.

Ronan lets out a quiet sigh before continuing on his way.

The first shop Ronan visits sells farming supplies and seeds. He makes his way through the crowd and looks through several packets of seeds, hoping to buy some for the next planting season. However, after checking the prices, he quietly puts them back. They are more expensive than he expected, so he decides to wait until after selling this year's harvest.

After walking through the busy market for a while, Ronan enters a large toy shop. His eyes search every shelf, hoping to find the toy dragon Zali wants. He carefully looks through the toys one by one, but the shop doesn't have the dragon he is looking for.

After that, he goes to a book and stationery shop. There, he buys two drawing books, a box of colors, pencils, and a few other supplies.

He then visits another toy shop. This time, he finally finds a toy dragon. Without any hesitation, Ronan buys it for Zali.

Ronan spends the rest of the day moving from one shop to another. Since the market is crowded, shopping takes much longer than usual.

As evening approaches, he buys some food for Zali and his mother before heading back to the village.

By the time he reaches the village, night has already fallen.

He is still some distance from home when it suddenly starts to rain.

The rain quickly becomes so heavy that Ronan has no choice but to take shelter outside an old house. The house appears abandoned, but its tin roof provides enough cover to keep him out of the rain.

As he stands beneath the roof, another man is already taking shelter there.

Because the light is dim, Ronan cannot see the man's face clearly. He has no interest in finding out who the stranger is, so he simply stands quietly, minding his own business.

Suddenly, the man places a hand on Ronan's shoulder.

"Ronan."

When Ronan hears the man's voice, he quickly turns toward him. The voice sounds familiar.

Standing beneath the tin roof is Amai.

For a brief moment, Ronan simply looks at him.

Then, without realizing it, a warm smile slowly spreads across his face.

"You're coming back from the market," Amai says.

Ronan nods.

"So why didn't you bring an umbrella? You know it's the rainy season."

"I forgot," Ronan replies.

He speaks slowly, carefully moving his lips so Amai can understand every word.

Amai watches the movement of Ronan's lips before replying.

Then Ronan raises his hands and asks in sign language,

"What about you?"

Amai watches Ronan's hand movements before answering,

"I get late. After dropping Sun off at his house, I have to do some work for Grandmother. By the time I finish and start heading home, the rain has already begun."

"Did you eat?" Ronan asks slowly.

Amai looks at Ronan's lips before replying,

"Grandmother gives me something to eat."

"Okay," Ronan replies softly before looking ahead.

After that, neither of them says anything. They simply stand beneath the tin roof, quietly watching the rain.

The cool wind continues to blow. Ronan's clothes are already damp from the rain, and the cold sends chills through his body. He quietly rubs his arms, trying to warm himself.

Amai notices Ronan rubbing his arms. He then looks at Ronan's face. Watching Ronan's lips tremble slightly and seeing him take slow breaths, Amai realizes that he is feeling cold.

Without saying a word, he walks closer to Ronan until only a small distance remains between them.

Then, he gently places an arm around Ronan's shoulders and pulls him a little closer, shielding him from the rain blowing in from his side.

Their shoulders brush against each other.

Ronan's heartbeat quickens.

His cheeks grow even redder, and the smile on his face becomes brighter.

For a moment, he forgets about the cold. All he can feel is the gentle warmth of Amai's body beside him. The dark night around them is filled with an unspeakable silence.

Only the sound of the falling rain and the songs of the night insects fill the quiet night.

Yet, to Ronan, the sound of his own heartbeat is much louder than all of them.

After some time, the rain finally stops.

Amai steps out from beneath the roof first. He raises his hand into the air, feeling for the falling raindrops. Once he is sure the rain has stopped, he turns to Ronan.

"The rain has stopped. Come out."

Ronan steps out from under the shelter.

Looking at Ronan, Amai says,

"Do you want my help? Your bag looks heavy. By now, the road must be muddy, so it'll be difficult to ride your cycle."

"It's okay. I can manage. You're already late. You should go home," Ronan replies gently.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't worry."

Ronan hangs his bag on the cycle.

He takes a slow breath. His body still feels a sharp chill. Then he looks at Amai, gives him a small nod, and starts to leave.

Just then, Amai gently catches Ronan's hand from behind.

Ronan turns around.

Amai looks a little troubled. He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, as if searching for the right words.

After a brief hesitation, he lets go of Ronan's hand and reaches into his pocket.

Carefully, he takes out a single rose.

For a moment, he simply looks at it before extending it toward Ronan.

"Can you give this rose to Zali?"

Ronan looks at the flower in silence before reaching out to take it.

"Okay."

For a brief moment, neither of them says anything.

They simply look at each other before exchanging a small nod.

Then, they quietly go their separate ways.

The entire journey home, Ronan can't help looking at the rose in his hand. Every time his eyes fall on it, a gentle smile appears on his face.

When he reaches home, everyone is already asleep.

He quietly enters the house, places his bag aside, and then goes outside to wash the mud from his hands and feet after walking through the rain-soaked road.

After cleaning himself, he goes back inside the house and takes out the food from the bag that he bought for Zali and his mother.

He eats the food because if he waits for Zali to wake up tomorrow, it will go bad. After finishing his meal, he goes to his room.

Zali is not there, probably sleeping with his mother.

He sits on the bed, letting his body relax. His eyes are closed as he breathes calmly. Suddenly, he remembers the rose.

He immediately opens his eyes and takes the rose out of his pants pocket

He looks at the rose with admiration, gently brushing his fingers over its petals. A soft smile appears on his face.

As he continues looking at it, an idea suddenly comes to his mind.

He places the rose on the bed, goes to the kitchen, and gets a glass jar. Then he returns to his room and takes some colorful chart paper from Zali's study table.

After gathering everything he needs, he carefully tears off a rose petal and rolls it tightly into a tiny, needle-like shape. Then, he cuts a thin strip from the chart paper. He places the rolled petal at the very beginning of the paper strip, folds the paper over it, and ties the first knot. The rolled petal becomes the exact center of the paper star.

He continues wrapping the remaining strip around the core until the star is complete. Then, he repeats the same process with the rest of the petals.

One by one, he places each finished star into the glass jar.

After completing his work, he proudly looks at the jar. A satisfied smile spreads across his face. He carefully puts the jar in a safe place where no one can accidentally break it.

Then, he slowly walks back to the bed and lies down.

He doesn't close his eyes.

Instead, they remain fixed on the beautiful image of Amai in his mind. A mysterious glow shines across his face, as if something precious happened today.

His gaze slowly drifts toward the glass jar. His eyelids grow heavier, blinking more slowly with each passing moment, yet his eyes remain fixed on it. They seem to hold emotions too deep for ordinary eyes to see.

As the memories of the entire day gently return, sleep finally claims him. His eyelids slowly close, yet the same peaceful smile remains on his face. Moonlight pours through the window, making his pale white face look even more captivating.

The next morning arrives, and the rooster begins to crow, welcoming the new day. Its voice echoes through the peaceful morning air.

The soft light of dawn falls upon a sleeping face, while the rising sun paints it with a gentle golden glow.

As Ronan feels the warmth of the sunlight touch his eyes, he slowly opens them. The bright light immediately reaches them, making him close them again for a brief moment. After allowing himself to fully wake up, he finally sits up on the bed. He slowly opens his eyes once more until they adjust to the morning light.

Taking a deep, relaxed breath, he looks at the bright morning outside. A small smile appears on his face-the first smile of the day.

His eyes fall on the glass jar again.

He quietly gets out of bed and walks toward it, standing there for a moment, simply looking at it.

Then, he goes outside to brush his teeth. After freshening up, he heads to the kitchen and prepares breakfast for everyone.

By 6:30, he finishes cooking and places all the food on the table.

When his mother enters the room with Zali, she looks at the food and asks...

"Why did you make breakfast so early?" his mother asks.

Ronan walks over to Zali, pulls out her chair, helps her sit down, and then serves breakfast onto her plate.

"I woke up early, and I don't have any work right now, so I thought I'd make breakfast for you."

His mother lets out a soft sigh and sits down to eat.

"You should have told me. I would have helped you."

"It's okay, Mom. I can do this." Ronan puts some food on his mother's plate and looks at her. "Let's eat breakfast. I'm hungry now."

Saying that, Ronan also sits down on his chair, and then everyone starts eating their breakfast.

After finishing their meal, Ronan gathers the dirty plates to wash them. Zali happily brings him the plates one by one, and together they put everything back in its proper place.

After they finish cleaning up, Ronan gently wipes Zali's wet hands. Zali looks at her hands as Ronan wipes them, then slowly asks,

"Where is my dragon, Dad?"

Ronan lifts his eyes and looks at her with a soft smile.

"Your dragon is in my room. Go get it."

The moment she hears where her toy is, a cheerful smile spreads across her face. She immediately runs to Ronan's room to get it.

Watching her excitement brings a smile to Ronan's face.

Then, he turns to his mother.

"Mom, do you need help with anything?"

"No," she replies.

"Okay, then I'm going."

After that, Ronan goes to the kitchen, packs some food into a bag, and leaves the house. He places the bag on his bicycle, sits on it, and rides out of the house.

About ten minutes later, his bicycle stops in front of a house. He gets off his bicycle and heads toward it. The house is larger than his own. In front of it is a small yard. In one corner, a rose planter is filled with fresh blooming flowers.

Ronan walks through the yard and gently knocks on the gate.

After a moment, a tall figure opens it.

It is Amai.

When Ronan's eyes fall on Amai, he sees that he is shirtless. His well-built physique, slim waist, and slightly messy hair make his already handsome face even more striking. His beautiful hooded brown eyes seem even more captivating in the soft morning light.

Ronan's gaze freezes at the sight before him.

He swallows hard.

His breath catches in his lungs.

He is completely mesmerized by the brown-eyed man standing before him, so much so that he even forgets the reason he came there.