Mr. Raindrop

Ame was four years old when their father made her that clown doll, which had blue hair, white and blue clothes and drawings of water drops on each cheek. Mr. Fuyokawa gave her the toy, saying it'd be her companion for her entire life.

Haruhiko liked to watch his little sister playing with the doll, which she named Mr. Raindrop. Ame dragged it to wherever she went. When the family visited the countryside, she liked to take the toy to open fields and high hills, watching the wind bringing the clouds. There were times when those winds brought storms.

She had always been fascinated by lightening.

The boy believed that his sister would eventually grow tired of Mr. Raindrop but that never happened. It accompanied her through childhood and adolescence, and even after she went to the University to study Physics.

Ame had Mr. Raindrop accompanying her also during the funeral of their father.

Haruhiko wondered if she would place the doll over the man's grave but that never happened. Once they were left alone in the cemetery, he decided to ask her:

"Why do you still cling to this toy?"

Ame smiled sadly before replying:

"It was a gift of love from a parent to a child."

"But our father is gone now." Haruhiko commented.

"He will never be for me." She said back, seriously.

"Then, you intend to hold onto that doll until you're a wrinkly old lady?" He inquired.

"No, of course not." Ame replied, giggling. "I'll have it passed down by then."

"Passed down?"

Haruhiko sometimes missed the obvious but Ame never minded that. She looked into his eyes and smiled brightly.

"As I said, it's a gift of love from a parent to a child." She repeated. "One day, I'd like my son or daughter to have it."

"You're only 21! You're way too young to be thinking about that!" Haruhiko scolded her, flustered. Ame laughed as she always did when he showed her that face.

She had never showed interest in anyone, preferring to stick to her studies. Ame had always been a nerdy girl in love with science; Haruhiko believed she would never feel romantic attraction towards anyone.

Then, one day, when they were both professors in the same University, she went to her brother's private classroom with a man around her age. Contrasting to her long vivid red hair and light brown eyes, the other person had a rather plain appearance. He was slightly shorter than the woman, had black eyes and short spiky hair.

"This is Yukimura Shunsui, a professor from the Mathematics department." She introduced. "Shunsui-kun, this is my brother, Fuyokawa Haruhiko."

"It's nice to meet you, Haruhiko-san." The other greeted, politely.

"Is he a friend of yours?" The brother asked, feeling his heart getting heavy.

"Not exactly." Ame denied, smirking. "He is my boyfriend."

Never before in Haruhiko's life had a stranger caused such a bad first impression to him.