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It’s raining. It’s been raining for days, making the work in the rice fields a more arduous activity. Still, they kept at it; having quotas to fill. The rice paddy terraces lined the marshy cliff sides of Ide, elevated over the salt spray of the ocean. Uda watched from a distance with mild disinterest, sheltered under the inconsistent foliage of windshook mangrove branches. He sat upon the slick roots protruding up through the ground and the flooded knee-deep water. Ide would flood six months out of the year, and during the other six, the seaside village would be smothered under a blanket of humidity.
No one in the village seemed to mind the perpetual state of oppressive moisture; except for young Uda. He found even breathing the muggy air torturous and avoided the outdoors as much as he could. He cursed his luck, for on this day his Grandfather, Boro, who was usually too preoccupied keeping the flame in the light-tower ablaze instead redirected his ire.
“God dammit boy, you’ve been inside for a fortnight! GO, take a stroll through the marshes, or help your Gran in the field! You insolent child! And I better not see your face again before nightfall.” Uda gazed up at him tiredly through his lashes, having the audacity to yawn and stretch as his grandfather's cheeks went red. He hadn’t even had the chance to put on his boots before being tossed out into the slick mud.
Uda scowled, kicking his thin legs out. The tips of his toes dipping and causing ripples to spread and collide with taller blades of grass. He sighed, already feeling soaked to the bone. His tunic clung to his overly moist skin, and he could feel cold stray drops sliding down his spine. Uda shook his limp blonde hair out, much like an aggravated puppy. Beyond miserable, he even considered hiding out in the fishery, despite the horrid smell.
So caught up in his woes he failed to notice the slow approach of a lone bamboo raft; it’s occupier paddling steadily through the light rain, protected beneath a wide kasa. Uda stood, determined to find a drier sanctuary. He grasped the branches above him, balancing as he scurried along the uneven roots, searching for a shallower spot to begin his footing. As the bamboo raft passed him, he felt it’s passenger glance in his direction. He was determined to ignore the stranger, until he heard the distinct chime of rich laughter. Uda turned to administer a poisonous glare, gripping the branch in his grasp slightly too hard. It gave under the sudden stress, and he felt his toes slip through the moss.
Uda closed his eyes as he fell, limp and prepared to submerge. After a moment, he dared to open his eyes, his dull brown meeting sapphire laced with amusement. He looked down. The stranger had steadied them with his oar, and held him still, by the collar of his tunic.
After sobering from the shock of his near-fall, Uda’s glare became poisonous once again.
“What do you think you’re doing, you jackass!” he spat, swinging his thin legs and arms around in a rage. The stranger smiled and chuckled, finally dropping the squirming Uda on the safety of his raft. It barely bobbed as it adjusted to the weight of the small boy.
Uda pouted, glad to have been saved from the cold rush of an unwanted fall but unwilling to give a proper thanks to this smiling stranger. Finally getting a good look at them under their wide rice hat, Uda realised it was a boy. He didn’t seem to be beyond his tenth year, though he was tall unlike Uda, who was much smaller and thinner than his eight years implied. Uda eyed the fish scale pattern on the taller boy’s cloak. It was rare to see patterned attire in the village. He eventually realised as he had been studying the stranger, he had in turn been doing the same. Uda felt an embarrassed flush take his cheeks as the stranger’s gaze settled on his bare feet, his brow cocked with that same teasing smile. Before the stranger could voice his obvious question, Uda kicked out striking him in the ankle. He didn’t budge, steadied by the oar still dug into the earth beneath.
“Stop staring at me idiot!” Uda barked, running his hands over his face and hair as the steady rain began to pick up again. The stranger tilted his head, taking in the pathetic sight before him. The thin boy was getting wetter by the second and was so fragile looking, he had almost mistook him for a small girl; if not for that voice and the rude words it had uttered.
The stranger let go of the oar, which kept itself right from its place in the mud beneath and undid the straps keeping his rice hat in place.
“Here,” he offered. “It was my mother’s, but it’s way too tight for me now. So you can have it.”
He gently placed the hat on Uda’s head, seemingly ignoring his previous outburst. It slipped over his eyes, a couple of centimeters too big until he held it by the rim and adjusted it, so it sat comfortably on the crown of his head.
“There you go sunshine, perfect fit!” the stranger teased, grasping his oar once again and advancing through the flooded marsh. He turned away from Uda, focusing on steering through the maze of mangroves. Uda eyed the stranger, noting the dark blue, near black of his hair, that cascaded in loose curls caught by the wind. He felt a sudden guilt and embarrassment, questioning why this odd stranger would bother to get soaked in his stead.
“Does your mother know you’re giving away her garbage? I guess I should be thankful it doesn’t fit your fat head.” He had been attempting to show his gratitude, but as always, almost instinctively, Uda’s tongue was sharp and crude. BUT instead of the expected reaction, the stranger merely threw a chuckle over his shoulder.
“She’s been gone for years, so I’m sure it won’t matter,” the stranger explained in a tone too light for the subject matter. Uda balked at the admission, feeling his heart pang at the familiar loss. His own mother had died of a horrid infection, a simple cut that had festered in the flooded fields while she worked and left her unable to move without pain. Uda could still remember the sickly-sweet smell of her rotting flesh.
Uda sent a silent apology to the stranger, scowling down at the water as they glided across the surface. Though he didn’t notice, the subtle tension that had gathered in the stranger shoulders subsided. They continued on for a while longer, the silence between them jarring until the taller boy decided to break it.
“Where do you want to go?” he questioned, though he didn’t turn to meet his gaze. Uda’s expression scrunched into one of confusion. What an odd question. Did this stranger intend to take him wherever he wanted, out of the goodness of his heart?
Uda scoffed audibly, crossing his arms and glaring down at the murky water.
“Somewhere dry,” he muttered, not noticing the bright smile the stranger threw over his shoulder. The bamboo raft changed direction only slightly, veering them deeper into the cluster of mangrove trees instead of towards the village like Uda had anticipated. He had never ventured beyond the tree line before, preferring to keep to what little protection the twisting limbs provided within sight of the fields.
He didn’t complain, for the deeper they went, the less the rain seemed to sneak in. He cast his gaze up, throwing his small head all the way back and grasping the rim of his new hat as it threatened to fall. Uda noticed how the branches of these mangroves seemed to entangle, some naturally, though some were tied in clean knots, pulling separate trees together and encouraging them to mat into adequate cover.
Uda made an impressed noise, then bit his tongue as his gaze flew to the stranger. Had he done this? He could spy twinkling bits of glass and bent metal, tied by fish wire hanging around them, catching the melody of the wind as they spun and chimed together.
Finally they seemed to reach their destination, for the stranger secured his oar straight through a makeshift ring into the mud beneath them, effectively anchoring them in place. The tall boy stretched, impressively balancing even as the raft bobbed beneath them, then sat gracefully, crossing his legs and turning to face his passenger.
After a moment, he reached forward offering his hand in a gesture Uda didn’t exactly understand. The young boy stared at the offered hand skeptically. He wasn’t sure, but the stranger’s calm gaze and the sounds of trinkets chiming in the trees seemed to cool his usual ire and he found himself eventually grasping the stranger’s hand in his own.
“Wada.” A name, another offering. Uda scowled, noting the obvious similarity to his own, though he wasn’t sure why it bothered him so. When he didn’t offer his name in return, even after a few dragging seconds, Wada gently squeezed his small hand.
“I could just keep calling you Sunshine, if you don’t want to tell me,” Wada teased, eyeing the blonde who looked less like a drowning rat and more like a moody kid as his clothes dried. The boy paused, genuinely considering the options before sighing and eventually giving in.
“Uda,” he grumbled with a pout. “My name is Uda.”
Wada smiled brightly and nodded as if it had been an obvious answer. He turned away abruptly, satisfied, then got to work unbuckling the sandals from his feet. Uda watched, stricken with confusion as Wada hiked up the cuffs of his trousers then turned, submerging his feet within the water. He seemed to relax, before casting a side-eye glance to his new companion.
Uda recoiled, hiding his confusion with a scowl.
“I thought we came here to avoid the rain. Don’t you want to dry off, you dumbass?” Uda taunted, trying to keep an air of disinterest though he truly was curious. Wada again surprised him with his reaction, throwing his head back in a gleeful laugh that shook the raft beneath them.
“Mahaha, Uda-chan, you’re hilarious~”
The small boy grimaced, standing immediately.
“Don’t call me that you bastard,” Uda mumbled, not feeling the anger he was sure he would feel. Even at his full height, he barely towered over Wada sitting. He jostled a bit, attempting to regain his balance as the raft bounced in his sudden movement.
Uda considered shoving the idiot straight into the murky water, hoping that would wipe the grin off his wretched face. Wada seemed unbothered, obvious mirth swimming in the blue of his eyes. His wide grin faded to a subtle close lipped smile, as he tapped the spot beside him.
“Maa, Uda-chan. It’s much more enjoyable when it’s your choice, y’know?”
Uda blinked, considering his words. The sentiment seemed genuine. Wada had returned his gaze to the water beneath them, kicking his feet ever so slightly, the picture of serenity. The young boy frowned, bending over to roll up the muddy cuffs of his trousers before joining Wada on the edge of his raft. After a moment, he too submerged his feet, releasing a deep held breath when it didn’t feel completely unpleasant. It wasn’t the oppressive, consuming moisture he had grown accustomed to inhabiting his every waking moment. It was more of a soft caress, weightless and supportive all at once. Uda felt the constant tension he held within him loosen up and a tiny smirk graced his small lips. He turned and it immediately evaporated away seeing the pleased smile Wada didn’t bother to hide.
Normally, such a blatant display would dive far beneath Uda’s skin. He had no patience being the butt of a joke, but he let it slide. He was simply too at ease to bother to retaliate, even though this was the strangest encounter of his young life. He pouted as Wada offered him another cordial grin. Privately, in the furthest corner of his thoughts, he figured, perhaps this idiot wasn’t completely terrible.
“Hey Uda-chan, wanna go fishing tomorrow?”
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Thank you very much for reading.
If you're interested in reading the next part, let me know!
I've been compiling my dreams into this story for a few months and really wanted to share it because I find it wholesome as fuck. Please don't repost my writing or art.♡