Chapter Nine: The Girl in the Middle of the Trash Bin

Summer rain in Fu-Jiang is just like the city's temperament—it changes in an instant, giving no one time to react. One moment, the sun is shining brightly; the next, lightning flashes and a torrential downpour begins.

Standing on the roadside with the clothes and tableware I had specifically purchased for little Fu-Jiang, I saw that it was already four o’clock in the afternoon. To ensure the little one wouldn’t have to wait too long—or, heaven forbid, that the elder Fu-Jiang might come home and discover her—Udo Kayo had no choice but to buy another umbrella.

At the bus stop, I examined the bag of items. I had spent a great deal of time hunting for them; the shopkeeper had even worn a doting, maternal smile after I explained that I was buying toys for my little sister. Some were pieces the owner had stripped directly from old dolls or figures. They were a bit pricey, but the quality was truly excellent. The tricky part now was how to wash them; putting such tiny clothes in a washing machine was out of the question. Who knew if they would get sucked into the drainage system during a cycle?

I dashed onto the bus through the downpour and found a seat in the corner. Looking at the skyscrapers outside, it was hard to imagine that these buildings wouldn't change much over the next several decades.

Stepping off the bus, I walked toward home with the goods for little Fu-Jiang. Just as I took out my keys to open the front door, the corner of my eye caught something: between two trash cans, a pair of small black leather shoes peeked out silently. At first, I assumed they were just discarded shoes, but as I turned to enter the house, the shoes retreated slightly, tucking away from the raindrops dripping off the rim of the trash bin.

I paused, puzzled. Why would someone be there? Driven by curiosity and concern, I cautiously walked over to the trash cans. A girl was sitting there, huddled on a piece of cardboard she must have found somewhere, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, her face buried completely between them.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly. She didn't respond, as if she hadn't heard me at all. I looked closer and realized it was the same girl I had seen earlier on the bus. "Do you need any help?"

Still, there was no answer. I thought for a moment, then placed my umbrella on the ground to shield her feet—which were exposed and being soaked by the misty rain—before rushing into the house.

"Kayo!" Hearing the door open, little Fu-Jiang scrambled up from her comic book, delighted.

"Fu-Jiang didn't come by, did she?"

"Nope~" Little Fu-Jiang shook her head, telling a casual lie.

I didn't think twice about it, placing the bag on the table and taking out the clothes and the ultra-miniature tableware one by one. Seeing the array of items, little Fu-Jiang was as happy as a child, picking them up to examine them one by one.

Next door, the elder Fu-Jiang was seething. "Baka Kayo, you’ve never bought me gifts like that...!"

Wait, that wasn't true. He had. Her complaint faltered as she remembered the necklace he had bought her. It was a gift from shortly after she had come of age. It cost fifty thousand yen, and because it was relatively cheap, she rarely wore it. Thinking of this, she hurried to her dresser and pulled out the necklace she had tucked away in the back.

Holding it in her hand, she looked at the craftsmanship, which was exceptionally rough compared to the jewelry others gave her. Without realizing it, a smile crept onto her lips. *Thinking back now, he must have spent so much time working part-time jobs in middle school just to afford this, right?*

She held it up to her neck, and the more she looked at it, the more she grew to love it, humming a happy tune. A few minutes later, she took out a gold pendant from a fancy gift box, set it aside in a corner, and carefully placed the cheap, rough necklace inside the velvet-lined box instead. After adjusting its position several times, she finally closed the drawer, satisfied, and lay back down on the bed.

*Why am I so happy? It's just something he worked part-time to buy for me!*

In my house, little Fu-Jiang sensed these thoughts, and her happy expression twisted for a moment. Fortunately, I was busy and didn't notice. She quickly composed herself and called out, "Kayo, Kayo~ does it look good?"

I was in the yard dealing with a clogged drain when I turned around to see her leaning against the doorframe, barefoot on the floor. The red doll-princess dress looked infinitely better on her than it ever had on a mannequin. I gave her a thumbs-up, then walked over to scoop her up and carry her inside. "Didn't you have shoes? Are they uncomfortable? Be careful not to catch a cold."

Little Fu-Jiang leaned happily against my chest. "They're hard to wear. I prefer being barefoot~"

"Alright, then."

*BOOM!*

Just then, a harsh peal of thunder rolled across the sky. Little Fu-Jiang flinched in fright. I patted her head to comfort her, but the image of the girl by the trash cans on the next street flashed through my mind. Still uneasy, I carried little Fu-Jiang to the bedroom. "Don't talk or come out for a while, okay?"

She nodded obediently, letting me place her on the pillow. As I picked up my umbrella and headed for the door, she fell into deep thought.

Out on the street, the rain had become even more violent. My pant legs were soaked within moments, which only deepened my concern for the girl. Sure enough, when I returned, even with the umbrella, the cardboard she was sitting on was already sodden.

"If you have nowhere to go, you can come to my house until the rain lets up."

She still didn't speak. I frowned, waiting silently. It was clear the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon, and she would surely fall ill if she stayed there. After a moment of deliberation, I apologized and moved the umbrella aside, leaning down to help her up. My first attempt failed.

"I'm not a bad person. If you don't believe me, I can take you to the police station. You'll get sick if you stay here."

My voice faded into the sound of the rain. Just as I was about to give up, the girl, who had kept her head bowed the entire time, slowly lifted her face. As I looked into those eyes—deep as the night sky, set within a face that was strikingly delicate and bright—I felt an inexplicable shiver run down my spine.