Chapter of Midsummer, Episode 8: Typhoon Warning

This may have been true for any household, but we usually had the news and weather report on in the morning. This was one of those mornings, and we were listening to the announcer as we put away the dishes. I noticed the windows were clattering, perhaps because the wind was particularly strong today.

Mariabelle stared at the TV with a serious expression. She hugged the backrest of her chair with her ears perking up and listened to the announcer’s voice. When I stood next to her, her purple eyes looked up at me.

“The weather seems particularly bad today. Why do humans go to work even on days like this? It’s unbelievable, really.”

“Oh, it’ll be here by noon, huh? That’s earlier than the report,” I said nonchalantly. I would have been glad if we got the day off, but unfortunately I didn’t get any such notice. My boss may have ended up telling us to go home early at this rate, but I always went home at a fixed time, so things would have been no different.

Wridra overheard our conversation from the seat across from us and folded the newspaper she had in her hands. She had been wearing glasses as of late, perhaps because she liked the look. The Arkdragon certainly wouldn’t need them to correct her vision.

“Hm, so this is known as a ‘typhoon.’ It rains quite often here, and it is not unusual for island countries near the sea to have rough weather at times.” Every channel was reporting on the incoming typhoon. A third of the screen displayed a message warning of its approach, with giant letters that read “Giant typhoon approaching!” “The Kanto region has been hit!” “Beware of strong gusts of wind!” I couldn’t blame Marie for being afraid, having never experienced one before. She hugged the backrest tight, focusing on the news reporter’s voice.

I was worried about not being able to be with her for her first typhoon. Luckily, Wridra would be present. She was like a dependable older sister, so I felt much better with her around.

“Look, it says to beware. Are typhoons really that scary?”

“Well, Japan is close to the ocean. That means big typhoons often form from warm air. They’re known for the strong rainy winds, and depending on the region and scale, there are times when you can’t even stand upright.” As an aside, countries on this side of the Pacific Ocean called them typhoons; over in America, they were called hurricanes; and across the Indian Ocean, they were called cyclones. So they actually had three different names, depending on the region.

Marie opened her eyes wide. A horrifying image was displayed on TV, with umbrellas getting blown away and trees getting uprooted from the powerful wind.

Even the usually levelheaded Marie turned pale upon seeing the damage that was unfolding on the screen. I didn’t want to scare her too much, but this was a big one, so I had to make sure she stayed indoors.

“If you need to do any shopping, you should get it done before noon. We have ingredients for lunch, but not enough for dinner. But I’ll buy something on the way home, so don’t worry about it.”

“O-Okay. I’ll stay home and read some books then. Just be careful out there, okay? Call me if anything happens.” Now she was the one worrying about me. But I was used to typhoons, and I would only get a bit wet if anything, so I wasn’t too worried. I patted her silky hair in a gesture of gratitude, and she smiled, seeming to enjoy it.

I eventually put on my suit, Marie wished me a nice day, and I headed out for work.

I’m worried. I hope she’ll be okay. I should check in on her later. Such troubling thoughts ran through my mind as I walked through the powerful wind. The sky above was completely dark, and it wasn’t at all like my usual mornings.

§

Wridra was used to changes in climate.

Having lived for so long, she understood the power of nature better than anyone. She had witnessed people and animals perish beneath its unstoppable force and understood well how to deal with it. In her eyes, the apartment buildings of Koto Ward were as safe as you could get. The area was well prepared for a flood, and even if objects were tossed into the air by a gust of wind, they wouldn’t have reached all the way up here.

However, the elf sitting at the table was completely restless and nervous. It was still ten o’clock and not much time had passed since Marie started reading her book. Her attention was so drawn to the sight beyond the window that she hadn’t made much progress.

Many considered her home, the elven forest, to be a mystical place. Elves were protected by blessings of spirits, and they bestowed power to the spirits to achieve peace beyond what you would find in a human village.

Even though Marie had lived for a hundred years, it had only been a few years since she left her village. Not to mention, the Alexei Region was particularly stable in terms of weather. Marie was considered young among the elves, and she obviously hadn’t experienced such a dramatic shift in weather before.

The sky turned darker as time passed, and she grew anxious as she watched the clouds grow more and more dense. Wridra closed the Izu travel magazine she had been reading and spoke to Marie.

“Japan is thoroughly prepared in the event of an earthquake or flood. These buildings look quite stable. I doubt anything will happen.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s true, but...not knowing what could happen, I can’t help but feel nervous. I’m finding it hard to just sit still.” Wridra pondered for a moment. It seemed typhoons were quite a common occurrence, and even Marie understood there was no use in being afraid. But species that were close to spirits grew restless when they couldn’t understand things with their five senses.

TVs were quite convenient, and the idea of watching where a typhoon would land from a distance was a concept that residents of the dream world could never have even fathomed. But being unable to see it in person only amplified Marie’s anxiety, and she was having trouble making any progress on her book.

And so, Wridra secretly thought it may have been better to just take her outside. Since Marie could not see spirits, it would have been easier for her to digest by going out there rather than watching footage of it. Otherwise, she would have just assumed it was something scary without understanding it.

“Kitase is too overprotective of her,” the Arkdragon thought and let out a sigh.

“Then how would you like to prepare for the typhoon with me? For example, we could purchase ingredients for tonight’s dinner in his stead.”

“B-But he said he’ll get it...”

“Hm. I have a feeling the weather will get worse, and Kitase’s return will be quite late. I hear those trains are quite vulnerable to the rain and wind.” Marie turned around with her eyes wide and stopped trying to read her novel. She had realized that Kazuhiro could be in greater danger than her. Wridra regretted mentioning Kitase at all and spoke to the timid little elf.

“Even if he does end up returning early, any leftovers can be used for tomorrow’s meal. You will be in no danger with me.” Marie blinked and thought about it.

Wridra’s intuition was right most of the time. In fact, it had never been wrong so far. She must have figured it would be better to go shopping before the typhoon arrived.

There was a wallet at home just in case. Marie looked up at the clock on the wall, remembering how she had been told to go shopping before noon if she was to go.

She was still afraid of the shuddering windows, but she gave a small nod.

Marie put on some capris and a raincoat, then went outside and locked the front door behind her. She was disappointed to see that her friend was wearing her usual hot pants and shirt in contrast to her own fully weather-appropriate attire.

“Wridra, you seem to be underestimating typhoons. The winds are so strong that they could blow the roofs right off of buildings!” Even as she rebuked the Arkdragon, Marie held tightly onto Wridra’s shirt and looked up to her with a worried expression. She had a childlike look in her eyes that Wridra found quite adorable.

“Why are you smiling? Hey, don’t pat my head like a child,” Marie protested.

“Hah, hah, my body moved of its own volition. No need to worry, I have brought an umbrella. I have come fully prepared,” Wridra said as she showed off her plastic umbrella. Marie seemed satisfied and turned away. The elf then reached out toward the empty air beside her. She had tried to hold the absent Kazuhiro’s hand out of habit.

Wridra gripped Marie’s other hand before she could make a sad face. It looked like she wanted to say something, but her feeling of discontent seemed to dissipate as the Arkdragon squeezed her hand a few times. Marie squeezed back as if to show she was okay.

“Okay, then let’s go. First, we’ll have to press the elevator button accurately. If we press the wrong one, we will be thoroughly embarrassed.”

“Hm, I wish to press it as well. These buttons are quite enjoyable to press for some reason. Not to mention, they light up!” Marie couldn’t help but smile at the overdramatic explanation. As they had such silly conversations, Marie found herself starting to have fun.

There was quite a lot of moisture in the roaring wind. When Marie stepped out of the elevator, she looked up at the dark sky and smelled the air. She realized rain was approaching.

“Let’s hurry, the rain clouds are a lot closer than it said they would be in the reports.” The two walked toward the supermarket through the dark skies and sense of unease, with the wind pushing at their backs and Marie’s raincoat flapping in the wind. As they steadily made their way along the riverbed, they came across a sight that was completely different than usual.

“Wow, the river water is so high up. It must really be raining hard upstream.”

“Hm, it is much more forceful than usual. The flood control system is quite impressive.” They could hear the river roaring loudly as they walked along the path beside the river. The water was much higher than usual, and it would have been quite dangerous if they slipped and fell over. However, a river thrashing about so wildly drew one’s eyes, whether they wanted to look or not. The sheer intimidating mass of it fascinated both humankind and elfkind alike. Just then, black clouds could be seen flashing in the distance.

“Wait, was that...” Marie yelped at the booming thunder that followed, involuntarily giving Wridra’s hand a hard squeeze. Of course, she had seen lightning many times during her youth. However, this was the first time she had experienced thunder from such thick clouds. The skies rumbled some more, and then came a flash of light.

“Kya!” Marie clung to Wridra’s arm this time, then realized the change in her surroundings as she tried to calm herself.

The wind was getting much stronger than it had been when they had left the house. There was a heftiness to it as it pushed them from behind, and the smell of rain had grown more potent than before. Marie felt her knees go weak as it pushed her toward the river. “Hm,” Wridra said to herself as she watched.

The easiest thing to do now would have been to lead Marie by the hand and take her home. But Wridra recognized that her way of thinking had been changing as she spent time in this world. And so, she thought of Kitase’s face as she crouched down and stared into Marie’s eyes. She then spoke in a slow, gentle manner as he would have.

“I have heard that typhoons are something one can actually enjoy as long as you prepare properly.”

“Wh-What do you mean?”

“Hm, for example... You stock up on sweets, prepare a movie that is befitting of a typhoon, and watch it with me. How does that sound?”

A change came over Marie’s eyes, which had been full of fear just moments ago. Perhaps she pictured what it would be like to discuss what she enjoyed about the movie while eating delicious snacks. Although the typhoon still scared her, she somehow felt that it wouldn’t be so terrifying spending her time like that.

“You are more knowledgeable than myself when it comes to movies. I would like to watch something that fits the clamorous weather.”

“Oh, r-right. Also, there’s a dish I’ve always wanted to make. I think it would be the perfect fit for watching a movie, but...maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to spend money needlessly?” Kitase surely would have shaken his head at that. Wridra smiled, realizing that that man’s easygoing attitude had been affecting her own personality. She had to admit, she was completely fine with that.

“Hah, hah, I look forward to it. You should get plenty of cooking practice for when you watch movies with Kitase. I am sure he would be quite thrilled if you did.” The roaring winds were still quite terrifying. Still, the elf happily smiled and squeezed the dragon’s hand, then began walking forward. It was hard to believe she was too scared to take another step forward not too long ago.

And so, the two faced their first typhoon together.

The wind blew from all directions, causing their plastic shopping bag to flutter noisily. However, the tall woman holding the bag looked unconcerned, and she looked around her surroundings as her hair danced in the wind.

The trees at the park were swaying dramatically, scattering their leaves out onto the streets. Marie, who was being led by her hand, was beginning to have trouble walking against the violent wind without turning away from it.

Something splattered on her cheek, then another, and before she knew it, raindrops began falling all over the place. The sound of wind quickly turned into something heavy and solid, and Marie’s eyes opened wide.

“Ah! It’s raining! It’s coming down hard, we should hurry!”

“Yes, this is quite the bout of heavy rain. If I let go of your hand, you may go flying away, little elf. I would like to see whether you could truly fly up onto those rooftops.”

“Oh, stop it!” Marie wrapped her arms around Wridra from behind. The Arkdragon was caught off guard by this, but found herself feeling quite delighted. The dense clouds flying overhead were flowing as quickly as the river they had seen earlier. But as the raindrops fell upon their clothes and down their skin, they were having much more fun than they’d ever had in the rain before.

The lively sound of boisterous laughter and high-pitched screams seemed to deflect the sound of the rainy torrent. Their voices rang out all the way back home.

Marie pulled her soaking wet clothes off of her skin, then made a rather dissatisfied face. Even in the dark, unlit dressing room, the sound of the rain could still be heard.

“The raincoat was no match for a typhoon. There was no point in wearing one at all.”

Her clothes were completely wet. It was difficult to undress right away, and she complained the whole time as she struggled to get them off. She shivered as the chilly air touched her skin and water trickled from her hair and down her back.

When she peeked inside the bathroom, she saw that Wridra was turning the knob on the shower. Hot water began spouting out, filling the bathroom with steam.

“What a luxury it is to be able to dispense hot water immediately.”

“Wridra, you should stop appreciating it and get undressed. We have no time to take turns taking a shower when we’re both soaking wet. Let’s hurry up and get in.”

Wridra nodded, then threw her shirt and pants off at once. Perhaps she had seen this coming and chose to wear clothes that were easy to remove. As Wridra stood there with her alluring body on full display without a hint of modesty, Marie found that she was the one getting embarrassed for some reason. Her mouth flapped wordlessly for a moment, then uttered a complaint.

“You should learn to be a bit more modest. You’ll have to change properly in the dressing rooms when we go to Izu, you know?”

“Hm? But we can simply dress in the car. Agh, have it your way. I would rather not deal with a nagging little elf and human. I will use the so-called dressing room if you insist.” Wridra already knew that there was no arguing when Marie wrinkled her brow and made that disgruntled pout. She waved her hands in a gesture of surrender, and Marie seemed satisfied.

The rain was still pouring down upon Koto Ward outside, but the hot shower seemed to stave off its scariness a bit. “You were nearly blown onto the rooftops, little elf,” Wridra teased in the steam-filled bathroom. In the living room, the DVD they had rented awaited them. Marie couldn’t wait to watch it, and she felt that her fear of typhoons would be completely forgotten at this rate.

Just then, hot water was splashed onto her, and she burst into laughter for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the sheer joy she had seen on Wridra’s face.

There was a proverb that went “Danger past, God forgotten.” The typhoon that had struck fear into Marie’s heart was changing shape inside of her. Although it was still a frightful day overall, she now understood that it wasn’t as dreadful as she’d thought as long as she was prepared.

As the typhoon officially landed, it scattered massive beads of rain and storm winds all around Koto Ward. The windows in the dressing room shuddered and creaked terribly. However, it felt like the typhoon was getting farther away from the residence of a certain elf, perhaps due to the joyful voices reverberating in the bathroom.

Some time later, Wridra pulled the DVD out of the bag to reveal the picture of a dinosaur baring its fangs on it. The movie they had chosen to watch in the typhoon was focused on the ancient creatures known as dinosaurs. Marie had worried about whether it was fine for her to use Kitase’s membership card, and she had been relieved when the employee at the rental shop didn’t say anything about it.

“It was kind of fun having no other customers around because of the typhoon,” Marie said as she opened the refrigerator to get some juice. She had already changed into her half-sleeve pajamas and had a bath towel hanging over her shoulder.

“Indeed, the city looked completely different today. The shutters were down all over the place. It reminded me of the country on the other side... Ah, this juice is for me? Mm, you will make a fine wife someday, Marie.” Wridra smiled happily as she accepted the glass of peach juice Marie handed her.

There was nothing better than a glass of chilled peach juice after washing off the rain with a hot shower. The thick texture, refreshing aftertaste, and fruity sweetness were pure bliss as she drank it down.

“Simply heavenly. Hm, you seem to have a thorough understanding of the drinks in this country now. Do not tell me you have been trying out different drinks every day.” Marie’s shoulders twitched, but she didn’t turn around from where she stood in the kitchen. Judging by the way her long ears were swaying, Wridra’s guess was probably correct.

She took another sip of her refreshing drink, then stared out the window. The rain splattering against the glass window was getting steadily stronger and roaring loudly.

It was understandable that a child would find it intimidating. But if one simply stayed inside their room, their fear would never get resolved. Kitase was overprotective in that sense, but if he had been alive as long as Wridra had, he may have adopted her thought process as well.

Wridra considered just how much she had been influenced by him. She had been so tired from taking care of her whelps at first, but now she couldn’t get enough of it. That was part of the reason why she had been sending her duplicate to Japan less and less frequently. But it was difficult for her to stop visiting completely. After all, she loved Mariabelle and Kitase as if they were her own children. Perhaps one day, she would let them play with her actual offspring. If that day was to come, the manor they were building on the second floor of the labyrinth would be the ideal place to make it happen.

“Hah, hah, they say children tend to resemble their parents. I did not expect to become more human instead.” She could no longer stop her smile from spreading. Wridra never imagined she would become the doting parent type, but there wasn’t much she could do now that she was. She would continue to enjoy life and watch them grow. As such thoughts occupied her mind, a gentle scent filled the air. It was similar to roasting potatoes, and it seemed to be coming from whatever Marie was cooking. But what could this enticing smell have been?

She rose to her feet and peeked over Marie’s shoulder to find the appetizing food before her.

“Ah, a deep-fried dish. It smells quite wonderful. I shall try a bite...”

“When do you intend on changing out of that bath towel? We don’t allow walking around wearing nothing but a bath towel in this house. You’d better get dressed, or no movie and snacks for you.”

“No, wait! I will get dressed, so give me just a moment!” It was hard to believe Marie had been scared out of her mind from the typhoon earlier that day. Wridra nearly said this out loud, but instead she rushed away with long strides out of fear of getting the snacks taken away.

Marie sprinkled some salt onto the freshly fried potatoes. And so, the dish perfect for watching movies was complete...that which was commonly known as “fries.”

However, it was vital for one to not underestimate this food just due to its simplicity. The starch had to be removed by soaking the potatoes in water, and then those potatoes had to be wiped down and fried twice on low and high heat. The girls’ teeth sank into the fries’ crunchy exterior and warm, soft interior. They smiled as they tasted the simple yet delicious flavor on their tongues.

“Ah, this is excellent! Truly the perfect snack for viewing movies. Not only are you a beauty, but you can cook as well. You will make a fine wife indeed.”

“Hehe, I’ve been training every day, you know. If there’s one thing Kazuhiro-san is good at, it’s cooking. I can’t let myself lose to him as a woman.” Hmm, she does not even deny being called a wife... Wridra thought. She wanted to point this out, but decided the risk of having her fries get taken away was not worth it.

And so, the dinosaur movie began with the sound of the typhoon in the background. As an aside, they had picked this movie out of curiosity, since dinosaurs did not exist in their world.

“Now that I think about it, they are similar to the Koopah that appeared at the oasis.”

“Oh, oh, look at that! So big.” It was far more realistic than they had expected, and there was a surprisingly wide variety of species. It appeared they were largely separated between carnivores and herbivores.

“Humans are quite bold to use these creatures for profit. Oh, that herbivore has such a long neck. Its beady eyes are adorable too.”

“They appear to be different from dragons. They do look great, however. I appreciate any powerful carnivores with sharp fangs.” The two looked at each other in wonder as they chewed on their fries.

The movie’s storyline was quite simple. Humans had revived dinosaurs in order to use them to make money, but they went out of control due to an accident, leading to mass panic.

They had rented the video purely out of curiosity for dinosaurs, but it became evident that the story was perfect to watch during a typhoon as it went on. As the men in the movie screamed helplessly, a powerful torrent was arriving in Koto Ward.

The pounding rain outside made them feel as if they were really in the movie, amplifying their tension and fear. It felt as if there was no escaping the terrifying creatures no matter how much they ran. This sense of horror was part of the fun, but since she hadn’t built much of a tolerance for this sort of entertainment yet, Marie simply froze in place with some fries still in her hand.

The colossal predator looked down upon one of the characters with its horrible, hungry eyes. Any being faced with such a creature was rendered completely powerless. And so, another one fell victim.

“I don’t like this. Where did all the cute herbivores go?”

“Hm, this one is quite powerful. Perhaps even stronger than an advanced Koopah.” The man on screen finally found the light he had dropped, and he switched it on to find comfort in the light.

However, the light revealed the giant eye of a reptile, and the way its pupils dilated struck fear into the hearts of the viewers. This was the scary thing about these thriller films. They always had a way of lulling the viewer into a false sense of safety before the scare. Although simple, this method was quite effective.

“Eeeeeek!” Wridra didn’t know how to react as Marie wrapped her arms around her from behind.

The Arkdragon realized she could whisper something scary into the elf’s ear to get an even bigger reaction out of her. The thought was awfully tempting. At the same time, she was impressed that Kitase had been able to withstand such a reaction all this time.

Marie clung to Wridra with all her might, trembling from the sound of the rain slamming against the windows. Now that she was in Kitase’s shoes, she was amazed that he could endure the sensation of Marie’s beating heart and breasts pressed against him. There was no denying he had a lot of self-restraint.

“Hm, I suggest you do not ever watch movies with any other man.”

“Huh? What are you... Oh no! It’s chasing after the car!” Marie seemed rather distressed, but this movie was considered one of the kinder thriller films. After all, the good people survived in the end, and after the climax of the story, the night of horror came to an end and the viewer was rewarded with the sight of a beautiful blue sky. Marie let out a sigh of relief.

Then, Wridra noticed something.

She poked the elf’s shoulder, then gestured toward the window. Sunlight could be seen outside. After the passing of a fierce storm, a fascinating view was always left in its wake. A beautiful, clear, blue sky, as far as the eye could see.

“Wow... It cleared right up.” Seeing the look of blank amazement on Marie’s face, Wridra couldn’t help but burst out laughing. She then slid the window all the way open, letting in a rush of fresh air. The two took it in blissfully, their half-dried hair wavering in the refreshing wind.

“Mm, that feels nice!”

“Hah, hah, quite sensational. So this is what the wake of a typhoon is like. I must say, I could get used to this feeling.”

It was hard to believe Marie was too frozen in fear to take a single step forward. “Yeah!” she said as she nodded in agreement to the dragon’s words, her purple eyes alight with wonder. With the credits rolling behind her, she stared up into the blue sky.

At that moment, she had a feeling that the next time a typhoon came, she would wait for it with a heart full of anticipation and wonder.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, enjoying the view of the summer sky together.

§

Mariabelle had been reading when she heard the front door open, and she stood up from her chair right away. It was, of course, Kitase, who appeared in a suit and wore a rare apologetic look on his face.

“Sorry I’m late, Marie. The train was delayed because of the strong winds, and I wasn’t able to buy any food for dinner. Wait, what smells so nice?” Marie took his bag with a cheerful expression, and Kitase loosened his tie as he sniffed the air, confused. The room was filled with the scent of spices and seasoning. He couldn’t hide his surprise when he saw what was in the kitchen.

“Wow, did you make curry? That’s amazing. I was hungry too.”

“Hehe, I thought you might be coming home late. Now, take a seat once you get dressed. We have the raid on the third floor coming up tonight, you know.” Wridra watched the two out of the corner of her eye while reading a magazine, and she found them to be a heartwarming sight for some reason. She couldn’t help it after seeing Marie’s efforts in acting as if she hadn’t been afraid of the typhoon. Not to mention, the look on her face said she couldn’t wait for him to try her curry.

Wridra took a sip of her coffee and hid her smile so the others couldn’t see. It seemed both the typhoon and Kitase’s day at work had ended without incident.