June 15th, 2025, Minato Tokyo
The rain was falling, not with the anger that from time to time characterized it in certain circumstances when mother nature poured on man her hand, but rather as a caress towards the earth and the flora that was waiting to return to the memory of her mother so that she would give her life streams to drink.
Little Nozomi loved rainy days. She loved to put on her yellow raincoat, her frog boots and go out to hop over the puddles and play with some insects that came out of the ground.
She hopped over one of the puddles, in the eyes of the adults her giant leaps were just adorable little splashes. Her sister could perhaps only worry that she might catch a cold, but Nozomi had been doing the same thing for a long time without getting sick. It seemed that the rain was her friend and in Nozomi's own words, being able to listen to the rain and smell the wet earth cleared her mind. She had fun looking for hidden treasures and staining her hands with mud as she sculpted figures she saw in her favorite cartoons.
That day she was having fun sculpting, the rain was soft and gentle with the city and her sister, despite being locked in her room, was taking care of her, or so Nozomi thought. Haruka has been closer to her lately, something that was strange because since her last big concert she had been very bad from what her mother had told her and that's why she was trying not to bother her so much. She remembered how Haruka carried her on her back and played with her having tea and... of course... her concerts.
As Nozomi sculpted a figure that was anything but like her sister she remembered. The last concert was amazing; her sister dressed in white as thousands of people screamed her name. She remembered how she screamed louder than anyone else and waved her white light bracelets as one of Haruka's bodyguards lifted her above the entire tide of over eighty thousand people to let her sister know that she was there, supporting her. After all she was her number one fan, no matter how many people tried to get that title she would always, in the words of her sister herself, be number one.
That day Haruka had told her she could play for an hour in the rain while she took a nap, the watch she had been given of an adorable little pink dog with glitter marked the hours in a cute way if you could call it that and she had fought her hours so she could get her mother to buy it for her. The clock chimed barking adorably as a dog from some series would and Nozomi stopped sculpting. Her favorite cartoon was about to start, she loved so much the series her mother put on for her that were mostly echoes of the past that lingered and marked a before and after in her genre.
—It's almost time.
She got up and wiped the mud from her hands awkwardly on her yellow raincoat.
—Ready...
She looked at the house and prepared to enter cheerfully. He jumped up and reached the door. He looked around him, the huge buildings loomed like fallen giants in the rainy weather, as if they were defying the very God of the land. She turned her gaze to the door and tried to open it, jumped a few times, but could not reach the handle.
—Haruka, can you open the door for me?
She went out again to the courtyard and looked at her sister's window, it was dark, and the windows were closed while the half-closed curtains barely showed anything, the ceiling.
—Is she asleep?
She became pensive until she remembered that her mother always left a little bench near her flowerpot. Joyfully she ran as she imagined she was a fairy flying through an enchanted forest on a mission to enter the crystal castle of the queen of the fairies. Laughing, she picked up the stool and placed it at the entrance to the door, successfully opening the handle this time.
The warm air of her house came out to meet her. Outside, cold winds still swept through the city like silent ghosts. Somewhat awkwardly he removed his yellow raincoat and left his frog boots before the little step that welcomed him into the house.
—Ready. I'll see you later Captain Frog.
She bowed and ran with laughter into the living room so she could turn on the TV without noticing that she didn't put on her socks or her elephant slippers. On his way something came to his mind, the weather was cold, although the heating did its part, but that kind of weather was ideal for enjoying his cartoons with a relaxing cup of chocolate with marshmallows and some chocolate chip cookies.
She stopped dead in front of the screen.
—I want hot chocolate with marshmallows... but... — She paced around the room, circling the sofa like a shark eyeing its prey—. Mommy put the cookies and chocolate on the top shelf.
She put her hand to her chin as she thought about what to do.
—What can I do, Mr. Chispas?
The chinchilla stuffed animal fell onto the sofa while Nozomi waited for his answer.
—You're right... Haruka is in the building, she could do it. But her bedroom light is off... —She turned to his other stuffed animal on the sofa— What can we do, Miss Didzzy? —The pink panda stuffed animal also rushed over to the sofa cushions. It felt just like Mr. Sparks.
Nozomi looked at the stairs. She didn't want to bother her sister, but at the same time, she wanted that chocolate with all her heart.
––Both Mr. Sparks and Miss Didzzy are right, it's a dangerous mission, but... without that chocolate, I won't be able to sleep peacefully. It's done...
She nodded to herself and decided to go upstairs to her sister's, her mother's, and her own bedrooms, but not before juggling to pick up Mr. Chispas and embark on the journey to the upper floor. The stairs were always difficult for her to climb, as Nozomi was smaller than the other children, and in her eyes, those steps became a dangerous mountain where one false step meant falling into an abyss. She could see the top of the mountain as she placed Mr. Sparks on the next step.
—It's a dangerous expedition, Mr. Sparks. One false step and we could fall. Be very careful— she said, looking at Miss Didzzy—. Take care of the fortress in our absence!
She turned her gaze back to the top of the mountain. The brave was not afraid, so why should the world's greatest explorer be afraid?
She slowly climbed the stairs while trying to hold on tightly to the railing... or whatever she could reach. Perhaps in the future they will talk about her great ability to climb indomitable mountains, and her mother will reward her with chocolate for her courage.
She continued climbing the steps one by one, the wood creaking with each step as she and Mr. Sparks embarked on their journey. In her mind, rocks were falling, and the earth was shaking, which perhaps made it more fun in her eyes.
She carefully navigated the steps until she reached the second floor, which was just a long hallway. To her right was the second bathroom, and to her left was the hallway leading to the bedrooms. She was excited because she had navigated a thousand rocks in her mind, and when she turned her purple-eyed gaze back to the ground floor, she could see some rocks that were cushions resting on the floor.
—We did it, Mr. Sparks.
She walked cautiously to his sister's room and looked at the large door. The rain caressed the window with small taps while the wind chirped and blew some leaves from the nearby trees.
—Ha... ru... ka... —She whispered.
She knocked clumsily on the door.
—It's me... Nozomi.
She knocked on the door again. No one answered.
—Should I wake her up, Mr. Sparks?
The chinchilla stuffed animal watched her with those black eyes as she waited for her answer.
—No... Haruka has never minded. Besides, my sister code allows me to wake her up. According to Haruka, a sister code is like mom's rules, only more fun.
She jumped up and down trying to reach the doorknob. With each jump, her black hair swayed over her shoulders while her white skin glowed in the light of her house.
—Stay away, evil doorknob.
She tried with all her might to reach the handle, but unfortunately, just like with the door, she couldn't do it. She put Mr. Sparkles aside.
—We must find a way to get in—she said, looking around—Of course…
Underneath the table where there was a small pot with a rubber plant, there was a small bench that her mother used from time to time when she needed to put things down so as not to dirty the floor. After all, what woman likes to dirty the floor when it's clean? Without a doubt, Nozomi had received more than one scolding for dirtying the floor when it was clean.
She ran and slid under the table, pulling out the stool.
—Mission accomplished, Mr. Sparks! —She stood up and her head hit one of the table legs—Ouch!
A key fell out, which Nozomi looked at curiously. Her eyes lit up as if she had found treasure in a pyramid.
—You're right, Mr. Sparks... this must be the key to my sister's room.
She picked up the key and saw that it had a piece of paper attached to it. Slowly and clumsily, she spelled out the words one by one and realized that it was her sister's name.
—Look, it even says her name.
The stuffed animal fell again.
—You're right, you watch my back while I finish the mission.
She ran to Mr. Sparks and stood him back up, then returned for the stool. His footsteps echoed like little footsteps on the wood.
She dragged the stool with one hand while holding the key to his sister's room in the other. She climbed onto the stool and first tried to open the door without it. Unfortunately for her, it was locked, although perhaps the gods had been kind to her, as her clumsiness had given her the key to unlock the mysteries her sister was hiding in her room on that rainy afternoon. She carefully inserted the key, thinking that she was about to enter the ancient tomb of a great goddess.
—It's time— she thought as she turned the key and opened the door.
She climbed down from the stool and put it back where she had found it. Perhaps she would launch herself like a missile to wake her sister, tickling her until she cried and fought back... yes, that's what she would do. After all, Haruka used to wake her up the same way when she didn't want to wake up, although it wasn't very usual for Haruka to be at home.
—All set, Mr. Sparkles. Was anyone spying on us?
The stuffed animal fell again.
—Perfect. Let's go in together—She looked at her stuffed animal with determination.
She carefully opened the door, and the dark room revealed nothing but the sound of rain hitting the window.
—Ha...ru...ka
She pronounced her name maliciously as she entered the room.
—Where are you?"
The door began to open slowly, creaking as if it were a haunted house. The light began to gain ground and dispelled the darkness that bathed the room.
Nozomi's gaze changed completely. Lightning struck, and the sound caused the little girl to flinch as it illuminated her sister with a blinding glow, casting her shadow over her and bathing her for a few seconds.
The rain began to fall more furiously...
The light had partially illuminated Haruka's room, and she could see her as her eyes began to shrink, and her cheerful face began to change. Mr. Sparks hit the floor as the hand holding him lost its strength. She had begun to tremble.
Her sister was looking at her. Her eyes were lost, red, more bulging than she remembered, as if they had cried blood and fire, her mouth was open, drool coming out of it as her tongue swayed next to her body. Her beautiful face showed an expression that Nozomi could not understand, and the purple came out to meet her, staining her beautiful white face with that shade. Her lips, which had given her so many kisses, now showed only a cold purple color to her. Nozomi could only watch as it shook with a certain elegance while small spasms shook Haruka's inert body. Perhaps the demons were shaking her to mock her, moving her as if she were a rag doll.
Her panties were stained with a yellowish liquid that ran down her crotch to her legs and dripped onto the floor. The drops of her urine mingled with those of the rain, and she didn't understand why her sister would do that. She was a very clean woman; she had never seen her dress badly or smell like a homeless person might. The sound of the rope shaking the corpse was accompanied by the rain, and it was coiled around her neck like a snake would be to kill.
––Haruka?
Nozomi approached her sister with a hint of fear.
Her slow steps echoed through the deathly silence of that room, and with the strength she could muster, she grabbed her sister's leg.
The demons watched from the shadows, laughing as they stared at the corpse of that doll swaying in the wind, while the rain sang the ballad of death and cast its shadow upon her little sister.
—Haruka?
She began to shake her sister, trying to get a response.
—What's wrong? Answer me! This isn't funny!
The corpse swayed with a strange kind of elegance, if that could be called elegance at all. The rope was expertly tied, and the ceiling beams were strong enough to support the weight of a twenty-year-old girl.
Tears began to pour from Nozomi's eyes, and a chilling cold spread through her body.
That room… it felt different. It wasn't warm anymore. It wasn't her sister's room.
And she was starting to feel afraid.
Another lightning strike cast Haruka's shadow across Nozomi's body, cloaking her like a beast ready to devour her.
—HARUKA!
She kept shaking her sister with growing hysteria.
—THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE, SISTER! HARUKA… ANSWER ME!
Saliva dripped to the floor with a disturbing rhythm, droplets of urine spread across the floor, and her black hair swayed in sync with the desperate movements her younger sister inflicted upon her.
—HELP! HELP, SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH MY SISTER!
She began to scream with all her strength, shaking her sister violently. Her cries alerted the entire neighborhood, as, unfortunately, Nozomi's mother had gone out shopping.
A gut-wrenching scream echoed through the area.
…
Live from Minato, Tokyo.
—This is Misaki Aoyama reporting from outside a house in the Minato district, where just moments ago, news broke that has shaken the nation—and the world: The singer Haruka Aihara, known as 'Japan's Angel,' has been found dead tonight inside her home.
The camera focused as medical personnel carried out a body on a stretcher, covered by a white sheet.
—According to official sources, the body was discovered by a close family member shortly after four in the afternoon. While there's still no formal statement from her agency, Hoshizora Entertainment, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have confirmed that it appears to be suicide. Haruka Aihara was just 20 years old. She was regarded as the most influential idol of the last decade prodigy born once in a century. Her voice, her songs, her flawless image… they marked an entire generation. Earlier this year, Haruka received the award for Best International Artist, and her final concert at the Tokyo Dome was watched by over three million people worldwide.
Now, only six weeks later, her star has faded under circumstances we still struggle to understand.
The camera panned slowly to the entrance of the house.
—Unofficial sources indicate that the artist may have left a letter, possibly addressed to her family. We do not yet have confirmation of its contents, but we await words from a relative, her manager, or the agency to shed more light on what might have happened.
She paused briefly.
—Behind the glitz and the applause… it seems there's a world we refuse to see.
A darkness that clouds our vision. Idol Haruka is yet another name on the growing list of artists who end their lives. It raises the question… is it worth giving your life for that world? We will remain here throughout the night. Thousands of fans are already beginning to gather, paying tribute to a star who, for many, seemed immortal."
She touched the earpiece in her ear and paused again. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
—We are now receiving confirmation from the studio: social media is overflowing with posts from devastated fans, and a potential system crash is expected. From Minato, this is Misaki Aoyama for NHK. Back to the studio.
It was a beautiful rainy day…
A quiet day beneath the city of Tokyo.