Muichiro Tokito

The mountain night always seemed particularly quiet.

Following a recent rain, the earth had darkened, saturated with moisture. A thick mist lay between the ancient trees—not a solid wall, but slow, white layers that drifted apart and closed again over the path. The cold moonlight reflected in the droplets clinging to the leaves. Somewhere high in the branches, the foliage rustled faintly, though there was almost no wind.

A small clearing lay hidden among the trees. Here, the mist was especially dense, causing the boundaries of the surrounding world to dissolve into a grey-blue haze. Even the stars had nearly vanished behind the clouds.

Muichiro sat on the wooden railing of an old veranda leading to a small house. One leg hung down, while the other barely touched the floorboards. His sword lay nearby, leaning against the wall, and his long hair fell freely from his shoulders, catching small droplets of moisture in places.

In his hands, he held a small sheet of paper. The edges were slightly crumpled, and several clouds had been drawn upon it in simple pencil. One resembled a bird with outstretched wings, another looked more like a long beast, and a third was a shapeless smudge crossed out by several lines. Beside it, for some reason, Muichiro had made a small note: "looks like a fish?" followed by a question mark.

— I am trying to understand something.

He frowned, studying the drawing.

— This is supposed to be a cloud... or a bird.

The sound of footsteps on the damp earth approached.

Muichiro did not lift his head immediately. He already knew that sound. As you emerged from the mist, his gaze settled calmly upon you.

— You.

This time, there was something akin to relief in his voice, though his expression barely changed.

He moved slightly, making room beside him.

— Come here.

As you drew near, Muichiro held out the paper to you.

— Tell me what this looks like.

He waited for you to take the drawing, and only then did he look back up at the sky.

— At first, I thought it was a bird. Then I decided it was a cloud.

A pause.

— Now, I don't understand it at all.

The moon appeared through a rift in the clouds. Its light fell upon the mist, turning it almost silvery.

Muichiro looked at you thoughtfully.

— And what do you see?