“Araiso! Araiso!” Kasei called, running through the dark pouring rain. “Shit, he might’ve…” Kasei didn’t want to finish that thought. “Araiso!” He called.

For a while, Kasei called and called through the rain.

Finally he could make out what sounded like crying coming from the slopes off the highway.

Kasei couldn’t see through the rain, but he didn’t need to. He could see a soft glow. Slowly, he walked to the edge and slid down the muddy grass to the base of the slope. Then he went farther into the trees, and stopped when he could see it clearly.

Fully transformed, covered in mud, and glowing, Araiso was crying huddled next to a tree.

“I’m sorry…” Kasei said first, as he approached through the rain.

Araiso looked to him, then away, trying to stop his crying.

Kasei swallowed his nervousness, then slowly walked closer. “Are you hurt?”

“No…” Araiso answered softly.

Kasei knelt beside him lifting Araiso’s head to look at him. “You’re all wet…”

“That makes me transform…”

“So, you’re glowing…” Kasei nodded, looking him over. “Wow. You sure got covered in mud fast.” He paused, “Why are you still crying? I didn’t hit you that hard, did I?”

“No…” Araiso shook his head, “The clothes your sisters got me are all ruined.”

Kasei blinked, then laughed.

“What?”

“Nothing…” He chuckled, smiling at Araiso. “They’re just wet like you. They’ll be fine once they’re dry. Wanna go back?”

“I can’t like this, Kasei.”

Kasei looked around in thought. “Yeah..” He paused, “I wonder if he’s that… No, he can’t be that smart.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” Kasei pulled off his raincoat and wrapped it around Araiso. “Hang on to me.”

“What?” Araiso asked, then yelped and clung to Kasei as he was lifted like a princess up. “P-Put me down!”

“Sure, once we’re back inside.”

“B-b-but-but!”

Kasei didn’t listen, and carried Araiso back to his house. Getting in without anyone noticing wasn’t easy. It involved a lot of quiet wet steps.

Soon enough though, Araiso was sitting on a few towels in Kasei’s room with a few more on him.

“Sorry.” Araiso said.

“It’s fine.” Kasei said, squatting next to Araiso with the hair dryer aimed at him on full blast. “You sure are taking a while to transform back.”

“Should be soon.”

“Your cheek ok?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll check it out after you turn back.”

“Okay.”