Summer stay                                                  

This story begins with a old man who after checking into his hotel for a one-night stay,he stepped out of his accommodation.

Looking up at the sky,he saw birds chirping under the clear blue canopy and thought to himself that it might be a good idea to buy a fan from a nearby vendor. After handing over the money with a smile, they exchanged a polite nod.

He found a bench, opened the fan, and sat down to cool himself while under the hot sun. He spent some time simply watching people go by. Soon, his stomach began to grumble.

“l think it's time for a good lunch”, he muttered glancing at his watch with a grin.

He stood up and made his way into a nearby shopping district. He came upon a takoyaki stand and bought a portion. He ate it while standing near the stall, watching as people waited for their turn. After devouring his first victim, his eyes were already on his next prey. 

Right next to the takoyaki stand was a yakitori stall. He gestured to the server at the other stand for two portions and once again watched as people came to order food. Not yet satisfied with the prey he had caught, he continued to scan the area. He chose his next victim—steamed sweet potatoes—and ate them while walking he then spotted an ikayaki stand.

While finishing off the last of his snack mercilessly, he hurried to order the ikayaki and ate it while watching customers come and go. Now walking with a toothpick between his lips, belly rounded and shirt buttons on the verge of bursting, he strolled on.

He passed scenes of children with their parents and young people in school uniforms, the afternoon sun now settling somewhere between 6:00 and 7:00 PM." He decided to sit on a bench, breathed in deeply, and closed his eyes.

Just then his phone rang. The caller ID said Daughter. He answered. In the distance, you could see him laughing and smiling while she spoke. People passed by like shadows around him as time moved on. 

“Okay then”, she said.

“It sounds like you're having a good time over there. Just don't stay up all night, and don't drink too much. But if you do, please do it at the hotel. I don't want you walking all alone at night drunk.”

“l can handle myself perfectly fine, thank you”, he said with mock offense.

“Hmm, okay then. Have fun Talk to you again.”

“Bye”, he said.

“Bye”, she echoed.

When the call ended the sun had already set. He looked at his phone with a mild annoyance and said. 

“l didn't take a train halfway across the country just to eat dinner at a hotel and sleep.”

He got up and began walking through the food district, eyes scanning the stores and streams of people.Suddenly, he caught the scent of an aroma trail, which led him to an izakaya not far away.

He lifted the noren curtain hanging at the entrance and stepped inside. He glanced at the liquor shelf. His daughter’s face appeared in his mind—her pointing at him sternly and warning him, Don’t drink outside the hotel at night.He waved the image away like smoke. He looked to his side tonight’s special: curry.the board read,

“One plate of tonight's special, please,” he told the chef.

“Coming right up,” the chef replied.

We then see the chef  ladle rice, pour thick curry over it, and garnish it with parsley, then place it on the counter.The old man eat in silence, occasionally glancing at the sake bottles on the shelf. Just as he finished, Three middle-aged salary men entered the izakaya and the one said. 

“One sake by the bottle, please!” the man shouted.

“Tonight, we celebrate my daughters wedding engagement!”

The old man smiled and offered congratulations as the group took seats on both sides of him and the man said, 

“Please, have a glass in honor of my daughter," he insisted. 

“Let’s all be merry! It’s my treat.” 

The old man chuckled, shyly lifting his empty glass and said.

“Well, one won’t hurt."

We see him as he sat, taking his first sip, then letting out a satisfied grunt—then another sip, and then another. 

The four men, now with their arms around each other’s necks, swaying side to side, singing gibberish then the old man got up to leave, and the happy father got up too—flushed and tipsy. They both bowed to each other formally, then hugged.

Meanwhile, the younger men saluted the old man playfully but with earnest as he walked away in his drunken state. The old man now stumbling with every step, down a quiet alley on his way to his hotel. Bumped into a bin and began to look visibly nauseous then a voice in the distance called out, 

 “Sir, are you all right?” 

He did not turn—still bent over—as images of all the food he had eaten in that day appeared in his mind. As the lady calling out to him came into view, we see that it is Mugi, with Yuzu who is still locking up watching quietly while she rubbed the old man’s back.

At that moment, his body couldn’t hold it anymore—and he puked to put it nicely a lot of rainbows, with little clouds at the bottom.

The streetlamp the only light near them shone down on him and Mugi. The old man waved, as if to dismiss her, and walked off without a word. Mugi and Yuzu , watched silently as he went. He arrived at his hotel room, still fully dressed and  collapsed onto his bed, smiling like a fool.

While lying there, he turned his head and looked out past his hotel room balcony at the clear sky and full moon. He then slowly got up, grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, took a sip, and stepped out onto the balcony.

He loosened his tie, unbuttoned the top of his shirt, and smiled peacefully as the light of the moon shone on his face.

In the stillness of the night, while the moon kissed his face, a quiet sick feeling came over him. Now, with both hands gripping the railing... A river of rainbows and clouds violently poured out of him when someone below screamed. 

 "HEYYYY!".

The end.     

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