[BOOK REVIEW] "I'LL COME WITH THE RAIN"

When discussing literary works by author Ichikawa Takuji, many readers have offered a very interesting observation: they are neither romance novels nor science fiction, but are categorized specifically as "Ichikawa Takuji" works. Among them, "I'll Come with the Rain" is perhaps the most sparkling gem, shining with its unique and unmistakable quality. Calm like the flow of time, without needing flowery or ornate lyrics, the book gently touches the reader's heart through its simple and relatable love story.

I. A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE INSPIRATION FOR "I'LL COME WITH THE RAIN."

Ichikawa Takuji was born on October 7, 1962, in Tokyo. What surprises many readers is that the author once pursued a career as a professional track and field athlete and achieved many remarkable accomplishments. However, an injury during training forced him to abandon that dream. But it was because of this that we know Ichikawa Takuji today through many impressive works that have touched the hearts of millions of readers worldwide.

"I'll Come with the Rain" is not his debut work, but it is one of the most famous works from this author who began his writing career at a relatively late age. As commented on Reading-reviewing.com, the book is "both surreal and realistic, a sweet story about the enduring nature of love."

The reason the love story between Takumi and Mio in the book is so vivid is because it is based on the real-life love story of Takumi and his wife, Miho. The author's Asperger's syndrome haunted him throughout his adulthood, causing his relationship with Miho to break down. But ultimately, life's storms are just minor challenges to love; with enough sincerity and faith in each other, bright sunshine will shine everywhere.

II. I WILL COME WITH THE RAIN - FROM CHILDHOOD EMOTIONS TO A LOVE THAT WILL UNFORGETTABLE FOR THE REST OF ONE'S LIFE

In just 28 chapters, this love story, filled with a range of emotions, is told from the perspective of the husband, Takumi, taking readers on an adventure between memories and reality, from which they discover many valuable lessons about love and life.

II.1. Many coincidences have created "destiny," but whether it can become "love" depends on whether we are willing to seize the opportunity.

The love between Takumi and Mio began in their fifteen-year-old years, an age of innocence and carefree thoughts.

Both were serious individuals, though not outstanding students or born into wealthy families. At fifteen, Mio was even more "masculine" than the boys in her class.

With her metal-rimmed glasses, she was as calm as the soul of a coffee spoon, unconcerned with love. She wore her hair as short as it could possibly be, a knee-length school uniform skirt, and had no concept of earrings, necklaces, or lipstick. During class, she diligently took notes, rarely letting her gaze stray from four points: the blackboard, the teacher, her books, and her notebook.

She was truly a model student, in every sense of the word.

As for Takumi, he was a quiet and somewhat eccentric boy who coincidentally sat near Mio for all three years of high school. Even though there were class reassignments every year, somehow, they always ended up in the same class, the same group, his seat always to Mio's left, right, or behind her. It seemed there was a strange connection between Takumi and Mio, causing them to unknowingly enter each other's lives.

And on graduation day, just when it seemed they would part ways and become "old friends" from then on, Mio asked Takumi for his autograph book, causing him to accidentally leave his precious pen in the notebook. This gave them another "excuse" to meet.

Amidst the bustling crowd, they looked at each other, waiting for the other to speak. He hoped she would do something, only to realize that she hoped the same.

Things were in danger of ending here.

“The situation is…” he began. She looked at him expectantly. Her gaze gave him the courage to continue.

“Are you thirsty?” he said. “It’s so hot.”

If neither of them had said a word at that moment, perhaps Takumi and Mio would have had no connection whatsoever. Each would have continued on their chosen path, living in a future where the other only existed in memories. Just think, if Mio hadn’t felt even a little bit of affection for Takumi, she wouldn’t have prolonged the time returning the pen, and wouldn’t have hoped for their meeting to last longer.

It’s the same in our lives; sometimes, a single second of delay is enough to miss each other for a lifetime. With nearly 8 billion people on Earth, meeting each other is already difficult, and losing each other and trying to find each other again is even harder. Therefore, cherish the opportunity to be together.

II.2. Sometimes we think that breaking up is good for the other person, but in reality, staying together is better for both of us.

Takumi and Mio's love had only just begun when the first major test of their relationship struck. An illness at the age of 19 turned his life upside down:

He suffered from constant insomnia. He wanted to sleep to forget the pain, but the insomnia only made the pain worse. Leaving the house became increasingly difficult. At first, he couldn't go more than two hundred meters. (Visiting the hospital was a later occurrence.)

(...)Of course, he couldn't continue his university studies, and his future became bleak.

(...)He suffered from short-term memory loss. It was said that this was due to a problem in the hippocampus of his brain.

(...)Due to his excessive anxiety, he felt more insecure than necessary about anything. In his eyes, it was those who lived nonchalantly amidst this dangerous world who were the real problem.

Takumi didn't tell Mio the truth, fearing he would be a burden to her. He didn't want her to suffer beside him, a man with a bleak future, no decent job, probably only capable of growing a few tomatoes and living off his parents. He even deceived himself, thinking,

“I can't force you to spend your life with someone like me. We've only just begun. I can still let go of you.”

Finally, Takumi resorted to what he considered the best solution: staying far away from Mio.

He tried to be indifferent to her. He wasn't the kind of person who could deceive himself into being cold to her. No matter how hard he tried, all he could do was deliberately delay answering her, speak softly, and avoid looking her in the eye.

(...)If possible, he hoped she would be the one to leave him. For example, I'll fall in love with someone else. That way, I'll forget you faster.

(...)He acts dejected when he's with me. He deliberately sighs, deliberately lets me see him check his watch, and occasionally when I bring up the subject, he reluctantly pretends to care.

(...)“Is it okay if I don't take you home?”

“It's okay!” I said. “My house is right here.”

(...)“When can I see you?”

(...)“I don't know,” he replied. “I'm very busy.”

As an intelligent and perceptive girl, from his very first distant gesture, she sensed something was wrong. Despite being deeply hurt, she desperately clung to him. His replies were always very slow, sometimes ten days, then two weeks, but Mio persevered in sending letters. It was only when Takumi responded with bitter words that her letters became less frequent.

"Due to unavoidable circumstances, I'm afraid I won't be able to write to you anymore."

I'm sorry.

Goodbye.

Finally, Mio arrived at Takumi's workplace. Here, their relationship ended with Takumi's coldness.

“I might leave this town.”

“Are you going far away?”

“Maybe.”

“Abroad?”

He shrugged, as if to say, “I don’t know.”

“So that’s why you stopped writing to me?”

(...)“I’m sorry.”

(...)“But I still read all of Enokida’s letters. Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

She seemed to regret coming here. Even so, she mustered the courage to look up at him.

“We,” she said, “Someday… someday…”

She spoke each word slowly, looking at him with sad eyes.

“It would be nice to meet again. At a class reunion, for example. By then, we’ll both have families.”

“I wish you happiness. Because you’ve helped me so much, Enokida.”

“My happiness…” She struggled to utter these words. Her lips were tightly pressed together.

Later, he had the chance to ask her.

What she intended to say at that moment.

She replied: “My happiness is being your wife.”

Takumi thought that ending the relationship would prevent Mio from suffering because of him. But he didn’t consider her feelings and didn’t understand how hurt she was when her first love ended so vaguely. Perhaps being with Takumi would bring Mio many hardships. But he didn’t know that only he could make her happy.

In a relationship, using reason alone isn’t always the best approach. When facing difficulties, instead of remaining silent and shouldering everything yourself, feel free to express your thoughts to your partner. Because love is born for both partners to strive together to build a better future, it's not something to be measured or weighed.

Like the couple Takumi and Mio, even though we know that in the end, they were together and had a happy married life, even if only for a short time before Mio passed away, who knows, if Takumi had confessed his feelings earlier, they could have been together a little longer. Life is inherently limited; who knows when life will end? Therefore, cherish every moment we are fortunate enough to be together.

II.3. There is no party that doesn't end, so we must learn to accept separation.

In the story, before "leaving for the Storage Planet," Mio left a message for Takumi:

And true to her promise, in the rainy season of June the following year, she returned—or rather, Mio from her youth had traveled through time to the future. Although she temporarily lost her memory, this seemed to confirm one truth: whether Mio of the past, present, or future, she would always love Takumi. She knew for sure that in the future she would marry him, have children, and die before the age of 29, yet she still chose him because:

"When I love someone, I can't easily forget or hate them. Heaven created me to be someone who can only love once in a lifetime."

Therefore, I can only live and love my husband.

(...) "If I hadn't gone to that town that day, I wonder what would have happened?"

That thought appeared in her mind many times.

Even while sitting on the train to meet her husband that day, she thought the same thing.

If she had gotten off the train, turned back, and not met her husband, what would her life have been like?

Would she have married someone else?

Would she have lived with that person until they were old and gray? Are those peaceful, tranquil, happy days waiting for you ahead?

But when you're old, you'll wonder:

Is this the life you chose?

The life you desired so much that you disregarded even the most important things?

The future you envisioned during the rainy season when you were twenty-one.

A clumsy husband, with a pitiful face whenever you weren't around.

Your British prince.

You will forever lose the time you should have had with those two.

You will regret it.

Because you knew it beforehand.

Because you met your husband and child.

You cannot live a different life while still holding all those memories in your heart.

I have to get married and give birth to Yuji.

I have to welcome my son with my husband.

I will leave with a smile in my heart, filled with happy memories.

Honestly, not everyone can make a decision like Mio's. Choosing a path leading to one's own death just to be with someone for a few more years—how many people would dare to do that? As Mr. Nombre, the most familiar teacher of the Takumi family, lamented:

“Coming with the rain, leaving with the rain…”

Like a hydrangea.

Yes, Mr. Nombre whispered.

“But I fell in love again.”

(...)“How many people in this world are lucky enough to meet like that?”

(...)“Meeting each other means being drawn to each other. No matter how many times.”

(...)“Like that. Like the sky and the sea, they will inevitably merge into one. No matter where, no matter when.”

We are always searching for that one true love.

Some people experience many relationships, but others, like Takumi, dedicate their entire lives to commemorating one person. This doesn't mean that deeply loving someone means clinging to the past; on the contrary, it can be a motivation to move towards a beautiful future, even if the person we cherish only exists in memories and nostalgia.

CONCLUSION

"I Will Come with the Rain" is a novel for those who enjoy gentle, harmonious love stories without dramatic climaxes or emotional outbursts. When you close the book, a lingering sadness will remain in your heart, especially for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. However, readers understand that love doesn't disappear even when we are separated from our loved ones, because it always exists within each of us.