So many horribly exhausted faces lined up in the windows of the Toyoko Line overhead
Luckily or unluckily, I’m a weekday straggler on a different path
I daydream about friends I’ve not heard from in a while, imagining my father in his youth
Black clouds cover the floodplains, but is my future what they’ll darken?

The days I wrote about loneliness and moving forward, I was at a loss on a muddy road
A stray child let out a song of praise for a coward, pure nonsense, that sounded like crying and wailing
That’s right, don’t take the things said behind your back so seriously, calling it a disgrace
Me myself, I already knew far too much about living out one’s life with the darkness

When I was shown kindness, my heart shuddered
I felt like I could die, if it was for that feeling
I truly thought that! Go on, laugh! Please, laugh at me!
I hung my head and peered into a puddle, trampling on my reflected, tearstained face
There’s no way this’ll go well for me… Today it’s pouring down hard again
Come to think of it, it rained like this back then, too

I always hated talking about the future, so I never wanted to make any promises
Satoshi called me for the first time in forever, so terribly drunk
The accent of a hometown where nothing changes, and the bits and pieces of a conversation held on the verge of tears
After all the stupid gossip, I made him a promise, “Let’s go for drinks sometime”

Don’t make the reckless days when we raced frantically into just a decoration to look back on
Don’t tell off the past we shamefully blundered through, and the adjoining present, saying it was all pointless
The days of pouring rain that crushed down on my heart… I didn’t trust them with that much, anyways
So let me dare to say it—The future’s in our hands!

I have to keep my promises to my friends
That’s my only reason I can’t die yet
I truly thought that! Go on, laugh! Please, laugh at me!
I hung my head and peered into a puddle, and saw myself staring back, same as always
I tossed that guy a single wry smile… Today it’s pouring down hard again
Come to think of it, it rained like this back then, too

Building blocks of pessimism, optimism, demolishing each in turn, the edges of a wound that aches each time I look over my shoulder
A funny story from long ago, one that I should have forgotten
Will I sink or will I swim? Will I go on or will I turn back? Will it rain or will it shine? Will I do it or will I quit?
Will I win or will I lose? Can I stand up tall? Can I do it all over again? Will I live or will I die?
I said, “There’s no rain that won’t end” “There’s no night that won’t dawn” and stopped trusting the future with my hopes
Dripping wet amidst this downpour, can I run on?
…Today it’s pouring down hard again

Come to think of it, it rained like this that day, too

酷く疲れた幾つもの顔が　車窓に並ぶ東横線の高架
僕はと言えば幸か不幸か　道外れた平日の落伍者
音沙汰ない友達と重ねる　若かった親父を空想する
河川敷を覆う黒い雲が　暗くしたのは僕の行く末か

孤独と歩む創作の日々は　ぬかるんだ道で途方に暮れた
迷子が泣き叫ぶ声にも似た　「愚にもつかない弱虫の賛歌」
そう後ろ指さされる事に　むきになる己を恥と言うな
暗闇と生涯暮らすには　僕はもう沢山知りすぎた

優しくされたら胸が震えた　それだけの為に死んでもいいや
本気で思ってしまった　笑ってよ　笑ってくれよ
うな垂れて覗き込む水溜り　映り込む泣き顔踏みつけたり
上手くいかねぇもんなんだな　今日も土砂降り
そういや　いつかもこんな雨だった

未来の話は嫌いだった　だから約束もしたくなかった
久しぶりに電話をかけてきた　聡は酷く酔っぱらっていた
何も変わらない地元訛り　泣きそうになる会話の端々
馬鹿な世間話をした後に　約束したんだ「行こうぜ飲みに」

がむしゃらに駆けた無謀な日々を　懐かしむだけの飾りにするな
恥さらしのしくじった過去と　地続きの今日を無駄となじるな
心が潰れた土砂降りの日に　すがるものはそれ程多くない
だからあえて言わせてくれよ　未来は僕らの手の中

友達の約束を守らなきゃ　それだけが僕の死ねない理由
本気で思ってしまった　笑ってよ　笑ってくれよ
うな垂れて覗き込む水溜り　映り込む相変わらずな僕に
苦笑い一つ放り込む　今日も土砂降り
そういや　いつかもこんな雨だった

悲観　楽観　交互に積み木崩し　振り返る度に痛む傷口
とうの昔に忘れたはずの笑い話
乗るか反るか？　行くか戻るか？　雨か晴れるか？　やるか止めるか？
勝つか負けるか？　立上がれるか？　やり直せるか？　生きるか死ぬか？
「やまない雨はない」「明けない夜はない」
とか言って明日に希望を託すのはやめた
土砂降りの雨の中　ずぶ濡れで走っていけるか？
今日も土砂降り

そういや　いつかもこんな雨だった