4 Xiangling's reaction

Just as Igarashi was contemplating if Xiangling was spreading word about him, two knocks came from the door.

*KNOCK!* ×2

Igarashi got shocked for a moment before immediately calming down. He stopped what he was doing and walked towards the wooden door. He opened it and what he saw next surprised him further.

"Eh?!" He said in surprise, out loud.

In front of him was a sobbing Xiangling, holding Gouba around his belly and the manga he gave to her.

'What the heck happened to her?!' Igarashi thought

He didn't know what to do so he just tried to understand the situation. "H-Hey Xiangling, why're you crying?"

Xiangling raised both of her arms and wiped her tears off of her eyes and replied. "I-It's because of t-this story... I felt emotional all of a sudden when I reached the ending..." She said this all while trying to keep her crying in.

When Igarashi heard her response, he was dumbstruck and powdered for a moment before realizing the situation.

'Oi, Isn't this a bit of an exaggeration? I mean, I know that some people that watched 'Your Name' felt emotional, but crying? That's...' Igarashi thought

However, his thinking was interrupted when Xiangling slammed on him and grabbed his shirt, and asked while crying: "B-Boss Y-Yunru... Please, you have to tell me! Did Mitsuha and Taki get together in the end?! Why d-did you have to end it like that?!"

Igarashi stayed calm and told her: "Alright, alright, stay calm. For your question, this is an open ending. Meaning that you can think of it however you want."

'Though, Makoto-sensei did announce that they got married during the events of 'Weathering with you', but that will be for another time' Igarashi secretly thought

He then added, "Now then, can you tell me how... All of this... Sobbing happened?"

Xiangling wipes her tears again and nodded, she then started telling the story.

* * *

[An hour ago]

Xiangling, who was permitted by her father to go outside and read the manga given to her by Igarashi, was mumbling some things as she flip each page of the book.

Things like: "No no! why is Taki not recognizing Mitsuha?!" Or "What is happening right now?!", and finally "Will they finally meet?!"

In short, she was nearing the end of the manga, and the suspense is killing her.

Her shouting even attracted some weird gazes from the customers or the passing people. Some were curious and peeked at the book a little while some just ignored her and moved on with their day.

As she flipped each page, the only thing in her mind was how the story will go out as there are only a few pages left. 'What will happen now...'

She then flipped another page and the familiar and popular scene was present, but colored.

On the page, Mitsuha and Taki were running trying to find the source of each other's voices, on top of a hill. 'I hope that they'll meet! Please!'

And finally, the famous scene of Mitsuha and Taki's silhouette passing by each other as the sun is setting behind them. Taki and Mitsuha turned around at the same time as they both felt something and when they did... They saw each other.

When Xiangling saw this, she squealed out loud, startling everyone near, even Gouba who was quietly eating. She immediately covered her mouth and apologized to the people. Then, she returned to reading. 'They met!'

'Two people from different places and times, meeting at such a setting! It's so unique!' She thought

She continued flipping each page, seeing the interaction between the two people. At first, Xiangling found the idea of switching bodies at random times with the opposite gender a weird concept, but as she progressed with the story, she found it a good concept. And seeing strange mechanisms and constructions, she had to admit that the country called 'Japan' in the book was amazing. 'I wonder if this 'Japan' exists... Is it a nation really far away? I wonder which Archon rules it... I should ask Boss Yunru later...'

But then, her happy mood of seeing Mitsuha and Taki soon disappeared, what followed was nervousness. The reason is that Mitsuha disappeared and Taki doesn't seem to remember her name anymore but kept trying. 'I have a bad feeling...'

She then grabbed Gouba and wrapped her arms around him and squished him tight. Gouba however, did not seem uncomfortable and did not mind it at all.

Xiangling continued reading. It was not just Taki who was having a hard time remembering, Mitsuha is also memorizing Taki's name but was having trouble. 'No...'

She continued reading as she saw Mitsuha doing her best to evacuate the people from her hometown away from the comet that was about to hit with the help of her friends. It then came to the moment when Mitsuha teared up as she forgot the name she was trying to remember. 'No, no! Both of them...'

Xiangling then focused on the comet that was going to not and thought: 'If Lord Geo was there, he could stop that comet anytime he wants...'

Then, she reached the page when the comet hit the lake of Mitsuha's hometown. "I wonder what will happen from this point on... What do you think, Gouba?"

"Lo ♪ Lo ♪" Gouba replied

"Umu... You're right..." She said as she caressed Gouba's head.

Xiangling continued reading. She watched as Mitsuha managed to avert the disaster she and Taki were trying to prevent. But the cost of it... Is that both of them can't remember any of their memories... 'Just how was Boss Yunru able to come up with this masterpiece? It can't be that this actually happened... Right?'

From the day Mitsuha saved her hometown, she completely forgot about Taki. All of their conversations and... Unique relationship, gone. No one remembers at all. Xiangling flipped another page, feeling emotional, and there, she saw an adult version of Mitsuha, but a single tear was falling down her face. Mitsuha achieved her dream. She had achieved her dream; She moved out of her hometown and moved to the capital city Tokyo and passes college. She was now living the dream she always wanted.

'But something feels... Amiss...' Xiangling thought

She flipped a page again, and this time, Mitsuha met up with her friends that helped her years ago, they chatted a bit but Xiangling noticed something. 'The restaurant that they're eating at... It's where Taki worked!'

During the first early chapters, Xiangling was really attracted to the restaurants shown in Igarashi's manga. She saw all sorts of food that she was itching to remake. The most memorized restaurant in her mind was the restaurant Taki workers at, as such, she remembers the resemblance very well. "No way... Will they meet again?! After all the years that gone by?!"

She flipped again but more excitedly to the next chapter. Then, she saw Taki also meeting up with his past friends that helped him get to Mitsuha's hometown. They too ate at a restaurant. Taki and his friends parted ways and he was now going home.

It was currently snowing as he walked on a bridge. Taki silently walked the snow-covered bridge, alone at night. It was at this moment that another figure walked past him. He ignored it at first but then immediately turned around.

And at this moment, Xiangling's suspense can't be contained anymore. She was so excited that she immediately slipped to the next page. But her expectations were not met as the girl that walked passes Taki was actually... Mitsuha's sister, an older version. "Noooooo! I thought that they would meet here again!"

She flipped the pages again and saw that Mitsuha was being called back to her hometown to see her grandmother. She was even threatened by her grandmother that if she didn't come, she would put her into an arranged marriage, which left Mitsuha with no choice but to plan to go back.

She entered a train, a transportation that still confused Xiangling.

She kept thinking of who the person she was looking for. The person that she... Forgot. She then looked out the train's window and saw... Taki!

"What?!" Xiangling shouted out loud. The appearance of Taki out of nowhere caught her off guard. She thought of many methods of how they would meet again but not like this! 'They met again!'

She flipped another page and saw Taki and Mitsuha, running to find each other. Until finally, the two of them met at a stairway.

It was the iconic place where Mitsuha and Taki met again.

Mitsuha and Taki didn't try to talk to each other and just slowly walked past each other.

"Wait! Wait! What are you doing?! She's right there! Talk to her!" Xiangling shouted. The people around her aren't even startled anymore. She's been screaming random things for a while now. They got used to it immediately.

She flipped another page and saw Taki stopping and shouted "Excuse me!" To Mitsuha. The latter stopped and looked at Taki.

'"I... I think I've met you before!" Taki said

Mitsuha made a small smile and replied with a bright smile "Me too!"

And just like that, the manga 'Your name' ended.

As for Xiangling, she was silent for a moment and tried to comprehend what just happened.

One thing led to another and she teared up. More things happened and she stormed Igarashi's place for some answers.