Adapted from Asen's album of the same name and his own real experience
Concept: The core concept of "Wake Up After the Rain" is to use an extremely real dream of a rainy night in Tokyo to explore the desire of lonely souls for gentle connection, the contrast between short-term beauty and the emptiness of reality, and the preciousness of the encounter itself - even if this encounter only exists in a dream, it will become a light that shines into the loneliness of reality. The novel uses the narrative of "foreign encounter - heart-pounding bond - sudden awakening from a dream" to materialize the protagonist's inner desire for companionship, understanding, and sincere connection into the gentle and beautiful existence of Murasaki Murasaki: she resolves the protagonist's loss and loneliness, and delivers delicate warmth with hand drawings, bedtime stories, and wool felt rabbits, responding to the protagonist's insomnia and sensitivity. This bond across languages is exactly the beauty missing in the protagonist's reality. The emptiness on the pillow after waking up from the dream and the fruitless search for "Murasaki" bring this beauty back to the coldness of reality, forming a strong contrast between reality and reality, revealing the normal state of "asking for but not getting" in the adult world, and highlighting loneliness as one of the undertones of life. At the same time, the novel also gives "encounter" a meaning beyond the outcome: this encounter in the dream is not a meaningless fantasy. It heals the protagonist's loneliness and allows him to experience the beauty of being cared for and understood. The tears and regrets after waking up from the dream are not the end of regret, but the imprint of this short-lived beauty left in the heart. Even if all tenderness only exists in dreams, the feeling of being warmed will become the protagonist's confidence to face the loneliness of reality. This is also the deep connotation of "がくれたい" - regardless of reality, all unexpected tenderness is a precious gift given by fate. In addition, the protagonist's insomnia and the delicate empathy in the dream also coincide with the mental state of modern people: we always feel confused and lonely in reality, like travelers who "yaw" on the streets of Tokyo, longing for someone to hold an umbrella for us, remember our own path, and watch a sunset with us. This desire itself is the softest and most precious part of human nature.