CH 23.1

The “happenings” of my lunch break with Yuki still floated in and out of my head unsolicited. I could barely concentrate in the afternoon classes because of the vivid replays of her every gesture, every move.

She herself, maybe in the same situation as I, also had her head in the clouds. Whenever our eyes would meet, she’d scramble in embarrassment and fidget with her fingers. Meanwhile, Akina, puzzled by all this, tilted her head while watching us both. Man, was she hard to deceive.

The day went on like that, and after classes, Yuki and I left the school shoulder to shoulder as usual.

Because of what happened during recess, we were both so aware of everything about the other that we were both awkward. Normally, we’d talk about what went on at school, or even just gawk over the menial of our everyday lives. Today silence was king.

As we walked back to our apartment, I asked myself if things would go back to normal if we just went on with our day, but then—

Plop—!

I felt a cold kiss on the tip of my nose.

“Hm?”

“Oh, is it…”

Yuki also noticed what had just begun and looked at the sky, palms raised. One, two, three—Soon countless drops of water fell from above. We were both in awe at how the sky, previously so colorful, was soon overtaken by sprawling gray clouds. Wherever we’d look, there was rain.

“Are you kidding me…? Rain?”

“T, this is troublesome.”

The weather forecast I’d seen in the morning said today would be a beautiful day, something I confirmed with my own two eyes while laying on the rooftop. Not once did the prospect of rain cross my mind today.

They say the autumn skies are often turbulent, but rain this sudden was unexpected to say the least. Neither Yuki nor I had an umbrella, and the increasingly heavy dribbles sagged our clothes in no time at all. Hurriedly, I held my bag close to my chest in order to protect what was inside.

“L, let’s find a place to take shelter from the rain in the meantime…”

“Right… It’ll be bad if we don’t.”

She and I started running in the thick of rain. Fortunately, there was a park just around the corner, so we’d get some shelter there. Might even kill some time.

While we were both hurriedly trudging for cover, the rain’s rage only increased and it was getting visibly worse. We managed to reach the park’s entrance, but the covered resting area that was supposed to be there suddenly disappeared.

“W, what…? It was here just a few days ago, wasn’t it?”

“I wonder if it’s been dilapidated or something and they removed it…?”

Instead of dawdling any longer, I looked around to find a place, any place we could have a roof over our heads. Even a moment of sheltered respite was enough to beat the pouring rain and the murky clouds.

The convenience store was far away, and there were no acquaintance houses nearby. Not even a bus stop… As moments passed, I was only getting soggier and soggier, and a rush of cold ran through my body, almost as if stolen. Honestly, we might have no other way than to run back to the apartment.

“Haru-kun! Let’s get cover over there!”

She pointed to the playground equipment in the park, which had a simple and large clay pipe placed horizontally by cement, piled as if imitating a mountain. Right now though, that pile of cement was just the thing to save the day.

We rushed in and slid our soaked bodies into the earthen pipe. Once inside, we could only feel the bone-chilling cold. Looking around, I noticed it was kind of like a tunnel, and we could see the downpour from each of the pipe’s ends. While it was equipment meant for children to play with, it was just big enough to fit two high school students sitting inside; we decided to stay there for a while and examine our situation.

Through the pitter and the patter, I checked to see if my bag was safe for the time being. I breathed a sigh of relief; all of my textbooks and doodads weren’t wet. Glancing to my side, I inwardly thank her for her quick judgment.

While she was soaking wet, a smile sprawled across her face after checking that her bag and its contents were safe and sound. Her hair and clothes stuck to her skin like magnets due to all the water they’d absorbed…

The way the water dribbled on her skin made her look strangely sexy. That, mixed with her cherry-struck cheeks and rosy lips, robbed my eyes. She noticed my gaze and tilted her head curiously.

“Something wrong?” She asked me.

“N, no, nothing at all…”

No way I’d say I was admiring her cuteness, even in such an emergency. I scampered my eyes away, pretending I knew nothing.

“My notebooks and stuff are all fine. How about yours?” She started.

“Oh, mine isn’t wet either. That’s a relief.”

“I’m glad. Now we just have to wait for the rain to pass,” she said, taking a handkerchief from her bag and holding it out to me. “Please wipe your hair with this. You’ll catch a cold.”

“That’s yours though, isn’t it? You should use it, you’re soaking wet as well.”

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’m fine as well. I’d rather catch a cold than see you catch one.”

I rejected her offer, but she showed no signs of backing down. That’s when an idea suddenly popped into my head.

“…‘Kay then, I’ll borrow your handkerchief.”

“Mhm, here you go.”

She smiled gently while handing me the fabric. It was pretty, embroidered with a prim floral pattern. With the ‘chief in hand, I reached out for her hair just at arm’s length.

“H, Haru-kun?”

“Hold still. It’s hard to wipe.”

“B, but… Then you’ll be the one who’ll…”

“I’m the one holding the handkerchief now. Besides, I only said I’d borrow it.”

Yup, I only used the word “borrow” and never said anything about wiping my own hair. It may have been a quibble, but she had a peaceful look in her eyes and didn’t seem disappointed or anything. In contrast to her expression, she opened her mouth and complained, “Aw, Haru-kun…”

I wiped her soaked and silvery hair with the handkerchief. Her every strand was so soft and comfortable to the touch that—even through cold rain—my cheeks relaxed involuntarily. She was a bit ticklish from my drying, but still beamed with delight.