Classes ended. But not the rain.

Students were walking out of the building one by one. Opening their umbrellas. It was raining since this morning so nobody would forgot to take umbrella with them as they came when it’s raining too. Some stay for the after school activity. As for me, I normally went straight home. I am a third year after all. I have to prepare for the final exam and University’s mock exam. I would just head back home, cooped in my room to study.

I reached the main entrance. I changed into my outdoor shoes and went to the umbrellas slot. But then I found myself stunned searching for it.

It’s gone

Never have I encountered such a problem in my life until now. I never thought that anyone would steal it. Or maybe someone mistook my umbrella for theirs. That’s what I decided to believe.

Haah... I let out a long sigh. Though I loved the weather, I am not fond of getting myself wet. Running through the rain seemed hurt. Raindrop falling in such a speed which no human eyes can see would be hurt on contact if I sprinted out countering them. I don’t like that thought.

I scanned through the umbrellas slot once more. Only to hit back by the truth. I looked around to see students walking out of the entrance one by one. Thinning out the school’s population. I could ask for help, to share an umbrella with the student that was heading to the train station. Then I can buy a new one to continue my way back home.

That was when Kisaragi popped out of nowhere. Not from nowhere, It’s me who was shocked when looking around to found someone suddenly stood close near the corner of my sight. Students walked by, passing where we stood, there were sound of the rain and the umbrellas opening. I started to feel cold because of the rainy air seeping through the entrance.

I calmed myself from the slight shock I just took. Looking back at her while stepping back to add some distances between us. For the first time, I saw her face from up close.

She is beautiful...

That’s what popped up in my mind at the first close up encounter. She has a high nose bridge, big pair of round brown eyes adorned with long thick eyelashes. Her lips are full with an attractive cupid shape on top. People would thought if she was a mixed race girl for that profile of her. Too bad she covered part of that face with her messy front hair.

I watched her closely as she pulled out something from her back. An umbrella. She stared at me as if she was inviting me to share with her. I nodded without thinking further. That’s how we shared an umbrella.

“...what’s your...name?” she asked while we walked through the rain, under the shared umbrella. She got that nice voice. Soothing in the ear. She looked at me waiting for an answer.

“Shiratsuki Yuu”

I answered her without hesitation. Looking at her from the corner of my eyes while facing straight toward the road we were walking. She nodded and stay down looking at the steps she was taking.

Silence struck down. We didn’t talk until we reached the train station. I thanked her for sharing the umbrella and left her going to the convenient store located in the train station. I walked in to the 7-eleven store. Picked a black umbrella and brought it to the counter. I looked through the glass wall and found the familiar person standing near the store. Kisaragi Kazue.

What’s she doing standing there? Does she wait for me?

I questioned myself. Curiosity hit me. I walked out after the purchase and she followed me on the back. So, she was waiting for me. Why?

On the all way back, even after I reached my station. Kisaragi followed me down to the road from the same station. I wondered if she lived around here too. We held our own umbrella so we didn’t stand close enough to be able to hold a conversation. But she followed me closely, I could hear her footsteps amidst the rain until I reached just a few blocks away from my home. The footsteps, rain splashing sound she made while walking stopped abruptly. I glanced back to found her running toward the other way.

Away from me.

She always left me wonder. What an odd girl.

Standing in front of my house. I closed the umbrella. I shook the water out then I opened the entrance.

“I’m home...”

I greeted as I walked in to my house. A familiar figure came out to greet me. It’s my Grandmother.

“ah.. Yuu, your shoulder got so wet. Come on in and dry yourself” She looked concerned. Hurried back maybe to find towel. I just realized after she stated it. It might be from the time when I shared one umbrella with Kisaragi. I wondered if she got her shoulder drenched too.

I changed my cloth. Dry myself. Not having any appetite, I skipped the dinner. I went straight to my room. I threw myself at the moment I saw my bed. Lying face down on my pillow, processing what happened recently. I turned my head to the side to catch a breath.

As I closed my eyes, Kisaragi’s face flashed into my mind.

Thinking how unlucky she was to be in the same class as Sasaki. That Sasaki is an unreasonable girl who picked people out of nothing. Thinking for a while, I finally found a few commons of myself and Kisaragi. We both didn’t talk much and we both have a very pale skin. Maybe that’s what made us looked weak, that’s what made Sasaki chose us. I convinced myself to think like that. As the rain not showing any sign of halting. The rain fell at a steady pace from the morning. Not any stronger or weaker. It was a lullaby to my ears. Before long, I actually fell asleep.

***

Morning came.

I went to school like usual. I brought my umbrella as the sky was clouded. A sign of rain. My instinct proven to be true as it actually started raining after I walked pass by the school’s gate. I ran a bit before the rain actually caught me wet into the building. As I didn’t get my umbrella’s wet so I don’t need to place it in the umbrella’s holder. My umbrella will be safer that way.

When I was changing into the indoor shoes, I noticed Sasaki walked in as proudly as usual, flaunting her silky brown medium long hair. Her followers stick closely to her. Their names are Mika and Aya as I peeked on their name tag. Mika is the most evil one. She occasionally used her hand to shove me and hit me. I don’t like girls that use violence. I can tolerate bad mouthing but not physical abuse. I don’t like the feeling of pain.

Just when I closed my locker, a hand suddenly brushed through the side of my face and bumped on the locker so hard that it produced a large banging sound. I rolled my eyes to only see Sasaki’s face close to mine. Her brows lay so low and her lips shut tight with corner curled downward. Then she leaned forward until her mouth just an inch away from my ear. So close that I could hear her breathing.

“I heard from Mika... that you were getting chummy with that Kisaragi” she whispered with a low mocking voice. “Did you two go out or something?” She added again while leaning backward. Then she grinned, looking down at me as if she stood higher than me. I looked at her but not showing any reaction. She was pissed off and bit her lip.

“Interesting...” She turned around and walked away from me while laughing as if she was plotting something bad. Then I walked in to attend classes like usual.

***

Lunch break’s bell rang. Class dismissed.

It was time for Sasaki’s daily arrogant orders. I sat on my seat, taking out my lunch. Grandma made me a bento. I unwrapped the cloth around it and opened the box. The foods were arranged neat and tidy with lots of vegetable colours. Grandma always made sure to prepare healthy food for me to eat. She put more food than she normally does today. Maybe caused I skipped the dinner last night. I got to eat hurry as Sasaki would came anytime soon to demand this and that.

When I was about to take my first bite. A commotion suddenly started outside the classroom.

“That was awful...”

“Let’s go watch it!”

The murmurs caught my attention. The students seemed to gather and heading to other place hastily. Then I heard one student said. “Woah... first year students are scary” before she exited the class.

Which made me think, who could it be beside that Sasaki. I couldn’t think of anyone else. Well, that’s great. Means I can eat my lunch peacefully for today. I took another bite from my bento. Then someone suddenly flashed into my mind.

Kisaragi...

I took the third bite of my food , chewing and running my mind deep. Thinking about what Sasaki said in the morning. It could be her. It could be someone else. Sasaki bullied quite a lot of people. But...

I put down the spoon I held. Closing the bento box. Stood up from my seat and walked away from the classroom.

I hate this feeling. I tried my best to not mingle with anyone. But knowing how people suffered all because of me. Annoyingly affected me. I steadily walked toward the commotion. Listened to some bypass student saying it happened in the canteen and followed those busy students toward the same destination.

I entered the canteen. There were crowd of students circling a few people in the centre. The canteen lady seemed concerned but she did nothing. Because the culprit was Sasaki. Her household held a big sum of shares out of this school. Not even the principal dare to provoke her.

I weaved through the crowd of students. With Sasaki’s back facing me. I leaned sideway to see who was the victim. Just like what my hunch told me. It was Kisaragi.

She was drenched. Her long hair flatten as it soaked in the water. Her uniform stained dark brown by the water. It smelled like coffee. So it was coffee. Kisaragi glared at Sasaki with her big round eyes. She looked like about to fight back. I never saw her getting so agitated before. I thought she is the type of person who get bullied and do nothing. But instead, she showed Sasaki an intimidating glare, grit her teeth and clenched her fist.

“Ahh... you don’t like coffee? Maybe..... should I get you some milk?” Sasaki rolled her eyes to Mika giving her a sign. Mika nodded and picked a glass of milk from a random table. She handed it to Sasaki.

Kisaragi was on the seat, while Sasaki stood right beside her. She tilted the glass. Slowly pouring down the milk on her head. As the milk ran down through Kisaragi’s face. She didn’t move an inch from her seat and kept glaring at Sasaki.

“Coffee..... Milk! It is a coffee milk!! Hahahahah!” She laughed satisfyingly followed by Mika and Aya.

Canteen was dead silent. But, whispers can be vaguely heard once a while. Everyone hooked their eyes toward the scene. But, nobody going to help Kisaragi. How cold.

“Oh!! Do you like dessert?” Sasaki continued her arrogant speech and picked a pudding from Kisaragi’s table. She swung around the pudding. A few seconds before she flew her hand with pudding toward Kisaragi’s face.

Splasshhhh!!

I splashed a glass of water I just picked, straight to Sasaki from head down to her back. She whined and stopped whatever she’s going to do then she turned around. She was shocked to see me. The crowds starting to get noisy. Everyone beside me put some distances from me, all eyes shifted to me.

I immediately regretted.