Chapter 100: Side by Side Under the Umbrella

[Soon, as the sun set and dusk fell, the killer whales quickly left with their cheerful calls. Before leaving, the killer whale you called 'Skadi' swam around the boat a few more times reluctantly, and then caught up with the team and left. You were able to start the boat again and return to the shore.]

　　[After this wonderful experience, you and Eden have become much closer. Unconsciously, you always make some overly intimate moves, but you seem to think that there is nothing wrong with it... This makes Eden's parents who are watching all this feel happy and helpless.]

　　[they are happy that there's finally some movement between you two, and it's obviously moving in a positive direction. But I'm helpless because your attitudes… seem a little too bland, unbelievably bland, without the feeling of being in love at all, and it's completely different from the way they were in love at the beginning.]

　　[But there is one thing that makes Eden's parents feel relieved for the time being... that is, from this day on, you will go out to play from time to time. At least you won't stay in the room playing music all the time, or run to the street to sing... Well, that's good, this is a big improvement, at least you will go out on a date.]

　　[…Wait, do you two even realize that this is a "date"?]

　　[Eden's parents suddenly realized this and were stunned for a moment, then fell into distress and helplessness... After a fierce ideological struggle, they finally decided not to interfere in your relationship. It would be better to let you develop freely. It would be bad if they ended up making things worse.]

　　[In the following time, you and Eden also began to allocate your time reasonably. On the one hand, you went out to play as much as possible, and on the other hand, you arranged your free time for performances and street shows, so as not to delay either side... Of course, this process was only the two of you, and Eden's parents would not participate. After all, they also had to enjoy their 'two-person world,' didn't they?]

　　[So you welcomed the end of the holiday with happy laughter... This trip to the beach made you very happy, and you agreed to come again if you have the chance in the future.]

　　[Next, it's your college life with Eden.]

　　[In this world's top art school, you also met various geniuses who are equally talented, but compared to you and Eden, they are all a little bit inferior... If I have to make a metaphor, Eden is the sun, whose talent is so dazzling that it is difficult for people to feel jealous; and you are the moon, reflecting the sun's brilliance. Although not as shining as her, compared to other people who are like stars in the night, you are dazzling enough.]

　　[However, at this stage, you and Eden had a small 'disagreement'... Eden, due to her family background and her own inclinations, loves classical music and opera, while you, influenced by Yin and the others, have dabbled in various songs, but mostly prefer pop music.]

　　[However, the 'difference' in music selection will not affect your relationship. Instead, you can get more 'suggestions' from it, and you can evaluate your music from different perspectives, which makes you very happy.]

　　[Besides, it's not that you don't play the music chosen by each other, you just have different preferences… Moreover, sometimes you will specially play a song that the other person likes for her, which is a kind of… um… 'little interest' between you, right?]

　　[It's just that in your spare time, you will make different choices because of the paths you have chosen... Because of your habit in high school, you often take your musical instrument out to play on the street, and record videos and upload them to the Internet for more people to listen to; while Eden mostly follows the opera club in school.]

　　[Although it is very strange that a music student from a top music school would go out and perform on the street whenever he wants, like a street singer... no, like a 'bard.' It even makes people think it's a joke, but everyone in the school quickly accepts your strange hobby.]

　　[As an artist, it is normal to have some strange 'habits' and persistence. How can an artist not be crazy? You know, there was a painter who took the art exam again because of a disagreement... Ah, here I mean the art exam again, nothing else.]

　　[However, there are still some people who are dissatisfied with you, or rather... are dissatisfied with your talents.]

　　[After all, those who come here are the chosen ones. It's normal for them to think that their music is the best... There is one person who left a deep impression on you. He first challenged Eden to a performance competition, but he admitted defeat after one song and thought he was no match for Eden.]

　　[Then he turned around and challenged you, and criticized you harshly... "You obviously have such a high talent, why do you always like to be the 'harmony' part in the school performance? The emotions are so clearly expressed, hurry up and be the 'main melody'! Damn it!"]

　　[…It's hard to say, but you always feel like his words have a hint of 'hate iron for not being able to make steel.']

　　[In the subsequent performance competition, he also frantically lowered the importance of his own melody in the music, as if forcing you to the 'front' of the stage... You were somewhat helpless and could only perform a very strong 'main tune' in front of him, the kind that anyone else could only play the 'subordinate tune.' Even the emotions in the music were completely 'domineeringly' influenced by you, so that nothing else could be mixed in.]

　　[After the same song, he nodded with satisfaction, then simply admitted defeat and turned around to challenge someone else...]

　　[He was talking nonsense. It seems that everyone here does have their own strange 'habits' and persistence. However, everyone is a good kid, and there are no overly 'neurotic' people.]

　　[Of course, you and Eden have a good reputation in school as always. Coupled with the intimacy you show, many people have nicknamed you 'good couple' to show that you two are a pair of people who are particularly easy to talk to.]

　　[It's just that whenever someone asks you two if you are 'lovers,' you always smile without saying anything, neither admitting nor denying, which makes many gossipers feel itchy.]

　　[Of course, some bad things happened after coming to university. The most obvious one was... Eden became addicted to drinking.]

　　[It's not that there's anything wrong with drinking. Eden looks beautiful when drunk, but you're still reluctant to drink... After all, if you get drunk, who will take care of Eden?]

　　[The only thing that bothers you is that... Eden occasionally pretends to be drunk, which makes you feel helpless.]

　　[But that doesn't matter. After all, as I said before, Eden pretending to be drunk also has her own unique beauty.]

　　————————

　　Tick-tock——

　　At night, rain falls from the sky, covering the world with a light white rain curtain. In the sight, the lights and scenery in the distance are blurred by the rain, giving people a hazy feeling like a mirage.

　　Snap——

　　Nozomi held an umbrella and walked in the rain, stepping on the puddles on the ground and letting the water droplets splash and fall.

　　Today is the team-building day for Eden's Opera Club. They had just finished a perfect performance and were celebrating, and then... well, as expected, they started drinking, and as expected, Eden got drunk.

　　In addition, it rained at night, so Eden's companions called Nozomi, hoping that she could come and pick up Eden.

　　As for why Eden's companions didn't send her back directly... it was because they had another event to attend! Maybe they would have to spend the night with their respective boyfriends.

　　They also advise others not to be ungrateful. Eden and Nozomi are a match made in heaven.

　　Hmm...for Nozomi, it's hard to say. he always feel like they are supporting each other, but there seems to be no evidence.

　　However, Nozomi didn't care. After all... she was Eden~

　　Hmmm~

　　Nozomi hummed a brisk tune while strolling in the rain, holding a spare umbrella in one hand and an umbrella for shelter in the other... he gently turned the umbrella handle, watching the rain roll along the umbrella surface, and then be thrown out at the supporting points at the corners, flying diagonally to the ground and blending into the puddles on the ground. His footsteps were brisk, making people feel that he would start dancing at any time.

Just like mentioned before, Nozomi likes [water] and rainy days. At this time, his mood always improves unconsciously.

"...Um?"

Just as he was moving forward, Nozomi suddenly noticed a figure squatting on the side of the road.

He seemed to be a delivery man, with a delivery cart that should belong to him parked next to him. He was wearing a rainproof, brightly colored delivery uniform. But at the moment, he looked a little disheveled, squatting on the side of the road, getting caught in the rain, and eating a lunch box that was constantly soaked by the rain.

If he got a little closer, he could see the takeaway order soaked by rain on the lunch box packaging... Obviously, this was a takeaway that he should have delivered, but for some reason, the customer didn't want it, so he left it for him to deal with.

If you get closer, you can hear faint sobbing hidden by the noisy sound of rain... It's very light, but you can clearly tell that he is trying to hold it back.

Nozomi tilted his head, then stepped forward, opened the spare umbrella, grasped the umbrella handle, and leaned forward slightly to shield him and the lunch box in his hand from the rain.

"Huh? Ah...yes...sorry, am I bothering you? I'm just having dinner, I will leave soon..."

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly wiped his face with his rain-soaked clothes, making the tears that he had just shed mix with the rain, making it difficult to distinguish. At the same time, he apologized in a very fast but intermittent voice, and even the speed of eating his meal was a little faster.

He seemed very worried that he was causing trouble for others.

"No, I'm just a student. I'm not here to chase you away... And the rice will get cold if it gets soaked by rain, right? Just cover it a little~"

As he spoke, Nozomi lowered the umbrella along his arm so that the umbrella could cover his body.

"...Thanks."

Feeling that the raindrops on his head were blocked, he subconsciously retracted his hands, allowing the lunch box in his hands to enter the range of the umbrella to prevent rain from falling into it again... Only then did he say thank you belatedly.

"Have you encountered something unhappy? Well... you can talk to me, right? I can help you share some of your worries."

Nozomi did not leave, but squatted beside him and spoke softly.

"If you talk about unhappy things, the sadness will be halved, right?"

"…No, and...thank you for the umbrella. I'll return it to you right away."

He hesitated for a while, but still shook his head and refused. At the same time, he began to eat silently and at a much faster speed, as if he was worried that he would cause trouble for Nozomi.

"It's just an umbrella. And you don't have to eat so fast. It's not good if you choke... um... how about this, I'll trade this umbrella for something else?"

"Need not..."

He subconsciously wanted to refuse. In his opinion, Nozomi just wanted to comfort him... He was a kind-hearted student, but he did not need this kind of "pity" nor did he want this kind of "pity".

And for people with Nozomi's personality, they just want to exchange "smiles" or something like that, just like what you see on the Internet, exchanging a smile with sad people to encourage them to be happy... that's all.

But he... didn't need or want this kind of thing, and that half-forced smile only made him feel uncomfortable.

"I want to exchange [tears] from you."

"…Huh?"

He was stunned for a moment.

"Tears are not something to be avoided, and crying is not something to be embarrassed about... Besides, in this suitable situation and this suitable rain, if you don't vent your feelings, it would be a shame for this opportunity given by God, isn't it?"

Nozomi said softly.

"Besides... you and I have never met before. Even if this day passes, the chance of us meeting again in the vast sea of people is slim. Even if we meet again, I am afraid we will not be able to remember each other... Well... then how about being a little bolder in front of [strangers]? And then save your smile and your better side for those who are closer to you, how about that?"

"......"

He didn't reply, nor did he turn to look at Nozomi. He just ate his meal silently, but his speed was much slower than before.

He didn't dare to say anything, for he was afraid that if he spoke he would not be able to catch his breath, and the sound of his sobs would be heard by Nozomi... He didn't dare to turn his head, for he could already feel his tears flowing slowly down his face along the traces of the rain, and the warm feeling gradually covered the remaining coldness of the rain.

Just at this moment, a warm hand passed through the cold rain, gently touched his face, and wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye.

It wasn't abrupt, nor did he stay by his side all the time. he just... wiped away a tear for him.

"Thank you, I got it~"

Nozomi's voice sounded softly at the side, and then he could be noticed standing up.

"I'll leave the umbrella to you, eat well~ Next, please keep up the good work~"

Nozomi just said this in a brisk voice, without being too distant or too close. He did not delve too deeply into what he had experienced. He simply gave him a gift... no, just exchanged an umbrella with him.

Nozomi left, and the noisy sound of rain surrounded him again, and the rain curtain enveloped him again.

But this time, the rain did not fall on him, nor did it fall into the food in his hands. It just hit the umbrella, making a dull sound.

"......"

But when Nozomi left, his tears seemed to burst a dam and he could no longer hold them back. They kept seeping out and flowing from his eyes. The warm tears seemed out of place with his face that was wet and cold from the rain, but for the first time, he did not dislike this awkward feeling and did not reject these unstoppable tears.

He didn't cry out loud, but compared to before, he no longer tried to hold back his sobs. Under the cover of the rain, no one could hear his voice... But it was also good this way, he could be a little... "unbridled".

After his tears stopped, he quickly scooped the last bit of food in his hand, along with the remaining rainwater in the box, into his mouth. He put all the remaining garbage in a plastic bag and threw it into the trash can beside him.

Holding the umbrella, he looked around but couldn't find Nozomi... To be honest, he couldn't even remember Nozomi's face just now.

As expected... we are just "strangers" to each other...

but...

"Take it... please..."

He whispered this to himself, then folded his umbrella and carefully put it into his bike. He covered himself with a rainproof sheet, started the car again, and slowly drove away in the rain.

It was a little unexpected, or perhaps not unexpected... After crying for a while, he did feel a lot more relaxed, at least not as depressed as before.

"If I have the chance to meet him again... thank him again."

He said this to himself. Although he knew that it would be difficult to meet Nozomi again under such circumstances, but... what if? Right?

...... .........

On the other side, Nozomi was still on his way to pick up Eden. Although he gave away one of his spare umbrellas, it didn't matter, he still had another one in his hand.

And... Nozomi also had some new inspirations.

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

His steps were brisk as if he was about to start dancing.

"I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain~"

"What a glorious feelin', I'm happy again~"

"I'm laughin' at clouds, so dark up above~"

"The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love~"

"Hmm~? Hmm~?"

"Ah, Eden will probably like this song. I'll tell her about it later~"

Nozomi smiled and quickened his pace.

After a while...

"Ah, here he comes, here he comes."

"Very punctual~"

"Eden, Eden, wake up, Nozomi is here to pick you up."

"Huh?"

Hearing her companions' calls, Eden opened her eyes dazedly and looked in one direction as if she had sensed something. Sure enough, she saw a figure rushing towards her in the rain. The corners of her mouth raised slightly, and there was a hint of joy in her slightly hazy eyes.

"Okay, little one, I'll leave Eden to you. Make sure you send her back safely, okay?"

"I will, thank you all seniors~"

After a simple greeting, Nozomi took Eden's somewhat shaky body from their hands. Smelling the lingering smell of alcohol on her body, Nozomi felt helpless and could only hug her as much as possible and keep her close to him to prevent her from falling to the ground due to drunkenness. At the same time, he tilted the umbrella slightly to shield her from the rain as much as possible.

"Nozomi, did I drink alcohol today?"

"Yeah, I smell it."

"The wine, hmm... is delicious. It's a little more delicate than the wine I drank before. I heard from everyone that it seems to be made from a grape called Purple Helen, and it's not cheap either."

"If you like it, drink more in the future, but you have to drink in moderation, okay? Otherwise, it will harm your health."

"I know~ But... aren't you here? You'll watch over me, right?"

"Of course."

"Well... I'll have to ask you to take me home from now on~"

"Okay~"

"But... I always feel that Nozomi seems very happy today~ And... is it intentional?"

Eden smiled, and with eyes a little blurry due to drunkenness, she looked at Nozomi's slightly raised mouth. At the same time, she quietly reached out and touched Nozomi's hand holding the umbrella.

"Nozomi used to bring two umbrellas, didn't he? Today he only brought one... I noticed it, didn't I?"

"I originally brought two, but later... I took them to exchange for something else."

"Um?"

"I got inspiration and the chance to be under the same umbrella as you~"

"Hahaha... it makes me happy~"

Eden reached out and poked Nozomi's cheek, then leaned on him happily. The warm feeling came, dispelling the coolness brought by the rain.

Although it was strange, Nozomi's body temperature would always be a little higher on rainy days, warmer than a bonfire on a snowy night, making people unconsciously want to get closer... Eden liked to be close to him at this time, sticking to him, as if leaning on a large hand warmer.

"But... inspiration... can you tell me a little bit about it?"

Perhaps it was because he mentioned something of common interest to them, Eden perked up a little, and even her words became much clearer.

"Sure~"

Nozomi smiled and hummed the tune he had just thought of, and his steps became lighter.

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

Eden smiled. Obviously, she also noticed Nozomi's footsteps, which were so brisk that they seemed like he was dancing. However, she did not mind. She even followed Nozomi's rhythm and danced with him. She adjusted her voice slightly and hummed the tune with him, following her own thoughts which had become a little empty and confused due to being drunk.

"It's a very suitable song... Well, I have some inspiration... Ah, Nozomi, have you thought of a name for this song? Then, let's finish it together?"

"Okay, as for the name..."

Nozomi looked at the rain curtain covering the world in front of him, gently turned the umbrella, and said with a smile.

"Let's call it 'Singin' In The Rain'~"

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TL: man~ we are in chapter 100 already~