“Glimpses Beyond the Rain”

Sojo leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, as the low hum of the classroom filled the space. The clouds outside loomed heavy, threatening to release another downpour. His mind wandered to the previous day. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, the conversation with Yuuto and the brief moments observing Yoshina lingered more than they should.

It's not like I'm obsessing. Just… curious.

The door slid open, interrupting his thoughts. Yoshina walked in, as silent as ever, but this time, she wasn't alone.

Trailing behind her were two girls. One of them—short, with a bright, bubbly aura—bounced into the room like a gust of sunshine after the rain. Her voice was instantly recognizable, light and chirpy as she greeted a few classmates on the way in.

The other was quieter, her hair neatly tied into a low ponytail, her expression soft but measured. She carried an air of reliability, the kind of person who could ground anyone around her.

"Yoshina!" the bubbly one exclaimed, grabbing her arm. "You're sitting with us for lunch today. No disappearing act this time!"

"I didn't disappear," Yoshina replied, her voice even, almost bored.

"You absolutely did!" the girl countered, puffing out her cheeks dramatically. "Tell her, Mei."

The quieter girl, Mei, smiled faintly. "You did sort of vanish yesterday. I thought you said you'd eat with us."

"I changed my mind," Yoshina said, brushing past them to her seat. "It's not a big deal."

Sojo watched the exchange with muted interest. The dynamic was… unexpected. Yoshina, who always seemed untouchable, had people who actually went out of their way to draw her in.

The bubbly one—Ami, he overheard someone call her—pulled up a chair next to Yoshina's desk, completely unbothered by her detached demeanor. "Well, I'll make it a big deal. You can't just avoid us all the time. Right, Mei?"

Mei sat on the edge of Yoshina's desk, her hands neatly folded in her lap. "You should listen to her, Yoshina. Ami can be relentless when she's determined."

Yoshina sighed softly, resting her chin in her hand. "I'm not avoiding you. I just like my space."

"Space, shmace!" Ami declared, leaning forward dramatically. "You need to socialize! You're lucky to have us. Do you know how many people would love to sit with me at lunch? Do you?"

Mei raised an eyebrow. "Ami, you sound like a terrible politician right now."

"What? It's true!" Ami protested, drawing laughter from a few nearby students who were eavesdropping.

Sojo found himself smirking faintly. The absurdity of the situation was amusing, even to him. Yoshina's sharp contrast to her friends was oddly entertaining to watch.

————————————

When lunch came around, the cafeteria was as noisy as ever, with the clatter of trays and overlapping voices filling the air. Sojo settled into his usual spot by the window, his tray in front of him, when he spotted Yoshina and her friends again.

This time, they were seated together at a table near the center of the room. Ami was gesturing wildly, clearly in the middle of some exaggerated story, while Mei sat calmly, nodding along with a faint smile. Yoshina, as expected, remained mostly silent, though she occasionally chimed in with a short comment or a small shake of her head.

Sojo's attention was interrupted when Yuuto appeared again, plopping down across from him with his usual grin.

"You're staring at her again," Yuuto said, biting into a piece of bread.

"I'm not staring," Sojo replied, his tone flat.

"You're not exactly subtle about it, man," Yuuto continued, leaning forward. "What's the deal? Are you into her or something?"

Sojo raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

Yuuto laughed. "I don't, really. I just think it's funny how quiet you get whenever she's around. You're usually sharper than this."

"I'm not quiet," Sojo countered. "I just don't have anything to say."

Yuuto gave him a knowing look but dropped the subject. "Alright, whatever you say. Anyway, there's a rumor going around that the festival committee is looking for volunteers. Maybe you should sign up."

Sojo stared at him blankly. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. Meet people? Be part of something? You've been a ghost all year."

"I'm fine being a ghost," Sojo muttered, glancing back toward Yoshina's table. Ami was now waving her arms so dramatically that she nearly knocked over her tray, prompting laughter from Mei and a rare smile from Yoshina.

Yuuto followed his gaze and smirked. "You know, if you're really interested in her, maybe the festival would be a good excuse to talk to her."

Sojo didn't respond, his expression unreadable. But Yuuto's words lingered longer than he cared to admit.

————————————

By the time school ended, the rain had finally stopped, leaving the streets slick and shimmering under the faint glow of the setting sun. Sojo packed his bag and headed out, his pace unhurried.

He was halfway down the street when he noticed someone walking ahead of him. It was Yoshina, her bag slung over her shoulder, her hair swaying gently as she moved.

For a moment, he considered calling out to her, but something stopped him. Instead, he kept his distance, letting her silhouette fade into the distance.

What am I even doing?

He shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. It wasn't like him to get caught up in things like this. But there was something about her that made it hard to look away.

As he turned the corner toward his neighborhood, the faint sound of laughter reached his ears. A group of kids were playing by the park, their carefree joy a sharp contrast to the quiet weight in Sojo's chest.

He walked past them, his thoughts drifting once again to Yoshina and the strange world she seemed to carry with her.

Maybe Yuuto's right. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to… try.

But for now, he kept walking, the fading light casting long shadows across the empty streets.