Chapter 4: Rumors and Rainwater

"Rain reveals more than it hides. Especially the things people pretend not to feel."

It wasn't supposed to rain that early.

The forecast had said clouds, maybe a bit of drizzle later in the evening. But by lunchtime, fat drops were already sliding down the windows of classroom 2-B, making everything outside look like it was underwater.

Kazuki leaned his chin on his hand and watched the rain instead of the board.

He liked the rain. Always had. Not just the sound, but the way it seemed to calm everything down. People got quieter. Streets emptied. You could be alone without having to explain it.

Class dragged. Math today felt like a foreign language, and the teacher's voice faded into the background. He watched as the water pooled under the school gate. A few students were already pulling out umbrellas in preparation. The smart ones.

He glanced ahead—two rows up, same seat.

Ame was there. Hair slightly damp at the ends, maybe from walking through the first wave of rain. Her head was down, working through notes or maybe sketching in the margins of her notebook like he'd seen her do once.

Then, unexpectedly, she turned.

Just a glance. One second. Their eyes met, and then she looked away.

He stared at his notebook like it suddenly mattered.

Somewhere behind him, someone whispered.

"Minamino and Mizutani? No way."

He didn't turn around.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Haruka looking at him. Not meanly. Just curious. She sat one row over and one seat back — someone he used to talk to more. They hadn't spoken much lately.

By the time school ended, the rain was serious. Thunder rolled faintly somewhere in the distance. Students hesitated at the door, then sprinted into the downpour, laughing or complaining as they went.

Kazuki didn't run. He walked, hoodie up, letting the rain soak into him. He didn't care if his shoes got wet or if his uniform clung to his arms. He liked how the world got quiet when it rained hard.

He didn't think too hard about it, but his feet led him straight to Shinonome Street.

She was already there. Not under the roof. Not on the bench. Just standing out in the rain like it didn't matter. Her umbrella was open, but hanging off one shoulder. She was watching the sky.

Kazuki stopped for a second. Then kept walking.

He opened his umbrella — something he rarely did — and stepped beside her.

She didn't say anything for a second.

"I don't mind the rain," she finally said.

"I know," he said. "I don't either. But... this is the kind of rain people usually avoid."

She gave him a sideways look. Then a small smile. Not wide. But it stayed a moment.

Eventually, she stepped under the roof of the bus stop, and he followed.

They sat. This time, a little closer than usual. Not touching. But not a full meter apart, either.

"I heard something," she said.

Kazuki didn't answer right away.

"Some people think we're dating."

Water dripped from her bangs onto the floor. She kept her eyes on the street.

He waited a second, then asked, "Does that bother you?"

"No," she said. "But it's weird. Like they saw something we didn't say out loud."

He looked forward. The puddles at the edge of the sidewalk were growing, leaves swirling inside them.

"I guess that's what rain does," he said. "It doesn't really hide things. It just makes them harder to look at clearly."

She turned toward him slowly. Her eyes looked more serious than usual. Maybe it was the clouds. Or maybe she'd just decided not to hold back.

"Are we?" she asked.

Kazuki blinked. "What?"

"Dating."

He didn't speak for a moment.

"I don't think so," he said. "But we're definitely not nothing."

She looked down, thinking.

"That's fair," she said. "Not nothing."

The rain softened a bit. It still fell steadily, but without the earlier intensity.

The bus headlights cut through the mist and pulled to a stop.

They stood. He reached for his umbrella. She picked hers up but didn't open it.

"Can we share?" she asked.

Kazuki just nodded.

They stepped into the street together. The umbrella didn't really cover them both, but neither complained. Her arm brushed against his as they walked. They didn't talk.

But somehow, it felt like everything important had already been said.