Leo's shoes were still damp.
That was his first thought as he walked into school the next day, each step making the faintest squish, like his dignity was leaking out through the soles.
Yesterday's trip to Qingyuan Scenic Park had left him with two things:
1. Mild emotional damage.
2. A forum thread titled "Rainy Day Romance: Who Will Win Leo's Heart?"
He had Kai to thank for discovering that one.
"Yo," Kai greeted, sliding into the seat beside him during homeroom. "How's the harem?"
Leo groaned. "Stop calling it that."
"Dude, I don't make the rules. I just read the comments."
"Please don't."
Kai smirked and held up his phone. "Too late. Also, side note—someone made fan art of you and Rin sharing an umbrella. It's… weirdly well drawn."
"I hate everything."
"Cheer up," Kai said, nudging him. "At least you're popular."
"I didn't ask to be."
"You think Shoujo Protagonist #43 did? Embrace it."
Leo dropped his head onto the desk.
---
After lunch, Leo was headed toward the library—mostly for peace and quiet—when a soft voice stopped him.
"Leo."
He turned.
Rin stood a few steps behind him, holding a notebook. She looked… hesitant.
"Hey," he said. "What's up?"
She looked away briefly. "Do you… have a moment?"
Leo blinked. "Uh. Yeah, sure."
"I was going to do some writing at the library. I thought… maybe we could go together."
A full three seconds of stunned silence passed.
"You mean, like… sit together?"
"If you want," she added quickly. "If not, I understand."
"No! I mean—yes. I'd like to."
"…Okay."
---
The school library was quiet, warm, and slightly dusty. Rin led them to a corner table by the window, away from the few scattered students.
She opened her notebook immediately, focused, already writing.
Leo, meanwhile, spent about five minutes pretending to write while wondering:
> Is this a date? Probably not. Right?
Rin broke the silence first.
"You write in verse a lot," she said softly, eyes still on her page.
"Uh, yeah. Poetry's just… easier sometimes."
She nodded slowly. "I read what you wrote yesterday. About the storm."
"You… did?"
"You left your notebook open when you went to get water."
"Oh. Sorry."
"No. It was good."
He blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Precise, but emotional. Quiet, but weighty." She glanced at him. "You don't talk much, but your writing says a lot."
Leo had no idea what to do with that information.
"Thanks," he said, trying not to combust.
---
They wrote in silence after that, the quiet kind that didn't feel awkward. Comfortable, even.
Rin would occasionally glance at his page.
Leo would occasionally steal glances at her expression—calm, concentrated, a strand of hair tucked behind one ear.
At one point, she said, "You should publish."
"Me?"
"Yes."
He smiled, unsure. "Maybe one day."
Then—
"Leo!"
The door slid open and Yuki peeked in, holding two iced coffees. Her face lit up when she saw them.
"Ohhh~! I didn't know it was a study date!"
Leo almost knocked over his pen.
Rin looked up. "We're just writing."
"Uh-huh," Yuki said, walking over and sliding one coffee in front of him. "For you. Took forever to find a place that still had iced mocha."
Leo blinked. "Thanks…?"
She smiled sweetly. "Mind if I join?"
Rin closed her notebook very deliberately.
"…It's a free library," she said.
Leo buried his face in his hands.
---
Five minutes later, all three of them sat at the table.
Yuki was sketching hearts in the margin of her paper. Rin was writing with slightly more pressure than before.
Leo stared at his blank page.
Then Kai walked by the window outside and spotted them.
He grinned. Gave Leo two thumbs up.
Leo groaned aloud.
This was his life now.