The rain started just as the final bell rang.
Heavy, unrelenting, the kind that made the world blur at the edges.
Aki stood by the school gate, scanning the street. He'd forgotten his umbrella at home — of course he had — and the downpour looked like it wasn't going to let up anytime soon.
Then he heard the voice he'd been waiting for.
"Aki!"
Haru jogged up, grinning despite being half-soaked already. His hair was plastered to his forehead, but in his hand was a single umbrella.
"You're late," Aki said.
"Had to find you this." Haru twirled the umbrella once before holding it out.
Aki frowned. "What about you?"
"I'll be fine." Haru shrugged, water dripping off his uniform sleeve. "I'm already wet."
"That's not the point—"
Haru pushed the umbrella into Aki's hands anyway. "Rule number one: you don't let the person you like walk home in the rain alone. Especially when they're too stubborn to wait it out."
Aki tried to hand it back, but Haru was already stepping back into the downpour.
"Haru—!"
Haru grinned. "Besides, I look cooler this way. Tragic hero, sacrificing his umbrella. Very cinematic."
"You're an idiot," Aki muttered, snapping the umbrella open.
"Maybe," Haru called over the rain, "but at least you'll be a dry idiot."
---
Aki's Walk Home
The umbrella felt strange in his hands. It wasn't his, but it smelled faintly like Haru — a mix of rain and the faint citrus shampoo he used.
The streets were nearly empty, puddles reflecting the dim glow of streetlights. Every few steps, Aki caught himself smiling without meaning to.
---
Later That Night
When Aki sat down at his desk to write, the umbrella leaned in the corner of his room like it belonged there.
> Haru gave me his umbrella today.
He didn't ask for it back.
I think… some things are meant to stay with you.
> Binary: 01001000 01100001 01110010 01110101 00101100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100001 01101110 01101011 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00101110