Saki remained on her knees for a while longer, unmoving on that muddy corner where rain and tears blended together. Her tears competed with the raindrops, sliding down her pale cheeks as silence pressed heavily on her chest. When she finally noticed her bag lying in the muddy puddle beside her, her trembling fingers reached for it. Even lifting it felt like lifting a hundred-kilogram weight.
She took a deep breath.
The cold stabbed into her lungs like a blade.
But once her breathing settled, she finally found enough strength to stand.
Her clothes, soaked and covered in mud, clung to her body with every step as she quietly made her way home.
The streetlights flickered in a faint yellow glow; every raindrop that passed through the light turned into a shimmering silver particle. When Saki reached her home, she paused at the door for a moment. Her hand shook as she lifted her key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
The moment she crossed the threshold, exhaustion washed over her.
She left her muddy bag near the entrance.
She hated mess—
But tonight, she didn't have the strength to fight it.
"I'll clean it later…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Normally, she would collapse onto the couch for comfort. But with mud all over her clothes, she didn't even dare approach it. She was exhausted—completely drained—so she headed straight to the bathroom. The thought of warm steam alone felt like a small promise of comfort.
She peeled off her clothes and dropped them into a corner. Then she stepped into the shower booth. The cold had sunk into her bones so deeply that she could feel the rain's chill inside her chest. She turned on the hot water in a hurry.
When the warm water touched her skin, the sensation was a mix of pain and relief.
But…
Crying in the rain hadn't been enough.
Saki cried again—
in the shower.
The hot water mixed with her tears as the tight knot in her throat slowly loosened. The weight on her shoulders eased ever so slightly. Her thoughts were tangled, her heart even more so.
She stood motionless under the water for almost ten minutes. Just listening to it fall. Just existing.
Eventually, she felt herself calming down.
"Get it together…" she muttered to herself.
She stepped out, wrapped herself in a towel, and slipped into comfortable clothes. Her stomach was empty, but her appetite was gone. Still, she forced herself to eat a few packaged snacks just to regain some strength. Then she made herself a cup of hot chocolate. Normally, its smell alone would warm her heart…
But tonight, it was only a quiet form of comfort.
She held the warm cup between her hands and walked to her room. Sitting on her bed, she listened to the sound of rain outside. The gentle rhythm almost matched the chaos inside her.
But peace…
Peace was still nowhere near her.
Just as she lay down and lifted the cup for a sip—
Her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Miyuki was calling.
And suddenly, Miyuki's promise echoed in her mind.
I'll call you after school. Promise.
A faint spark flickered inside her chest.
She took a breath and answered in a calm, distant tone:
"…Yes, Miyuki?"
A flurry of worry burst from the other side. "Saki! What are you doing? Are you okay? I heard what happened today!"
Saki's voice was steady—
that exhausted steadiness that comes after too many tears.
"I'm fine, Miyuki… thank you."
"I don't want you to be sad, Saki. I understand you. But… you also need to understand Hiroki."
Saki inhaled softly. "I know… but my hands are tied. I don't know what to do."
"Ugh, Saki…"
Miyuki paused, thinking for a moment.
Then her tone shifted.
"…Alright. I guess I'll help you."
A faint flame of hope flickered again in Saki's heart. "How could you help…? Everything's over."
Miyuki giggled lightly. "If you two love each other, then it's not over, Saki."
Saki shut her eyes. "But… does he even love me?"
"Hiroki's been dealing with a lot lately. He just made a sudden decision in the moment. But don't worry… if I know him at all, he'll forgive you."
Saki straightened and placed her cup on the bedside table. "So… what's your plan, Miyuki?"
"I'll talk to Hiroki and explain everything.
I'll apologize on your behalf."
Saki jerked. "Will that really work?"
"Of course. Hiroki trusts me. He'll listen."
"Miyuki… I don't want you to—"
Miyuki cut her off immediately. "Don't worry. He likes you way more. I'll handle it."
And before Saki could say another word—
The call ended.
Silence returned to the room.
A new waiting began for Saki.
She sighed deeply. "Really, Miyuki…?" she whispered.
She stood up and picked up Mr. Bear—the teddy bear sitting by her door. Holding him like a friend, she hugged him tightly.
"Do you think… Hiroki will forgive me?"
Then she lay back down, placing her phone beside her head. Hugging the bear, she waited. Her heart drifted between fear and hope with every passing second.
As Hiroki's image formed in her mind, dreams began to blur with imagination. Her eyes were just starting to close when—
Her phone buzzed.
Saki startled upright.
She yawned, but the excitement instantly erased any trace of sleepiness.
She grabbed her phone—
and froze.
The sender was Hiroki.
Miyuki… had actually done it.
Hiroki's message was short:
"I'm sorry, Saki."
Her heart instantly raced.
She panicked when the message marked as "seen," and quickly typed back what she truly felt.
"Did you really forgive me?
I was never mad at you… I just got upset in the moment.
I didn't know what really happened."
Hiroki's reply came soon after:
"I'm sorry for being rude to you, Saki."
Saki sat up straight.
A warm, indescribable joy bloomed inside her chest.
"I forgive you, Hiroki. Of course I do.
And I'm sorry too… for everything I did wrong."
After a brief pause, Hiroki sent one more message:
"It's okay, Saki… I can feel that you've changed."
Those words chased away every shadow inside her.
She thanked him softly through text.
Then both of them fell silent.
It felt like saying one more word might break the fragile, beautiful moment they had finally reached.
Saki placed her phone beside her pillow and looked up at the ceiling with a gentle smile.
Before long, her phone rang again.
Miyuki.
Saki picked up.
"So? What happened?? Tell me everything!" Miyuki chirped.
"I know you already talked to Hiroki…" Saki said, smiling faintly.
Miyuki laughed. "Yep! And somehow the two of you made up! Now it's my turn to tease you!"
"Thank you, Miyuki…"
"Always, Saki. But don't let this happen again!"
"I don't want it to happen again either…"
"Alright, back to my drumming practice!"
"Okay. See you, Miyuki."
But just before hanging up, Miyuki spoke again:
"You seriously thought I'd only help you two make up?"
Saki blinked. "What… does that mean?"
"I promised Hiroki I wouldn't tell him anything, but… get ready for a surprise tomorrow."
"A surprise? Miyuki, what surpr—"
"See you tomorrow, Saki~!"
"Wait, Miyuki—!"
The call ended.
Saki sighed deeply, but this time… there was a soft smile on her face.
At last…
she felt calm.
She felt happy.
She grabbed her hot chocolate.
It had already gone cold—
the flavor was almost gone.
But Saki smiled and whispered:
"It's okay… Hiroki is more important."
As the cup touched her lips, she mumbled:
"So… what could the surprise be?"
That night, the rain finally stopped.
But the hope in Saki's heart didn't.