The day started bright enough — pale sunlight through the classroom windows, the hum of summer pressing softly against the glass.
But by the time the last bell rang, dark clouds had already gathered over the school, heavy with the promise of rain.
Aoi peeked outside and sighed. "I didn't bring an umbrella again."
Haruto glanced at his bag. "I did," he said quietly. "But it's small."
She turned to him, smiling. "Small's still better than getting soaked, right?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Let's share it."
---
The Walk Home
Rain began almost immediately after they stepped out — light at first, then heavier, until the sound of droplets drowned out the distant city noise.
The air smelled like wet earth and leaves. Haruto held the umbrella between them, the fabric rattling softly in the breeze.
Aoi tried to walk in rhythm with him, but their steps kept mismatching, brushing shoulders every few seconds. She laughed under her breath. "We're bad at this."
"Maybe," Haruto said, trying to adjust the angle. "You keep drifting."
"I'm not drifting. You're just tall."
He looked at her, and despite himself, he smiled — small, fleeting, but real.
> "You've started smiling more," Aoi said, tilting her head up.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No," she said softly. "It suits you."
They crossed the bridge near the school gate, the river below turning silver with the falling rain. The quiet between them wasn't awkward anymore — it had weight, but a comfortable kind.
---
Halfway home, Aoi pointed toward a vending machine under a roofed corner. "Let's stop there. I'm freezing."
They huddled close, droplets glistening in Aoi's hair as she rummaged for coins. "Two hot chocolates," she declared.
Haruto reached out, handing one to her once the cans dropped. Their hands brushed briefly — warm against the cool air.
She smiled faintly. "Thanks."
He nodded, taking a sip of his own. "You always drink this after it rains, don't you?"
She blinked. "You noticed?"
"Mm."
Aoi chuckled. "You notice more than you let on."
> "Maybe I just started paying attention," he said, surprising himself with the honesty in his voice.
Aoi looked at him — really looked — and for a moment, the air between them shifted. Not heavier. Just... quieter, like the world had stepped aside for them.
She smiled softly, her breath fogging the air. "You've changed a lot, Haruto."
He didn't answer right away. Just looked out at the rain and said, "Maybe I just caught up a little."
---
Later — Aoi's Thought
When she got home, Aoi set her umbrella by the door and took out the still-warm can from her bag — the one she hadn't finished.
> "He's different now," she thought, sitting by the window as rain tapped against the glass.
"Still quiet. Still thoughtful. But now, when he looks at things, there's something gentle in his eyes."
She smiled to herself, tracing a drop of water down the glass.
> Maybe change isn't about becoming someone new. Maybe it's just about letting people see who you already were — once you're not scared anymore.