It was a few hours prior to their fateful encounter under the streetlamp. Not much time had passed since Raichi made a marvelous entrance into the classroom, soaked to the bone. Yaori had managed to return his umbrella back to him through everything that had occurred.

  And as always, the class treated it as if she had put on a show for them to talk about and watch with cinema glasses. She didn't care. She thought Raichi might, but to her absolute shock, which she didn't let show on her face, Raichi's face remained as flat as polished stone, his expression ambiguous. His eyes were hidden behind his glasses. Seeing him like that sent a shiver down her spine. Perhaps that was how he always acted in front of happenstances like these behind the curtain.

  That was… terrifying.

  But those hushes and murmurs were as clear as day today; she could hear everything. And she was the sole discussion behind it.

  With her arms folded, her head rested uncomfortably on her arms. Her face, turned toward the empty desk to her right. Raichi's. Her glasses, askew in this position, also faced a vacant desk in front of her. Hara's. She knew she was restless; an open notebook under her arms made her feel slightly twitchy. She wasn't even aware of it, but even her basic resting on her desk held substantial weight in this situation. Being observed from every corner of the classroom was heck of a nightmare.

  I hope… they're okay. I hope… Sato-kun's okay…

  Because, for as long as she can remember, this was the first time she didn't have any care for whatever was going on in class. For once, she preferred to let the day fly by as soon as it could, finding rest and sleep to be a better solution. And, of course, the class wouldn't stop running their mouths all over the place. After all, they didn't have anything better to do. Her view on gossip was warped by everything else. To her, the words merely floated around aimlessly, but that didn't make them any less audible. Which is why—

  Yaori tried to close her eyes, but sleep never came. Her head rested; even as classes passed left and right, hour by hour, her head remained buried under her arms like an ostrich burying its head under the sand. The thoughts gnawed at her, eating her alive almost.

  She blamed herself for taking Raichi's umbrella. She blamed herself for blatantly forgetting her umbrella for the sake of sharing one with him. Putting her own ahead of Raichi, she knew she had made a huge mistake. That, was what led to this.

  This… is my fault, isn't it?

  Yaori buried her head even deeper, letting her bangs hang under her head instead of over her arms, shifting her left arm.

  I'm– I'm terribly sorry, Sato-kun! Would he… even forgive me after this? I tried to convince him! He was incredibly kind, even knowing that he'd be lacking an umbrella tomorrow morning… I didn't mean for this to happen–!

  Before she even realised it, she let out a silent hiccup under her arms, a warmth trailing its way down her cheek. Then another, then another. As everyone who was the tiniest bit intrigued watched her sleeping, under the shade and in the shadows, she cried however it was necessary, stiffening. Nobody heard her. She didn't want anyone to hear her. Her breathing had grown uneven, and an unexplainable tightness in her chest just wouldn't stop bugging her.

  Why– Why am I feeling like this? What's this… weight tugging at my heart?!

  As far as she knew, this feeling was brand new. This never occurred to her when she broke hearts, rejecting people asking her out; it never occurred to her when people talked about the bad, the neutral, the good, all parts about her right in front of her face. Even when people straight-up stared at her. This was something different, something in unfamiliar territory.

  Everything about Raichi as of right now was very bad for her heart. So for once, she could just… sit there, unmoving, waiting for the day to end. This was the worst place to be with such inner turmoil. And of course, the only one who could see her at her weakest was Raichi, she was not going to let it show. Her tears had soaked up her clothing, and at last, she was able to get some sleep. Or rather— that's what she thought.

  ?? ?? ??

  The school bell had rung a few minutes ago, signaling the start or end of what? That, Yaori didn't know. She remained with her arms folded over, acting as a cushion for her body, draping from both emotional and physical fatigue. All she knew was that she was going to stay there until she was sure that it was time to leave. Although her thoughts could crack under the pressure at any minute, because they were a muddled mess. That was until, suddenly, she could hear someone calling out beside her,

  ''Yamada-san?''

  Momentarily, she had brought her hopes up; perhaps Raichi might have finally returned safely, she thought.

  When she finally raised her head back up, she blinked repeatedly, the gray lighting of the class blinding. Her vision sluggishly cleared, and her gaze locked straight forward, looking off into space. She rubbed her hand over one eye, her arm moving sluggishly. Slowly, she turned toward the person who called her name, her eyes brightening slightly and stirring.

  It wasn't Raichi, however. Instead, it was Hiroshi Kimura, and standing behind him, Haruki Takahashi. The light in her eyes quickly vanished as it came; maybe she was just desperate.

  How Hiroshi and Haruki looked at her was indistinct, something just shy of concern. It was barely visible, but Hiroshi's furrows showed their intentions through. Haruki, too, held a bit of tension in his usually casual posture.

  Hoarse with sleep, she blinked a second time before muttering,"...What recess is this?"

  Hiroshi and Haruki exchanged a glance with solemn worry.

  Pausing briefly, Hiroshi said, "It's… lunch."

  Before she knew it, it was already lunch, it seemed. She looked around, seeing that the classroom was half empty. Most students had likely left for the cafeteria. The windows were opened for air, as well as scribbled writing on the classroom board, one of a brand new topic she was completely alien to. She hadn't even raised her head once this entire first half of school. A few ways away, some students were busy chatting, and some were eating to their hearts' content.

  ''Are you… okay?'' Haruki asked, raising his hand in reason. ''You– uh– have bags under your eyes, Yamada-san.''

  ''I… have bags under my eyes?''

  Some state she was in. Someone who had caught some Zs wouldn't be looking so miserable. Well, she probably did. Despite not being able to look at herself in the mirror at the moment, Yaori could somewhat make out her current appearance. Her hair was slightly disheveled, her eyes worn out from tears, and her voice slightly sore. She exhaled through her nose, her focus shifting to her lap. With her elbow resting on the desk, she propped up her chin on her palm, slumped over.

  ''I… don't know.''

  Hiroshi and Haruki exchanged another simultaneous glance. Her usual disguise had fallen, and her exhaustion on her face was terrible. To think she could cry this much about anything.

  ''Y'know…'' Hiroshi chimed in, bowing toward the flumped bookworm warmly, ''You can eat in the council room… again. I–If you want to, of course!''

  Th–The council room! That was when– that was when…

  Events following yesterday's drama came flooding back to her mind. Back in the student council room, when Raichi lowered his guard. He had cried, just like how she had cried under her arms these past hours. In that very room, she had promised to be there for Raichi when the time came. They had entered that room with the premise of sharing lunch with some homemade bentos, but things had quickly turned for something much different. This time, she wouldn't have any bentos to eat, nor would she have Raichi as company. That thought left her thinking. She couldn't even think of anything else besides the present in her sluggish, weary composure, so the thought of eating hadn't even crossed her mind.

  Blinking slowly, she answered, ''...I didn't bring anything to eat with me…''

  ''But— But I thought you would always bring bentos with you…'' Hiroshi scratched his back awkwardly. ''Do you really not have anything to eat right now?''

  ''I—I didn't even… plan on eating…'' She said in a soft-spoken tone, avoiding their gaze. ''I—I just woke up… didn't I?''

  Turning back toward Haruki, she could feel some frustration in his expression. His lips parted in an attempt to speak, but words couldn't come out momentarily. His eyes locked onto Yaori's, which were half-lidded.

  ''...You seriously need to eat something.''

  Yaori shifted slightly, but there was no arguing. She didn't have any energy or stamina to argue in the first place. She also didn't have enough energy to really do anything else, for that matter. She knew she wasn't in her right mind when she picked the option to stall for time.

  ''How about I get something from the cafeteria?' Haruki continued, immediately straightening his sleeves. ''You two can get settled in. I'll catch up.''

  Hiroshi nodded with a repeated hum, crossing his arms. ''I agree. I doubt she'll fare too long like this.''

  Yaori tried to shoot him an exasperated glance, but her body prevented her from doing so, lacking any real bite. She still felt heavy, but compared to sleeping all day, a small walk was more preferable.

  Haruki knew there wasn't any time to waste. With a small wave, he strode off in search of the cafeteria, disappearing from sight once he left the classroom doors, leaving Hiroshi and Yaori to their own.

  When Hiroshi saw that Yaori was closing her eyes again, he clicked his tongue.

  ''Hey, don't be sleeping again, Yamada-san…'' Hiroshi put his arms to his side in vexation. ''The whole point of this lunch is that you don't end up tiring yourself out again by sleeping!''

  ''...I can't help it…''

  ''Well, we've gotta get going.''

  ?? ?? ??

  With the school's usual afternoon lull provided, Yaori and Hiroshi slowly but steadily started to make their way to the school council room. Her head occasionally glanced out the window, seeing many students messing around in the courtyard. Yaori loosely followed Hiroshi from behind, a little distance between them. Hiroshi kept his pace slow, even pausing when necessary.

  As they kept walking, Hiroshi broke the ice, asking,

  ''If you don't mind me asking, Yamada-san…'' He turned backwards to face her, smiling intriguingly. ''What exactly… is this about?''

  It sounded like he wasn't being all that intrusive; he was curious more than anything. He was the rather observing type. Even though Yaori was the people-watcher kind of person, Hiroshi was the type to take action and distinguish. Who else but him would notice her being out of it today? Well, Raichi would, but he wasn't around, and if anything, he was the whole reason.

  ''What do you mean?''

  Hiroshi put his hands in his pockets, his eyes wandering to the side. ''It's just that… you and I both know you didn't look great back there. You could've gone home, y'know. Nobody would've blamed you…''

  Yaori's watching eyes eventually dropped down to the floor in contemplation. She took a moment to answer.

  ''I… don't know.'' She finally uttered. ''I just didn't feel like it…''

  Hiroshi took a moment, then nodded with a simple hum. ''...I guess that makes sense. I can sense that you wouldn't be any better at home, either, am I right?''

  A slight frown forming on her lips. ''...Hm.''

  It seemed like a topic change was deemed necessary, as Yaori wasn't as comfortable talking about her emotional state.

  Hiroshi glanced back toward her, grinning discreetly. ''...This is about Raichi-kun, isn't it?''

  Her fingers twitched as they held each other tightly behind her back. Hiroshi's perceptiveness didn't surprise her one bit, but he really did catch on quickly. Even if there was no hiding it from him, she decided to feign ignorance either way.

  ''And— and why would you say that?''

  Hiroshi let out an amused, short chuckle. He put one of his hands on his chin, turning back toward Yaori again. ''C'mon now. If it weren't for him, would you have come to school today? Seeing as you had no intention of listening to class…''

  Hiroshi had read her like a book; her throat tightened. Last night was one of those days when it took a bit longer for her to fall asleep. If not for the restless, unshakable thought of Raichi possibly being under the weather in any shape or form, lacking an umbrella— she might not have even had the courage to come to school today. The silence that stirred after Hiroshi's words told him everything he needed to know.

  ''—That's what I thought.''

  ''...It's true. He's… been on my mind this entire time.'' Yaori admitted, her face looking dimmer than ever. ''After all… he wouldn't have gotten so soaked if I hadn't taken his umbrella. For all I know, he might be lying down in bed right about now.''

  Hiroshi suddenly faced Yaori, knowing that the hall was empty enough as is, and started to walk entirely backwards. He had cocked an eyebrow.

  ''You're… still thinking about that?''

  Yaori avoided Hiroshi's glance. ''It's the truth, is it not?''

  Hiroshi, curiously enough, tilted his head in worry, his arms moving around. His tone picked up something a little more genuine.

  ''Don't you think you're being a little… too hard on yourself?''

  I am… being a little too hard on myself? Well, of course I am…

  Yaori blinked at his words, questioning her own well-being for once. Before she could ponder over it any further, Hiroshi added something else to the mix.

  ''Seriously though…'' He shrugged, putting his hands back into his pockets. ''It's not like you personally summoned the rain just to mess with him, no? You're overthinking things.''

  ''—What? That's— that's not—'' She paused, taken aback by how casual and lighthearted he made it come across, her demeanour changed. "That's not funny…"

  ''L-Look, I apologize if I may… speak out of line or something like that. But…'' His eyes lowered for a second in thought, ''He does live like, ten minutes or so away. Yeah, he got wet— but it's not like he had to cross a mountain or anything.''

  Yaori suddenly halted her steps then and there. She let his previous line slide, not thinking much over it. But he really was making it seem a lot more casual than it should with the way he was approaching the topic. His comment sounded dismissive, so easy– it made her chest tighten. She wanted to speak up, her instincts taking over before she could stop herself.

  With her voice slightly raised, she snapped back, ''Do you think that makes it okay?!''

  ''Uh–''

  Hiroshi blinked, he too stopping in his tracks. Yaori flapped her hands down in a show of anger, looking like she could break at any moment. She continued,

  ''He– He got completely soaked, Kimura-kun!'' Her words trembled as they left her mouth. ''Just because it wasn't— wasn't far doesn't mean it was any less of a miserable experience! We both know he didn't have an umbrella on him— because I took it! If he had any other umbrella back at his house, he would have taken it— which means that he gave it to me knowing full well what was gonna happen!''

  As a rough, sudden silence settled between them, Hiroshi could only stand there flabbergasted, not expecting Yaori to lash out as such to his comment. She was lucky that the hallway they were in was empty because her anger was fully displayed.

  Her fists clenched. Breathing unsteadily, her guilt rose back up, drowning her. The shouting was a mere fraction of what she was feeling. She had tried to keep it tucked away after 'waking up, ' but in the end, Hiroshi's comment was the catalyst that brought it to the surface, and she was far from done.

  ''S–Stop acting like it was nothing!'' She said. Her tone getting sharper, ''As if– as if it doesn't matter that he got drenched all because of me!''

  ''Hey—'' Hiroshi took a step back, putting his hands out in defense, eyes widened. ''I–I didn't mean it like that, okay—''

  ''But that's how it seemed to me!'' She cut him off, inhaling and exhaling in a pause. ''You treat it like it's no big deal… as if he only took a short stroll in the rain— you just said he walked for ten whole minutes! We both saw that he was soaked to the bone!''

  Her voice trembled even more forcibly this time. But with the way she was looking at Hiroshi, it could only mean one thing. And Yaori wasn't sure whether she wanted Hiroshi to understand her intention or not.

  Hiroshi's expression suddenly shifted. It was hard to describe, but he could tell there was something fragile and frantic beneath the way she lashed out. She wasn't angry at anybody else, despite coming off that way. Before he could say anything, however, Yaori's gaze sank down into the trench, her expression one of self-reproach.

  ''I–I just…'' Her shoulders dropped. ''The one thing that has been torturing me the entire time… is that if I just had brought my own umbrella that night…''

  As her voice quivered, a tear fell down her cheek, and no more. ''He wouldn't have felt compelled to give me his.''

  The concession that seemingly brought her down to her absolute lowest stretched a quiet between them. Hiroshi waited before he responded, attempting to calm her down and probing around the edges.

  He tried to assure her softly, ''...It's okay to forget. Anyone can forget—''

  Yaori flinched, putting her hand out, and she gestured for him to stop. The other vacant hand was tightened around the hem of her skirt. Her eyes were still locked onto wherever it was.

  ''—No, it's not like that…'' She attempted to stop her tears from welling up again. ''I–I forgot it on purpose!''

  ''You… forgot it on purpose?'' Hiroshi's brows lifted slightly, his eyes widening once more in a different realization. ''Wait… I think I finally understand it now…''

  ''I just thought… that maybe we could walk home together… under one umbrella, just this once.''

  Her voice was now barely louder than a whisper. She finally managed to get this off her chest. Even Ayaka had no clue about any of this. Well, she did, to an extent anyway. It was something she struggled to admit to even herself, and in a spur-of-the-moment the moment, she confessed it to Hiroshi of all people.

  ''I–I didn't mean for this to happen, I really didn't… but it still did.''

  Yaori was standing there as if she wasn't expecting a response, yet she just shouted at Hiroshi like it was an argument. The reason as well as the conclusion was now rather obvious.

  Scratching the back of his neck, Hiroshi sighed. ''Yamada-san… I can tell, you aren't really mad at me. You're saying all this to yourself right now, aren't you?''

  As her lips pressed together lightly, she nodded. Her stance resembled that of a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, getting scolded. However, it was as if she were the one doing the scolding.

  ''Well,'' Hiroshi deliberately paused for the dramatics sake, ''I'll be honest with you… I don't think Raichi saw it as selfish at all.''

  Yaori finally lifted her head in surprise like an anchor being raised back up, blinking.

  ''Not to mention…'' He added with a small smile, pointing his finger. ''If anything, he was happy to hand it to you. I also think that he would be more hurt seeing you tearing yourself up over it.''

  I—I never thought of it like that… but— he's– he's right!

  The doubt in her mind slowly began to waver, even if just a tiny bit. In her anguished state, she never thought of seeing things through his true view. But she knew deep in her mind that Raichi was filled with kindness to the core, and she trusted him deeply.

  ''I mean— think about it. That's just how he is. Even in a life-or-death situation, he'd probably think you need that umbrella more than he does. I am willing to bet that's the argument he used against you before I arrived to the scene.''

  ''...He did say something like that!'' She muttered under her breath. Crossing her arms poutingly, she added, ''Well… he was— more or less trying to be funny while at it, but he did…''

  Hiroshi chuckled lightheartedly, grinning. ''There… see? It seems he went out doing what he intended to. He had no regrets whatsoever.''

  As Hiroshi watched her, Yaori could feel that her view had widened. To think that Raichi, despite seeing her selfish desire, did as she wished. He could've easily told her to get her umbrella when they were in front of her house. He was fully aware that she deliberately insisted on not bringing an umbrella that night, and let her do as she desired, walking under one common umbrella.

  She hadn't thought the consequences through, and he faced them regardless of the fact, just like when he had confronted the entire class. He tried his best that day too, almost fainting, to her horror. The reality that he'd do all of this just for her left a warm, comfortable feeling that rose from her neck, even reaching down to her chest.

  Her face was subtly tilted, now rosy. As she processed it, the tint increased in contrast.

  Hiroshi, standing confidently until now, slowly turned away, walking toward their destination. Yaori instinctively followed. Though her head was lifted back up, and so was her mood, her gaze still lingered down on the ground, and not because of her contrition this time.

  ''By the way…'' Hiroshi, who knowingly kept his watch straight ahead, put his hands back into his pockets. ''I couldn't exactly tell when I made it there, but… did you enjoy the solo umbrella stroll you asked for?''

  Yaori suddenly looked up at him, blinking. Her face was as red as a beetroot, her blinks rapidly multiplying. In a fraction of a second, she went from ashy pale to fiery ablaze. She was not only caught off guard by the question itself, but also by the way he phrased it. Her hands had defensively flipped up onto her chest.

  Her hands grasped onto one another, and she said, ''It was for sure… more than— more than what I expected…''

  After her words slipped out quietly, Yaori's expression swiftly changed to something more thoughtful and curious. Completely red-faced, her brows were helplessly arched upwards, and her ears were burning from the inside. It was as if she were releasing steam out of her head like a kettle. When she eventually turned toward Hiroshi again with her current sheepish, embarrassed expression, he peeked at her face.

  Hiroshi, with his eyes widened, immediately faced the opposite way. Perhaps the reaction wasn't what he was expecting.

  Though she couldn't see his face, Hiroshi held his hand to his mouth, likely covering it with it. For some whatever strange reason, she imagined his eyes glowing, so bright that they could pierce through sunglasses.

  The air around them had morphed into one of sympathy. Hiroshi didn't seem interested in breaking the silence, and Yaori wasn't keen on doing anything as she was right now, either.

  Why do I still feel so hot?

  She waved her hand in front of her face back and forth, trying to cool herself down. She had no idea why she suddenly bloomed like a flower in the sunlight when talking about an ordinary rainy walk under an umbrella, yet she didn't have the stamina and the right state of mind to question it. Their reason for leaving for the student council room had already left her mind. She had to force herself to recall that they were going there for lunch. But at the very least, her pace no longer lagged.

  Eventually, the student council room door at the end of the corridor came into view. Hiroshi, with a rather anxious manner, looked back over his shoulder.

  ''Hey, uhh— you good now, Yamada-san?''

  Yaori popped her head back up again. It took her a second to process, ''Oh— I-I should be okay…''

  ''Well, that's a relief…''Hiroshi sighed pleasingly, putting his arms and hands behind his head in the air. ''Because… speaking of Raichi— I have a thing or two to say about him… to you.''

  ''Wh–What?''

  ''...You'll see soon enough. I'll tell you all you need to know before Takahashi makes his way here. The cafeteria should be pretty busy right about now.''

  With that, Hiroshi reached for the tiny doorknob and pushed the door open. The familiar sight of the council room greeted them with open arms. Yaori's earlier bashfulness gave way to utter confusion, as Hiroshi's out-of-context mention of Raichi left her intrigued by what he might have to say.

  ?? ?? ??

  Tick, tock, tick, tock, the clock inside of the council room rang clearly throughout the room. It was safe to say it was quiet. Even the muffled chatter of students near and far wasn't as loud as the clock.

  She had been here a few times before, during the last term, usually to help out with carrying papers. But the last time she had been here… wasn't as pleasant as it should have been, neither for her nor the person she came here with. And, of course, it was Raichi. She didn't want to dig the memory back up. It had only just begun to settle down. She could feel her chest tightening momentarily, even from just recalling it.

  The inside of the council room was quite homey, as it had been the last time she came here. Its tiny kitchen was tucked to the left of the entrance, it had a comfortable couch that they sat on that could fit up to around five people, and the dining table that stood in front of them.

  The part with the most significance was probably the portraits, which had many students of the past and other recognizable faces of the present doing or coming out victorious during various events. They served as memorabilia and generational heirlooms for the student council. The students could be seen holding a big sports cup in one hand and bowing on stage in another. Almost like they were moments frozen in time, so teachers could make sure they were remembered. Some of the portraits had some students who were currently considered her seniors. She couldn't help but wonder whether Hiroshi, who sat next to her, would be featured in one of those portraits, one way or another, being the influential guy that he is.

  Sitting next to her, Hiroshi seemed a little apprehensive. His elbows were on his knees, his chin on his hand, and his other hand was busy fidgeting with his uniform. She could tell he was trying to string his thoughts into words, so she patiently waited for him. She had nothing else to do either way.

  ''Agh… I don't know how to say this.'' Hiroshi straightened himself, putting his hands around his head like a spider. ''You don't mind, do you?''

  ''No no, take your time, Kimura-kun. You said it was about Sato-kun, right?''

  Hiroshi let out a faint breath through his nose, slackening his shoulders. ''Yeah. I did.''

  Putting his hands together like a bargaining businessman, he put on a blunt tone, slightly turning towards Yaori.

  ''It's… about a little conversation I ended up hearing, even though I wasn't supposed to…'' He began, looking through her as if gauging her reaction. ''It is– Uh— related to you.''

  ''...What do you mean?'' Yaori tilted her head slightly. ''If it was about some random student gossiping, then you need not worry about it...''

  ''That's not even remotely close.''

  ''Then what was it?''

  Hiroshi put on an awkward smile, one that was hard to understand and read behind. He scratched his cheek in agitation, then glanced back and forth. Suddenly, he punched his legs with respective hands, grunting. When he glanced back toward Yaori, he immediately apologized. Perhaps he wasn't as prepared as he thought he was to explain what was on his mind.

  ''I don't mean to… open up old wounds or anything… but you do remember the commotion that happened surrounding your bookmark, don't you?''

  Yaori's eyes immediately widened as all the memories flooded right back to her mind like a massive thrust of wind. It was a surprisingly scary day, and even though something positive and light like eating lunch with Raichi was supposed to follow it, things didn't go the way they should have. There was no use acting like the drama hadn't occurred a day before.

  Her gaze shifted awkwardly. "I… of course I remember…"

  The moment in which Raichi almost fainted right in front of her very eyes, proceeding to jump in his sleep during class, and then wept and cried under her arms was a day etched in her mind. She could never forget it even if she were to desire it.

  ''But…'' Yaori continued, ''Now that I think about it… you never came back here, didn't you?''

  ''Well, that's the thing…''

  Hiroshi clumsily scratched his cheek again, giving her glimpse a miss. Strangely, a grin reared itself on his lips. Though Yaori could tell, it was a mere facade. Once Hiroshi looked back at her through the corner of his eye, his guise became more akin to what Raichi might look like, her sharp stare throwing him off.

  ''I did in fact go get food, that wasn't a lie. But once I actually returned, I could see and hear what you two were talking about through the door…'' His tone lowered in guilt. ''I didn't mean to overhear things, really. I just couldn't help but be worried, and feared interfering with something I shouldn't.''

  He trailed off, biting the inside of his cheek and turning away. His silence spoke volumes, and Yaori could feel its weight. Judging from what he shared with her, Hiroshi was an uninvited guest to Raichi's vulnerable moment. Despite that, he wasn't done.

  ''I–I've never, ever, seen Raichi like… that!'' He muttered under his breath. ''He wasn't just venting… he was practically breaking down…''

  Yaori looked at him with her brows knitted together. The fact that someone could've heard their conversation completely slipped her mind, but knowing who Hiroshi was, she didn't feel any bit invaded. She wanted to hear more. It was clear that Hiroshi had a lot to say about this situation.

  ''I've known him since childhood…'' He continued, visibly contemplating everything he knew about Raichi, ''Though his introversion always came as second nature, this… resentment and animosity Raichi has for gossip is a relatively new thing… he wasn't like this around a year before. But what he showed you wasn't anything like that…''

  ''You're saying…'' Yaori, now on edge, looked apprehensively at the table before her. ''It was all a front he put up for how he truly felt about gossip?''

  ''...That is what I'm saying, but that's just one-third of the whole picture.'' Hiroshi moved back into his chin-on-hand position, looking off into the wall with seemingly nothing on his mind. ''Just what happened when we were separated this year? Just how much was he holding back? I had and have all sorts of questions that I never knew I needed answered.''

  ''...What do you mean by separated, Kimura-kun?''

  ''Forget that, it's a story for another day. What I am really trying to convey to you here is that…'' Hiroshi turned toward her with his hands held together, emphasizing what he was about to say. ''I've… never heard him sound like that before, Yamada-san. Don't you get it? How he talked to you… that makes you the only one he has truly opened up to.''

  That makes… me, the only person… he has truly opened up to…?

  Hiroshi's mention of special labels and whatnot had Yaori's mind in the clouds immediately following his remark.

  Her eyes followed the hem of her skirt, where her hands were gently folded. Her eyes spun around, trying to make sense of what Hiroshi said really meant. What was she supposed to feel? Her mind was a melting pot of reflection, self-deprecation, and even affection. Her eyes eventually wandered to the far edge of the room, deep in thought.

  Yesterday— was him opening up to me.

  The previous day was such a whirlwind of events that it was hard to list everything that had taken place. But what came to her first was the moment Raichi collapsed like a tower of playing blocks. His voice was raw, tears rolled down his face like twin waterfalls.

  ''I got labeled— without ever knowing who I was myself!''

  He said. Even though she learned even more down the line when he came over for dinner, He resembled a piece of liquid clay that needed to be held together. Before she came to comfort him—

  ''I don't want you to go through what I did— Yamada-san! And all because of me…''

  Her stomach twisted, recalling everything in detail. That was the precise moment he let only her in. Time and time again, she chose her, perhaps of his own will, perhaps drunk, perhaps completely unaware. He was bringing himself down, and she managed to hold him together. However, she knew that deep down, the trust she had in him was equal, if not greater. She had told her that he wasn't a burden and that she would give him the trust he had in her, ten times back.

  But then, she deeply examined how much trust she had in him, this time rewinding her mind back to before yesterday's dinner when he came over.

  ''I felt like… I could've done more. Wondering whether it was enough… wondering whether I could be as… dependable.''

  She said this to him in her room. At that moment, he asked to know more about her, and she delivered. Raichi's following words comforted her underlying anxiety.

  ''You've already done so much for me… and in such a short time. If you could do that with me… you must have done more than enough for Ayaka-san over these years.''

  She promised herself to protect his hard-earned trust that very day. And she, too, lent him a piece of her that would forever be in his possession and only his possession alone. A secret she knew would never leave her and her sister, yet she trusted him enough to tell him about all of her insecurities— the more her thoughts spiraled out of control, the more the absurdity of the situation dawned upon her. She blushed awkwardly, only now realizing just how much quality time they had spent together yesterday.

  Ugh… why am I being whiplashed with memories as if I were hungover? Well, it doesn't matter now. I have a responsibility.

  She quickly brushed off her thoughts, deciding to prepare herself in order to take another critical milestone for her and Raichi's relationship. She turned toward Hiroshi with a serious, deadpan expression.

  ''Kimura-kun,'' She said with a firm yet resolved tone, ''Tell me something… where does Sato-kun live?''

  Hiroshi didn't turn for a second, blinking. Once he faced her, he was flabbergasted in total silence, unable to render her question properly.

  ''Eh?'' He opened his mouth lightly,

  Determined, and with her expression unwavering, she continued, ''Tell me where he lives. I promise that you won't regret it.''

  Hiroshi's face changed its appearance like the moon's phases, slowly uncovering a face of surprise. ''...Wait, you're serious!''

  Yaori's fingers clenched around her skirt, and she didn't break her gaze for even a second. She nodded steadily.

  ''I cannot just sit here knowing. Now that I've been made aware of it, I have to be there for Sato-kun.''

  Yaori explained herself quite understandably. With newfound information provided by Hiroshi and the realization she had come to thanks to it, she could finally put into words the value of everything that happened the day before. She hadn't come to this decision out of exterior impulse; if anything, it all tightened her eventual self-commitment.

  ''You mean… today?''

  ''If not today, then when else?''

  It seemed like Hiroshi hadn't fully grasped how concrete and determined she was at the moment. He looked away in thought,''Well, he does need some rest…''

  ''Not only that, but he also needs some taking care of. From what I know of how little he looks after his hair, he might even still be in his wet clothing.''

  ''Oh, I wouldn't go that far…'' Hiroshi said brightly. ''For all I know, his mother wouldn't let that slide. Plus, Suzuki-chan's there. She was quite mad at Raichi-kun for not looking out for himself.''

  S–Suzuki-san… so she is by his side right now… I was wondering where she would go after getting Sato-kun back home… It only makes sense that she would be at their house.

  When she woke up from her sleep, she hadn't seen Hara at her desk. She hadn't questioned her whereabouts, nor had it crossed her mind, but that could only mean she hadn't returned to school.

  Yaori didn't have a clue why, but the fact that Hara was at Raichi's residence right now left her in thought. Her eyes had widened, and she had been gazing off into nowhere. That subtle weight on her mind was shapeless, hard to make out.

  There was a part of her that was relieved that he was in safe hands. While she could feel that… being the only person that Raichi has apparently truly opened up to, and Raichi being that very same confidant for her, made her almost envious. Envious that she wasn't able to be the one next to him. In a way, now that she could ascertain what kind of place Raichi held in her mind after yesterday's emotional rollercoaster of various events, perhaps there was… an ulterior motive behind her desire to visit him, she thought.

  ''So she is there, huh…'' Yaori stared away in ambiguous thought. ''I… should have noticed Suzuki-san's absence by now…''

  ''She's… at his place right now. Been there for a while.'' Hiroshi added, ''Earlier in the morning classes, she messaged me. Said she couldn't return to school.''

  ''...I see.''

  Yaori's aloof way of affirming the news immediately had Hiroshi suspecting, as he swiftly cocked an eyebrow.

  ''Is something wrong, by the way? You said you were feeling better a few minutes ago…''

  ''N-No,'' She responded, a little too quickly.

  The stinging feeling that dwelt deep inside had no reason to be there. Hara hadn't done anything wrong; if anything, she had done the best for him, especially someone like her who's known Raichi for so long. Even so, it was hard to acknowledge, but it was the truth.

  Her reasons for wanting to see Raichi, at the moment, had a selfish desire behind them. She realized she was getting too greedy. But… that did not inhibit her from seeing him. She didn't necessarily need to be the one there, but she, at the very least, had to be there.

  Yaori had to stop beating around the bush. Instead of spending the entire day fussing over things and doing nothing, she could keep Raichi company, however necessary.

  ''Anyway… are you absolutely certain you want to visit him?'' Hiroshi inquired. ''If he ends up being completely fine… what's your excuse gonna be for coming over to see him so late?''

  ''...I'm sure. I've made up my mind already.'' Yaori nodded, locking eyes with Hiroshi, her expression unwavering. ''If it does end up being the case… then there is no point lying about it. I'll simply say I was worried he might have gotten sick…''

  ''—Pfft,'' Hiroshi suddenly snorted, his expression one of utter elation. He tried to hold his laugh with one hand, eventually stopping himself with a clearing of his throat. ''Okay, okay. Sorry for laughing. It's just that… it makes me happy to see someone other than Suzuki-chan and I care about him so much.''

  Hiroshi followed his statement with a boyish grin. His sudden switch in mood caught Yaori off guard, but perhaps under the visible amusement on his face, there was a feeling of pride. It seemed like Yaori was making it quite obvious how much she cared about Raichi, and that brought bliss to Hiroshi. His delight was genuine.

  He let out a short breath. ''To be perfectly honest with you… Raichi-kun's a lucky guy.''

  Yaori paused for a second, but instantly shook her head. Quietly, she uttered, ''N–No… I'm the lucky one.''

  She didn't put any thought behind her line. When Hiroshi implied that Raichi was lucky for having her by his side, it was as if her mouth and lips acted on their own. Her eyes dropped to her lap, where her hands still rested. She let herself take a breath.

  ''I think that… I'm lucky to have someone trust me so much. Even in the beginning, when we didn't even know one another at all…'' She continued, glancing at Hiroshi, who intently listened to her. ''All we did was some surface-level chat about our favourite author we had in common… but even then, he handed me something that meant everything to his quiet life.''

  The soft, worn spine of the book Raichi lent Yaori was still as memorable as the day she received it. She hadn't told anyone, not even Raichi, that she actually carried it with her at all times afterward. The title page had Miyamoto-san's ink signature, as bright as day. It contained notes she found so much reverence behind, which only she would be able to understand the value of. And that day…

  ''When we had that chat about Miyamoto-san… he didn't care who I was, why I was called the 'Acing Bookworm' that the entire class keeps blabbing about.'' She let a smile slip through the edge of her lips, one that was unfeigned. ''And when that side of me got in the way of us doing what we have come to love, he didn't hesitate to defend it, even if that meant facing possibly his biggest fear, which I would only find out later just how big it really was. He trusted me enough to tell me that.''

  Her voice faltered for a moment, inhaling a big chunk of air before resuming.

  ''His trust and kindness are what lured me in. I couldn't help but appreciate that… it was all in the hands of fate. It was fate that such a person ended up sitting right next to me in class. That's why… I'm the lucky one.''

  By the time Yaori was done with her brand-new disclosure, the grin that had been tugging at Hiroshi's lips had already transformed into something smaller. His cheeks were slightly tinted.

  With quiet admiration, he muttered, ''...You really are something else, Yamada-san…''

  He put his arms behind his back, using them as a pillow. His head drifted toward the ceiling. She could tell Hiroshi was surprisingly moved.

  ''I've been wondering how easily his life had changed during those months when Suzuki-chan and I had been lacking in his life.'' Hiroshi turned toward her, smiling. ''You and I both know he isn't the type to let people into his life unaccounted. But now I see… it just takes the right person to do so.''

  Yaori didn't know what to say. She figured Hiroshi had more to say, so she didn't interrupt him. He laughed faintly under her presence.

  ''I would have never thought that… it all would happen so fast. But I also the fact that someone would talk so highly of him like that was beyond my wildest dreams…'' With his eyes shut, Hiroshi faced the ceiling once more, his smile content. ''I'm just glad… it was you.''

  Yaori blinked rapidly, promptly clutching her skirt with both of her hands. She turned away, hiding her face and the discreet red flushing on her cheeks.

  Her voice barely louder than a whisper, she responded, ''Th–Thank you…''

  Afterward, neither of them moved an inch, so the silence that followed seemed to mark the end of the conversation. Hiroshi finally got everything off his chest.

  Yaori deeply appreciated Hiroshi's virtues regarding Raichi. She recognized his nettlesome ways of waging conversation, but thanks to Raichi, she realized there was more than what met the eye. Yaori had gotten her daily fill of divulgence about literally anything. Hiroshi eventually rose back up from his seat, catching her off guard, stretching before carrying on,

  ''Well, I should be able to find a pen or two and something to write on in one of those drawers over there!'' He said with an uplifted tone, deliberately avoiding looking at Yaori. ''Better get that done and dusted before Takahashi-kun returns from the cafeteria.''

  He went on to look through the entire storage wall of the student council room, in search of anything that resembled a sheet of paper.

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  His mind was as flat as a drywall when it came to being innovative, as the roll of toilet paper was staring right at him. Yaori, examining the pen he had found in his hand, could see that it was pretty dusty and hadn't been used in some time. Just when he grunted triumphantly following the noise of crumpled-up sheets of paper, the door opened wide, revealing Haruki with a plastic bag filled with food.

  He took a singular step inside, his bag twirling. His bangs were rather tussled, perhaps because the cafeteria was congested with students. He let go of the handle of the door and placed the food down gently with his easygoing exterior.

  ''I apologize for being so late.'' He wandered through the bag, grabbing a bottle of barley tea he had brought for Yaori. ''The cafeteria was absolute chaos. I also figured you

  might need something rather lightweight.''

  Yaori's gaze lifted to Haruki's hand with the barley tea on it. Sitting up straighter in her seat, she gently took it from him.

  ''Ah– Thank you, Takahashi-kun.''

  As Haruki made a lap around the table, Yaori could feel his eyes dart toward her in a split second, contrasting his neutral expression. Perhaps he could tell that she wasn't as pale as before after waking up from her not-so-peaceful slumber. She hadn't been pale for more than ten minutes now, but he wasn't there to witness it.

  Yaori reached into the bag of food, grabbing one of the fried egg sandwiches laid inside. There were a couple of pieces of wrapped onigiri, along with another bottle of the barley tea Haruki had handed to her.

  Haruki, standing alongside Hiroshi in the kitchen, turned back toward her. ''How are you feeling now, Yamada-san?''

  ''I—I think I feel a little bit better, thank you, Takashi-kun.''

  ''And… do you think you'll need more food or is this enough for you?''

  Yaori took a good look down at the plastic bag again, nodding. ''It's more than enough. I really appreciate it.''

  ''Anytime.''

  With little to no enthusiasm, Haruki turned his attention back to Hiroshi, who was still busy scratching his head, trying to remember Raichi's address. The paper he found was barely big enough to write down the address with his displeasing handwriting.

  ''I bet you didn't even touch anything in the kitchen while I was gone,'' Haruki said flatly. ''How come you didn't attempt to make literally anything?''

  Hiroshi kept his head down on the paper. ''Well, unless you want me to poison somebody and knock them out cold, it's best I stay miles away from basic kitchen equipment.''

  ''...Then what about the utensils? Did you at least manage to find them?''

  Writing Raichi's address down with utmost care, Hiroshi lifted his hand away from the note. ''I managed to find this pen and paper… that counts, right?''

  Yaori watched from the couch as their conversation halted. Hiroshi lifted the note in the air with a flourish, dramatically holding it in his hand. Haruki's utter confusion was reflected on his face, but he observed him with light amusement.

  Still busy chowing down on her first taste of food after hours of sleeping, Yaori looked up at the small piece of paper between Hiroshi's two fingers.

  She could feel her heartbeat speed up as she reined it in. Her eyes lingered on the note as she held it placed on her palm. She would now be able to do something instead of sitting around, finally. She wouldn't have to sleep in her seat, her insecurities dominating her mind. She wouldn't have to be anxious about not doing enough for the one person who understood her from the inside. She now had the power to do something. And that, finally, put her at ease.

  Hiroshi, out of the corner of her vision, gave her a knowing smile, almost a smirk. Haruki's eyes switched from the two, back and forth, still not even remotely aware of what had gone down minutes ago.

  ?? ?? ??

  Along with many other students, Yaori had passed through the school gates as soon as the bell rang. But unlike most of them today, she had a mission for going back home this time. She took small, rapid steps, since there was no time to dawdle. Her bag was slung over one shoulder.

  The sky had opened up compared to the gray morning; at least something remotely resembling sunlight was shooting onto her. The post-downpour breeze was unexpected, however. She flew past students walking in groups who had left before her. Their chatter and laughter were mere muzzles to her mind, which was indifferent to them. Because of that, despite moving right past them, her own path felt quieter.

  The paper with the address on it was tucked neatly inside her bag, where it was safe.

  Her head constantly tried to remind her that this wasn't any ordinary walk home. She wouldn't even stay there long enough to call it a walk back home, anyway. She was going to change into something barely presentable, and with a plastic bag in hand, she would leave for certain shops to visit.

  Glancing briefly at the road ahead, she could notice another day-to-day occurrence she had grown alien to these past few days. A few fellow students passing in the opposite direction all glanced her way. Of course, they were interested in the Acing Bookworm. Their observation certainly wasn't harsh or too overt, but the judgment in their eyes was as clear as day.

  And as usual, though her eyes averted slightly, she pretended not to notice. Perhaps her current mood and rush made her stand out more than expected.

  Something about those glances was familiar, though. Akin to the same type of glances she had been under the scrutiny of a day ago.

  Their matching bookmarks, one of them falling onto the ground and becoming the main point of the conversation, quickly gathered an entire crowd's attention. And Raichi, who made it his aim to protect her no matter the cost, put himself under the scope. The looks he received were completely different compared to her end, but it happened all the same. In the end, she had to continue with resolve.

  ?? ?? ??

  The small awning of the Yamada household slowly came into view as she turned one last corner on the narrow street. The wonted outdoor slippers were laid meticulously. The smell of hearty food, its aroma, leaked outside through the small window, reaching her nostrils. Yaori considered herself lucky and saw herself as someone who mattered, coming home to such delicious food every day.

  She took the stone passageway through, letting herself in as she gently opened the door. Calling out,

  ''I'm home!''

  Seconds later, as she was discarding her shoes and getting off the genkan, her big sister Ayaka responded from the kitchen with a cheery shout.

  ''Welcome back!''

  Yaori's attention wandered over to the kitchen, then back toward her room, nodding with determination. She rapidly approached the end of the corridor to her room. She would have returned Ayaka's gesture and talked to her for a little bit if this had been an ordinary day. She could see the two of them converse for a few minutes minimum before having even changed out of her clothes. However… she didn't have any time to spare, not here, not now. She expected Ayaka to make conversation any moment, so Yaori immediately slid the door open and then shut it right back.

  Upon entering her room, she searched for a change of clothes in a flash. She scrolled through her wardrobe desperately, trying to find something to her liking. She thought she'd be done in a jiffy, but she seemed to struggle with what to pick.

  ''I know I need to hurry, but… I'd better be somewhat spick and span in front of Sato-kun!''

  After examining almost her entire wardrobe, she hadn't given much thought to what to wear. What she ended up getting was an elegant, pastel purple skirt and a simple white uniform. Despite grabbing them at random, they remarkably went together nicely, making her look quite well put together. She looked at herself in the mirror multiple times, twirling back and forth to examine all the angles.

  "How does this look I wonder…" She said to herself, but then realized just how serious she was, a red-tinted curtain drawing over her, lips twitching. "Ahh! What am I doing??"

  With her hands bashfully holding her cheeks, there was a sudden, rather loud knock on the door. Ayaka's impish, teasing voice could be heard from behind the door.

  "Yaori-chann!~" She knocked a second time. "Something wrong? I can hear you talking to yourself over there!"

  "Um– nothing! I'm fine, Nee-san!"

  Yaori made a tepid attempt to assure her sister that she wasn't doing anything, but to no avail; Sisterly love knew no bounds, and that included the door. Ayaka slid the door wide open, her expression slightly troubled.

  Yaori tried to hide the fact that she had gotten all dolled up for something specific, but her embarrassment quickly seeped in. Her gaze wandered from one corner of the room to another, the creeping blush still dominant on her cheeks. And Ayaka quickly caught on to what was happening.

  "You're planning to… go out again?" She cocked an eyebrow, reaching out through the door. "To where?"

  "I— uh, I was going to… going to…!"

  Her anxiety bar quickly rose through the roof. Her voice shot up and down various octaves in disparate tones.

  The more sounds Yaori made, the wider Ayaka's grin grew and replaced the slight bit of distress she had. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Ayaka loved to pry. She had recently been squeezed for every little information she had of Raichi by Ayaka. However, her intentions have always remained novel to Yaori all this time.

  "Don't tell me…" She put her hand on her chin. "It's Sato-kun?"

  "About that…" Yaori quickly averted her eyes. "When he arrived… Sato-kun was… completely soaked to the bone this morning."

  Ayaka blinked from where she stood, entering inside in surprise. "Soaked? What? Did he not have an umbrella? He clearly had one yesterday…"

  "He didn't. He—He…"

  "...He gave you his last night, didn't he?"

  Once Ayaka read her like a book, her head suddenly sprang up. She nodded faintly.

  "I suppose he didn't have a spare. After we had walked over to his street, he handed me his umbrella." Yaori's posture fell like a sullen flower. "He insisted that I take it."

  Ayaka stood still for a moment, looking upwards, the pieces slowly connecting themselves in her head.

  ''That means… when it rained again this morning…''

  Yaori gave a tiny nod, affirming Ayaka's conclusion. ''Seems he didn't have anything else. I didn't think it would rain again so soon, either.''

  Ayaka blinked subsequently, clenching one of her fists. She approached Yaori, now fully standing in front of her.

  ''So that umbrella you came back with… wasn't yours, but his?'' Ayaka said, her brows fully equipped. ''When I said you should leave your umbrella— I was messing around with you like I always do! I thought you'd shrug it off like usual!''

  ''Well, this time… I decided to take it seriously.''

  ''You've rarely taken me seriously regarding stuff like this…'' Ayaka facepalmed, looking rather disappointed in herself. ''And would you look at that, I didn't think you'd actually take it. I didn't realize you didn't even have an umbrella on you when leaving the house!''

  ''But…'' Yaori lifted her arm toward Ayaka. ''I wanted to, Nee-san. I wanted to walk under the same umbrella with him.''

  As the tension between them slowly showed itself, Ayaka walked off to another corner of her room, and Yaori followed her. The frustration was visible on her face, the silence speaking volumes.

  ''...Who knows? He could be sick, lying in bed right about now.'' Ayaka muttered. ''And all because of something I said without thinking through.''

  To calm things down, Yaori started to pack her necessary utilities, grabbing her bag and putting a handkerchief in it. As she continued touring around her room in search of items, she added,

  ''It's okay. I made the choice, Nee-san. All you did was give me the push. And now, I am responsible for taking care of him.''

  Ayaka let out a sigh, letting go of the last fingers she held between her eyes. She glanced toward her sister with a softer, empathic expression.

  ''So you're dead set on seeing him, then?''

  ''I am.'' She nodded. ''I need to make sure he's okay.''

  There was a pause as the sisters' eyes locked onto one another. Yaori's brows furrowed. She wanted her big sister to know it wasn't her fault. But she was aware that it didn't matter who or what caused it, and that she was going to set things right.

  That was when Ayaka tilted her head, giving Yaori a real, non-feigned smile. One that Yaori could tell she genuinely meant. Her eyebrows arched upwards.

  ''That's… not the only thing at play, is it?''

  ''W–What do you mean…?'' Yaori said, not understanding what Ayaka meant. But she could feel her words trailing off. ''Why else would I…''

  ''...You like him, do you not?''

  Yaori's hands stayed neatly held together in front of her. She walked past Ayaka and loomed toward the room's exit, unwilling to question things any further.

  ''I don't have any idea about how I feel just yet, but…'' She said under her breath. ''It doesn't change the fact that… I want to see him.''

  Ayaka giggled behind her, putting her teasing aside where it truly mattered. Yaori was unable to see her face, but something inside her just knew that Ayaka wasn't grinning this time.

  Her big sister followed her down the hallway, stopping by the kitchen. Yaori turned back toward her, seeing that she had cupped her hands around her mouth as if her voice couldn't reach.

  Ayaka whispered, ''In that case… break a leg. Go.''

  With Ayaka's final words of encouragement, Yaori slipped her shoes on, her fingers brushing over the laces. She looked back over her shoulder, and Ayaka was still standing right there with her hands behind her back, giving her the faintest smile. Yaori exhaled gently, putting herself back together as she stepped out.

  ?? ?? ??

  "Have a nice day!" the cashier said politely behind her as Yaori walked away from the counter. The automatic doors parted in unison, closing behind her. She double-checked the condition of the bag and its contents, which were filled to the brim with various items.

  There was a lot to cover, as it took her around two hours just to collect and buy everything. She had painstakingly searched under every rock and soul.

  When she had just entered the supermarket, she left with a small bag of small-grain rice, some eggs, a bunch of green onions, some stock cubes, and carrots. All of them were necessary to make the rice porridge she had in her mind the best of the best, the easiest to swallow, the gentlest to ingest. She was indecisive regarding what kind of soft vegetable to get, initially considering daikon. Her hands had switched between the type of rice to use, and even what kind of egg to get. The image of Raichi's sick state ran through her mind as she weighed her options. She wanted that very same Raichi to not just feel comfortable eating her cooking, but also feel like he was being cared for.

  A light pile of sundry medicines was lying under all the eggs and rice. There were some cough drops, two types of fever medication, and a sports drink. Over at the pharmacy, she had insisted on not getting the medicine wrong. She was constantly reminded of her lack of knowledge regarding the topic, but she persisted. She inquired about all the recommendations she could get. She considered how Raichi might react to the medicine depending on how effective and heavy each one was. That meant there was a risk to it, and she was afraid of the results. However, nothing could get in the way of her assistance.

  Lastly, one that she had almost forgotten, was a temiyage. It was a small box of Uji green tea, neatly wrapped, nestled inside her personal bag instead of the plastic shopping bag she was using to carry the medicine and groceries. She intended to give it to Raichi's mother. Ayaka's casual and easy-going demeanour was not commonplace for most families, and that was the reason why she decided to acquire it. From the brief conversation she had overheard when Raichi was on the phone, his mother came off as a laid-back person, so she knew the situation didn't require something over the top. Her instinct told her it was the right thing to do.

  As the sunlight slowly faded, with a few blocks left until she would approach Raichi's street, the street lights turned on. The rain had also started to drizzle slightly, almost too small. With each step she took, she could feel the audible beat of her heart and the rustling coming from the grocery bag. She had only just yesterday boldly invited Raichi over for dinner to her house the other day, and now, it was even stranger visiting his, with a gift, groceries, and medicine in hand. Even more humiliatingly, she was planning to practically nurse him back to health.

  She couldn't even imagine this day ending like this. She was and had been made aware of how rapidly she had grown attached to Raichi, but this was something else. Her big sister's comment was stuck to her head like a cyst. Is this how it feels to like someone? Was this how every one of her acquaintances who confessed to her felt? The shape in which their relationship had taken was not something she could make out.

  Everything was so… delicate. The flutters she felt walking under Raichi's umbrella, eating with him, pouring their hearts out to one another in her room and the park, and so much more. It was all so tentative. These recent days she had spent with him had so much meaning behind them all, and only now was she able to realize it.

  The streets had grown empty now. The quiet neighborhood was lit up with hushed signs of nearby shops and street lights, as water dripped down from the rooftops.

  Nearing the end of the next block, she tilted her head up at the dimming sky, as a big waterdrop fell on her glasses. She blinked, gazing at it, stopping under the streetlight to wipe it clean. As she brought out her glasses cloth, wiping down the speckles of water, she looked down at it with a shiver down her spine, worried.

  Once she was done, she froze right where she stood, the sight in front of her rendering her unable to move. She bit her lip as she looked wide back at the figure about to approach her. It seemed like that person was trying to ignore her. Their head looked left, then right, then straight forward.

  But then, their eyes finally met, and recognition finally reached Yaori. Her breath hitched as sweat made its way down her face. The figure's blue ponytail falling on her shoulder and swaying in the wind, her bangs revealing their cadet blue eyes widening as they met Yaori's. It was a face she was now all too familiar with. It was…

  S–Suzuki-san!

  Under the street lamp, as Hara approached, against her intense glare, Yaori's eyes couldn't hold. An immediate, thick silence settled between them like a net, and it was in Hara's favor. After her recent revelation, Yaori's tip-toeing heart couldn't afford looking at Hara directly in the face. Her gaze practically went across the street and back, only meeting Hara's with faint and brief flickers.

  Hara's brows furrowed, and there was this concrete solemnity on her expression, which made Yaori foresee that a confrontation loomed ahead.

  Hara cleared her throat, laying her hand down. ''Why… Why did you have Raichi-kun's umbrella?''

  She inquired. Even from a first expression of Hara, Yaori knew that she was the type to face things head-on. With the drop of a hat, she would take action, as displayed by her swift problem-solving skills in the classroom.

  Furthermore, Yaori was clueless as to what kind of relationship Hara and Raichi had. If she were to cement herself in Raichi's life now, would it get in the way? What would telling Hara the truth here and now result in, and what kind of consequences would it have? Would it complicate her own relationship with Raichi?

  The likely answer already made itself clear in her head. Her and Raichi's relationship would lose its identity. Everything they had done and been through together was special to her, and now defined their relationship at its core. Even if the fact that Raichi's intention to lend her the umbrella had no underlying romantic desire and context behind it, and that he'd do it for anybody else given his immense kindness, it all felt intimate for her.

  As such, she could never picture herself being in a world where this phenomenon with Raichi wasn't the norm, where she would treat anybody else as if they were Raichi. She couldn't bear to lose it all— to see it stripped of its meaning and then some.

  The logical rejoinder to Hara's question was undeniable; the only possible way to refute it— would be to lie. And for the first time in her life, that lie wouldn't be as malicious as the times she refused offers to go on dates.

  ''Uh— good evening, Su–''

  ''Don't bother, Yamada-san.'' Hara bluntly cut her off. ''Just answer me. That's all that I ask for.''

  With that, Yaori took a deep breath, slowly inhaling and exhaling when her eyes confidently locked with Hara's, having donned her most stern expression yet, she responded,

  ''When we went to the park yesterday… he accidentally left his umbrella there. I came by this morning to pick it up, and when the time came, I handed it back to you, Suzuki-san.''

  Hara eyed her over, not answering right away. Resembling some sort of robot, she scanned her all from top to bottom, or rather, the words that had come out of her mouth. Yaori knew this situation was comparable to a lie detector test she'd see on social media.

  ''...Okay.'' She said brusquely, ''I—I just… wanted to hear it from you.''

  Yaori nervously put her hands together behind her back, tilting her head. Hara let out a sigh, taking a step back. She walked in the opposite direction, walking away from under the street lamp's light. Her blue hair shimmered as she swiftly moved away. Strangely, her arms were wrapped around herself.

  ''H–Have a good night, Suzuki-san.''

  ''You too, Yamada-san.''

  It seemed like Hara didn't press for more. Though her posture told otherwise— visibly discontent, Hara walked away.

  With that finally settled, Yaori followed the sidewalk curving to the right and into the street where Raichi's house was located. The leisurely rain kept pouring down on her gently as she took the path, getting dimmer and dimmer the further she went down. Her heart was far from settled, unlike the previous matter, but she kept walking in hopes of making the best first impression she could to Raichi's family. Despite what Hara might have to say, she still had a certain bookworm to see tonight.

  Her sights now set on Raichi, Yaori approached the Sato household door. Taking deep breaths, she gently pressed the doorbell, holding her hands tightly in front of her with her tote bag clamped in between. She blinked rapidly, biting her lip.

  The door creaked open, making the chain rattle as the young woman with her tied-back black hair came out with a curious glint. It was Emiko Sato, Raichi's mother.

  "Yes?~"

  Yaori straightened herself right away. "Um— Good evening! I–I apologize for showing up so late!"

  Yaori winced at herself, cringing at how high her voice came out. Emiko's intrigue was easy to read on her face.

  "...And who might you be, little miss?"

  Yaori bowed her head in respect, putting her shopping bag to the side, trying to bring out a certain box from her personal bag.

  "I—I am Yamada Yaori! I am… I am Sato-kun's c–classmate." She put her arms out straight, facing directly downwards. "I–I got some local green tea! Um— as a small gift. I apologize if it's nothing fancy…"

  With a face pleading for mercy, her cheeks steaming again, she gestured the temiyage in her hand. Emiko gently took it from her, blinking in surprise. Yaori stood back up, unable to meet Emiko in the face.

  "Oh… why, thank you, Yamada-san.'' Emiko said, putting on a warm smile with the flip of a switch. ''I've heard about you.''

  ''Y—You have?''

  ''I have.'' Emiko nodded, staring off into the ceiling, recalling Raichi's remarks. ''He had dinner at your house yesterday, didn't he? He also told me this morning that he didn't have an umbrella to go to school with because he lent his to you.''

  When Emiko mentioned Raichi's umbrella, Yaori was utterly flustered, her face flushing a deep red. She waved her hands, bowing earnestly once more. Her heart stammered in her chest. Emiko, who was caught off guard by Yaori's sudden formality, looked back at her with her eyes widened.

  ''I—I sincerely apologize! I did have a part in his reason for getting soaked this morning! I really didn't mean for him to get sick!''

  After a few seconds of silence, Emiko cleared the fog as she chuckled, waving her hand in dismissal. It seemed like she wasn't angry with her at all, and that was a huge weight off of Yaori's back.

  ''No need to be so dramatic, dear.'' She said, stepping a bit back as she gestured to let her in. ''My son is stronger than he looks. If it was up to him, he would've kept the fact hidden from me for three more hours.''

  Yaori hesitated for a second longer, twitching at the thought of Raichi keeping his sickness secret. That was when she flicked her eyes over to the shopping bag she had just put aside, reminding herself of what she had come here for.

  ''I also—also brought some ingredients… for a rice porridge.'' Yaori stammered, fidgeting with her hands behind her back. ''I also got hold of some medicine that I thought would treat whatever he might come down with… I thought that the least I could do was be of help…''

  The first thing Emiko did was raise an eyebrow, but once she looked closer, she looked impressed more than anything, clearly dumbfounded.

  ''Goodness, you even came prepared with groceries?'' Emiko put her hand on her mouth. ''You really have gone above and beyond for him, huh?''

  Yaori's lips parted, and she raised her hand, staggering. The fact that Emiko saw right through it left her completely dumbstruck. Her eyes swirled, and her head comically twirled side to side. The water inside her was boiling again. Ultimately, she managed a timid, half-nod, shifting in place.

  Emiko giggled one more time as she patted her on the shoulder, attempting to reassure her, which pulled Yaori out of her heated daze.

  ''I'd say we put that kindness of yours into good use! I wonder just how Raichi will react!'' Emiko ushered Yaori in one last time, nodding twice. ''Come on in— Yaori-chan. Nice to meet you, by the way, the name's Emiko. Sato Emiko.''

  ''N–Nice to meet you too— Emiko-san!''

  As Yaori properly stepped inside, slipping off her damp shoes, she glanced down one of the halls, trying to make an educated guess on what part of the house Raichi's room was. Her heart thumped louder than she could ever prepare herself for. This was not only the first time she had ever visited a boy's house, but it was Raichi's.

  I wonder if he can hear me from here… But— But I need to calm down! I am just here to make sure Sato-kun's okay after all, right…?

  ?? ?? ??

  After having washed her hands and properly settled everything down, Emiko and Yaori closed themselves off in the kitchen. Yaori thought the Sato household kitchen was a lot more compact compared to their merged kitchen back home. The advantage that comes with a kitchen of such size is how easy to access everything is, with most utensils being within arm's reach at the counter where Emiko had already prepared most of the essentials. The dining table was small, too. But it was big enough for a family of three.

  When Yaori handed Emiko the grocery bag, Emiko handed her an apron in return, walking over to the wall hook in the corner. After thanking her, Yaori, hesitating momentarily, removed the golden hairband she had been using. Holding the hairband in her mouth, she carefully unbraided her twin braids. Emiko patiently waited as she neatly grabbed the back of her hair, tying it into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. Once she was done with the back of her hair, she put the golden hairband back on, pulling all of her bangs backward, she pushed it further up her forehead.

  Yaori finally noticed Emiko's watchful eye, observing her with the warmest of smiles.

  ''This look really suits you, Yaori-chan. I take it you're used to helping with cooking at home?''

  ''I–I am, yes.'' Yaori nodded bashfully. ''My sister is usually the one who cooks, but I help out a lot.''

  ''Thats great! That means we're just about ready to get started on the rice porridge!'' Emiko put her hands together in exhilaration. ''If you don't have anything else to add, we can begin.''

  ''Y–Yes!''

  After the short exchange, Emiko swiftly turned to fetch the rice from the grocery bag. She brought out a large pot, then an average-sized bowl. Shortly after eyeballing the rice's measurement, she passed it over to Yaori.

  Yaori rinsed the rice over the sink, swishing it with both hands.

  ''I think I should be done with the rinsing, Emiko-san. What do you think?''

  As the cloudy water washed down the drain, Emiko returned to the counter, reaching over to examine the rice.

  ''Looks great,'' Emiko said, chuckling. ''You're handling it way better than Raichi ever did.''

  Yaori turned away, smiling knowingly with her brows arched up. ''Yeah… he— um, avoided talking about his culinary knowledge when I asked him yesterday…''

  ''Did he now? Well, of course he would. After all, the only thing that boy can comprehend ever cooking is a simple piece of toast and brewing tea, however sloppy though they may turn out to be.''

  As Emiko bent down to get a cutting board from one of the cabinets, all Yaori could think of was how much she got to know about Raichi. In such a little time, they had shared everything they could with one another. His determination to help her back at the supermarket however much he could, putting himself on the line to guard her from the gossipmongers, him crying in front of her very eyes, only she knew the true meaning behind them. And now, she could put all of it into a simple dish, one meant to nurture him back to health.

  Yaori asked where the knives were, drawing one out from the drawer Emiko gestured toward. With ease and rapid speed, she diced the carrots as Emiko diced the onions and peeled the carrots alongside her.

  Emiko briefly glanced at Yaori, seeing how well she was slicing and dicing. ''You're quite the natural, Yaori-chan.''

  ''Th–Thank you, Emiko-san…''

  ''By the way… what made you and my son so close? Just curious.''

  ''What… made us so close?''Yaori slid the carrots into the bowl, moving onto the next carrot Emiko had peeled. ''For me… it was Sato-kun's goodwill. For the record… I still have his signed copy of Miyamoto-san's book. At first, he lent it to me. But then he said that I could keep it.''

  ''W—Wait, you have the signed copy?'' Emiko grabbed another onion. ''I occasionally check my son's bag. When I saw that he hadn't been bringing it with him anymore, I was worried he might be having some problems… I'm glad it was in the hands of someone he could trust.''

  ''Yeah, he… gave it to me the day we met. Said he knew I'd take good care of it after we talked about how much we liked Miyamoto-san's books…''

  ''...How sweet! I'm glad you could trust my son the same way he seems to trust you.''

  ''Well… I'd argue I trust him more at this point. It is… immeasurable.''

  Emiko's lips curled upward, meeting Yaori's startled gaze. Behind Emiko's expression, Yaori could sense some contentment. Knowing Raichi's small friend circle, perhaps Emiko was proud of Raichi having found the comfort of another person. If it really was as Yaori thought, it would fill her heart with happiness.

  With the onions and carrots fully diced and prepared, Emiko grabbed the pot from the side to fill it up with water. Once again, she eyeballed the volume of the water, doing it with instinct.

  Putting the pot on the stove, Emiko asked Yaori to bring over the stock cube from the bag, the rinsed rice from earlier, and the vegetables. Once the water had been brought to a boil, they consecutively put everything into the pot, covering it with a lid to simmer.

  ''We'll have to stir it occasionally. Mind if I let you do that for me, Yaori-chan?''

  ''Sure, I don't mind.''

  ''It will simmer for around half an hour, so we can spare some time for a small chat.'' Emiko brought her hands together excitedly. ''How does that sound?''

  Yaori nodded. ''Sounds good to me.''

  Emiko slowly walked away from the counter, finding her seat on the dining chair. Yaori stood sideways next to the stove, able to see Emiko as well as able to do the occasional necessary stirring. When she got into position, Emiko had already brought her hand up to her cheek, an impish smile on her face.

  Yaori raised the lid to see the state of the simmering water and the ingredients inside, indecisive of how good it would turn out.

  I hope… this is to Sato-kun's satisfaction. Since this is mostly Emiko-san's handiwork, I do not doubt its taste, but… I fear the possibility of him not wanting me here…

  Though Yaori was determined to see things through earlier in the day, anyone's insecurity could slip through and show on their face, and that's precisely how she looked at the moment. Her brows had knit together without her realizing.

  ''What's wrong, Yaori-chan? You look rather troubled.''

  ''Oh, me?''Yaori scratched her back. ''I'm fine! I was just… worried whether Sato-kun might not want me here…''

  ''...Let me tell you this, Yaori-chan…''Emiko raised her finger as if this were a lecture. ''You can never really tell what Raichi is thinking. He never says what he wants out loud. He has always been a tough nut to crack.''

  That was when Yaori's eyes widened, her head lifting. Because she couldn't exactly believe what Emiko just said. According to her, Emiko's statement would be a total lie, one that was completely false. Time and time again, Raichi was brutally honest with her. Yaori had heard him out, and his wishes weren't something Yaori was stranger to. Of course, right now, it was true that she didn't know what he was thinking, but she didn't have a clue what he was thinking this morning either.

  That can't be true. Does he really… trust me that much? Kimura-kun was right…!

  ''You look like you just attained something new.'' Emiko comically pointed to herself in concern. ''Did my words trigger something it shouldn't…?''

  Yaori dismissed Emiko's question, shaking her head. ''No, no. I think I was overthinking things…''

  ''If you say so… but you should know.'' Emiko rested onto the chair slightly, putting her hands behind her back. ''He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to letting people fuss over him. When Hara-chan was here, he didn't even let us know he was burning up.''

  S–Suzuki-san! She… didn't do anything, then? What did they even do together?

  Yaori was, expectedly, dumbfounded. Hara was very serious when she confronted her under the street lamp. She knew Hara was on her way back from the Sato household, and Yaori expected Raichi to be completely okay. Except, she hadn't even realized Raichi had a fever in the first place.

  ''I–I see.''

  ''But y'know what? I think he'll let you. Sounds to me like you know something I don't, hehe.''

  ''...I hope so.''

  With the pot ultimately fully simmered, Emiko placed another small bowl on the counter along with an egg. She gestured toward it with a smile. She and Yaori swapped places momentarily, turning the heat off.

  ''Do you wanna do the honours, Yaori-chan?''

  Nodding, she gently grabbed the egg from the counter, tapping it on the edge of the bowl and cracking it. With a fork, she gently beat them together. After having thoroughly mixed, Emiko nodded at her, giving her the go-ahead. As Emiko kept stirring, Yaori gently poured the egg into the porridge. Following the light stir, they waited a few minutes with the lid partially covered for the mixture to cook in residual heat.

  ''Let's give it a taste, shall we?''

  ''L–Let's.''

  Emiko reached for a wooden spoon from the utensil crock sitting near the edge of the counter. Holding the spoon in her hand, together with Yaori, she took the lid off the pot, staring into it with eyes glowing. She spooned a handful of porridge from the pot, enough for the two of them. The steam coming from the pot blurred Yaori's glasses.

  Emiko lifted the spoon to her lips, blowing on it before having a small taste.

  ''Yum!'' Emiko hummed audibly, reacting over the top. ''I think it turned out great. What do you think, Yaori-chan?''

  Yaori gently took the spoon from Emiko's hands and ate the rest of the portion left on the wooden spoon.

  She put her hand on her chest, lowering her head with a bright smile. ''Mm. I think so too! I'm quite happy with this. Thank you so much for letting me help with this, Emiko-san!''

  ''Don't mention it, dear.'' Emiko clapped, tilting her head joyfully. ''All that's left is to serve it to the bedridden.''

  ''Hehehe. Guess so.''

  ?? ?? ??

  ''And… tada!''

  Emiko put the tray in front of Yaori on the dining table, now decked out and fit to be served. The medicine Yaori had scrupulously chosen was sitting beside a small glass of water. For presentation purposes, Emiko had purposely separated singular molds of the medicine. Of course, they could have simply put the whole package right next to it, but she knew this was more than that. And the start of the show was the pastel yellow, garnished with green onions and spices, hot and steaming bowl of rice porridge. Yaori had also set her hair back together into its initial style.

  ''You should be ready to go now, Yaori dear. His room is right up the stairs, should be directly in front of you.''

  Yaori bowed earnestly. ''Yes… Thank you so much for everything you've done, Emiko-san.''

  ''Hey hey, no need to be so formal at this point, Yaori-chan. You want to do this part on your own, don't you?''

  ''Mm.'' Yaori nodded briskly. ''I do.''

  ''Then… good luck. Handle it with care, would you?''

  With her head held up high, Yaori had made her way up the stairs, the meal and water still intact on the tray. She walked down the hallway, standing in front of Raichi's door. She made it this far; all that was left was to collect the spoils of her hard work. The steaming rice porridge was a work of art, perhaps her magnum opus. The delicious broth could be smelled from miles away.

  She took a deep breath, softly raising a single hand about to knock on Raichi's door, likely twice. But then, her hand hovered in the air, taking a step back in hesitation. She turned toward the opposite wall, gripping her face tightly with both hands in embarrassment, that shyness emerging with a powerful red on her cheeks.

  I can't, I can't, I can't! My heart is actively racing, and it's hard to keep up with!

  Suddenly, she could hear a voice coming from inside, groggy and muffled. ''I can hear you over there— Mother!''

  ''!!''

  Yaori put her hand over her mouth, suppressing her sudden gasp, as well as almost dropping the tray.

  That was close! Okay, I should just go in at this point… here goes!

  After taking a deep breath, she raised her hand again, gently knocking twice on the door. She heard Raichi's affirmation, telling her to come in. She gently nudged the door open with her shoulder, peeking inside.

  ''Don't mind me!'' Yaori exclaimed, looking away, afraid of what Raichi might have to say. ''I–I brought food!''

  Once she approached Raichi, she could truly see what state he was in. He was covered under the blanket up to his chest, his face as red as the sun, and his heavy breathing which was pretty audible even across the room. His hair was damp, likely because of sweat. She could see a daze within his eyes, which widened upon meeting hers.

  He immediately set himself straight in shock, bouncing further back vertically on his bed.

  ''Sato-kun…"

  "Y—Yamada-san!?" His voice cracked. "What are you– What are you doing here?"

  "I was– I was insanely worried!" Yaori waved her free fist in the air in frustration. "When you got soaked this morning, I couldn't help but be worried, okay?! I–I came to your house with ingredients, and helped your mother make this rice porridge!"

  "R–Rice porridge?"

  Raichi repeated, likely still caught between the dizziness of seeing her here and his fever, which was no joke, pretty high. He blinked a few times before continuing with a mumble,

  "You–You really didn't have to, Yamada-san…" He gazed at her initially before landing back on the tray.

  With her voice barely above a whisper, Yaori responded, "...That's what you always say, Sato-kun. I did this because I wanted to. So please, enjoy."

  What followed was a brief, awkward silence, filled with flickering gazes and words left unsaid. The ice was barely broken when Raichi bashfully scratched his back, carefully accepting the tray, putting the glass of water and medicine aside so as to not spill them when eating the porridge.

  ''O–Okay… I really appreciate it, Yamada-san… and thank you for the food.''

  Raichi said, clapping his hands together before grabbing the spoon and taking a small portion from the bowl. He blew softly before tasting. Yaori watched as his eyes sparkled, hearing his audible swallow.

  ''This is… This is seriously good, Yamada-san!'' He said, slightly muffled because of his stuffed nose. His compliment felt peculiarly genuine. ''You really did make this?''

  Yaori fidgeted with her fingers, her head lowering. ''Um— Emiko-san helped with most of it, but yes…! I brought the ingredients myself and— and we made it together…''

  Raichi took multiple bites, nodding slowly. ''Either way… thank you, really, thank you. Calling it delicious wouldn't do it justice.''

  He continued to eat in silence for a bit, and from the looks of it, he seemed to savor every bite. He exhaled softly between each spoonful, likely unable to breathe with his stuffed nose. Observing him eating her cooking, she couldn't help but give a wide smile at how appetizing he made it look, a red tint blossoming on her cheeks. But then, she hesitated.

  He… doesn't seem to care about it at all… Why? I–I need to ask him.

  ''M–Mind if I sit down?''

  ''Sure, go ahead…'' He swallowed audibly again. ''Do keep your distance though, I–I wouldn't want to make you sick, too.''

  The bed creaked as Yaori sat down beside him, a wider distance between them compared to the time they had dinner the day before. But then again, she did tease him a whole bunch that day. The roles were completely flipped over its head this time, however. Once she had settled properly, she looked down at her lap, where her hands were held together. She then raised her gaze back toward him, her voice meek,

  ''Hey, Sato-kun…''

  He paused as he let his spoon down, ''Hm?''

  ''Your umbrella… You gave it to me despite knowing your lack of one, right?''

  ''The umbrella…? Oh!'' He blinked for a second, brows knitting self-consciously. He let out a chuckle. ''I'll be… perfectly honest. I didn't think it through that far, haha.''

  ''You—You didn't…?''

  Wiping away his sweat using his blanket, a sheepish smile tugged at his lips. He continued,

  ''Its just… y'know… I did what felt right to me at the time. Never on earth could I just leave you to fend for yourself in the rain like that.''

  ''...B–But…'' Yaori turned away completely, a pang of guilt rising within her again. ''You got soaked because of it. Because of—''

  Yaori's words trailed off in the end, not letting the truth slip from her fingers. She feared what Raichi would think of her because of her choice. The last person she wanted to think negatively of her was Raichi, and she knew the ulterior motive behind her 'forgetfulness'. However, to her surprise, Raichi smiled at her, like he always did.

  ''Whether I knew I was going to be walking in the next morning or not… the situation demanded I give my umbrella to you,'' Raichi said, his smile shifting into something more wholehearted. ''I'll say it again, I was not going to say goodbye and let you walk off into the rainy night without an umbrella.''

  No. She couldn't handle it anymore. Yaori didn't have the heart to lie to Raichi. If there was anything she could learn from her parents, it was that what she hated the most was to prevaricate about things. One of the things she had most in common with Raichi was their opinion on talk of mouth, and what it represented. She could never lower herself to that level. With her voice now hushed, she spoke up after a beat.

  ''Sato-kun… did you know this whole time that…'' Yaori kept her gaze out of Raichi's view. ''I didn't bring my umbrella on purpose yesterday. I just— I just wanted to… share an umbrella with you!''

  ''Uh—''

  That was totally embarrassing!! But I don't regret a thing! There, I said it!

  When Yaori finally turned Raichi's way, she could see that he was blushing intensely. He was staring off into the wall, eyes widened. He held his arms out tightly on his lap. Upon seeing his shamefaced tomato expression, Yaori comically irked, her cheeks too, flushing instantly at the realization.

  But then, he shook his head rapidly, his eyes lifting to hers. Within a second, he had calmed himself down, his features expressing something more gentle. Yaori, on the other hand, spiraled out of control at the sight of this sudden, blatantly feigned yet cool expression.

  ''That one… I actually figured out then and there.''

  Yaori tried to distract herself by staring at her hands, but she couldn't suppress her unexpected squeak of ignominy.

  ''Then– then why didn't you tell me to go grab my umbrella?!'' She said, her tone one of utter disbelief. Flinging her hands in the air, she continued, ''We were right by my door when I— when I told you I forgot it!''

  When Yaori's words lingered in the air, Raichi's one hell of a cool facade broke down instantly, as if the invisible mask on his face cracked into pieces. He didn't answer right away, his ears were visibly red. Though he avoided meeting Yaori in the eye, he put on a bashful smile as he uttered,

  ''Because… I–I kinda thought about it, too.'' He muttered, ''Y'know, the-the whole sharing an umbrella thing!''

  ''E—Ehhh?!'' Yaori screamed out loud.

  ''I—I—'' His thoughts failed to form into words, lowering to a mumble. ''Y–You were very blatant about it! You made it terribly obvious, I swear!''

  She hid her face with both of her hands, covering it. ''A—Are you kidding me!?''

  Yaori practically turned black and white as she stiffened like a toy brick, her mouth left agape. She couldn't move a muscle.

  ''Wait— before we both end up burying ourselves under the dirt, I—'' He reiterated, attempting to alleviate the situation. ''I didn't mind at all! I actually… actually wanted to see what it'd be like!''

  ''Stoppp!!'' She said, her words muffled by her hands. ''Stop—Stop saying that so calmly, you dummy!''

  ''H—Huh?!?!''

  Raichi, too, reacted exceptionally tumultuously. His hands were left hovering in the air, perhaps because of temporary shock. He tried to deflate her statement,

  ''C–Calm?!'' He shot back, trying to defend himself. Waving his hand, he followed up with, ''I'm far from calm right now!! Do I seem that way to you!?''

  Yaori peeked at him through her fingers, promptly shutting them again. Through her small glimpse, she could see his cheeks, red not because of his fever but clearly because of his shame.

  ''D–Dummy!'' She whispered bashfully, squirming as she continued, ''E–Eat the darned porridge already! It's going to get cold, I don't want my work to go to waste!''

  ''O–Okay!!'' Raichi nodded at a straight ninety degrees in a nanosecond, rapidly taking spoonfuls out of the now lukewarm rice porridge.

  They stood in silence for a while. Yaori now fully acknowledged just how much she had missed this awkward silence in the past few hours she had been without him.

  ?? ?? ??

  A few minutes had slipped by, and Raichi decided to find cover under the blanket. There were faint taps on the window, barely audible with the slow drizzle outside. Though she had cooled down from earlier, her heart was still beating relatively faster than normal. She had rested just enough to gather her breath again. Since Raichi was now lying down, there was little distance between them when Yaori was sitting closer to the edge of the bed, her hands loosely folded in her lap.

  Despite that, Raichi's rather heavy breathing was still concerning. Maybe the medicine just hadn't taken effect yet. But at the very least, everything felt still. The room smelled faintly like herbs and porridge.

  Yaori scrolled through her mind in an attempt to make conversation soon enough, as she didn't want to leave Raichi up to that task after visibly running out of stamina. But that was when he suddenly spoke again.

  ''...Hey, Yamada-san…'' Raichi said softly, raising his head from his pillow to look at her, his voice low. ''This might be a little…. out of pocket, but… can we— can we exchange numbers?''

  ''...Eh?''

  Yaori's fingers instinctively curled onto her dress, stiffening. It seemed like a pattern was showing itself. His question was like a smooth rock skipping across still water. This was the third occurrence now. Raichi just had a habit of saying such flustering things with the most zen face he could muster in his entire life.

  S—Sato-kun!! Stop doing that!

  Raichi sometimes says the most random things out of the blue, some of them as if they weren't such a deal, as if they wouldn't light her face on fire.

  Her eyes darted toward him, ''R–Right now…?''

  When she responded, Raichi had already plopped his face back down onto the pillow. His head still lying as it is, Yaori could see his lips curve just a little.

  ''H–Hm. I mean… we've talked a whole bunch these past few days, haven't we?'' He paused. His voice mumbled as he continued, ''And— And I… think it would be essential if something like this happens again…''

  Though his quiet tone had lost its form midway through, her heart definitely skipped. Heck, it would be an understatement. A more accurate description would be to say that Raichi single-handedly grabbed her heart, played with it, and put it back in place.

  Her voice barely above a whisper, her cheeks warming, she said, ''O–Okay… f–fine by me…''

  Yaori bashfully grabbed her phone from beside her. Raichi reached out to the nearby nightstand from where he had been lying down. Raichi's feigned confidence from earlier was still what was on the surface, but both of their movements were hesitant, careful.

  Their fingers brushed briefly as they passed their respective phones to one another. Yaori tried to hide the fact that her eyes widened slightly by turning the opposite way, her fingers slipping. She almost dropped it, but luckily managed to catch it, causing both of them to flinch.

  ''Ah— sorry!''

  ''No, no, I—''

  Their eyes met, momentarily falling into silence before both of them let out a nervous, tiny laugh. Yaori fidgeted with her bangs before entering her contact on Raichi's phone. She could hear the audible sounds of the buttons on her phone being pressed as Raichi was also finished typing his contact. They exchanged phones once more, as she glanced down at the new contact on her phone: Sato-kun. She also took a small peek at his contact name for her: Yamada-san. It reminded her of their beloved matching bookmarks. With that, they both set their phones aside.

  ''I–If… anything happens again, don't be afraid to text me, okay, Sato-kun?'' She said, ''Be it big or small. I also… wouldn't mind any small talk either. Even though I might be a little slow to reply…''

  ''I will, I will, don't you worry,'' Raichi reassured, turning his head to the wall. ''But, the same goes for you, too, Yamada-san. I'll— I'll patiently wait for your reply if necessary!''

  He just went ahead and said something cute again, that dummy. He doesn't even realize it!

  Yaori could tell Raichi was staring at her, and she also knew she couldn't bear meeting his eyes a second time. For all she could expect, she might just shrivel up into a paper ball. After a few seconds, Raichi shifted under the blanket again, looking off at the ceiling.

  ''By the way… I think I'll get some rest now…'' Raichi said, wriggling in his bed.

  Yaori nodded, shifting her glasses. ''A–Alright… but– but I think I'll stay a little while longer. Just until you fall asleep soundly.''

  Raichi murmured back at her, muffling his voice. ''You're… gonna watch me sleep, Yamada-san?

  ''I–It's not what you think!'' Yaori puffed her cheeks, blushing. ''I– um… want to make sure you rest properly before I leave…''

  ''...Right, okay.'' Raichi turned slightly, his eyes growing heavier as he finally settled into position, lying on his back facing the ceiling. ''Don't think I'll last that long, though…''

  After letting out a quiet breath, his voice trailed off. A few minutes later, Yaori opened her mouth as if she had something to say, then nodded to herself. Trying her best not to disturb Raichi's sleep, she gently stood up from the bed without making a single creak. She moved toward his study desk, quietly pulling the chair, specifically grabbing it in the air instead of dragging it along, turned it to face the bed, and placed it down. It was in the perfect spot, not too near, not too far, close enough to watch over him with heed. She adjusted her posture, putting her hands on her lap.

  Now, she wouldn't be sitting awkwardly next to him on the tiniest space there was. She'd sit comfortably, and Raichi would drift off comfortably. She wasn't here for long either way, so being comfy wasn't much of a necessity.

  The room was peaceful. The only company she had was the usual pitter-patter of rain outside and the faint, far noise of Emiko cleaning the kitchen, tinkering around with dishes. A few more minutes passed with relative quietude, and Yaori watched Raichi's chest rise and fall. Her chest was still plenty full of weight, and she had many things she needed to get off her system, so perhaps telling it all to the cause of the issue in the first place might be the best solution. It wasn't Raichi's fault, and she was well aware of that. Ultimately, that was who he was.

  ''I'm… guessing you'll have to rest for another day or two, won't you, Sato-kun?'' Yaori said, keeping her eyes down. A grateful smile showed on her features as she added, ''I—I won't be able to see you… So— I'm glad you decided to exchange numbers…''

  She grabbed her phone from the side, pulling Raichi up on her contact list. Knowing Raichi had put his phone on silent before lying down, she devised an adorable little plan. Playfully giggling, she found a cute, petite sticker that read, 'Goodnight! ' with pink graffiti, and proceeded to send it to him.

  To confirm, just in case, Yaori tilted her head, calling out with a minimal volume, ''S–Sato-kun?'' she said.

  There was no answer, so Raichi must have drifted off, she thought. Her expression relaxed a little, looking at Raichi's face a little more closely. Yaori knew how troubled he was, more than anybody else. His brows were usually furrowed, especially in public. But this time, he let himself loosen up. Though his face was flushed because of the fever, he was content in sleep. One wouldn't have enough knowledge to talk about someone's usual within mere days, but that was how it was when it came to their bond. It was evolving by the second.

  Yaori leaned in just a little, her eyes lingering on the fine edges of his face. Tilting her head as if to get a better look at him, her hand lifted slightly. She put out her index finger, atoms standing between her finger and Raichi's cheek. After thinking about it for a second, she backed away slowly.

  ''...You don't play fair, Sato-kun…'' She smiled, whispering to herself. ''Didn't realize how cute you look when you sleep…''

  …Since when was I so convinced of what Nee-san said regarding how I felt about Sato-kun? Would I want any other girl calling him cute like I just did?

  Her smile waned slightly. But she had more introspective to vent about, so much more to say. And she knew she would feel better if she at the very least didn't leave those things unsaid to herself.

  ''I was really worried about you, you dummy…'' She fidgeted with her bangs. ''This morning. This morning, when you walked into the classroom, completely soaked… I felt so, so terrible. The entire time, I blamed myself for it. That, because of my selfish request, I could get you sick. In the end, I was half-correct…''

  She brought her hands together tightly. She treated this as her talking to a wall, a wall in which there was someone beloved beyond.

  ''I–I couldn't think about anything else…!'' Yaori didn't even notice the tear rolling down her cheek. ''I doubtfully slept through the entire morning period of classes, which is something I would never do. It wasn't until Kimura-kun and Takahashi-kun woke me up that I managed to gather myself.''

  Yaori didn't know where to put her arms, didn't know how her legs should stand. ''Speaking of Kimura-kun, he gave me your address after we had lunch with the three of us. Thanks to that… I was able to make sure you were okay, for myself.''

  Her heart was beating, so loudly that it could rip right out of her chest. Though she intended to ease herself by pouring her troubles out, it had utterly backfired. Raichi was really bad for her heart now, and she couldn't stand being in the room any longer.

  She swiftly stood up from her chair, anxiously grabbed her phone, and stepped toward the door. Her hand hovered above the said door's knob as she perused him thoroughly, one last time, itching this moment in her mind.

  ''I—I hope you get well soon. R–Raichi–'' She panicked, her hand unable to grip the door. ''—kun!

  The door shut a little too roughly behind her. She didn't intend to, yet it happened anyway. Soon after Yaori left Raichi to slumber, there was movement under the blanket. The blanket was raised to cover Raichi's face, as red as a crimson star.