"Not every moment begins quietly… some arrive in the rain and refuse to be ignored." 🌧️
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"Oh, you want to talk about jokes?" Shido suddenly stood up, a vengeful look in his eyes. "If we're telling secrets, let's talk about why I was in a bad mood this morning! Tamiko, do you want to know what Hori was doing in Kento's room?"
Hori's soul almost left her body. "SHIDO! WE HAD A DEAL!"
"Deals are for people who don't get laughed at!" Shido yelled. He turned to Tamiko and the Grandma, who was now leaning over the counter with a cup of tea, listening carefully. "I walked into the room, and Hori had Kento pinned to the bed! She had his shirt pulled all the way up to his neck! In broad daylight!"
"WHAAAT?!" Grandma yelled, her tea spoon falling into her cup with a splash. "In my day, we at least waited until after tea for such scandals!"
"It wasn't like that!" Hori screamed, her face turning so red it looked like it might explode. "He said his side hurt! I was being a nurse! I was checking for a stomach ache!"
"By stripping him?!" Shido countered, laughing like a villain.
Tamiko stood between them, looking from Shido to Hori. She let out a long, calm sigh. She looked like a mother trying to handle two noisy toddlers.
'These two are my best friends,' Tamiko thought, 'but sometimes I wonder if they left their brains at home with Kento.'
"Both of you, be quiet," Tamiko said firmly. Her voice was calm, but it had that "scary" power that made Shido and Hori instantly shut their mouths.
She looked at Hori. "Hori, don't pull up boys' shirts. It's embarrassing."
Then she looked at Shido. "And Shido, don't make fun of Hori's family. And definitely don't run in the mud."
"Yes, ma'am..." they both mumbled at the same time, looking at the floor.
Grandma started cackling loudly, hitting the counter with her hand. "Ho ho! Look at them! They look like two dogs who got caught eating the trash! Here, eat your riceballs and go to school before you start a third world war in my shop!"
Tamiko handed them each a warm riceball wrapped in fresh seaweed. She looked at Shido and gave him a small, secret wink. "Try to stay clean for at least five minutes, okay?"
Shido felt his heart melt again. "I'll try my best, Tamiko."
Hori stuffed a whole riceball in her mouth to keep from screaming in frustration. "Let's just go. My brain hurts."
The three of them stepped out of the riceball shop into the gray, rainy morning together, the bell above the door ringing softly behind them.
The rain was light but steady, making the street shine like glass. All three of them held clear umbrellas, but none of them looked very good anymore. Shido's umbrella was scratched, bent, and muddy from his dramatic fall earlier.
Hori's umbrella had dirty marks too because she had thrown it away without thinking when she rushed to help him. Only Tamiko's umbrella was still perfectly clean, clear, and neat.
Tamiko stopped walking and stared at the umbrellas with a worried little frown. "Oh no… look at your umbrellas. They're so dirty you can barely see through them. Why don't we go back inside for just a moment? I can wash them quickly."
"No, no, it's okay," Hori said gently, shaking her head. "We're already a bit late. If we go back now, we might miss the train."
"Yeah," Shido added, trying to wipe the umbrella with his sleeve and somehow making it worse. "It's fine. This just adds character. Now it looks like I survived a battle."
Tamiko hesitated, then looked at Hori's umbrella and at her own clean one. She slowly held hers out. "Hori… please take mine instead. I don't mind using the dirty one."
Hori smiled at her warmly. "You're really kind, Tamiko. But I made mine dirty, so I should be the one to use it. Also, if Shido sees a clean umbrella, he'll steal it."
"I will not steal it," Shido said seriously. "I will politely borrow it forever."
They started walking toward the station, their umbrellas moving up and down together in the rain. Tamiko kept glancing at the empty space beside them where Kento usually walked. "So… why is Kento really not here today? He never skips school."
Shido shrugged. "He's finally become one with his bed. The pillow has accepted him as its chosen one."
Hori sighed. "He didn't look well. He had pain in his side. He was really uncomfortable."
Tamiko looked worried. "Is it serious?"
"He's fine," Shido said quickly. "Probably just ate something bad."
"Shido," both girls said at once.
They reached the station, tapped through the gates, and walked down to the platform. People stood everywhere, umbrellas dripping onto the floor. A man sneezed loudly. Someone's phone started ringing with an annoying pop song. The train announcement echoed through the station.
"It feels strange," Tamiko said quietly. "Without Kento, it feels like our group is missing something."
"Yeah," Shido admitted. "There's nobody to complain about the weather or homework."
They waited for the train, standing close together. Hori watched the rain slide down the station windows. "We should tell Kashima and Shiyi," she said. "If we don't, they'll start making weird stories."
"True," Shido laughed. "Kashima will say he joined another club secretly. Shiyi will blame the school."
Tamiko nodded. "After school, let's go check on him. We can bring notes… and Grandma's riceballs."
"Notes?" Shido groaned. "Why not something useful, like snacks or a game?"
"We are bringing the notes," Tamiko said firmly.
"Yes, boss," Shido said, and both girls laughed.
The train arrived with a loud wind rush. They stepped inside, holding onto the railings as it started moving. The city passed by outside in gray blur, buildings and lights sliding past the windows. Even though they joked, all three of them were quietly thinking the same thing.
They missed him.
The morning at Kami High School felt calm and orderly. Unlike most schools in Tokyo that were built with simple concrete structures, Kami High stood out with its glass windows, white stone walls, and dark wooden details. The air smelled faintly of rain and perfume as students passed by in neat uniforms. Raindrops tapped against the windows, making the view outside slightly blurry.
The school was well known for its high standards and reputation. It wasn't just a place to attend classes — it was where many students hoped to build their future.
The students didn't wear typical uniforms. Instead of cheap fabric, their navy blazers were made of thick, high-quality wool that fit perfectly. The collars were lined with shimmering silver thread, and on their left chests, a metal badge with the school's eagle emblem sparkled. It was a sign of wealth and intelligence.
Inside one of the quiet classrooms, a boy sat on a desk near the back. He had golden-blonde hair that fell neatly over his forehead, and his skin was as clear as marble. He was looking out the window, his chin resting on his hand. This was Kashima Kanzaki.
Even without saying a word, he looked powerful. He was the top student in the country, once scoring a perfect 100 on a national exam that most adults couldn't pass. He was also the son of Seijurou Kanzaki, the head of the Kanzaki Group—a global company that built everything from high-tech robots to luxury cars.
Kashima looked down at his silver watch. 7:50 AM. There were still thirty minutes before the first bell. Around him, the classroom was filling up with the sounds of typical high school life.
"Did you see the new movie?" one student asked.
"I stayed up all night studying for English," another replied.
A group of girls whispered nearby, glancing at Kashima. "He looks like a prince today," one giggled.
"Kashima."
A voice called out to him. It was soft, like the ringing of a small silver bell, but it sounded a bit shaky. Kashima turned his head. In his vision, the world seemed to slow down.
A girl stood there. Her long, dark hair was soaking wet, sticking to her neck and cheeks. Her pink eyes were wide and bright, though her eyelashes were heavy with water drops. She was shivering, her small shoulders shaking, and her face was a mix of pale skin and bright red ears from the cold. Water dripped from her soaked blazer onto the floor—drip, drip, drip.
Kashima's blue eyes widened. For a moment, there was total silence. His sharp blue gaze met her soft pink eyes in a perfect parallel. He realized his heart was beating faster.
"Ayasaki!" he finally blurted out, standing up so fast his chair nearly tipped over.
He saw some girls in the back of the room whispering and pointing at her wet state. They hid small, mean smiles behind their hands as they looked at her messy hair and dripping clothes.
"Look at her," one girl giggled loudly enough for others to hear. "Did she swim to school today? She looks like a drowned rat."
"And her shirt is totally transparent," another whispered with a mean smirk. "Doesn't she have any shame coming into a prestigious school like this looking so sloppy? It's embarrassing."
Before the gossip could spread any further, he reached out and grabbed her hand. Her skin was ice-cold. Without a word, he pulled her out of the classroom and into the hallway to protect her from their eyes.
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SNEAK PEEK LINES đź’¬
"If you ever look at her or speak her name again, I won't just tell them—I'll make sure you never have a 'weekend' again. Get out of my sight."
"So the 'Cold Prince' is now a personal coat-rack for his Vice-Treasurer? That's a big promotion!"
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— With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya đź’«