"Some warmth isn't given… it's quietly placed where you needed it most." 🌫️
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They walked quickly through the crowd of students until they reached a quiet spot near the girls' washroom. Kashima leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. The girl, Shiyi Ayasaki, stood in front of him, holding her wet blazer in her hands.
Kashima looked at her and immediately looked away, his face turning red. Because she had no sweater on, her thin white school shirt was wet and almost see-through. He could see the shape of her clothing underneath. 'She's going to catch a cold... and why is she so careless?' he thought, his mind racing.
"Is... something wrong, Kashima?" Shiyi asked softly.
He quickly pulled a clean, dry handkerchief from his pocket and pushed it into her hand. "Wipe your hair and face. You're a mess."
"Oh, I have one, it's fine—" Shiyi started, pulling a soggy, wet cloth from her pocket. She looked at it and realized it was useless.
"Don't use that. It's like wiping your face with a puddle," Kashima said.
"Thank you," she whispered, taking his handkerchief.
As she began to dry her face, Kashima did something bold. He slipped off his own dry, warm blazer and draped it over her shoulders. Shiyi froze, looking up at him. The blazer was big on her, completely covering her wet shirt and reaching down to her thighs.
"Keep it on," Kashima said sternly. "People are looking. It's better to cover yourself."
Shiyi looked around and realized he was right; she was attracting all the wrong attention. Some boys nearby were staring, their eyes roaming over her damp figure.
"Hey, Ayasaki! Did you forget how to use an umbrella?" one boy called out, leaning against a locker. He gave her a slow, dirty wink. "You should walk in the rain more often. It's a great look for you. Why don't you take off that blazer so we can see the rest?"
His friends laughed, and Shiyi flinched, feeling her face burn with shame.
Kashima stopped walking immediately. He didn't just stand in front of her—he turned around and walked straight up to the boy who had winked. Before the boy could react, Kashima reached out and grabbed him tightly by his collar, bunching the fabric in his fist. He pulled the boy close until they were eye-to-eye.
"You have a lot to say for someone with so much to lose," Kashima whispered, his voice dangerously low.
The boy tried to pull away, but Kashima's grip was like iron. "What... what are you talking about, Kanzaki?"
"I'm talking about your 'busy' weekends," Kashima said with a cold, cruel smile. "I wonder how your strict parents would react if I sent them the list of all the different girls you've been dating behind their backs? Or better yet, the photos of you skipping cram school to hang out at the bars downtown? One word from me, and your comfortable life ends today."
The boy's face went from red to a ghostly white. He began to tremble. "You... you wouldn't."
"Try me," Kashima said. He gave the boy a hard, disgusted push that sent him stumbling back against the lockers with a loud thud. "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."
The boy and his friends didn't even look back. they scrambled away as fast as their legs could carry them, completely humiliated.
Kashima turned back to Shiyi. His breathing was a bit heavy, and his blue eyes were still sharp with anger. But when he looked at her, he forced himself to calm down. He adjusted his blazer on her shoulders, making sure she was fully covered.
"Let's go," he said quietly. "We're wasting time on trash."
As they walked through the hallway, Kashima thought, 'She really is too kind for her own good. She probably did something for someone else again.' He cleared his throat. "Back in the classroom... you called my name. Did you need something?"
Shiyi remembered and looked up. "Yes! I... I wanted to ask if I could borrow your umbrella."
"Why? You're already wet," Kashima asked, then immediately bit his tongue. 'That was rude, she'll think I'm making fun of her!' He quickly added, "I mean... what happened to yours?"
"There was only one umbrella at home, so I gave it to my brother so he wouldn't get wet," Shiyi explained. "But then I found out he forgot his lunchbox! I had to run to Kami Junior High next door to give it to him. But the rain is still so heavy... I need to go back over there because I forgot to give him his water bottle, too. If I go again without an umbrella, I'll be even worse."
Kashima sighed, his heart softening. "I'm coming with you."
"No, you don't have to!"
"I'm going," Kashima insisted. "After we see your brother, we are going straight to the nurse's office. You're wearing my blazer, but your shirt is still damp. You need to change into something dry before you get a fever."
Shiyi's face turned a deep shade of pink. She looked down at the floor, feeling the warmth of his jacket. "Okay... thank you."
Kashima noticed her blush and felt his own face heat up. "Don't feel uncomfortable," he said, looking straight ahead. "It's just the most logical way to handle the situation."
The hallways of Kami High were alive with the sound of a thousand conversations. The morning air was cool and damp, and the sound of rain still drummed against the windows in the background.
"Did you finish the history essay?" a girl asked her friend as they walked past.
"No way, it was way too long!" the friend replied.
Students in their sharp navy uniforms moved like a slow-moving sea, heading toward their lockers and classrooms.
Kashima and Shiyi walked together through the crowd. Shiyi was wrapped tightly in Kashima's large, warm blazer, while Kashima carried her small, wet jacket in his hand.
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound cut through the noise.
W-H-I-S-T-L-E!
"Hey, stop that! You're going to get us in trouble!" a female voice whispered urgently from somewhere in the crowd.
Thwack! "Ow! Watch it! I'm just giving credit where it's due," a boy's voice replied with a giggle.
Shiyi froze, her heart racing. 'Is someone else going to make fun of me? I don't think I can handle any more mean comments today,' she thought, looking down at the floor.
Kashima felt his blood boil. 'Again? Do these people have nothing better to do than bother her? I won't let them touch her with their words.' Kashima looked at Shiyi. Their eyes met—his sharp blue eyes were filled with fire, while her soft pink eyes were pleading. She shook her head slightly, her hand reaching out to grab his wrist. "Kashima, please... just ignore it," she whispered.
But Kashima couldn't ignore it. He turned around aggressively, his face dark with rage. "You'd better shut your mouth before I—"
He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened.
Standing a few feet away was a tall, athletic boy with messy dark hair and a confident, mischievous grin. He wore his uniform a bit loosely, looking like a rebel who didn't care about the rules. This was Shido Kirishima, Kashima's best friend.
Beside him stood the elegant and beautiful Hori and the soft-spoken, kind Tamiko. Hori was currently gripping Shido's arm with a strength that looked painful, while Tamiko was holding his other hand, trying to pull him away.
Shido's smirk grew wider when he saw Kashima's face. "Before you what, Kashima? You look like you're ready to start a war." Shido's eyes moved down to Kashima's hand, which was holding the small, wet blazer. He started to laugh. "And since when did you shrink? That blazer looks a little small for a guy of your size, don't you think?"
Kashima tried to keep his face serious and unbothered, but his cheeks were turning pink. "It's not mine, Kirishima. Shiyi got wet, so I lent her mine. I am simply carrying hers so it doesn't drip on her."
"Oh, I see," Shido teased, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "So the 'Cold Prince' is now a personal coat-rack for his Vice-Treasurer? That's a big promotion!"
While the boys talked, Hori and Tamiko moved toward Shiyi. Hori looked at Shiyi's damp hair and then at the blazer on her shoulders.
"Shiyi! You're soaking wet! What happened?" Tamiko asked, looking worried.
Shiyi explained about the umbrella and her brother's lunchbox. Hori listened, then reached out and touched the fabric of the blazer Shiyi was wearing. She noticed the "Treasurer" badge and the high-quality stitching.
"Wait a minute," Hori said with a knowing smile. "This isn't your blazer, is it, Shiyi? This is definitely Kashima's."
Shiyi's face turned bright red. "It's... it's just because I was cold! It's nothing like that, Hori!"
Hori giggled. "I had a feeling. It looks good on you, though."
Tamiko blinked, looking confused. "Why are we smiling? Is a wet uniform a good thing?"
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SNEAK PEEK LINES đź’¬
"I'm the Vice-Treasurer, remember? I can handle myself. You go save the President before he breaks the school's calculator."
"You want to give a guy a stomach ache... with math notes? You really are an angel from a different planet."
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— With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya đź’«