Chapter 168: The Nameless Typhoon (Long Chapter)
The weather can be truly nonsensical sometimes.
The morning had been fine, but by noon, news arrived that a typhoon was about to make landfall. Even though it wasn't a major storm with a specific name, the school issued an announcement nonetheless.
Black clouds blotted out the sun, draping the world in a layer of gray gloom. The wind grew stronger and more humid, carrying the scent of the sea as it whipped through the trees, sending withered yellow leaves flying into the sky.
The typhoon was hitting Kanto; Chiba was about to become an isolated island on the mainland.
The rail networks led by the Keiyo Line, including the Sobu, Joban, Musashino, Keisei, Tozai, and Toei Shinjuku lines, would all be paralyzed. Transportation out of Chiba would be cut off entirely, as if the city had drifted out of the world's orbit.
At that rate, Chiba might as well take the opportunity to declare independence. (Laughs)
"Come to think of it, there really are a lot of train lines passing through Chiba!"
Akishin held his phone, sighing as he read the news. Aside from the routes mentioned, there were also the fading Choshi Electric and Kominato railways, plus the Uchibo and Sotobo lines—two routes that, despite being major lines, people living closer to Tokyo could never tell apart.
Those outsiders often mixed up the two tracks, drawing the ire of Chiba residents. If you wanted to know how angry a Chiba citizen could get, it was like a phoenix.
In short, every time a typhoon hit, the transportation facilities in the metropolitan area reported disasters.
As school let out, Shizuka watched the worsening weather through the tightly closed windows, a flash of anxiety in her dark pupils. She set her book down, stood up, and said to Akishin, "Let's go check on Hikigaya and the others. They probably haven't left yet. We should get home soon too..."
"Ah, right."
Akishin put his phone away. The character on the screen immediately died. It was a game Shizuka had downloaded, but he had ended up playing it.
He returned the phone to her, slung his sword bag over his shoulder, waved goodbye to the few teachers left in the office, and walked toward the Service Club with Shizuka. He usually kept an umbrella in his bag, so he wasn't afraid of the rain—it was just the wind...
Could my fragile little umbrella even cover two people?
"Akishin, seeing weather like this... I can't help but remember the afternoon I first met you. The impression was just too deep..."
A powerful gust of wind blew past, messing up Shizuka's hair. She pulled a hair tie from somewhere and gathered her beautiful, messy locks into a bundle. She gripped Akishin's hand tightly, staring at the bleak sky with a complex expression. "The weather was just like this that day. No, it was even darker. I'd gone to an izakaya for a drink, and the rain started when I was only halfway through. When I stepped outside, the whole world was drowned in a curtain of rain. Even with the drainage systems at max capacity, the streets were flooding..."
Shizuka turned to Akishin, her eyes holding a painful sorrow. "Akishin, when I saw you, you were looking up at the sky. You looked like... like you were waiting for death, just letting the rain wash over you. I called out to you once, and you turned immediately. I almost..."
Shizuka didn't finish the sentence "almost thought you were already dead." Now that Akishin was her lover, her boyfriend, and her future husband, she shouldn't say such unlucky things.
People say that after a great disaster comes great luck. Akishin didn't die and met me—that's happiness enough! The ancients weren't lying.
Seeing the similar weather now, Shizuka spoke from the heart. Everything was in the past; they would be happy forever!
"If, Akishin..."
Shizuka suddenly turned to him, asking hesitantly, "I mean, if... if I hadn't passed by back then, would you..."
"Yeah. If Shizuka hadn't passed by then, I'd probably be long dead." Akishin laughed loudly, cutting her off. "So, Shizuka, you have to take responsibility. I was ready to die, but you dragged me back from hell. Don't you think you should be held accountable?"
"I should. But now, you're the one who has to be responsible for me." Shizuka smiled back, giving him a sharp look before beaming and hugging his arm. She was so grateful she had passed by that day.
Father said he "bought" mother, so I "picked up" my Akishin from the street. Bought! Picked up! Hehe, I'm better than Dad.
Wait, why did I run out to drink that day? Right, I think it was the pressure of a friend getting married... whatever, none of that matters now.
In the future, you annoying people won't be able to pressure me anymore. Right now, I announce that I, Hiratsuka Shizuka, have risen. From now on, I'm the one who will do the pressuring...
The students who hadn't left yet saw the two of them walking together. Aside from envy and resentment, their faces looked as if they had just sucked on a lemon.
"At this point, the electric train lines have basically stopped running, right?"
"Yeah. But it's fine. My house is really close to the school, so... But Yukinon, what about you?"
"...Don't worry. If the wind gets too strong, I'll just walk home."
"I-I see. Right, Yukinon's place isn't so far that she can't walk."
"Hachiman, are you on your bike?"
"Yeah."
"In this weather, haven't you considered taking the bus?"
"No point. The buses will be packed like sardines right now."
"I have a great idea. How about this, Hachiman? We walk Yukinon home first..."
Inside the Service Club, the three members were discussing how to get home. None of them had expected the typhoon to arrive so suddenly.
At that moment, the club door swung open.
"I knew you'd still be here. Get home, now. The other clubs finished early. You'd better get back before the typhoon really hits."
Shizuka and Akishin entered the room.
Akishin tucked his phone away; he had just messaged Yuika and the others, asking them to walk home together. The house the Mitsuha sisters were renting was right next to Yuika and Kaiko's place.
Yukino didn't seem surprised at all that Shizuka had come. With a soft "thud," she closed her book and said in a cool voice, "In that case, club activities end here for today."
Layers of clouds hung low in the sky, turning the lighting in the Service Club dim. Perhaps due to the shadows, Yukino's expression seemed unusually serious.
The five of them walked toward the gate against the heavy wind. Yuika and the other two were already waiting there.
Yui said to Akishin, "Chishima-sensei, Yukinon's house is in the Kaihin Station area, it's a bit far. Hachiman and I were going to..."
"There really is no need to worry, Yuigahama-san. Like I said, I'll walk. It's not that far, only about two stations away..."
Yukino had actually changed quite a bit; at the very least, she smiled more often. Even if she still wore a cold expression most of the time, it felt more like a long-standing habit that couldn't be fixed overnight.
Perhaps guided by Akishin's words, or influenced by Yui... she didn't just flatly refuse. Instead, she offered a patient explanation.
Yukino turned to Hachiman, nodding. "Well then, Hikigaya-kun, I'm off. See you." She nodded to the others as well and turned to leave before anyone could respond.
Beep! Beep!
Just then, a black sedan suddenly pulled up. The window rolled down to reveal the teasing face of Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Hello, hello, Yukino-chan~ Big Sis came specifically to pick you up. Are you happy?"
"Nee-san!"
Whether Yukinoshita Yukino was happy or not was anyone's guess, but she was certainly surprised. The wind whipped her hair violently, forcing her to press it down with one hand as she stared intensely at Haruno.
"Weren't you supposed to be out for business today?"
"Yeah, looks like Yukino still cares about her big sister, knowing I had a meeting. But look at the weather. The other party couldn't make it, so I came to pick up my darling little sister instead..."
Haruno smiled sweetly. Her words were a mix of truth and lies. The other party really couldn't come due to the typhoon, but she was the one who had canceled first.
She knew Yukino wouldn't be able to take the train and would end up walking alone in this weather.
After speaking, without waiting for Yukino's reply, Haruno cheerfully waved to the others. "Chishima-sensei, Shizuka, long time no see. I heard you're officially dating—congratulations! And Hikigaya-kun, long time no see to you too..."
"Thank you. It's been a while. We're relieved you came to get Yukino."
Shizuka nodded, and Akishin gave a small nod in return. Aside from greeting the three of them, Haruno only gave the others a fleeting glance, her thoughts unreadable.
Yukino didn't doubt Haruno's words. she nodded to Yui and Hachiman, pulled open the car door, and slid inside.
Haruno glanced at her sister before looking back out. "There's room for three more in here. Chishima-sensei, do I need to drop anyone else off?"
Yuika and the others definitely couldn't; they weren't acquainted with Haruno at all. The two teachers weren't about to abandon their students and leave alone, and knowing Hachiman's nature, he would never agree.
Looking at the deep, meaningful stare Hachiman was giving the black sedan, this was likely the very car that had hit him!
Come to think of it, Hachiman and Yukino still hadn't been honest with each other about that incident. Both sides were keeping it hidden...
Eventually, several people instinctively looked toward Yui. Haruno also watched Yui with a sugary smile. "This must be Yu... Yui-san, right? You're Yukino's friend. Do you need a ride?"
Yui, sensing the awkwardness of her position, turned to Hachiman with a questioning look.
Hachiman instinctively shook his head, only realizing he'd done so after the fact.
Yui breathed a quiet sigh of relief and shook her head at Haruno. "Thank you, Senpai, but my house and Yukinon's are in opposite directions. It would be too much trouble. I'll just go with Hachiman..."
Yukino's gaze sharpened from inside the car. She pursed her lips, then silently regained her composure.
Haruno glanced at Hachiman, seemingly about to say something, but Shizuka waved her off. "Never mind, Haruno. It's fine for us to walk together. You should head out first..."
"Ugh, ahhh—!"
Hachiman was putting everything he had into pedaling against the wind. The grocery-basket bike he'd used for over a year was currently letting out agonizing groans of "creak, creak."
No matter how hard he mashed the pedals, the bike showed no signs of moving forward. He actually felt like he was being blown backward.
The wind was brutal. His breath came in ragged gasps; heat and cold fought beneath his skin. It felt like his heart might explode, but he persisted in forcing the pedals down.
In the end, Hachiman failed the temporary task Akishin had set for him: he couldn't pedal against the gale.
He could only join the group of pedestrians with trembling legs.
As autumn progressed, the sun began to set earlier, though it wasn't quite time for the light to vanish completely. The reason the sky was so dark was entirely due to the thick layer of clouds.
As the scattered streetlights began to emit a dim glow, plastic bags and empty cans were blown across the pavement.
"Sensei, I couldn't do it..."
"Hikigaya, you idiot, he was obviously messing with you. Just standing upright in this wind is a feat; you thought you could move against it? Who do you think you are, a superhero?"
"It really was training, I swear! Trust me. Kaiko, Mitsuha, what's with those looks...? Wait a second, I think it's starting to rain!"
In the gloomy light, Akishin caught the scent of earth mixed with moisture. A second later, small black spots began to appear one by one on the asphalt.
Two drops, three drops... the spots multiplied until they merged into one. Rain fell from the sky with a distinct, rhythmic patter.
The droplets didn't care that they were still in the middle of the street; they hammered down one after another. The rain felt like needles against exposed skin, the wind adding to the force of every drop.
The downpour was merciless. Hachiman's shirt was quickly soaked through until it became transparent.
The problem was that there were schoolgirls right next to him...
Akishin hurried to open his umbrella and gave it to Kaiko and Mitsuha; at least it covered them a bit. Hachiman also produced an umbrella, using immense strength to hold it against the storm to protect Yui. Unfortunately, half of Yui's clothes were still soaked, revealing a faint pale pink beneath the fabric...
Shizuka peeled off her white lab coat and handed it to Yui.
That left Yuika. Akishin took off his outer shirt and tossed it to her, shielding everyone as they moved forward. A hundred meters ahead was a roof they could huddle under, and from there, they were very close to Konishi Street.
Splatter, splatter, splatter...
The sound of heavy rain drowned out the world, occasionally punctuated by bangs and crashes—perhaps someone's roof tile had blown off, or a dumpster somewhere had been shoved out of place by the wind...
In short, this was the kind of weather where being indoors was non-negotiable.
Compared to the storm outside, the living room of the Chishima residence was warm and lively. Shizuka had pulled out the kotatsu—usually reserved for winter—early. The air was a mix of fragrant tea and the sweet scent of cakes.
Yuika, Kaiko, Mitsuha, and Yui wore conservative pink women's pajamas, huddling somewhat bashfully inside the kotatsu. Sipping hot tea and eating delicious cake, they looked truly content.
Shizuka had changed into casual home clothes and was chatting with Mrs. Miyako across the table, their conversation peppered with light laughter.
Hotaru leaned against her mother, focused entirely on finishing the daifuku in her hand. Hachiman, wearing one of Akishin's yukatas, put down the phone and sighed in relief; Komachi had made it home before the worst of the rain.
Since everyone's clothes were drenched, Akishin had invited them to rest at his home. Shizuka, worried they might fall ill, insisted they strip off their wet clothes and take a hot bath.
She had gone to Mrs. Miyako's place next door to pick up four sets of women's pajamas.
Since the storm had forced the shops to close, Shizuka had invited Mrs. Miyako over for tea.
Mrs. Miyako had agreed, so Hotaru naturally came along.
As for the pajamas...
When Mrs. Miyako found out why Shizuka was buying them, she gave them away for free. Her reasoning was that the value of the cakes Akishin frequently sent over was far higher—which was true; if sold, those treats were worth much more than the sleepwear.
The four girls, Yui included, felt a bit guilty getting the pajamas for nothing, but under the firm insistence of both adults, they accepted them with helpless gratitude.
After notifying their families that they were at the Chishima residence, they comfortably curled up under the blankets like "salted fish."
Make no mistake, the pajamas sold by Mrs. Miyako's family were top quality. The cuteness of the four girls seemed to double once they put them on; Hachiman didn't even dare to look in their direction.
As for Akishin...
He was busy getting ready to cook, and Hachiman immediately rushed over to help!
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