The rainy season arrived quietly.
It started with cloudy mornings, then windy afternoons, and then one day, during the last class of the day, the sky suddenly turned dark and rain began pouring heavily against the classroom windows.
The entire class became distracted immediately.
Some students went to the windows.
Some started talking loudly.
Even the teacher looked outside for a moment and sighed.
"It's going to be hard to go home today," someone said.
Su Ran turned in her seat and looked at the window behind the last row.
Rain was hitting the glass quickly, making the outside world look blurry and soft.
Zhao Ming stretched his arms and said,
"This is the perfect weather to not study."
"You say that in every weather," Su Ran replied.
"That's because every weather is perfect for not studying," he said.
Jiang Chen continued writing in his notebook like the rain didn't exist.
Su Ran leaned forward slightly and said,
"Do you ever stop studying?"
"Yes," he said.
"When?"
"When I'm sleeping."
Zhao Ming clapped slowly.
"Inspirational. Truly inspirational."
School Ends… But the Rain Doesn't
When the final bell rang, everyone packed their bags, but no one left the classroom immediately because the rain was still very heavy.
Students stood near the doors and windows, waiting for it to become lighter.
Su Ran stood near the corridor railing, watching the rain fall onto the school yard. Water was gathering everywhere, and students who tried to run across were getting completely wet.
"I don't have an umbrella," she said.
"I do," Zhao Ming said proudly, taking out an umbrella from his bag.
She looked relieved.
"Oh good."
He opened it slightly and showed it to her.
It was very small.
Very, very small.
"This is not an umbrella," she said.
"This is a joke."
"It's a minimalist umbrella," he replied.
"This can cover half a person," she said.
"Then we choose the most important half," Zhao Ming replied.
Jiang Chen, who was standing next to them, quietly took out his umbrella and opened it.
His umbrella was normal sized.
Su Ran looked at it like she had just seen treasure.
"You have a real umbrella," she said.
"Yes," he replied.
Zhao Ming immediately closed his tiny umbrella.
"Well, looks like I'm joining you two."
"No," Su Ran said immediately.
"There is not enough space for three people."
"There is enough friendship for three people," Zhao Ming said dramatically.
"There is not enough umbrella," she replied.
Walking in the Rain
In the end, Zhao Ming ran ahead in the rain with his tiny umbrella that covered almost nothing, while Su Ran and Jiang Chen walked behind with the normal umbrella.
The rain was still heavy, and the sound of it hitting the umbrella was loud and steady.
They walked slowly because the ground was wet and slippery.
For a while, neither of them said anything.
It wasn't awkward.
It was just quiet.
Su Ran looked at the ground as they walked.
"Zhao Ming is going to get sick," she said.
"He won't," Jiang Chen replied.
"How do you know?"
"He talks too much. Sick people don't talk that much."
She laughed a little.
After a few more steps, she realized something.
They were walking very close because the umbrella wasn't that big.
If she moved a little away, her shoulder would get wet.
If he moved away, his arm would get wet.
So they walked carefully, trying not to bump into each other, but also trying not to leave the umbrella.
It was a very strange distance.
Not far.
Not close.
Just somewhere in between.
The Puddle Incident
They eventually caught up to Zhao Ming, who was jumping over puddles dramatically.
"I am an action movie star," he announced.
"You are going to fall," Su Ran said.
"I never fall," he said confidently.
Two seconds later, he stepped into a deep puddle and water splashed everywhere.
Su Ran laughed so hard she almost dropped her bag.
Jiang Chen shook his head slightly.
"This is why you don't talk too much," he said.
"My sock is now a swimming pool," Zhao Ming said sadly.
"You deserve it," Su Ran replied.
The Small Shop
Since the rain wasn't stopping, they stopped at a small convenience store near the road.
They stood under the small roof outside the shop, listening to the rain.
Zhao Ming bought snacks immediately.
"You only think about food," Su Ran said.
"Food is important for survival," he replied, opening a bag of chips.
He offered some to Su Ran and Jiang Chen.
Su Ran took some.
Jiang Chen refused.
"You don't eat snacks, you don't talk much, you only study," Zhao Ming said.
"Are you actually a robot?"
"I am a human," Jiang Chen replied calmly.
"Prove it," Zhao Ming said.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment and then said,
"I also don't like exams."
Zhao Ming nodded.
"Okay, you are human."
Watching the Rain
They stood there for a long time, just watching the rain fall onto the road, cars passing by slowly, people running with umbrellas.
Su Ran leaned slightly against the wall and said quietly,
"I like rainy days."
"Why?" Zhao Ming asked.
"It makes everything slower," she said.
"On sunny days everyone is rushing somewhere. But when it rains, everyone walks slower, talks slower, waits more."
Zhao Ming nodded.
"That's because if we run, we fall like I did."
She ignored him and looked at the rain again.
Jiang Chen said quietly,
"Rainy days feel longer."
She looked at him.
"Yes. Longer in a good way."
They stood there quietly again.
Cars passed.
Rain fell.
People came and went.
It wasn't a special day.
Nothing big happened.
They just got stuck in the rain after school.
But somehow, it felt like one of those days that would stay in their memories for a very long time.
A rainy afternoon.
A small shop.
Three students in school uniforms.
Talking about nothing important.
And without realizing it,
they were slowly collecting memories that would one day become the most important parts of growing up.