Morning came too bright for someone who barely slept.
I wasn't exhausted—just restless. My head kept replaying last night: the rain, the umbrella, the way Aya walked slightly closer than she had to, the look on her face when she said "Fine."
I didn't expect any of that.
I definitely didn't expect my chest to feel weird about it.
School hallways buzzed with the usual noise. People calling each other, cluttered footsteps, teachers trying to sound awake before their coffee. Normally, I'd slide through the chaos easily, smiling at whoever waved.
But today, my eyes kept drifting toward the windows, watching raindrops trickle down like they were trying to remind me of something.
I found my classroom—2-A—already noisy. My friends were gathered around my desk like vultures waiting for gossip.
"REI," Yuna said, pointing at my face, "why do you look like you're thinking? That's suspicious."
I dropped my bag onto the hook. "Wow. Good morning to you too."
Daichi raised an eyebrow. "She's right, though. You look… weird. What happened yesterday? You left super late."
I shrugged, leaning back into my seat. "It was raining. I stayed at the station."
Yuna squinted. "Alone?"
I hesitated—and that was apparently enough.
Daichi slammed his hands on my desk. "YOU WEREN'T ALONE."
I groaned. "Calm down."
Yuna leaned closer, eyes sparkling. "Rei. Tell us everything. Who were you with?"
I fiddled with a pen, pretending to be nonchalant. "Aya."
Dead silence.
Then—
"AYA?!"
"OHHHH."
"FROM 2-B? THAT quiet girl?"
"The one who draws storms on the rooftop steps?"
Half the class practically turned to look at me.
Great. Just great.
Yuna clutched her heart dramatically. "And YOU, of all people, walked home with Aya from 2-B?! Rei, please, I need details to survive."
"It wasn't a big deal."
Daichi snorted. "Your face says otherwise."
I stared at him. "What face?"
"The REI face."
Yuna nodded vigorously. "Yeah, the 'I found something interesting' face."
I stared harder. "That's not a real face."
"It is," they said in perfect unison.
I sighed.
They weren't going to drop it.
"She was stuck at the station," I said. "The rain wouldn't stop. We talked."
"YOU talked?" Daichi asked, eyes wide. "Aya? TALKED?"
"She… replied," I corrected.
Yuna leaned her elbows on the desk. "And what did she reply to?"
I hesitated again. I hated that my mouth didn't want to form the words easily.
"She drew me."
Three seconds of silence.
Then Yuna SCREAMED.
"WHATTTT?! SHE DREW YOU?!"
Daichi started hitting the table like a drum. "THIS IS INSANE. THIS IS ACTUAL PROGRESS."
I groaned into my hands. "It's not progress. We just… talked."
"Rei." Yuna lowered her voice. "Nobody gets Aya to talk."
"She ignores 90% of the school," Daichi added.
"So if she drew you," Yuna whispered, "you're special."
My heart did that annoying tight thing again.
I forced a grin. "Stop making it weird."
But they kept going.
"I've seen Aya in the art room," Daichi said thoughtfully. "She draws storms. That's it. Always storms."
Yuna snapped her fingers. "Maybe you are her new storm."
I threw my pen at her. "Shut up."
She dodged, laughing. "Tell me more! Did she actually talk-talk? Or monosyllables?"
I looked at the window, watching the rain soften into thin streaks. "She… opened up a little."
"SEE?!" Yuna squealed.
Daichi crossed his arms. "I'm telling you, Rei, Aya is interesting. You always talk to everyone, but this is the first time you've… paid attention."
My throat tightened.
He wasn't wrong.
Before I could reply, the class door slid open. Students quieted slightly as more people squeezed into hallways. That's when I saw her.
Aya.
Walking quickly toward 2-B, sketchbook hugged to her chest, hair still slightly damp from the morning drizzle. She didn't notice us—not really. She never noticed crowds. She slipped past them like mist.
But the moment I saw her, my breath caught.
And I thought—
She's avoiding looking this way.
She's avoiding me.
Yuna caught my stare. "Are you going to talk to her?"
"No," I said quickly. "Not now."
"Why not?"
I didn't know how to answer that.
Maybe because my friends were watching.
Maybe because she looked flustered.
Maybe because… I didn't want to scare her away.
"I'll talk later," I said finally.
Daichi smirked. "You mean you'll stalk 2-B later."
I kicked his chair. "Shut up."
Class started, but I couldn't focus. My pen kept tapping the desk. The teacher's voice blurred into background noise. All I could think about was Aya's face in the dim station lights, the way she held her sketchbook, the way she hesitated before letting me walk beside her.
The umbrella.
Her quiet "fine."
Her almost-smile.
She wasn't just interesting.
She was… unforgettable in a way that made my chest feel too full.
When break came, Yuna poked my forehead.
"You're thinking about her again."
"I'm thinking about food," I lied.
"Rei, you haven't eaten breakfast in three years. Try again."
I pushed her hand away. "I'm not—"
But then I saw Aya through the window.
Across the courtyard.
Standing under the eaves of the building with two girls—Miki and Haruka, I think.
She looked annoyed.
And flustered.
And very, very red.
…Did she tell someone about yesterday?
My heart skipped.
Daichi leaned forward. "Go talk to her."
I shook my head. "Not yet. She looks overwhelmed."
Yuna softened. "You really like her, huh?"
I froze. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
I looked away, pretending to rummage through my bag.
"It's not like that," I muttered.
"It's just… she's different."
"She's your type," Daichi said.
I stiffened. "I don't have a type."
They both stared at me until I added, loudly,
"I DON'T."
But deep down, I knew the truth.
Aya had become a thought I couldn't shut off.
A silence I wanted to understand.
A storm I wasn't afraid of.
And when she lifted her head slightly across the courtyard—
just enough for her eyes to wander toward 2-A—
I swear she saw me.
And looked away too fast.
My chest warmed dangerously.
I was definitely, absolutely, 100% in trouble.