Hidden in the Rain

That afternoon, Shinya wandered through the quiet apartment, still deep in thought about the day before.

He was reflecting on Mayu’s reactions and how Tsubasa, even without realizing it, had somehow brought out a different version of her. Quieter, more distant.

He kept trying to understand how Tsubasa had managed to do that. It was exactly the kind of human reaction Shinya himself tried to provoke, but never succeeded in achieving. And in a way, he wanted to see those responses more often, as if they were a crucial key to understanding a truth that still escaped him.

Hana had returned not long after going after Mayu. Tsubasa had already gone too, having completed his ‘mission’ of checking up on Shinya. So it was just the two of them again in the apartment, as usual. But Hana came back silent, with a vague, unreadable look, giving him no chance to guess what had been said between them. Still, she didn’t seem upset. On the contrary, she seemed to have understood everything with ease, maybe even felt satisfied with the outcome.

Shinya still had so much to figure out. And even though he felt closer than ever to understanding humans, there was still a gap, an unanswered question keeping his comprehension incomplete.

Approaching the window, he gazed at the darkening sky. Few people walked the streets now, and those who remained moved quickly. He stood there for a while, just watching until the first drops began to slide down the glass.

Soon, the rain intensified. The sound of water against the windows and flowing along the sidewalks brought him a strange sense of peace. As if, for a moment, everything could be washed clean.

He thought about Hana. Her shift must be ending around now… Was it pouring there too? If so, she’d probably end up soaked. He didn’t recall seeing her leave with an umbrella that morning.

That’s when he remembered a scene from Flowers of Tomorrow, the drama he treated like a kind of encyclopedia on humans. In one episode, it started to rain, and the main character ran out to bring an umbrella to his girlfriend. Maybe… he could do the same.

He went to the entrance and picked up an umbrella leaning against the console table. He had everything he needed to follow through with his idea. He knew where Hana worked, he just had to take it to her. But for some reason, he hesitated. That simple act stirred something strange inside him, a tightness in his chest. A sensation that always arose when he thought about her or did something for her.

Even so, he took a deep breath, adjusted his clothes, and stepped outside, greeted by the now heavier rain. And just like the drama’s protagonist, he ran.

When he arrived, he saw Hana standing under the building’s awning, looking at her phone. She was probably waiting for the rain to ease up before heading home.

He watched her for a moment from a distance. It wasn’t often he saw her looking so unguarded, so... innocent. And somewhere in the middle of those thoughts, a realization struck him. He could’ve just appeared there using his divine powers. There was no real need to run through the storm. Maybe it was the drama’s influence. Or... maybe it was something else entirely.

Hana looked up at the sky, assessing the rain, and then saw Shinya across the street. She smiled when she recognized him and waved him over.

“Shinya? What are you doing here?” she asked as he approached.

“I came to bring you an umbrella. I figured you didn’t have one.”

“I noticed… and thank you. I really didn’t. But… you do know you could’ve used the umbrella, right?”

Shinya was completely drenched. He’d run so fast to get to her that he hadn’t even thought to use the umbrella himself. His face flushed, embarrassed by his own oversight.

“I can’t believe you were that silly,” she said, laughing genuinely.

She stepped closer, pulled a small towel from her bag, and began gently drying his face and hair. His damp strands had fallen over his forehead, and instinctively, Hana ran her fingers through them, brushing them aside, as if carefully tending to something fragile.

Shinya watched her, frozen, completely absorbed by her blue eyes. His chest felt like it might burst, but even so, he didn’t pull away. He wanted to keep feeling that.

That’s when Hana realized what she was doing. She quickly pulled her hand back and turned to the side.

“Sorry,” she said, still not looking at him. “So… shall we go?”

Shinya, still trying to process what had just happened, answered in a shaky voice. “Y-yeah. Let’s go.”

The walk home was quiet but comfortable. To share the umbrella, they had to walk side by side, so close that their arms touched. They could feel each other’s warmth even without making eye contact. It was as if they were both deliberately avoiding it. And despite the rain, or maybe because of it, they both seemed to want that moment to last longer.

Once home, they went their separate ways. Hana locked herself in her room, and Shinya remained in the living room, standing by the window, watching the rain that still showed no sign of stopping.

With a touch of magic, he dried himself and changed clothes, all without Hana seeing. He realized how living among humans made him forget, even if just for a moment, that he was a god. And he wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad.

Night fell slowly, and Hana didn’t come out of her room. Shinya wondered if she was going to break her routine and skip that night’s episode of Flowers of Tomorrow. Maybe the rain had made her sick. Maybe she just needed time alone. But her absence gave the apartment a strange stillness as if something were out of place.

He lay down on the couch, trying to ignore the mess of thoughts swirling in his head. It was the first time he’d ever felt like this. And to avoid being pulled too deep into it, he closed his eyes, hoping for a moment of peace.

Hana’s bedroom door opened with a soft creak. Then, footsteps approached. Still, he kept his eyes shut, as if something inside him told him to stay that way. A faint click broke the silence, and the footsteps hurried away. A moment later, her door closed again.

That click… he recognized it instantly. It was the same sound he’d heard another time when Hana took a photo with her phone.

Had she taken a picture of him?

Why?

That new question joined the flood already swirling in his mind. Everything tangled together until there was no space left to think clearly. But among all those scattered thoughts, one remained.

The memory of when their eyes met. Of her delicate fingers brushing aside his wet hair. At that moment, he hadn’t reacted, but now he thought about what it might be like to do the same for her. To gently tuck back the strands of blonde hair that suited her expression so well.

The thought made him blush. He still didn’t know why she occupied his mind so often. Or why thinking of her brought on all these sensations.

But even without understanding it… he didn’t want it to stop.

If anything, he wanted to feel it all even more deeply.