Once Again Greeted By Rain

"Then the old man starts saying all of these complicated words! We're supposed to memorise them by the end of the week!"

"He really is a villain no matter who ends up with him…"

Mira still has her arm linked to mine as we approach the entrance to our home. It is now just the two of us as Mark rather quickly found a way back to pick up Ange. Our clothes have begun sticking to our skin from the thick moisture in the air, but it distracts neither of us from our conversation.

"I even got homework…"

"Welcome to the life of a student. Don't worry, I'll help you out where I can. But first…"

The two of us arrive at the door that holds many of our most recent memories. The wood is the same as always, but something about today likens it to a treasure chest ready to be opened.

"The honour is yours."

"Okay…"

The young girl gingerly aims her copy of the key at the small metal opening. Her soft groans mix with the sound of scraping and the two culminate into one final click.

"We're home!"

Mira pulls open the door with a heavy creak and we're greeted with the space where we can relax. One flick of the light switch and it feels like we had never left. The rabbit takes the opportunity to immediately dash straight for my bed. The springs groan at the impact, but Mira couldn't sound any more cathartic.

"I want to sleep…"

"Let's try to get at least some homework done today."

"I don't want to…"

I start unpacking all of my belongings while Mira slowly drags herself from the bed to the couch.

"I'll make your favourite for dinner tonight, so let's work hard."

"Really!? Yay!"

There really isn't a problem in this entire world that cannot be solved with food. As Mira also starts unloading her entire bag, I notice a large blank space in mine. I was so concerned with other affairs that I didn't realise my backpack was lighter than usual.

"Where did I lose my notebook this time…ah!"

I quickly pull out my phone and dial one of the few numbers on there. When the ringing ends, I'm greeted by the voice of the guy responsible for my loss.

"Hello?"

"I assume you still have my notes?"

"Hey man, I was seriously surprised when you left something this important over here!"

It was a complete blunder on my end. I'm so used to always having my notes effectively glued to my body that I'm not sure what to do without them. Any competent student can probably handle the assignments we have and simply wait for the night to pass. However, my abilities don't give me that option.

"You're still at school, right? I'll be there in a bit."

"Alright, you should know which class to find me."

I cut the call with Edward and turned to the confused rabbit on the couch.

"Sorry, Mira. I'll be right back. I left something at school."

"Noa is leaving me again?"

"Come on, don't give me those eyes! You just got through an entire day at school by yourself! Staying at home for a bit should be nothing!"

Mira visibly gasps at my words and her own lack of fear. Obviously the idea doesn't sound amazing for her, but I don't see her trembling in the slightest. That's right, she has grown so much that something like this has become easy. She extracts her handout and trots over to the desk.

"I'll be here while Noa is gone!"

"Got it! I'll be quick!"

A brief rummage through the closet later and I'm at the door with a drawstring bag and an umbrella. The rain hasn't started just yet, but I started running just in case. Today really has been a great day for cardio.

* * * * *

"Just my luck…"

I can barely hear my own thoughts as the hail of droplets beat against the mini canopy above my head. At least this time, a majority of my body is dry.

"Just a little further…"

I pass over the usual bridge where the water streams off the sides.

"Hm?"

A feeling I've experienced before, it bothers me.

My feet clap against the puddles on the concrete as they slow a stop. Something is calling to me, but I can't hear it. I shouldn't be able to hear anything amongst the rain, and nothing would reasonably be calling out to me. No matter how far I look in every direction, I only succeed in making my legs further drenched.

"Must be my imagination…"

That's right, Mira is waiting for me at home. I'm sure she's sitting at the desk reading the homework question for the tenth time while still failing to understand it. Somewhere along the way, her stomach will probably growl and she'll look annoyed that I haven't started on dinner. Just imagining the scene makes me laugh.

My light jog through the rain continues until the apartment comes into view, but it is immediately apparent that something isn't right. The falling droplets and pale fog obscure much of my vision. However, they could not possibly hide those blinking lights or drown out the sirens. Hundreds of umbrellas crowd in the parking lot while the apartment building itself seems barren.

I quickly pull into the rows of cars next to a pair of old ladies. They look at me with surprise as I appear completely out of breath.

"My! Deep breaths, Dear!"

"W-What happened here!?"

"Just a little false alarm. Sounds like somebody on the first floor tripped the smoke sensors."

"Young people these days! They can't just take their grills outside!"

I've managed to stabilize myself while the two older ladies lament. It's not unusual for kids to find ways to get into trouble, so there shouldn't be any reason to worry. As long as the building is intact, we'll all forget about it after a couple of days.

"Seriously, I forgot how loud the siren is…"

I remember being scared by the loud beeping back in school when we had regular fire drills. You're just minding your own business in class and suddenly it sounds like the world is ending. It makes me wonder how someone like a rabbit would handle the noise.

"Wait…"

Pushing a few steps out of the crowd, I look over the entire lot. Somewhere around here should be the person I had left behind.

"Mira!?"

I frantically weave in between the people standing on the concrete. Weird stares accompany me as I move, but they don't halt me in the slightest. My heart sinks even further for each stretch of cars I check.

"Excuse me!? Have you seen a girl with blue hair about this tall!?"

An older couple jumps when I appear and start rattling Mira's features. They glance awkwardly around the parking lot, but shake their head in the end.

"Damn it!"

Both the umbrella and the bag containing my notebook fall to the ground.

"Hey, you can't go back in yet!"

A nearby police officer yells from a distance. He'll have to tackle me to the ground if I'm going to be stopped.