Chapter 8 - Raincoat

Saturday afternoon, Mishiro City shopping street.

The weekend crowds were thick: high schoolers window-shopping in groups, parents pushing strollers, salarymen clutching umbrellas against an unexpected drizzle. Neon signs flickered in the gloom, mixing with the first glow of streetlamps. Umbrellas bloomed like oily mushrooms.

Sakura Inoue wove through the throng, arms full of grocery bags. She'd volunteered to pick up supplies for club tomorrow, but her real motive was simpler: she wanted to see them again.

Their "them" was impossible to define. Reiji Kazama wasn't her boyfriend—far from it—but lately he'd been everywhere she looked. And Asuka Minazuki—the substitute homeroom teacher with the duck umbrella—had somehow filled Sakura's thoughts more than any serious crush ever had.

Then she spotted them.

Asuka wore a pale yellow raincoat that matched her umbrella. Yume skipped ahead, holding her mother's hand and prattling about "ninja clouds." Reiji walked just behind—hands in his pockets, hoodie hood up, black sneakers splashing through puddles. He glanced at Yume and smiled.

Sakura's breath caught.

Why does it hurt to see him like that? she wondered.

She ducked behind a shop window and watched.

Asuka slipped on a slick patch of sidewalk. Reiji lunged forward and caught her, his own balance wavering. She let out a tiny shriek; his arms wrapped around her waist to steady them both.

For a moment their faces were inches apart.

Asuka's eyes widened, surprise and something else—something tender—shining in the rain-damp glow.

Reiji's cheeks were flushed.

Then they both pulled back as though they'd been burned.

Yume giggled and tugged on Reiji's sleeve.

> "Punch-kun, you're like a ninja!"

Reiji ruffled her hair. "Just here to keep us all alive."

Asuka laughed—a sound Sakura knew from the classroom's quiet moments, but now it echoed in the street and reverberated through her chest.

Sakura swallowed. She couldn't move.

They're so… happy. And I'm not a part of it.

---

Later — Sakura's bedroom

The room was tidy, pastel walls dotted with motivational sticky notes and color-coordinated charts. Sakura sat at her desk, staring at her reflection in the window glass, as rain streaked down outside.

Her phone buzzed. A text from her friend Mai:

> Mai: "Did you get the ramen? Club starts at 9."

She typed back:

> Sakura: "Yeah. Just… busy."

She put the phone down and closed her eyes.

Busy thinking about them.

She tossed aside the note sheet she'd been working on and grabbed a small sketchbook. Opening to a blank page, she drew three figures: a child, a woman, and a tall lanky boy. The woman's hair was tied back; the boy's hoodie was unmistakable. The little girl held her mother's hand.

She traced the curve of Asuka's smile—soft, forgiving. Then sketched Reiji's downturned eyes—guarded, vulnerable. And Yume's wide grin.

She paused at Reiji's mouth and erased the line.

Her smile isn't mine, she thought, and tore the page out.

---

Monday morning — Classroom 3-B

Reiji arrived late, as usual, dripping water onto the floor. Teachers scowled; classmates snickered.

Reiji ignored both and sat in his back-row seat, hood up, gaze fixed on the desk.

Sakura watched him from the front row. She chewed her lip.

Asuka entered with her gentle calm, setting her umbrella in the corner stand. The students greeted her—some respectfully, some teasingly.

Asuka caught Sakura's eye and offered a small, warm smile. Sakura felt herself wilt under that look.

Don't look at me like that, she thought, but her mouth betrayed her with a smile in return.

---

Lunch break — School roof

Reiji sat on the ledge, back to the wind, staring at the cityscape. He cradled his sketchbook in his lap.

Sakura climbed up behind him, calling softly: "Kazama-kun."

He didn't move.

She sat a respectful distance away.

What am I doing? she scolded herself.

He finally spoke without turning.

"You came up here again."

She cleared her throat. "I… wanted to talk."

He sighed. "About what?"

She paused.

"How—how can you… deal with her? The way–" She waved vaguely in the direction of the classroom below. "The way she smiles at you."

Reiji closed his sketchbook and faced her.

"She's kind."

"More than kind," Sakura said, and her voice faltered. "She… she glows around you."

Reiji's eyes narrowed.

"And you? You always chased storms. Why now—when she's sunshine—do you stay in the clouds?"

The rain, which had been threatening all morning, finally broke. Drops tapped the rooftop rails.

Reiji stared at her.

"She's not mine," he said flatly.

Sakura's heart thudded.

"I know," she whispered. "But… it hurts, okay? Happy people hurt less than angry ones, and—"

He cut her off.

"Yeah, well… I'm not happy."

She blinked.

He stood up, offering his hand to help her.

"Come on. We'll get soaked."

She took his hand. As they walked back inside, her heartbeat felt loud.

---

That evening — Reiji's walk home

A soft rain had started again. The streetlamps blurred through the mist. Reiji's hoodie was soaked; he kept his head down.

His thoughts were heavy.

Sakura's right. She smiles at me not because I'm worth it, but because it's her nature.

But why do I shield that from everyone?

He reached a familiar puddle outside the convenience store. Stopped.

He looked at his reflection: damp hair plastered to his forehead, tired eyes, a frown that felt more genuine than any he'd worn in a fight.

He sank to one knee and stared for a long moment.

Sakura said I'm not happy. Am I?

Am I even capable of happy?

His palm touched the water; the reflection rippled, then settled back.

He closed his eyes.

I don't know.

He stood, shoulders squared, and walked on through the drizzle, the street empty but for his solitary steps.

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