Chapter 5: Can Adjustments Be Shaped? (III)

Classes came to an end, and as for me who loves to drift around doing nothing, I failed to notice that it was raining. I left the classroom immediately as usual, as I don’t have any club meetings to attend to. It’s such a disadvantage for students not to engage in extracurricular activities but as long as I maintain my top spot at the school board, it wouldn’t matter.

By the time I stepped on the exit, the steady downpour had painted the world in a dull gray. Umbrellas bloomed open like flowers at the school gates, a hundred little domes shielding students as they disappeared into the storm.

The sooner I got to the convenience store, the better. I don't want to get scolded by my senpai for being late, or rather, mercilessly teased by her misconceptions.

The simulation already played in my head and I can't help but awkwardly grin and shrug at the thought.

I expected myself to be alone at the bus station because everyone surely headed for the trains (with comparably larger shades than bus stations) but unexpectedly, someone was already sitting there.

Phone in hand, ashen hair catching the dim light like a weak flame against the rain. Anyone could recognize her despite the distance.

And for goddamn sake, why does it always have to be Asahina-san?

I told myself to look away but my eyes wouldn't move.

She was doing nothing except staring at her phone with a frown. Her legs kept swinging back and forth probably in boredom.

Was she waiting for someone? That's the first line of thought that crossed my mind.

A boyfriend is already out of the question.

A friend doesn’t make sense either. The Asahina Shiori below the waiting shed was far beyond the Asahina Shiori that I knew.

She’s nowhere near the radiant star that used to lead groups like a queen bee. Seeing her like this, having no one beside her, made me wonder what went wrong at the times we didn’t have contact with one another. Did she cut ties with people after entering high school? Did her friends ditch her after the scandal? Either way, the rumors stand true.

The social butterfly already burned her wings and chose to be a loner like me.

My observations immediately stopped when she moved.

No, she didn’t just stand or shift positions. She stepped forward straight to the curtain of rain.

Words lodged in my throat.

And before my brain could even weigh the options—ignore her, care for her, or just pretend I hadn’t seen anything—my body made the choice for me.

“—Wait!”

I ran straight, crossing that 15 meters across and immediately caught up to her.

“Asahina-san! Wait!”

Rain pelted on my face but I managed to grab her arm before she could even step outside the shade.

Yes, I grabbed her arm—that alone was enough for me to register the warmth of her skin. I never knew the feeling of touching the opposite sex so naturally, I was left frozen from the revelation.

The downpour roared around us, muffling the distant chatter of students leaving and cars driving past us.

“Fujimiya-kun?”

As if a dam wall breaking, consciousness flooded back to me at once and was replaced by a blazing inferno of embarrassment.

“Ah…sorry—!” I let go immediately, stepping back.

Asahina-san’s gaze was in between hesitation and sharpness. To put it more clearly, it was her probably questioning the reasons behind my sudden action.

“…Why?”

“Ah…uhm…”

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

Of course, what am I even doing?

I don’t usually do this just for anyone. The mere fact that I grabbed a girl out of nowhere had me completely thrown off rhythm. But that was reasonable, right? It’s a human instinct to help someone in need. Although she didn't confirm it vocally, the fact that she was about to step outside without an umbrella meant that she needed assistance.

“Aren’t you trying to distance yourself from me?” she pressed on, tone as if she couldn’t believe I acted this way. “You drew lines, made rules, and now, you’re the one crossing it?”

“…Right.”

I stared at the ground, as if something below held an explanation I couldn’t find in myself.

“There's no need to be nervous. I'm not angry—no, I don’t have the right to be angry. I’m just surprised and quite curious by how this turned out. I respected that decision because I think you still hate—”

“I still hate you.” I cut her off sharply.

She flinched, eyes widening in surprise. But soon, understanding settled within them.

“You don't need to remind me. That's already been my expectation since the beginning. I know you were still bothered by what happened before, and that's why I'm keeping my distance.”

I haven’t spoken to anyone this way. Like I told myself before, I don't get strong reactions from things—unless it's about the past. So to steady myself, I lowered my gaze further.

“But I don't want to dwell on these ill feelings for long.” I continued, calmer this time. “Just like we agreed upon, let's not make the house a stranger’s home. After all, I don't want to be a bad brother to you so that's why I'm willing to lend you my cooperation.”

The surprise in her face intensified as she mulled over my words.

“My brother, huh?”

I nodded softly.

The word itself doesn’t sound strange as it implies being a family member. But for us two with no idea how to act beyond strangers, it sounds like an accusation rather than affirmation.

“I don't know if it's familial instinct or my plain nature that led me to act impulsively. Whatever it is, nothing about this doesn’t touch the past or crosses unwanted distances.”

The statement hung in the thick air between us. Though Asahina-san doesn’t tolerate directionless silence.

So as the moment called, she laid out her trump card against me.

“Then, what do you want from me? If it’s so simple, then say it so we can end this conversation.”

I raised the umbrella slightly, steeling my resolve and tried to force the words out.

“…Take my umbrella. My part-time’s closer than the house. It’s more convenient for you.”

Her brows knit together, and her reply came quickly. “No, I’ll wait for a friend.”

“You won't.” I replied before I could stop myself.

Honestly, I expected her to lash out at my sudden conclusion. But no, despite my pushiness, she just stared at me and keenly waited for my explanation.

“You kept staring at your phone earlier. Rather, impatiently staring at it. If your friend was really coming, you wouldn’t have tried to walk out just now.”

The silence that followed told me that I was right.

Finally, she sighed softly.

“...You really like assuming things, don't you?”

“Then tell me I'm wrong.”

She heaved out a soft chuckle, but that's more to deprecate herself.

“It’s true—I wasn't waiting for a friend.” she admitted quietly. “I was messaging Reiji-san about your number.”

For a second, my mind went blank.

She was looking for…me?

“But he didn't reply so I guess I'll ask him again when he gets home.”

Comically absurd. I am standing right next to her and still she can’t directly ask me herself. I can’t blame her though, because just like she said, she was respecting the distance I placed between us.

I pulled out my phone and presented her my QR code on my LINE app. "Here."

I don't know if that's a face of disdain or embarrassment she made as she scanned it. It felt real enough that I decided to humor the expression by adding “…So you really did need my help after all."

It's not an accusation but a plain fact.

Then, she replied with a soft but resolute voice.

“…I’ll take the umbrella on one condition.”

My brows furrowed. “…Condition?”

She still didn’t look at me. Her eyes were fixed somewhere beyond, on the rain spilling from the roof of the shed. “I’ll do you a favor. Whatever you ask. In return.”

For a moment, I thought I misheard her. A favor? From Asahina-san? Of all people?

“…That’s unnecessary. It wouldn’t sit right with me. It’d be unfair to you.”

"Unfair? I see no reason for it to be unfair. As someone who strongly believes in give and take setup, I would feel cheated if you turned my offer down."

"I don't have any urgent necessities unlike you. That should be enough of a reason."

“I'm aware of your position in this. But I'm not just talking about the umbrella, I'm talking about the middle school—” but she bit the last lines of her sentence, aware that it was a dangerous territory she tried to cross. "—Forget it."

Although I don't like the idea of dragging the past especially with the person that destroyed it, I rather find it commendable that Asahina-san tried to bring it out responsibly and maturely.

Time will come and I will be courageous enough to drag it out in the open. But for now, I’m satisfied that she acknowledges and understands its importance.

At that moment, the low rumble of an engine broke in. The bus pulled up in front of the shed, headlights glowing through the curtain of rain.

Asahina-san stepped forward, adjusting the strap of her bag. “So, the umbrella?”

"Ah, yeah." as I passed it to her.

Our hands brushed, the contact electric and startling. A shiver raced down my spine as our eyes met briefly, before I turned away.

“Thank you,” she whispered, voice barely audible.

Asahina-san turned and climbed onto the bus without looking back.

But before the bus doors closed and the taillights glowed red, I muttered words I hadn't planned.

"...Then cook me the best meal you can make..."

The doors shut with a hiss, and I couldn't tell whether she heard me. For how things stand between us, I don't think she'd even bother remembering.

Still, I caught myself staring at the retreating red taillights and somehow envisioning myself enjoying a special meal with my family after a long and tiring day of school and work. I mean, that’s why people love coming home, right?