Chapter 0: The Day the Rain Didn’t Stop

The rain that afternoon was merciless.
It poured over the schoolyard, drumming against the glass windows like a warning from the sky itself.
A storm that didn’t just wash the world, but also tore something inside of me.

I was a third-year high school student back then.
Just another face in a small-town school, waiting for graduation.
But that day… everything changed.

I ran through the empty corridor, shoes echoing on the wet floor, carrying one small, foolish thought —
to pick up my girlfriend before the rain got worse.

Just one step away from her classroom, I heard voices from inside.
Laughter.
Casual. Cruel.

“Nee nee, Kurumi-chan, are you really still dating Minato-senpai?”
“Don’t be stupid. There’s no way I love that guy. He’s so boring.”
“Ehh? Kurumi-senpai, that’s harsh!”
“Who cares? It’s not like anyone could love a pathetic, nerdy guy like him.”

Their words hit harder than any thunder outside.
I stood there, frozen, unable to breathe.

And then, the door slid open.
Kurumi stepped out.
Her smile vanished the moment she saw me.

Her voice trembled.

“Minato-kun... I—I’m sorry!”

I looked at her once. Just once.

“Don’t be.”

That was all I could say before walking away.
The rain welcomed me with open arms as I ran down the stairs.
Every drop felt heavier than the last.

I didn’t even bother with my umbrella.
The world could soak me for all I cared.

I wasn’t angry. Not really.
Just… empty.

Maybe deep down, I already knew.
From the beginning, I was never the one she loved.
Maybe I was just a distraction — a convenient, quiet boy from a poor family who could never shine like the others.

By the time graduation came, I heard the news.
Kurumi got engaged.
To someone successful. Someone better.

I didn’t hate her for it.
How could I?
I was the kind of guy who worked part-time jobs just to help my mother and little sister after my father died five years ago.

Love was something I couldn’t afford.
And maybe I never deserved it in the first place.

But life, as cruel as it was, kept moving.

The rain eventually stopped.
Days turned into months.
And then one morning, a letter arrived — not from her, but from the University of Tokyo.

“We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted under a full scholarship.”

For the first time in years, my mother smiled again.
My sister hugged me so tightly that I almost forgot the pain.

That night, I promised myself something.
If love was going to hurt, then at least my future wouldn’t.

And so, I left my hometown.
I moved to Tokyo, staying with my uncle, Izaki Kurosaki.
I found a part-time job at a local supermarket — not glamorous, but honest work.

My first day went well.
Customers were polite, my manager wasn’t awful, and I thought maybe… just maybe, I could start over.

But fate had other plans.

Because the next morning, before my shift even started, I found an envelope waiting for me on the kitchen table.

An envelope that would change my life again.