Speeding Rain

When the final bell rang, Ichi stretched with a groan. “Man, I’m starving again. You wanna grab something at the store?”

“Nah,” Rei said. “I should get home. Mom will worry.”

“Boooring,” Ichi said again, standing and slinging his bag over his shoulder. “You’re like eighty inside.”

Rei smiled faintly. “And you’re five.”

“Five and proud, baby.” Ichi flashed a peace sign before heading for the door. “See you tomorrow, Rei.”

Rei watched him go, feeling a strange mix of relief and unease. The conversation replayed in his head — Ichi’s excitement, his fascination with Freaks, his careless way of talking about death like it was something glorious.

He wanted to believe Ichi would never change — that he’d stay the same loud, fearless idiot he’d always been. But deep down, he wasn’t sure anymore.

He glanced once more at his desk, at the pen sitting perfectly still. His fingers twitched.

No. Not here.

He packed his things and headed out into the rain.

The streets shimmered with reflected light as he walked, umbrella half-open, shoes splashing through puddles. The storm had cooled the air, but his thoughts burned hotter.

Everywhere he looked, he saw posters — warnings, government slogans, reminders of the freaks in the city. Their faces stared down from every wall.

Rei jumped off the train, this time it was way less of an experience instead of the same old. Rei’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out.

Rei smiled despite himself.

Rei stared at the message, heart skipping.

Then another text came.

He pocketed the phone and exhaled, but the knot in his stomach didn’t loosen.

Somewhere in the distance, thunder rolled across the hills — low and slow, like something heavy waking up.

Rei didn’t know if he was imagining it, but for just a second, his umbrella handle trembled — not from wind, but as if something unseen had nudged it.

He tightened his grip and kept walking, pretending not to notice.

The rain had settled into a steady rhythm by the time Rei reached the heart of town — a soft, ceaseless murmur against rooftops and puddles. The streets were half-empty now, the evening crowd already tucked away indoors. Streetlights flickered to life one by one, casting gold halos over the slick pavement.

Rei adjusted his grip on his umbrella and quickened his pace. The day’s weight pressed on him — Ichi’s wild talk, the memories he’d tried so hard to bury. Every sound of thunder made him tense, though he couldn’t say why.

He turned onto the narrow road that led toward the old bridge — the one that crossed the shallow creek before the neighborhood. Usually there’d be a few people still around, heading home or waiting for the bus, but tonight the place was nearly deserted. The only sound was the rain and the faint buzz of power lines overhead.

That’s when he saw her.

A lone figure stood at the far end of the street, motionless beneath a flickering lamp. She wasn’t using an umbrella, though the downpour drenched her completely. Her hair, long and black, clung to her face and neck, dripping steadily. She wore a white blouse and a dark skirt — clothes better suited for an office than a backroad in the countryside.

Rei slowed.

She didn’t look homeless, nor did she seem drunk or lost. She just… stood there. Still. Like she was waiting for something.

He hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek.

Probably moved here recently, he reasoned. So she doesn’t know the buses stop early when it rains.

He glanced around — no taxis, no one else.

With a quiet sigh, he stepped closer, raising his voice over the rain.

“Hey! You okay?”

The woman turned her head slightly. Her eyes caught the lamplight — dark, sharp, but strangely calm. For a moment she said nothing. Then, finally, she gave a slow nod, water dripping from her hair.

Rei hesitated again, then took another step. “You’ll get sick out here,” he said. “Here—”

Before he could talk himself out of it, he tilted the umbrella toward her, holding it out. “You can take this. My place isn’t far anyway.”

The woman blinked, surprise flickering across her face. “I couldn’t,” she said softly. Her voice was low, precise — the kind of tone that carried quiet authority.

“It’s fine,” Rei said quickly. “Really. You’ll catch a cold.”

She looked at him for a long moment — studying him, maybe. Then, finally, she reached out and took the handle. Her fingers were cold against his.

“…Thank you,” she murmured. “That’s very kind of you.”

Rei scratched the back of his neck, trying not to look awkward. “No problem. Uh—are you new around here? Haven’t seen you before.”

Her expression shifted just slightly, something guarded behind her eyes. “You could say that.”

He nodded, unsure how to respond. For a moment, they just stood there in the quiet rain. Then, slowly, the rhythm of the downpour began to change.

At first, Rei thought it was just his imagination — the drops seemed to be falling lighter, thinner. He glanced up.

The rain… had stopped, but not cleared.

The entire street went silent. The sound of water vanished, leaving only the hum of the streetlight and his own heartbeat. Above them, the clouds still hung heavy and dark, but not a single drop fell but instead stood still in the air above them.

Rei frowned, lowering his hand. “Huh.”

The woman looked up too, eyes narrowing. “That’s strange.”

Then, from the distance, came a low rumble — not thunder, but the growl of an engine.

A motorcycle rolled into view from the far end of the street, gliding through the puddles with a smooth, deliberate motion. Its headlights cut a bright path through the mist, reflecting off the wet pavement.

The rider was dressed in black — boots, gloves, a long coat that rippled faintly with the motion of the bike. His face was hidden behind a white mask, featureless except for a single painted blue teardrop under the right eye.