【Rainy Feelings】

Rain splattered against the glass, drops sliding down the trembling pane with the rumble of the thunder. Inside The Zero’s studio, Akira sat on the practice room floor with the script open, lying on his lap.

To celebrate Kyroxfun's acceptance into The Zeros, they planned out a live stream followed by an MV.

Akira held the script to the stream. It just had the rundown on the event, including a few pre-approved key phrases and moments. This sort of thing was not much of a problem for him. But today he couldn't focus.

His eyes grazed the words without absorbing any while his mind drifted back to the argument he had with his aunt the day before.

The modelling, the private stream and the face reveal.

Akira rubbed his temples.

Mitsuru settled beside him, stretching her legs. “Your expressions looked great during rehearsal. The staff’s actually impressed.”

“Really?" Akira tilted his head to look at her.

"Yeah."

"I took acting classes as a kid—did a few tiny roles too…” Akira leaned closer to her. "Heh, though I wasn't too good at it."

“Obviously. Otherwise you’d be an actor right now.” She laughed, then clamped her mouth shut. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”

“It’s fine.” He closed the script, placing it on his lap. With his gaze lowered, he rubbed his finger on the floor. “Um… after the reveal, I’m thinking of changing my persona.”

“What kind of change?”

“I don’t want to be known as the playboy guy anymore. Not when my real face goes public.”

“That’s your whole online image right now.”

“But I never wrote that in my bio—”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“But—”

“You didn’t read the terms and conditions,” she said bluntly. “When we discussed everything, you weren’t paying attention. There’s an image-rights clause. You’re not allowed to change your persona.”

Akira blinked. “I don’t remember signing anything besides the first contract.”

“Your manager did.”

He stared at her. “Manager?”

“Miss Fuyuko. She signed the agency agreement and the T&C.”

His ears reddened; one eye twitched. “She’s not my manager. She’s my aunt.”

Mitsuru froze. “O-oh… When we reached out, she was the one replying. She said she managed you.”

Thunder cracked outside as the rain intensified.

Akira snapped out of his daze, plastered on a smile, and stood. “Well, she does manage stuff. I should head back. It’s really pouring.”

He waved and hurried from the studio.

Outside, rain hammered heavily on the pavement. In a moment he was soaked, his clothes drenched and his hair clinging to his forehead.

She’s messing with me… again…

The storm roared around him as his thoughts dragged him back—towards the beginning of everything.

“It’s okay; you have me now.”

Just a simple sentence, yet it healed my bleeding heart. I was seven or maybe eight when they died: Mom, Dad, and Uncle Minato.

Only Aunt Fuyuko survived the accident. She had married my uncle only months ago.

Her trembling hand reached toward me. I clutched it with both of mine, pressing her palm to my chest. I continued crying as I begged her, “Please… please don’t die too.”

She survived.

She never adopted me legally, but she was the only family left who wanted me.

She sacrificed her life to take care of me. And I felt forever grateful to her

Years later, the line between family and something else blurred. She became everything: comfort, authority, affection. The only constant one.

Until the day everything cracked and continued cracking.

That day when she picked me up from school, I kissed her, and unfortunately a stupid classmate spotted me. 

From then onwards my school life turned into a disaster. They carved 'incest' into my desk. Funnily, I didn't know what it meant. Whispers followed me down hallways, and everyone who I called friends continued ignoring me.

It was starting to hit me, so I decided to handle it.

I beat up the kid who saw me; I didn't stop, and teachers had to drag me off. I didn’t care. My school life was already ruined all because of him.

When the school contacted my aunt, she didn’t look shocked. She only advised me to lie if I didn't want to live alone. 

Alone. Without her. So I lied. I told them I was dating some older woman for money and gifts. It was embarrassing, but it didn't matter. 

She reassured the staff it would be handled. Eventually, she moved me to a private school. She handled the mess for me. 

I thought everything was fine… until curiosity ate me. What did those kids call me? 

When I looked it up. My first thought: I am repulsive.

"We’re not related by blood,” she reassured and said gently. “Your uncle is gone. We’re in the clear.”

If she said it was okay… then it must be okay.

But the seed was planted. 

So when a girl from class confessed to me. I accepted. 

But I tried to hide it from my aunt.

“Akira, I found a chocolate box in your desk,” she said one night. “Someone give it to you?”

I avoided her eyes. I felt like I was cheating.

The next morning, when I stepped out of the car, I saw my girlfriend walking towards me. I tried pretending to not know her.

But maybe my eyes betrayed me.

My aunt called me back, telling me to take the money.

Confused, I approached—and she kissed me.

In front of that girl.

I will never forget the look on her face. The betrayal and the tears. I did nothing. I preferred not upsetting my aunt.

At the new school, no one knew she was family.

My girlfriend slapped me. My first slap.

Something finally snapped inside me. I realized Fuyuko didn’t care about my emotions—only about keeping me hers.

I tried escaping through relationships. I failed every time. Sometimes I gave in to her again. Sometimes I pushed too hard. Sometimes I didn’t know how to act at all.

I lasted three months before dropping out. I told myself everything was my fault, that I ruined every relationship, every chance.

He stumbled through the rain, bumping into the passersby. Cars hissed across the wet road. He narrowed his eyes, letting out a shaky laugh as he walked towards the road. “If I… hah… if I just— what would you do then?”

A smirk twisted his lips as a tear mixed with the rain.

He stepped away from the road, leaning against a building.

A bus stopped nearby. People filed in and stepped out. Akira stared. He had never taken a bus before.

Fuyuko had always driven him. Always managed every detail of his life, even when they were a normal family.

But it wasn’t my fault; I had never learnt what “normal” looked like.

I felt possessed, dependent, worthless.

But I continued giving in to her even to this day.

He slid down to the pavement, ignoring the passers-by. Rain soaked him completely. He closed his eyes—and suddenly the water stopped.

He blinked.

Yellow sandals stood in front of him, blocking the rain. Long brown hair swayed above them.

Jitsuko.

He stiffened; he quickly scrambled to his feet. “H-hey?”

“Akira?” Her voice trembled, eyes shining with worry.