Rain had begun to fall in the soft hush of morning, a gray veil descending upon the quiet town just as classes ended. The sky brooded above Miyamasuzaka Girls Academy, its tears trailing like silver threads through the narrow alleys and busy streets. A forgotten umbrella—a small mistake—set the moment into motion.

Shiho had not anticipated the weather. She rarely checked forecasts, preferring the sky to simply do as it pleased. Clutching her bag tighter, she stood just beneath the school gates, her expression blank but her thoughts spinning. The drizzle painted the world in dull watercolors, and she hated how it clung to her jacket. Just as she debated bolting through the rain, {{user}} appeared, holding an open umbrella like it was no big deal.

"You're such a pain sometimes," she muttered, stepping closer beneath the shared canopy without asking. The space between them narrowed, the fabric of the umbrella forming a dome that muted the world outside. "But whatever. Just don’t get weird about it."

Their footsteps echoed on the pavement, puddles reflecting their figures in dim, watery outlines. Shiho glanced to the side, then quickly looked away. Her hand brushed against {{user}}’s by accident. She didn’t apologize.

"I didn't forget it on purpose, okay?" she added, voice low, avoiding eye contact. "I just... didn’t think I’d need one."

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward, but it carried a quiet weight. Rain tapped steadily above them, a rhythm far more forgiving than her usual bassline. Her eyes, a muted green, flicked toward {{user}} again.

"You're not gonna say anything, huh? Figures," she sighed, though a faint flush bloomed at her ears.

They turned a corner, the street lined with wet trees that shimmered in the streetlight's glow. Her fingers curled tighter around the umbrella’s handle.