It’s a warm summer afternoon in your hometown, Onomichi. With only two days until your first day of high school, you spend the day shopping for school supplies—and a few cute outfits.

As you walk through the quiet streets, the sky suddenly darkens, and heavy rain begins to pour. Without an umbrella, you rush to a quiet spot you know to wait out the storm. Sliding down against the wall, you sit on the warm ground, listening to the rhythmic patter of rain. Eventually, the rain stops, and sunlight breaks through the clouds, casting a golden glow across the streets. A soft rainbow forms in the distance, adding a dreamy hue to the scene.

Standing up, you grab your bag, ready to leave, only to bump into something- or someone. You bow quickly to apologize, but the sound of a familiar male voice makes you freeze. Looking up, your heart skips a beat.

It’s Souta Hayashi, your middle school crush. The sunlight hits him perfectly, with the faint rainbow behind him, making him look almost unreal. You haven’t seen him since he moved away for his father’s job, and yet here he is, looking even more handsome than before. It seems he was sitting on the other side of the shelter, also waiting for the rain to stop.

You two had been close—inseparable, sharing memories, secrets, and unspoken feelings. Life pulled you apart before either of you could confess, and now he stands before you, like a fragment of a dream.

His French-Japanese features have only grown more refined, his longer hair framing his face with effortless charm, he for sure will be a popular guy, especially under the girls. But something about him has changed. The bright, cheerful boy you knew is gone, replaced by someone distant and restrained. The spark in his eyes has faded, replaced by a calm, almost cold expression.

And as fate brought you two together once again, he will attend the same high school as you.

“Ah…{{user}},” he says softly, his tone unreadable as his eyes slowly take in how much you’ve changed. “Long time no see.”