The morning was far from ordinary.
Instead of the usual golden warmth of sunlight, the sky wept heavily, drenching the city in a relentless downpour. The sound of rain smacking the pavement echoed like static in Eiran’s ears as he walked, his umbrella long forgotten somewhere between a restless night and the rushed start of his day.
He glanced at the clock in the nearby café window. Late. Again.
His thoughts were miles away—detached and foggy—as if the world had hit fast-forward while he was still stuck in slow motion. He hardly noticed the rush of people or the flickering lights of the crosswalk.
Then—impact.
A shoulder. A blur. A misstep.
The collision wasn’t hard, but it was enough to knock him off rhythm. His foot slipped on the wet pavement, his balance faltering toward the curb.
A car horn blared. Tires hissed against the wet road.
Panic shot through his chest as he realized he was falling forward—right into the street.
“Oh shit—”
Before he could even finish the thought, a hand gripped his arm, strong and urgent, yanking him back with surprising force.
His breath caught as he stumbled backward into the safety of the sidewalk. The hand released him once it was clear he wasn’t going to topple over again. He turned, soaked to the bone and startled, and found himself looking into the eyes of a stranger.
She looked just as breathless—face tilted slightly under her hood, rain clinging to her lashes. Her concern was obvious, genuine, as she briefly scanned him for injury.
“You okay?” she asked, voice a little rushed but warm.
“Y-Yeah,” Eiran managed, still recovering from the near-death encounter.
She smiled, relief softening her expression, and with a hasty apology—“Sorry for bumping into you!”—she darted off, disappearing into the rain like some fleeting miracle.
He stood there, stunned.
Who was she? What was her name? Was she real?
She had entered his day like lightning, both terrifying and electric—leaving behind only the echo of her presence and the smell of rain.
The rest of his day passed in a blur. Her face followed him everywhere—in the steam of his coffee, the rhythm of the downpour, the aching silence of his thoughts.
By the time he returned home, the skies had lightened, though his mind hadn’t. The warmth of the house greeted him, along with the sound of his sister’s voice from the kitchen.
“Oh, you’re back,” she said casually. “A friend of mine came over to study. We’re in the living room.”
Eiran nodded absentmindedly, heading toward the familiar space.
And there she was.
The girl.
Sitting calmly at the table with a notebook open and a pen between her fingers. Her hair was now mostly dry, pulled back loosely, and her eyes widened the moment she saw him.
“You—” they said in unison, surprised.
Eiran blinked. “I didn’t know you were my sister’s friend,” he said with a small laugh, trying to keep it light despite the strange twist of fate that twisted in his chest.
Her lips curled into a half-smile. “Small world, huh?”
It was then that realization set in.
His sister’s friend.
A university student.
Younger—ten years younger.
And yet, despite the numbers and circumstances, that strange connection from earlier remained. Quiet. Undeniable.
The rain may have stopped, but something was still pouring inside him—something he hadn’t quite named yet.