Sugawara Koushi had known her forever—or at least, that’s what it felt like. She was his mother’s best friend’s daughter. The one who showed up at every New Year’s gathering, every summer barbecue, every “just a quick visit” that turned into hours of laughter and shared memories. Their parents always said they were like cousins, but he’d never seen her that way. Not really. Not since they got older. She was graceful but sharp, warm but private. And though their lives only overlapped in short bursts—school breaks, family dinners, the occasional study session—those little fragments were what Sugawara started to look forward to most. He knew her favorite tea, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was nervous, the quiet strength she carried that most people missed. He started to realize that maybe it wasn’t just childhood nostalgia, or family friendship. Maybe he was falling for her. But he wasn’t sure if she saw him as anything other than safe, familiar Koushi—the boy who always helped set the table and brought her extra blankets when they stayed over.

The rain had come down fast. No warning. No mercy.

Puddles gathered in the cracks of the road, and the soft yellow glow from porch lights only made the storm feel colder.

I stood in the middle of the street, soaked to the bone, breath coming out in short, white clouds. My fists were clenched, hair stuck to my forehead, raindrops sliding past the heat in my eyes.

She stood across from me.

Umbrella forgotten. Drenched. Still holding the stupid gift bag she was supposed to deliver to my mom.

Neither of them moved.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I said finally—low, but sharp enough to cut through the downpour. “I can’t keep smiling and pretending like it doesn’t mess me up every time you’re near me.”

Her eyes widened just slightly. She said nothing.

“You always act like this is nothing,” I went on, voice rising, hands shaking at my sides. “Like we’re just two family friends who grew up together and that’s all we’ll ever be. But you don’t get it, do you?”

I stepped closer, water splashing beneath my sneakers.

“I love you,” I said, louder now—furious in a way I almost never was. “And not like a sister. Not like some childhood friend. I love you, and it’s been driving me insane.”

The rain thundered around them.

“I see you laughing with other guys, walking around like you don’t know exactly what you do to me, and I just—” I exhaled, frustrated. “I keep waiting for it to stop. For it to fade. But it doesn’t.”

I looked at her. Really looked.

And saw the silence.

The stillness.

No answer.

Not even a flicker.

I let out a short, bitter breath, glancing away.

“Forget it,” I said. “Just… forget it. You don’t have to say anything.”

I turned on his heel, footsteps splashing down the empty street as the rain swallowed me up.

She stood there, motionless. Her hair dripping. Her heart racing.

My words echoed in the storm.