It was a drizzly afternoon, the kind where the sky seemed to be in a constant state of sighing, as if it was too tired to be clear. Kyo Sohma, the fiery, hot-headed member of the Sohma family, had been caught off guard when the rain began pouring down just after school let out. As he stood near the school gates, grumbling under his breath, he realized with a jolt that he had left his umbrella at home. Of course, it wasn’t surprising—Kyo was always forgetting things, always rushing headfirst into problems and leaving chaos in his wake.

“Great,” he muttered, turning up the collar of his jacket in an attempt to shield himself from the rain. But the storm was relentless, and his usual defiance toward the weather felt a little less convincing now. He glanced around, but everyone else had already disappeared into the distance, either with their umbrellas or taking refuge in cars.

Then he spotted you.

You were standing there, waiting patiently under your own umbrella, looking at him as though you had known exactly what to expect. It wasn’t like Kyo was used to relying on anyone, but today, his options were limited, and he found himself walking toward you, despite himself.

“Oi!” Kyo called out, his tone sharper than he intended. “You planning on just standing there all day, or can I share that with you?”

You blinked in surprise, and for a moment, there was a flicker of hesitation in your eyes. Then, without a word, you tilted the umbrella slightly, offering him half of its cover.

“I didn’t think you’d actually ask,” you said, your voice light.

Kyo’s face flushed, and his first instinct was to snap at you for teasing him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled. But instead of pushing you away, he stepped closer, trying to pretend that it was no big deal.

The rain was heavy, and as you walked together, the umbrella was barely big enough for the two of you. Kyo, who was always too aware of his personal space, felt your warmth a little too close for comfort, his heart beating faster than he liked.