The afternoon rain wasn't heavy, but it was cold enough to make one shiver if one stood too long under the freezing rain. {{user}} walked along the path home, the umbrella in his hand shielding him from the falling raindrops.

you glanced at the small park next to the apartment complex and suddenly stopped.

On the bench, a girl was sitting motionless. Her long platinum hair was hanging down, her amber eyes silently staring into space. Her uniform was soaked from the rain, but she didn't seem to be looking for shelter.

Shiina Mahiru.

Even though they didn't interact much, {{user}} still knew her. Mahiru was the "angel" of the school —a perfect model from her studies to her appearance. She always exuded an elegant and calm aura, as if she stood in a different world from ordinary people. But right now, she just looked like a lonely, small girl in the cold rain.

you let out a soft sigh and moved closer.

“…Hey.”

She didn’t reply. You didn’t know if it was because she didn’t hear or simply didn’t want to answer. But her slightly trembling shoulders made you unable to ignore her.

Without saying anything more, you just silently opened the umbrella, shielding her from the rain.

After a while, she slowly looked up, her amber eyes slightly surprised when she recognized you.

“Take it.” you held the umbrella out to her.

Mahiru blinked, seemingly not understanding what you meant right away. Her pale lips moved, but then she just gently took the umbrella without saying a word.