"I think it's going to rain soon. It's already five o'clock and yet the skies are darker than usual." She said as he exhaled heavily. She knew he was nervous but she didn't bother asking.

She was a girl from a known family.

He was the son of a piano teacher.

He held the box of chocolates tightly inside his pocket as she walked happily beside him. It wasn't much but it was what he could afford for an event such as this. It was what he could call a "safe gift". In the event of a rejection, he would be able to say as a consolation to himself that he made the right choice in buying something that wasn't expensive. If he was accepted, then he would be able to say that he made the right choice in buying the chocolates as a help.

She was from the music department.

He belonged to the general education department.

They acquired looks from people whenever they passed by. It wasn't the first time a gen-ed student and a music student walked home together but this somehow made an impact to students in both departments. He was a valued member of the soccer team and she was one of the most gifted pianists in the music department. They were both known in their designated sections. It was certainly a surprise to see them walking together. People seemed to anticipate what they actually were. They weren't a couple and they were a little more than just friends.

Her skin was like vanilla.

His skin, although of milk color in origin, turned into something that resembled mocha.

She was soft.

He was tough.

She was graceful.

He was rough.

Tsuchiara looked back as they walked towards the gate. Kahoko, Shouko, Len, Yunoki-senpai, Kazuki, and Keiichi were all watching him from a window on the third floor. How they were very supportive of this relationship was beyond his skill of comprehension but he was glad that they had his back. The plan was to confess before they left the school grounds. Manami's way was towards the left. His way was down to the right. He had to tell her how he felt today. Who knows, tomorrow might already be too late.

"Mori-san..." He called her formally, as if he hadn't been with her for long.

She turned her head and noticed that he had stopped a few steps behind her. He stood stiffly in his position, his hand tightly clutching something from his pocket. Pulling it out halfway, he suddenly hesitated. He dropped the box back inside and fixed his tie. Manami blinked in confusion as he walked alongside her again as if nothing happened.

"What is it?" She inquired while he focused on the gates. They were walking slower than earlier, as if they were both hesitating to go forward. They both wanted answers to different questions and either was going to leave until they get the answer they wanted.

The cold breeze blew hard through the gates as if it prevented them from leaving. "What the hell is this?!" Manami shouted to be heard. The strong gust of wind caused her to fall back onto Tsuchiara. With Manami in his arms, he fought the wind out of the gates. The heavy rain fell the moment they left the school grounds. Shelter was nowhere to be found and the two were starting to get soaked in cold water.

Manami shivered in the cold as they ran down the road to the right. Tsuchiara, seeing the object of his affection get soaked in rain, removed his coat on their way down the road. He caught up with her at the bus stop, sheltering her with his school coat. Manami set her limpid cyan pools on his golden eyes in shock. She didn't expect such a move... but it was a move that she seemed to like.

"I-It's not much," Tsuchiara spoke, not sure if the stuttering was caused by nervousness or the cold, "but it helps keep warmth in longer." His gesture shocked them both and filled the next five minutes in awkwardness. Manami took her phone out of her pocket, thanking Kami-sama that it was still functional despite her getting drenched, and called to be picked up. She sat on a bench with Tsuchiara sitting beside her.

Conversations would be useless in the middle of a rain such as this one. The pitter-patter of the rain on the metal roof was too loud. Their voices would be inaudible.

Manami looked at Tsuchiara who was now resting his eyes and appreciating the rain. His body stiffened in the cold but he kept it to himself. Although he was shivering in the cold, Manami knew he wasn't really a man of words. Manami pulled the coat around her hug her body tighter. She was cold herself and she was thankful for Tsuchiara's little sacrifice.

She waited patiently under the tin roof. No words were uttered but the company was well felt.

The door slid open and the students from Class 2-5 stared in surprise as they were disturbed from their lunch. A girl in a cream uniform holding a light pink paper bag bowed gracefully as she silently expressed her apologies. Scanning the room with her cyan eyes, she hoped to find the green-haired middle-fielder among the students.

"Mori-san..?" A tall figure shadowed her from behind, causing her to turn around. The words suddenly disappeared from her head. Silence once again prevailed for a good five seconds.

Realizing how close they were, Tsuchiara stepped back and tried to fight the heat from coming up his cheeks. Manami wasn't so good in fighting it herself. Her cheeks lit up as she lifted the paper bag to his face. The lack of words was just awkward. She bowed down only to hit Tsuchiara's chest. They were still too close to even allow a bow.

Tsuchiara took another step back as he grabbed the paper bag. Manami Mori was in front of him, cheeks redder than ever. Seeing her like that was surely something new to him. It made him feel uneasy.

She decided to break the silence. "T-Thanks for the uniform." She said, trying very hard to avoid eye contact. She wouldn't know how she'd handle looking into his golden eyes after what she discovered last night.

"No problem," he muttered as he mustered up the courage to tell her what he was out of the classroom for during lunch. "We have a game this Saturday." Manami couldn't help but look at him with anticipation with his beginning words, making the invitation harder to make. He took the ticket out of his pocket to encourage himself a little bit from backing down. "I just got my complimentary tickets and... I don't know. Maybe, if you're not busy-"

"I'd like to watch!" Mori didn't mean to say it that way but it was done. She cut Tsuchiara off with a loud response, causing her to cover her mouth. What she did was very unladylike but Tsuchiara didn't care. He was put out of his misery a little sooner. He extended the ticket for her to take and she gladly accepted.

The school bell rang. A sound to end all moments.

Waking up, Manami Mori gave a quick wave at Tsuchiara as she ran down the hallway to get to her next class in time. Tsuchiara watched her disappear to the stairwell before looking at the paper bag in his hands. Checking to see if his uniform was still in good condition, he pulled it out with one hand and let it unfold itself as he dangled it lose from the collar.

*plock!*

A hollow sound echoed in his part of the hallway as a box fell on the floor. He bent to pick it up, discovering that a note was on the other side. His cheeks turned red the moment he turned it over.

It was the box of chocolates that he bought yesterday, now empty. His note was taped behind a new one that Mori had written.

Mori-san,

I know this isn't something that you would expect coming from me but I'll go right ahead in telling you anyway.

I'm in love with you and I hope you feel the same way.

Ryoutaro Tsuchiara

He gulped before turning the letter over.

Ryou-san,

His heart skipped a beat upon being addressed that way.

I know this isn't something that you would expect coming from me either, since you went through the effort of writing the letter rather than telling me face to face. That was a swift move, lending me your coat so that I'd discover the chocolates.

'That was an accident', he thought, his cheeks getting redder upon forgetting about the chocolates before handing his coat over yesterday.

But with or without the chocolates, I must say that I would've told you that I felt the same way anyway.

I love you, Ryoutaro Tsuchiara, and I hope to know you better.

Manami Mori

He put the note in his chest pocket right above his heart as he hoped for this Saturday to be a rainy day once more. He knew he had a game on that day, but a few accidents wouldn't hurt if it led to sweeter things like this.