A common lesson among many of his level was that regardless of their sophisticated technology, the weather forecast can sometimes be wrong. Such as a day like this, where the clouds gathered over Kaimei academy and poured their onslaught endlessly for the past three hours. Up to this point, there was still no sign that the rain would end let alone ease to a drizzle.
"Damn it." Bossun sighed. It was getting dark. "Thanks a lot, Switch." Unsurprisingly, Switch was well aware of it all and had not even bothered to tell them about it. His laptop even sounded like it was snickering when he left right after class. Something caught his eye. "Himeko?"
Himeko paused, mid-way through unbinding her umbrella. "Bossun? You didn't bring one?"
"Tch, like I knew. Who the hell opened up Chuu-san's can of storm?"
"Well, I can't blame you."
"I thought you left. Why're you still here?"
"Nakatani-san asked me to help her out with her—"
"Okay, never mind."
She scowled. "Anyway, why aren't you getting wet?"
"I… there were… problems with the washing machine."
"Forgot to do your laundry? Seriously, when can you just do it yourself?" The pink umbrella flapped open.
"Shaddup." Bossun pressed himself closer to the post. "Eh?"
Himeko saw his face change and followed the direction of his eyes. "Is that Tsubaki?"
He squinted his eyes. It was Tsubaki, standing alone by the edge of dry ground underneath the catwalk. "He looks pissed."
"That makes the both of you," she teased.
"What's with that motherly instinct, anyway? Could you just—" Bossun peered across the yard again. Someone was coming.
Himeko followed again. "Who's that?"
"I think it's…"
"Asahina?"
Daisy stood under a red umbrella, her shoes wet inside and out, the puddle getting wider every minute. She looked at him sharply, addressing a message that could not be read.
"I thought you had already left."
She entered the catwalk, the sleeves of her jacket soaked. "Get in." She didn't have much patience left as the cold had seeped it all away.
"What?" Tsubaki was confused.
"T. I. S." She paused, glaring daggers. "Tada inchi shutoku. (Just get in.)"
He didn't know whether to be intimidated or to be complaisant. Daisy raised a brow. Her nerves were reaching their limits. It took him five seconds to read the atmosphere. After that, he felt like he was being tossed into a gutter and left to die.
"Thank you, Asahina," he said as they left the campus together.
She hesitated. "You're welcome."
It was a good thing Tsubaki was too rigid. Otherwise, he would have noticed that her cheeks had gone pink, a feat unmatched by anyone else in the school.
"Tsubaki and Daisy, eh?" Bossun smirked. "Those two seemed to be getting along."
Although he found the sight amusing, Himeko felt as though she failed at class. Looking at the open umbrella, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed even as she tried to convince herself that she didn't know why. "B-Bossun?"
"Eh?"
She breathed deep, looking at the puddles by the edge. "Want to go with me?"
Just like his twin, Bossun was thoroughly confused. Being like he was, he simply grinned and raised his hand. "Okay, thanks!"
Himeko beamed, unable to hide the redness of her cheeks. "Let's go then." With a forceful tug, she pulled him in and they stepped out into the rain.
"Hey! What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing," she meekly replied.
NOTE: Back when I was in high school, I went to class in the middle of a storm only to find out that it was cancelled. Thanks for making me go, Mom.
