Cloudy days had become a new regular in Numazu as the rainy season was about the begin. Unfortunately, practices had to be cut short a majority of the time for the Aqours members since other clubs had reserved the gym and there wasn't enough space in their club room. They usually called it quits for the day when the first cloud was spotted as You's ability to tell the weather was always spot on, no one ever questioned her. Riko constantly told Chika to fill out the permission slip to get permission to stay in the gym but the little mikan just kept forgetting.
Which led them to now, all nine members were practicing on top of the roof. It was only about thirty minutes into practice but each girl danced with everything they had.
You stopped in her tracks mid song only to quickly look at the sky. All the girl's had taken note of You's strange behavior, following their sight to the pure blue sky above them.
"The calm before the storm."
You had said aloud before quickly running to grab her things. She swiftly skidded across the concrete to her bag that was at the corner of the roof, wildly packing her things together. All the girls looked at each other as no one had said to head home yet. Kanan was the first to speak up,
"You-chan, where are you going? We're still practicing?"
You tried to quickly pick up her things with her shaky hands. She shouted back over her shoulder for Kanan to hear,
"There's a thunderstorm coming. I- We have to leave now if we want to make it home in time."
All the girls looked up at the sky once more except confused this time. It seemed today was the one time they had a clear sky in days, they didn't want this time to go to waste. Dia intervened,
"The sky is clear though. We should be fine for at least another hour. We haven't had a full practice in days, I think we can risk waiting until we see the clouds."
You, having already gathered her belongings, threw her bag over her shoulders. Tipping her hat down to avoid eye contact, the young sailor began speed walking towards the stairs,
"I'm sorry Dia, but I can't risk that. I have to go, now."
The members all looked at one another, mentally asking what was happening. They weren't sure what to do. Chika, however, felt that as their leader she should make the decision of what should happen next. She stepped up, quickly grabbing You's wrist to keep her from walking further away,
"You-chan, it's just a storm. We can wai-"
You pulled her hand from Chika's grasp in an instant before quickly cutting her off,
"Don't tell me it's 'just a storm'. You wouldn't understand anyways."
None of the girls had ever seen You ever react so hostile towards Chika. You only glanced towards her members for a moment before turning back to her path. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. As You made her way towards the stairs, the eight remaining members watched in silence as she quickly jogged out of sight.
—-
"So, Chika-chan, what was that all about?"
Riko and Chika were alone now in the club room. You was right about the storm as they could see large dark clouds coming in. They had planned to continue practice but without You to help Kanan, it was much harder to pick out who was messing up dance moves thus throwing everyone off. Kanan, being as exhausted as she was from trying to watch everyone and her own steps, ultimately called off practice entirely.
"She's always like that during this time of year. I don't know why. She loves the water but she just hates when it rains."
Riko hummed in acknowledgement. She had only been apart of the Aqours for nearly a year and while she had gotten closer with each member, she felt she was always learning something new about You. She hid her flaws very well and Riko desperately wanted to solve each one. That sailor wasn't as perfect as everyone thought she was and it intrigued her to no end.
"Have you tried talking to her about it?"
Riko questioned Chika but the other girl couldn't help but become slightly became embarrassed. She scratched the back of her head before answering.
"I may have let it slide for a while now."
Riko couldn't tell if she should be disappointed or not surprised at all by that answer.
"I thought you guys were best friends?"
Chika pouted before turning away,
"Just because we're best friends doesn't mean our lives revolve around each other. Plus, it's only really rainy once a year, so usually we just survive the month and then she's back to normal."
Riko sighed as she knew Chika was right but why avoid a problem for weeks when she could, oh I don't know, attempt to fix it?
Riko stood up, gathering her belongings, while asking,
"Has Yoshiko-chan left yet? I need to know what bus she takes."
—-
"Take a left at the convenience store and about 2 blocks down on a corner you'll find You's house."
"Thank you so much Yoshiko-chan!"
Riko had decided to solve the problem at hand herself. Something about You seemed far too off from normal and she couldn't just let it go over her head unlike everyone else. Riko was slightly disappointed in her members. They had all known You for so much longer, was everyone afraid of confrontation in this town?
"Anything for my little demon, Lily."
"Please stop calling me that."
Riko had begun to walk away from Yoshiko as the sky had become much darker. The fallen angel quickly called out to her though before she could leave her sight,
"Hey, Lily, can you make sure You is alright?"
Riko, who immediately was annoying with the nickname, suddenly was taken off guard,
"Oh, yeah I'll try."
Yoshiko looked at the ground, lightly kicking her feet, before continuing,
"She hasn't really been the same on the bus recently. She doesn't even say 'Ohayousoro' anymore. She just hides in the back. I'm kind of worried."
Riko smiled as Yoshiko did care a lot but given she was an underclassmen she could see why she couldn't confront You about her problems.
"I'll try my best."
"Thank you."
—
Riko couldn't lie and say she wasn't slightly afraid of getting lost in an entirely new neighborhood, especially with the thunderclouds rolling. She could tell the downpour was going to start any moment now but luckily You's house was a dead giveaway. Their exterior blended in as it was a plain grey however no other house had a huge anchor acting as a reed on their door.
Just in time too as Riko began to feel the tiny droplets touch her skin. Running towards the door, Riko quickly knocked to see if anyone was home.
Answering the door was a tall woman with short grey wavy hair. Riko could definitely tell where You got her looks from. The woman smiled down at the girl before her,
"Friend of You-chan?"
Taken off guard, Riko nodded her head in silence but before she could question it You's mother led her in,
"Do come inside. You-chan didn't tell me we were having guests so sorry if it's a bit messy."
Riko looked around You's house and despite her mother saying it was messy it actually was incredibly clean. Not a single thing was out of place except maybe the single plate on the table. Were they just a perfect family?
"You-chan is upstairs if you want to see her, Riko-chan. She's been feeling under the weather lately so I'm sure a good friend coming over is what she needs right now."
You's mother pointed towards the stairs to show where You's room was. Riko bowed before thanking the older woman. Before she could go towards the stairs though, Riko had to ask,
"How do you know my name, ma'am?"
You's mother smiled. She dismissed it as if it were nothing as she waved her hand around before answering,
"It's only natural for a mother to listen to her daughter."
Riko nodded along yet she couldn't help but think that her mom wouldn't know any of her friends' names, except maybe Chika's last name since they did live right next to her Inn. You's mother continued on though as if it were nothing new,
"You-chan talks very highly about her friends. A little bit more recently about a certain red-haired girl named Riko-chan but don't tell her I said that."
You's mother put her finger in front of her lips as if to signify a secret. Riko felt her face begin to blush before bowing her head down towards the ground.
"Oh, well, You-chan is a great friend of mine as well. I'll be going to see her now."
Riko awkwardly got out her sentence while pointing towards the stairs. She wasn't sure if she could handle talking to a seemingly older You who was so nonchalant about everything.
Riko scurried across the room as she went towards her destination. Thinking back to what she said, Riko technically couldn't say she wasn't great friends with You-chan. I mean they were school idols together and all. However Riko couldn't help but also want a bit more from her sailor friend. It was just hard to say that so Riko was pretty content on living a non fulfilling life of missed opportunities. However, life seemed to want to give her a free pass with this new situation at hand.
Riko's hands slid across the walls as she took each step up to the room. As she finally made her way to You's door she noticed it had a small Uchicchi sign on it. Written on it in chalk was You's signature she used for school idol signings.
Riko was nervous as she hadn't told You she was coming and after having that moment at practice she doubts she actually wants to see her now. But she was already so far she had to keep it going.
Knocking on the door Riko awaited her answer. After a moment she heard a grumble and a few tosses and turns before footsteps approaching her.
Swinging the door open, You automatically had her head upwards looking towards her mom's height, that was until she realized that space wasn't occupied. Trailing her eyes down You saw a nervous Riko in front of her with a half smile.
"Hey, You-chan."
Riko took a look at You's appearance and her mom was definitely right when she said she looked under the weather. You looked so small before Riko as she wore a large grey jacket matched with baggy sweatpants. Even You's glasses were slightly tilted on her nose. She wasn't as energetic as she usually was but instead You sat in silence, waiting for Riko to speak up. With how Riko was observing her messy state though it seemed she'd have to get their conversation rolling.
"Riko-chan. What are you doing here? It's raining."
Hearing You's voice it sounded as if the girl had been on the verge of sleep with how rough it was around the edges. Riko decided to get right to the point to get everything out on the table,
"Well after what happened at practice I-I mean-we became worried about you so I decided I'd come and see what's up."
Riko stumbled on her lie. While she'd like to take full credit for everything she didn't want it to seem like she was intruding on her life. You didn't seem to believe that story anyways as she could see straight through Riko. You was going to question her on it more however, with a quick look outside she noticed the rain was beginning to get heavier. Panic started to set it. Putting on a fake smile, You tried her best to sound fine,
"O-oh? That's really nice of you Riko-chan! I was just a bit tired, you know, staying up late making costumes and stuff makes me cranky. Thanks for coming by though but I think you should be going now."
As You went to start pushing Riko out of her doorway a boom of thunder made its way through You's house, rumbling the foundation all around them. Before she could even touch Riko's uniform, You immediately retracted her hand to herself.
Riko couldn't help but notice how pale You suddenly got. Taking a step forward Riko asked,
"You-chan, is something wrong?"
Quickly trying to rid her fear crawling up her spine, You let out in a shaky voice,
"I'm fine. Can you leave now."
The end of You's voice trailed off and she looked at the ground. Riko couldn't let that go. Stepping forward, Riko made her way into You's room. Riko taking charge was something new as You took a step back surprised at her lack of personal space.
"W-What are you doing? I told you to leave."
"Not until you tell me what's wrong. You haven't been acting normal recently."
Rather than defusing the situation and giving in, You could feel her anger building as Riko denied her requests. They haven't even been friends for a year, how well did she think she knew her?
"What if this is how I normally am huh?"
You raised her voice towards Riko but the red-haired girl could tell she was putting on a front. You reminded her all too well of a cornered animal, biting a clawing but deep down truly scared.
"Don't lie to me You-chan. You may not have noticed it but I do pay attention. Something happened recently and you haven't been the same since then."
You took a breath but before she could get out her words another strike of lighting hit near her house, cutting the lights off. The strike of lightning wasn't far away as the thunder came immediately afterwards, knocking the girl off of her feet.
On the ground, You put her arms over her head as if to protect herself. Riko watched as she felt her own heart clench in her chest from the pain You looked to be in. Slowly getting down to one knee, Riko placed her hand on You.
Jumping up, You peeked at Riko through her shielded arms as tears clouded her vision.
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? It's okay to be afraid of things."
You couldn't help but feel like a child as she let such a small fear drive her into a mess each time. The storms had only been getting worse as of recently with the rainy season hitting early this year.
Riko stood up, placing a hand out for You. As the future sailor looked up from the ground, she questionably looked at the girl before her. Had Riko always been this kind to her?
"Come on, I'll help you get through the rainy day."
You took Riko's outcast hand. Pulling herself up on her shaky legs, You was guided over towards her bed. Riko was the first to lay down on the bed, patting the space by her.
"Um, should I be worried about what you're doing, Riko-chan?"
You couldn't help but ask as this scene didn't seem the most appropriate. Riko looked at their situation as she was already laying in You's bed practically asking her to crawl over her to get to the other side of the bed. Realizing what You was getting at, Riko laughed out loud while playfully tapping You's arm.
Wow she was built, even through the jacket.
"No, there's nothing to worry about. It's just, usually I get through storms by sleeping. They're usually really scary but when you take a nap then time goes by faster."
You didn't see any harm in trying. She had attempted it before she was interrupted but truthfully she was always awoken by the claps of thunder that it was practically no use to her. However, with someone by You's side, maybe it wouldn't be as bad.
Crawling over Riko, You laid by her as she stared at the ceiling. The rain tapped its steady pace on her roof as You set her glasses by her bedside.
It felt a bit awkward to be so close to Riko when she had just seen such an embarrassing side to her yet You just felt comfortable around her at the same time. Riko was an old soul that anyone could be around.
"I'll stay until you fall asleep if you want."
You could feel the words she wanted to say on the tip of her tongue but she held them in. It would be too embarrassing to ask her to stay. Instead she opted to scoot closer to Riko. Grabbing ahold of Riko's hand that laid by her side, You whispered aloud,
"Can I tell you something?"
Riko stared at the ceiling as You did. Her ears burned as she hadn't ever been in such a situation like this.
"Of course."
"I don't like thunderstorms."
Riko could've figured that much out. Rather than making a joke about it though, the air around them was far too intimate to be broken.
"Why not?"
You swallowed down the knot in her throat as she felt her tears forming. She didn't like to think about her fears but something in You wanted to finally be able to tell someone. Maybe then people would start to understand her.
"My dad is out at sea right now. He won't be back for a couple months. I'm afraid one day one of these storms will take him away from me forever. I'll never get to see him again."
You let her tears fall down her face. Her hands trembled in Riko's as she continued through though,
"I don't know what I would do without him. I want to be just like him but I can't even get through a simple storm. How childish, am I right?"
You couldn't help but laugh at the irony of her situation. She wiped her tears as she thought about it all. How could she take over her father's ship one day if she'd hide in the bunkers when a storm was spotted. A captain would always be needed on the front grounds, to be strong for others.
Riko noticed You's behavior. As if she could feel You was mentally beating herself up over it she tightened her grip on their intertwined hands,
"I think it's okay to have fears, You-chan. Everyone has them. Lots of people are afraid of storms, I'm sure it's every captain's worst nightmare."
You turned to look at Riko as she spoke,
"You think so?"
Riko looked back at You with a smile as she caught sight of You's rosy cheeks and matching button nose,
"I do. But they power through it because they all have someone waiting for them back home that they all want to return safely to. I'm sure your dad holds out each day wanting to come back home to you and your mom."
You turned to look back at the ceiling as she thought about Riko's words. She always thought about her waiting for her father but she hadn't taken into considering her father having just as much of a drive to come back home.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks for listening, Riko-chan. Sorry I snapped at you earlier, I'm just not used to talking about this kind of stuff."
You shifted in her bed uncomfortably. She didn't want to be seen as the bad guy but she had built her walls up for so long, it wasn't easy to just say how she felt. Riko understood though.
"It's okay. Sorry for pushing it. I was just worried and so was everyone else. I guess I was the only one with nothing to lose since you've been friends with everyone way longer."
You furrowed her eyebrows in confusion,
"What do you mean? You're just as important to me as everyone else is. Sure you haven't been around as long as everyone else but time doesn't decide a friendship."
Riko hadn't thought of that. She figured everyone was so put together that it would be hard to break into a group. Obviously You and the rest of the Aqours we're slowly breaking down her theories on small towns. You sighed though as she thought back to their previous conversation.
"When I get older, I wonder if I would ever have someone to go home to. Like a reason to keep pushing."
Riko smiled at You's thought process. Before she could think twice about it, Riko waved her hand before playfully letting out,
"Ah, well, even if you don't have someone, you could always come back home to me."
"What?"
Riko froze as she realized what she said. It did not come out as nonchalant as she had hoped.
"I mean, if I was your partner or something. Not that I would be, well I could be, but like not now since we're friends. You can come back home to friends, right?"
Riko stumbled over her words as her embarrassment started to become too much. You took in a breath of air,
"Okay."
"Okay what?"
As You turned her head, she smiled as she brought Riko's hand close to her chest,
"No matter what, I'll always come home to you. Friend or whatever. Just promise you'll be waiting for me?"
Riko shifted her body to fully face You. Placing her other hand on top of their already intertwined hands, Riko let out her promise.
"I'll always wait for you, You-chan."
With the storm steadily pouring down outside, for once, You wasn't afraid. Not when the girl before her made her heart race faster than the winds howling outside.
