1 Meeting in the Rain

"Student, why are you still at school? It's been a long time since school ended. You should go back as soon as possible."

Nanaba Nagi, who was staring at the chalkboard but his mind was elsewhere, snapped back to reality.

"Sorry, I'll leave now." After responding gently to the security guard patrolling, he left the school.

Heavy raindrops continued to fall to the ground, creating a continuous and loud sound. Nagi raised his umbrella and walked into the pouring rain.

"Sorry, let's break up. Our relationship is a mess..."

Seeing the band leader's last words before dissolving the group chat on his phone, Nagi continued.

This was his fifth band breakup.

The reason always revolved around polyamory among band members.

He would never play rock n' roll again.

Nagi thought to himself.

He remembered the days when he practiced with his band members, spirited performances, and happy times spent together. But now, it's all over.

Nagi's rented apartment was surrounded by good facilities and was only one kilometer away from Toyogasaki Private Academy where he studied.

The park downstairs was filled with green trees, birds chirping, fragrant flowers, and a serene environment. Whenever he felt stressed, he would choose to take a walk in the park beneath the apartment to soothe his mood.

Currently, the rain was pouring heavily, as if it would engulf the entire world. Instead of going home, he chose to walk to the park, strolling in the rain and admiring the scenery swept by the rain.

The trees in the park were wet with rain and looked even greener. There were ripples in the lake in the distance, echoing the dark clouds in the sky.

There were few people in the park, only a few pedestrians passing by in a hurry, as if they all wanted to escape from the heavy rain.

After walking more than half a circle, Nagi caught a glimpse of a slender figure in the rain. It was a girl sitting alone on a swing.

The girl gazed into the distance unknowingly, as if the whole world had nothing to do with her. She didn't hold an umbrella and let the rain soak her hair and clothes.

It was Shiina Mahiru from the next class.

In the dimly lit park, her straight yellowish hair stood out, as if a soft beam of light illuminated the darkness around her. Her translucent milky-white face looked even smoother after being soaked by the rain.

Her facial features were regular, with a straight nose bridge, and her big eyes shone faintly beneath long eyelashes. Her glossy cherry lips were tightly closed, as if hiding the sadness in her heart.

Some corners of his heart seemed to resonate with her. With this thought in mind, Nagi involuntarily approached her.

"Shiina-san, what are you doing here? You'll catch a cold if you do this." Nagi asked gently, with concern in his tone.

As he said this, Nagi already began to regret why he should care?

He reasoned with himself, perhaps he just wanted to sit for a while.

Mahiru slowly turned her head and looked at Nagi with her caramel-colored eyes. There was a hint of worry in her eyes, but she quickly masked it.

At school, Nagi was a well-known figure, not only because of his handsome appearance and excellent academic abilities but also because of his gentle and kind personality.

It's no wonder Mahiru thought so; moreover, only a few people could see through Nagi's gentle facade.

Those who saw it also fled from Nagi out of fear.

"Thank you for your concern, Nanaba-kun. I just wanted to stay here for a while, so please don't worry about me."

"Really? I also want to sit on the swing for a while, let's sit together..."

Nagi sat next to her and tilted the umbrella towards Mahiru.

Mahiru glanced at him. The swing swayed gently in the rain, producing a creaking sound. Both of them sat on the swing and fell silent for a long time.

"Actually..." Mahiru hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's time for you to go home, the rain is pouring heavily."

Nagi looked at the sky expressionlessly. "Don't get me wrong, I'm just like you, I just want to find a place where I can forget my worries for a while."

He wasn't lying; he was just thinking about what he should find next to fill his empty heart.

He had tried various things in the past, but never found something that truly satisfied and brought him peace.

"For me, despite being full of white noise, it's very quiet and allows me to forget some of my worries."

Mahiru looked at Nagi, with complex emotions stirring in her heart. She could understand his thoughts.

She couldn't let Nagi stay in the rain here; she tried hard to adjust her dull mood.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

She didn't want others to see her vulnerability, and she didn't want to be a burden to others.

After some adjustment, she stood up and grabbed Nagi's sleeve. "Nanaba-kun, can you walk me home?"

Nagi looked into her determined eyes and nodded. They both walked in the rain. The umbrella sheltered them both from the rain, with most of the umbrella covering Mahiru's side.

They were silent for a while, then started chatting.

"Nanaba-kun, where do you live?"

"It's in that apartment building." Nagi said, pointing to a building not far from there.

"Oh? Really? I also live there, why haven't we met before?"

"Maybe because I usually leave early in the morning and come back late."

"We're here, want to have some tea at my place?" Mahiru asked politely.

"No, go to bed early, Shiina-san."

＊＊＊

The next day, Nagi entered the classroom as usual, without giving his classmates a chance to greet him.

He quickly walked to his seat and took a breath after sitting down. A soft whisper came from beside him.

"Good morning, Nanaba-san, you don't look good. Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

It was Gabriel White Tenma, a classmate. She enrolled as a transfer student when school started a few days ago.

Gabriel had straight golden hair, and an angelic smile always graced her gentle face. When Nagi first saw that smile, he felt healed.

After a few days, Gabriel became acquainted with the whole class, including Nagi.

"Good morning, Tenma-san. Don't worry, I just didn't get enough sleep last night."

After hearing this, Gabriel looked at Nagi with her sweet eyes again, and only spoke when the smile on her face couldn't hold on any longer.

"Okay, Nanaba-san, please don't push yourself too hard. If anything happens, you can always ask for my help."

Nagi was stunned for a moment, was he pushing himself too hard? Then he nodded his thanks.

During lunch break, Nagi planned to go to the cafeteria to eat.

"Nanaba-kun... There's someone waiting for you at the door."

After thanking the bob-haired female classmate, Nagi exited the classroom, only to encounter Miharu standing there, her face looking radiant and energetic, completely unaffected by what had happened the previous night.

"Nanaba-kun, thank you for the umbrella last night... Um, are you running a fever...?" Mahiru asked with a hint of concern.

Nagi raised his eyebrows. "No, you don't need to feel guilty. I was just trying to get out of the rain last night and relax, and you gave me the opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Mahiru sighed softly, then said, "In that case, Nanaba-kun, follow me to the infirmary. I have an extra lunch box, please take it."

Although her voice was soft, it contained an undeniable strength. Reversing the situation from the previous night, the lunch box reluctantly fell into Nagi's hands.

Mahiru tugged at his blouse and led him towards the infirmary.

There were no teachers in the infirmary, so they might have gone to eat.

Mahiru's homemade lunch was delicious, with a balanced combination of meat and vegetables.

"It's really good. Your mom's cooking is amazing."

Upon hearing Nagi's words, Mahiru showed a brief cold expression, but quickly adjusted herself, though it was evident to her.

"I made this. Here's the medicine."

After taking his medicine, Nagi looked at her and smiled.

"Thank you, I didn't expect you to cook."

"Of course it's not surprising if someone can cook when they live alone. Nanaba-kun, you live alone too, don't you?"

Nagi and Mahiru's single-parent family homes didn't have many rooms, and Nagi's apartment only had two rooms, making it unsuitable for a family.

Of course Nagi could cook, and his former friends praised him for making delicious desserts.

But he didn't want to spend time and energy cooking and washing dishes every day, so he always bought ready-made meals and stored them in the fridge so he could eat quickly anytime.

They began to chat until the school doctor returned to the infirmary.

"Two students, this is not a place for a date."

"Fujiwara-sensei, we're not here for a date... He has a fever." Mahiru pointed at Nagi.

The school doctor observed Nagi and said, "That's Nanaba-kun. He's a regular visitor. He usually comes here to take care of his classmates, but now you're bringing him here to take care of him."

Then she took out a thermometer from the drawer and handed it to Nagi, signaling him to measure his temperature.

Nagi didn't waste time, he unbuttoned three buttons of his shirt and placed the thermometer under his arm.

Mahiru grimaced during the process, but her white cheeks were tinged with a rosy color, her face still turned away, and she felt her ears blush as well.

"Wow, Nanaba-kun, you have a great figure~ No wonder the girls like to hang out with you~"

"Sensei, don't tease me." Nagi felt utterly powerless. Every time they met, Fujiwara-sensei would say similar words in front of him.

She also said that if she were ten years younger, she definitely wouldn't let him go, and other outrageous remarks.

"Fujiwara-sensei, Nanaba-kun, I'll leave now and I'll be back after school."

Nagi waved his hand and smiled at her without speaking. Mahiru didn't look at Nagi's face and left with slightly faster steps.

"Oops, another girl has fallen under your smile. Nanaba-kun, can you stop smiling in front of them?"

"Fujiwara-sensei, how could that be? I'm not Cupid. Besides, smiling is basic etiquette."

"Huhu~..." Fujiwara-sensei made a sound of unknown meaning.

Nagi didn't take Fujiwara-sensei's teasing seriously and just smiled lightly.

This world felt strange and familiar to him at the same time.

To play on the stage, he wore that mask again.

In his previous life, this mask made him feel oppressed, as if he had lost his true self.

However, in this life, he gradually adapted to this disguise. But it was like a double-edged sword, harming others and himself.

Slowly, he realized that his true emotions and thoughts were gradually fading away.

The more genuine and solid self seemed to be fading.

"Fujiwara-sensei, please don't disturb me. I want to sleep."

"No, let me try your weight~"

"Eh!—"