Rain

Good thing that the heat has already subsided. Gyah, I love summer but I can't really bear with that 32 degree Celsius inferno.

Though it's the Fall Season already, I still find it humid, and the sun has been always up with less clouds blocking it. Ugh.

Is this even normal?! Is the climate change now in full effect?!

What could I become if I actually went on a trip to a tropical island? Guess I'm going to melt.

Right now, it is supposed to be the English period but Satsuki-sensei said earlier that he's going to be out for a while because of a meeting so this became a free time instead.

If I didn't forget my smartphone, then I'd be playing something right now. Jeez.

Meanwhile on my right side, this lass is reading some text books. Is she really studying?

Tsk, doubting Suzuki in academics is a dumb move. After all, she is so smart though I'd prefer is she won't use her wits against me.

Ah~ I envy her a little.

"Hmm? Oh, our eyes just met, Tanaka." said Suzuki as she stares at me.

"I....It didn't!"

Actually, it did. I was looking at her b...because I'm just amazed.

"Hahaha, you're blushing." teased Suzuki.

"I...I'm not! C'mon Suzuki, why won't you cut out the teasing hobby against me?"

"Hmm, so you'd prefer if I do this stuff with some other person?" asked Suzuki.

"Yeah, so that m--"

H...Huh?

S...Suzuki.... with other guy....?

I...It would be great if the teasing stops, but I don't want to lose a frie....

Wait? Am I sad?

"I.....It would be easier if you could just stop the mocking acts. Nothing more."

"Hmm~ What a possessive man you are, Tanaka." answered Suzuki.

"I....I'm not!!"

"Hahahaha~, your angry expression is a legit sight to see." mocked Suzuki.

She's ridiculing me again! Grr!!

Time for my come back blow!

"Hahaha, at least I am not an actress who is pretending to study her notes."

How's that? This contradicts from what I said a while ago but I want to investigate if she really is scanning the lectures!

"Hoho, I guess let's make a wager then." offered Suzuki.

"W...Why?"

"You want to check if I am literally reading, right? Then, this is the perfect opportunity." challenged Suzuki.

I...I think I am in a pinch.

"F...Fine! I'll take it!"

I'm not 100% confident about my academic skills but it doesn't mean I don't have the guts and knowledge to have a duel with Suzuki.

"We'll ask each other a question from any courses, one at a time. If you accumulate two straight mistakes, then you lose. Same goes for me. Agree?" explained Suzuki.

Two straight misses, huh? Sounds good to me.

"Would you mind if I ask you first?"

"I have no objections." responded Suzuki.

I'll start off with a difficult question.

"What was the name of the last Tokugawa Shogunate?!"

Fufufu, that was discussed some months ago. I doubt that you'll be able to remember it.

"Tokugawa Keiki." answered Suzuki.

W....WHAT?! She nonchalantly answered it! What a memory.

"C....Correct."

"Hahaha! That was a lesson from last term. You are sneaky, Tanaka. Guess I'll do a small payback." said Suzuki.

"Bring it on."

"What is the primary pronoun for a first person point of view?" asked Suzuki.

"Seriously, that is your question?"

"Yeah, that is my question." replied Suzuki.

I....Is she underestimating me?!

"The answer automatically is "I"!"

"Ding dong, Kusakabe Tanaka is correct. Let's move to the next round." said Suzuki.

I...Is she mocking me?!

"I..It's my turn. S...State the laws of motion, IN ORDER!"

If she does knows the concept, it's fine. But, she needs to say it in sequence for her to be right!

"First, an object will not move unless an external force is applied. Second, the external force is equal to the mass of the object multiplied to its acceleration...." answered Suzuki.

C....Crap, I expect her to be good but not this great!

"....and lastly, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Did I get it correct?" finished Suzuki as she looks proudly at me.

T...Those eyes! I have this feeling it tells me that I am naive!

"Tanaka, to make this quick, can I ask you questions for four straight times? If you happen to answer everything within 10 seconds, then you ultimately win. Though, if you got one wrong answer, then I win." offered Suzuki.

She's going for the kill!

However, I should not ever falter! I can ace this! I will win this day!

"Unleash it!"

"Considering that koi is a type of fish in Japanese, what is its English translation?" asked Suzuki.

Hmp, this girl belittles me in action! I'll show you!

"Love!"

"What is the other variable, besides X and Y, that is commonly used in algebra and calculus?" questioned Suzuki.

"U!"

"Oh, you are actually listening in class, aren't you?" teased Suzuki.

"You're being shocked in the wrong category! Besides, I am listening!"

"Hahaha! Here we go with the third question." answered Suzuki.

"Go!"

"In 1909, a Japanese man started a business mainly focusing in creation of weaving materials such as cotton but then started to expand in 1937 as an automotive company. What is the name of that famous car company?" asked Suzuki.

Hmph, the answer is too obvious.

"SUZUKI!"

"Nicely correct, Tanaka." recognized Suzuki.

"Can you ask a harder question than that? I think you are going too easy on me."

"Okay then. For the last question, if you combined all of your previous answers and set those as variables plus raising an exponent of 1 to it, what will be the actual result?" asked Suzuki as she grins at me.

If I remember, setting any number or variable to 1 will not change anything.

So if I put it in a mathematical solution, it would look like....

(I LOVE U SUZUKI)^1

I....Love....U....Suzuki...?!

W...WAIT! HOW CAN I ANSWER THAT LOUDLY?!

"Hm? What's the matter? You should say the ACTUAL answer within 10 seconds." stated Suzuki.

S...She set this up!

"I....It's..."

"Speak louder~" said Suzuki as she changes her tone.

Damn it!

"I..."

"Hmm~?" asked Suzuki.

"....L...LOV...E....."

T....This is.... torture!!!

"U..... SU...."

"Enk! Time's up!" declared Suzuki.

"That was a lowly question to ask, Suzuki!"

"In what part? It is Mathematics, right? Can you tell me where it is low? Hm~?" asked Suzuki.

H...Her expression is irritating!!

"Hahaha! I guess I win. I wonder what I shall make you do~" teased Suzuki while looking at me with a smug on her face.

Will the cycle of losing ever stop?

"Hey Kusakabe, wanna hang out later? Okamoto bought the newest RPG game for PlayStation, he's inviting us to come." offered Koyanagi as he suddenly enters the conversation.

"I think you should go, Tanaka. I'll be fine walking home alone later." said Suzuki.

W....What a blessing! I can play games this afternoon with these guys!

"Sure, I'll go!"

"It is set, then. Let's meet later at the gate after class." said Koyanagi.

Ah~ I'm fine with losing today~. It is another opportunity to relax during school days!

....

It's dismissal time now, but.....

WHY IS IT RAINING SO HARD?! WHY?!

The forecast said the sun will be shining throughout the day!

But as a tough guy, I'm ready for this moments! I had successfully placed my umbrella in my bag last night! What a convenience!

"Alright, homeroom is over. It is raining so you guys better go home right away. See you tomorrow." dismissed Satsuki-sensei as he constantly leaves the classroom.

Gonna sprint to the ground floor! Yahoo!

"Oh Tanaka, glad you caught up to us." said Okamoto.

These guys actually made it first here?! How?

They must be overly excited as well.

"Let's get going, then. I fear that the rain will not subside until tomorrow morning so we should go now for us to finish early." suggested Okamoto.

Feels great to be ready, hm~

Even the sky is gloomy, my mood is extremely joyful.

Based from what Okamoto said before, his house should be a 30 minute walk from here.

"It doesn't look like it will really stop, huh?"

"Worry not, I shall serve you and the rest warm tea later." offered Okamoto.

"Thank you, Okamoto-sama~"

What a friend this guy is!

We are passing by the seaside right now and whoa, the sea is moderately ravaging because of the wind.

I wonder if she brought her umbrella.

N...No! I shouldn't be worried. That is Suzuki and all. She must be with Riko-san.

She's a genius so she is as ready as me.

B...But what if she didn't?

Whatever, I'll stay within this group. This happens seldomly so I should enjoy this!

.....

"Yahoo! I can't believe I'm playing this game right now!"

"You're exaggerating, Tanaka. Anyway, I'm glad you guys are liking it so far." said Okamoto.

"I think I want to stay here forever. This sofa is so comfy~" praised Koyanagi.

I could say the same too. I want to stay here for a while.

Okamoto's house is quite spacious. Well, they are incredibly rich but they are a family of minimalists.

This house is a two-story type and has a touch of common house designs but their appliances and stuff are latest! Even the living room is air conditioned.

*sound of phone vibrating*

"Hmmm..." expressed Okamoto as he reads something on his phone.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, Saionji-san just replied to my mail." answered Okamoto.

"Hoho~ Are you guys dating?" teased Koyanagi.

"W....We're not..! More like, it is one-sided." responded Okamoto.

"One-sided...? Meaning you have a crush on her?!"

"Y....Yup." replied Okamoto.

Oh, I never expected this development!

"Hoho~ What did she tell you just now, then?" asked Koyanagi.

"Hey Koyanagi, I think it's rude to ask h-"

"I'm relieved that she is on the way home with an umbrella, though I'm a bit worried since she's alone." said Okamoto.

Alone?

"Why haven't you asked to walk her home if you are worried? Meh, poor guts." dismayed Koyanagi.

"I...It's embarrassing, y'know! It is not that easy!" answered Okamoto as his face is so red.

Eek, I can see myself a bit in his blushing expression.

More importantly, I thought Suzuki will go with Riko.

I...I bet she really brought her umbrella. There's nothing to think about.

Okamoto browses his phone and sees a live video of the weather forecaster in the social media application.

"The sudden extreme down burst that we are experiencing right now is due to the packed cumulonimbus clouds or thunderstorm clouds in the sky. Please be advised that this situation will not cease until midnight. Stay indoors and check out for strong winds or hailstorm. With that, getting back to the main progr....." said forecaster as Okamoto streams the live video.

Tsk! What is this feeling?! Why am I getting anxious?

S...She must be home now. I...I believe in that.

I...I should just stay here and play....

*sound of heavy rainfall from outside intensifying*

...

*sound of sliding door quickly and forcibly opened*

"Oh, Tanaka. It's you." startled Suzuki as she looks at me from her desk.

I....I ran all the way from Okamoto's house to here. Even with my umbrella, half of my clothes I'm wearing is already wet. Good thing it is still not night time.

"Y...You're still here?!"

"Yeah, I forgot my umbrella so I decided to do my homework while waiting for the rain to stop. And you? You were in Okamoto-kun's house, right?" asked Suzuki.

"Y...Yep, I just came back because I....forgot my notebook... Hehehe... Hehehe..."

"Really~?" teased Suzuki.

"M...More importantly, uhmm... the forecast said that the rain will not stop until midnight so.....mind using my umbrella?"

T....This is so embarrassing to ask!!!

"Sure." responded Suzuki as she smiles legitimately.

There's this line written in English books that eyes are one of the main ways of expressing feelings.

Right now, Suzuki's eyes are like shining. It's like she is so blissful. More like the gloomy atmosphere outside is countered by a warm, comfortable mood.

As she fixed her things, we proceed to the hallway as we get out of the school.

"Say Tanaka, you ran from Okamoto-kun's up to here because you were worried about me, right?" asked Suzuki as she looks at me curiously.

"I....did.... b....because I left my notebook, p...primarily."

"Hahaha, getting red as usual, huh?" teased Suzuki.

Teasing me even though I came for you???

"Thank you for saving me, Tanaka." praised Suzuki as she smiles at me nicely and her eyes portraying a feeling of relief.

My heartbeat is getting worked up as of the moment!

"N....No worries...."

"If I ever left my umbrella again, will you share it to me just like now?" asked Suzuki.

"I....I wouldn't mind."

"Then, I guess I'd deliberately forget it all the time~." said Suzuki in a teasing tone.

"Just bring it with you next time, okay?!"

"HAHAHAHAHA, I'll think about it~. laughed Suzuki.

Suzuki and I leave the school and sequencially walk together on the way home sharing my umbrella, under this downpour.

------------END OF CHAPTER 11--------