Rainy Day

"I may not be able to cook dinner for us today."

Haruto held his phone at his desk as he read the message Mahiru sent him during his first period of class. He replied back to say it was fine and put his phone back into his pocket.

"Haruto, Kenma said that they passed their first day of preliminaries!"

Haruto who was unpacking his textbooks for his second period heard the voice of Hinata screaming as he showed him the text message he received.

"Yeah I heard from Kuroo that they sweep through their first day. He mentioned making one of the teams frustrated as they couldn't get even a single hit in."

"I feel bad for the other team…"

Hinata expressed his apologies for the other team as he knows how tricky Nekoma's defense is. When Haruto received that text from Kuroo he could just imagine the annoying grin he would like to give if he was the one at the net.

"How are you guys preparing for the finals? It's coming up in a week and a half, you know."

Haruto asked them as he felt worried that they might not be able to attend the Tokyo practice games due to having to take supplementary classes.

"Don't worry I'm making good progress! I had Yachi teach me more phrases in english and also some stuff in math."

"I think I'm doing well too. But can you show me how to solve this problem real quick?"

Hinata gave a reassuring smile while Kageyama passed Haruto his notebook as he had been trying to solve this one question for a while.

"Okay everyone get back to your seats, class is about to start!" The teacher came in and everyone returned to their seats. Haruto quickly passed Kageyama's notebook back to him and listened to the teacher start his class.

'The rain is pouring really hard today.'

Haruto thought in his head as he looked out the window.

***

"Mahiru didn't come to school today?"

"Yup, her seat was empty the whole day so I thought she might have been sick."

Haruto heard Yachi's answer as they were the ones setting up some cones on the court to use for their practice.

He saw that Mahiru still hadn't arrived at the gym so when he asked Yachi who was in her class, she just said that Mahiru didn't come to school.

After placing the cones he went to his bag and sent a quick message to Mahiru asking if she was alright since she was absent for the day.

After sending the message he went back to the court and started to do his warm ups but his mind always seemed to wander back to thinking about Mahiru's wellbeing.

A few hours passed and practice ended.

Haruto wiped his face and got changed. He got out of the gym and opened his umbrella since it was still pouring since this morning. As he was walking past the entrance of the school he opened his phone and saw no response from Mahiru.

He wondered if she truly was sick and tried to remember if he still had any medications or other things that may help a potential sick person.

Haruto reached his apartment and as he was at the bottom of the steps, he saw a fairly tall woman with a nasty scowl on her face. She was a beauty but her current expression made her very intimidating with the sharp look her eyes gave out.

"That vile girl! Even her responses back to me remind me of her goddamn father. It makes me sick to my stomach."

Haruto heard the mutterings she uttered under her breath and as he passed by her, she gave him one quick glance before going down.

She entered a car that was near the apartment's entrance and drove off, making the impression she wanted to get out as soon as possible.

Haruto who stopped for a bit continued up the steps and made his way onto the floor of his apartment. As he walked towards his door he saw a figure that was curled up and had that familiar blonde hair that he saw everyday.

"Mahiru are you alright?"

"...Haruto?"

Haruto who saw Mahiru quickly went up to her and kneeled down in front of her. He asked a question but as soon as he saw her face, he furrowed his eyebrows deeply.

'She looks devastated..'

The feeble look in her eyes and the sad monotonous sound in her voice made Haruto's chest feel stuffy as this was the first time he had ever seen her this despondent.

"Come let's go inside and have something warm to drink. It's cold out here."

Haruto gently took her hand and slowly helped her stand up. They entered his apartment and he guided her to the couch where she just hung her head in silence.

Haruto made his way to the kitchen and boiled some water to make some warm tea for them to drink. He poured the tea into two cups and gave one to Mahiru who was still quiet.

Haruto sat down beside her and they were silent before Mahiru opened her mouth while warming up her hands through the cup Haruto had given her.

"Haruto, can I tell you a small story?"

"I am here with my ears open."

Mahiru relaxed a bit hearing Haruto's response and started to tell him a small story.

"There was once a couple who married not out of love but because of a deal they had between both of their families. They agreed to this arranged marriage but they decided that they never wanted a child to be made between them. But due to a single carelessness one night, a child was born."

Haruto carefully listened to Mahiru's words and a gear clicked in his head.

"Could this child be…"

"Yes.. That child is me.."

Haruto heard the small quiver in her voice and moved closer, placing his palm into hers while he took the cup out of her hands.

Mahiru felt the slight squeeze Haruto gave her and continued to tell him about her past.

"They had the obligation of financially supporting me but that was all they did. I hardly see them as they rarely ever come over and if they ever did come, they never seemed to look my way."

"Luckily I was taken care of by the housekeeper and she had taught me all the basics for cooking and also cleaning. I was happy that I had someone at least by my side so I didn't feel completely lonely."

When Mahiru mentioned the housekeeper her tone got warmer as if she was remembering the most precious memories of her childhood.

"When my skills improved I began to think, 'If I were to improve in this and other aspects of myself will they look my way?' So I tried my best getting the top grades, being the best in sports and improving my overall appearance to maybe catch their attention. But no matter how hard I tried it never did happen."

"As I grew older, it was still the same until one day I got a message from my mother. I had the slightest hope that it would be something good but she dropped something that deeply shocked me."

Mahiru stopped and took a small breath trying to compose herself before finally continuing.

"She said that once I had finished university and become independent, I would never see her again. She never really considered myself as her child since she never wanted me in the first place. I thought I could change their view on me but I guess it was just wishful thinking."

"Even today I had the chance to meet her but the contempt and scorn she had in her gaze reminded me just how unwanted I really am."

Saying the last bit of her sentence was hard for her as she tried to fight the urge to shed bitter tears.

"It makes me pretty pathetic doesn't it?"

*Drip Drip Drip

Haruto felt resentment after hearing about her parents and he clenched his fist to help control his emotions. He heard drops being poured and saw tiny tears fall from Mahiru's lowered face as it fell down onto the couch.

Haruto saw this scene and never in his life had he made a promise so fast to himself, to have Mahiru never shed these types of sorrowful tears ever again. His resentment quickly turned into immense concern for her current well-being.

He lifted up his hand and gently cupped the side of her face to move her head up from her previous lowered position.

"Your eyes are really doing some waterworks right now."

Haruto smiled with kindness as he used his thumb to slowly wipe the tears that were falling from Mahiru's eyes.

"You know I might need to disagree with you on that last sentence you said."

"But…"

"There are millions of different words that I could use to describe you and pathetic isn't one of them."

Haruto looked into Mahiru's tear stained caramel eyes and smiled as he thought back to the different moments he had with Mahiru.

"I see you as hardworking, you try your best in anything you put your mind to even going to the extent of studying material months back. To also trying your best with helping us as our manager for the volleyball team."

"I see you as a gentle person. I see you always helping others with a smile on your face without the slightest hesitation. How you try to think of ways to help people even if they don't expect it out of you. Even towards your very messy and hopeless neighbor."

"I also see you as a warm person… Do you want to know what I always look forward to seeing everytime I wake up?"

Mahiru heard his question and slowly nodded her head, wanting to hear his next words.

"I always look forward to coming home and seeing you smile as you place down a warm meal for us to eat. Everytime after an exhausting practice, the warmth your food brings to me is something I could never forget for my whole life."

Haruto remembered back during the Inter Highs. The smile Mahiru gives him after he enters his home helps with erasing a big chunk of fatigue that he had accumulated after playing.

"Heck, words such as stubborn come last in my mind compared to these ones even if stubborn is one that fits you the most."

Haruto chuckled as he felt a small pinch on the back side of his hand that still cupped to the side of Mahiru's face.

"It's really their loss for not seeing how hardworking, gentle, warm and stubborn a girl like you is."

"And for being unwanted, many kind people would love to be by your side. You have the people in the volleyball team who were worried by your absence today. Akane who never onced stopped talking about you. And there is also me."

"So please never call yourself pathetic since you are a person that is far from that. I can testify to this by the things I have seen." Haruto stared at her with a gentle expression, making her feel warm on the inside.

"...So you have been watching me?…"

Mahiru said quietly as she tried to hold back her tears after hearing Haruto's words.

"Hmm I guess so. I suppose that if no one is looking your way, just know that I will be there, watching and appreciating all of your efforts."

When Mahiru heard his last sentence, tears began to once again well up, making Haruto flustered since he didn't expect them to suddenly come out.

"Hey, that came out of nowhere… Did my words not fit the occasion for some reason?"

"No, they were words that I will always remember…"

Mahiru whispered the last part of her sentence as she closed her eyes and felt the warm palm that was brushing on her cheek. She tried to move her face closer to the warmth with tears still falling from her lovely eyes.

She placed her hand over his and stared at his face trying to imprint this moment deep inside her memories.

While all Haruto thought in his head was that she seemed to act like a cat who was trying to rub her face into the palm of his hand.

"Haruto, could I ask for one thing?"

"Sure if it's in my abilities."

"Could you give me a hug?"

Haruto heard the soft words Mahiru said and after a while, he opened his arms to hug her slim body. She wrapped her hands around his body and dug her face into his chest. The arms that hugged her body gave her the feeling of protection that she liked.

"Hey that tickles you know." Haruto smiled as he felt her dig deeper into his embrace.

"Haruto… could you please keep looking my way?"

"Didn't I say it before, I will always be there to watch and appreciate your efforts even if no one else is."

"...Could I hug you again if I ever feel lonely.?"

"Sure, I will be glad to lend you my chest again whenever you feel lonely or if you need a bit of comfort to brighten up your day."

Mahiru smiled and her cheeks grew a vibrant rose red color but she hid her face so that Haruto would not be able to see her expression.

She never imagined that the day she wanted to end as quickly as possible would instead develop into one that she wished would end slower than ever.

'He really is someone that I…'

Mahiru thought in her head as she gradually felt her eyelids become heavy.

As her face was near his chest, the rhythmic sound of Haruto's fast heartbeat made her feel relaxed. Mahiru's eyes slowly closed as she continued to listen to this distinctive sound.

Haruto felt Mahiru's body relax and soon heard her steady breaths showing that she had fallen asleep. Haruto leaned back towards the couch and adjusted her position so that she would be comfortable.

"It must have been a very hectic day for her.."

Haruto whispered as he looked at his chest and saw Mahiru sleeping peacefully. A strong peculiar emotion filled his chest as he watched Mahiru sleep and he felt his face warm up.

He raised his hand and softly brushed his fingers through her silky hair and stroked her head. Mahiru subconsciously smiled and dug deeper into his embrace.

Haruto smiled at her actions and took out his phone to read some manga as he let Mahiru get some relaxing sleep that she deserved.

The rain that was pouring hard since the morning had started to slowly stop and the warm sunlight that appeared, shined on the two figures that were seated on the couch.

***

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I tried my best. Peacu.