"Splaaash—"
The rain kept pouring down, like it was crying for someone. The dark gray clouds overhead grew heavier and heavier until everything below looked dim and washed out.
In this downpour, people either rushed past wrapped in raincoats or sprinted away under umbrellas. Even the cars seemed desperate to outrun the sheets of rain, turning the world into a quiet, suffocating blur.
And in that bleak scenery, her appearance was so out of place it felt like she'd stepped into the wrong world entirely.
Everyone else hurried through the storm. Only she walked slowly through the rain.
People had umbrellas. She had nothing. She simply let the rain soak her from head to toe, drenching her long, well-kept, silky ash-blonde hair.
Water clung to her pale skin through her soaked clothes. Her slightly upturned face—usually bright and delicate—looked drained by the cold, so pale it made her seem unbearably fragile.
Anyone from Sobu High who saw this girl would recognize her instantly.
Because she was the first-year who had become famous in less than a semester, the one everyone called "Miss Angel"—Sobu High's Spring Flower, Mahiru.
She was beautiful—small face, refined features, thick lashes framing her large caramel eyes. Her build was petite, slender but soft in all the right places, very different from the flatter figures of Yukino or Eriri.
Of course, being one of Sobu High's untouchable beauties wasn't just because of her looks. Mahiru was brilliant too.
She ranked first among the first-years—a top student from the moment she entered the school—athletic, talented, and yet never boastful. Instead, she was humble, composed, and gentle toward everyone. Combined with her adorable, harmless face, people let their guard down before they even realized it.
Because of that kindness, that approachable aura, she was called an angel. That was how highly people regarded her.
But that same flawless "angel" was now wandering aimlessly through the rain, her beautiful caramel eyes empty and unfocused, staring blankly ahead.
She looked like a lost child.
Like an abandoned orphan.
People definitely noticed her. A few even approached with obvious ulterior motives, eyes gleaming with unpleasant ideas as they stepped closer with fake concern.
Unfortunately for them, Mahiru was far from careless.
"Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine. Please stop approaching strangers on the street."
Her voice held none of her usual warmth. Instead it was cold, distant—her rejection written plain as day.
And when someone attempted to persist, she silently pulled out her phone and opened the emergency call screen. That alone sent them scrambling away.
Perfect execution.
Except—
"If you keep wandering around alone looking that helpless, all sorts of pests are gonna swarm you, you know?"
That teasing voice came so close to her ear that Mahiru snapped back to awareness, startled.
She whirled around—someone was suddenly beside her.
He, too, was walking in the rain without an umbrella. His clothes and hair were soaked, yet the rain couldn't dim the spark in his eyes or the faint smile tugging at his lips.
Even drenched like this, he didn't look miserable like she did. If anything, he looked carefree. A bit wild.
"You're…"
Mahiru finally saw his face—and recognized him.
"Aren't you… Eligos-senpai from third year…?"
Clearly, she had heard of Leo. She even knew what he looked like.
"That's me." Leo didn't look surprised. He smiled lightly and said, "Good afternoon, Shiina-san. You don't seem to be in the best mood."
"It's nothing." Mahiru's initial shock faded, replaced by her usual calm, unfathomably gentle tone—one that allowed no further questions. "Thank you for your concern, but there's no need to worry about me."
Even though he was a school celebrity—the handsome upperclassman admired by practically every girl—Mahiru's attitude didn't soften at all. When she noticed he was intentionally walking next to her, even matching her by getting drenched on purpose, she grew wary.
In her eyes, Leo was no different from those other people—just another guy trying to flirt by acting cool.
Leo caught onto that but didn't mind.
"Sure, sure. Pretend I didn't say anything."
He stopped talking and simply walked with her through the rain.
His silence made her even more uncomfortable. Her brow tightened, but she still didn't say anything and changed direction to avoid him.
Yet, strangely, Leo shifted half a step earlier than she did—changing direction at the exact same moment, matching her perfectly.
Mahiru frowned more deeply. She said nothing and tried again at the next intersection, hoping to split off.
And again—Leo cut ahead of her by half a step, turning just before she did.
Now it looked less like she was trying to shake him off and more like she was the one following him.
If he moved too quickly, she'd see where he intended to go and avoid it. If he moved too slowly, her change of direction would be obvious, and following her would look deliberate—and give her a reason to tell him off.
So Leo chose the perfect timing: half a step ahead.
To change directions again now would look overly intentional.
Yukino or Utaha would've walked away without hesitation, not caring at all how it looked.
But Mahiru wasn't like that. She hesitated again and again, unable to act brashly.
In the end, she resigned herself to it and kept walking silently beside him.
They walked like that for an hour.
Leo still looked perfectly relaxed. Mahiru, however, was trembling from the cold. Her strength was fading. Even her vision was starting to blur.
"…Not good…"
Mahiru bit her chilled lips.
She realized she'd messed up.
Her mood had been terrible today, so she walked out into the rain on impulse. But she never intended to stay out this long—she knew it would hurt her body.
Yet because of Leo, she'd been unable to slip away, and so she ended up soaked for over an hour. Now her body was clearly giving out.
"…Sorry, senpai."
Mahiru finally stopped walking. Her breathing was strained.
"I want to go home."
A clear dismissal.
Leo stopped as well, turning to face her as her hazy eyes tried to focus on him.
Then he smiled.
"You already are home."
He pointed to a building beside them.
Mahiru froze. When she looked properly, her expression changed instantly.
That was—her apartment building.
"This…"
Mahiru stared, stunned.
"No need to be surprised." Leo's amused voice came from beside her. "You weren't paying attention to where you were going. Especially toward the end—you stopped changing directions. You just followed me without realizing it. So of course I could lead you home."
"You should be grateful I decided to bring you back to your home. If I wanted to take you to my place, you wouldn't have been able to stop me."
"Your vigilance is good, but still not good enough, Shiina-kouhai."
Her breathing turned even more uneven.
Half from shock.
Half from her body finally giving out.
"You—how did you…"
"You want to know how I know where you live?" Leo squinted, still smiling. "Not important. What is important is that if you don't go inside now, you're going to collapse."
The moment he finished—
Mahiru's legs finally gave out. Her body went limp.
And she fell straight into Leo's arms.
"Told you."
His voice sounded faintly amused as he held her.
"Remember today's lesson. Next time, don't go wandering in the rain like this, Shiina-san."
But Mahiru didn't hear a single word.
She was already unconscious.