Rain in England fell as it always did: fine, persistent, as if it would never end. Toru walked quickly, hunched inside his coat so his notes wouldn't get wet. He had just left his last class, and all that was left was to return to the student residence. Cars reflected in the puddles and passed by frequently, splashing water to the sides. He was freezing; rain hadn't been forecast for that day, and the weather worsened with every step as he crossed the nearly empty campus.
When he reached the residence, he heard murmuring and peeked in curiously. A group of adult students were watching the news and commenting among themselves.
'Another one? That's the fourth today…'
'What could be happening? There are already thousands of missing people and nobody has an explanation.'
Toru felt a shiver and moved closer to see the TV better.
'More than 340 disappearances have been recorded in the last two days.'
'The only thing known so far is that they all share in common a sudden, fleeting storm that appears and vanishes along with people.'
Toru stepped back and headed toward his room again, rushing so he could study; he couldn't afford to waste time since he needed good grades or else he would lose his university scholarship. He climbed the stairs quickly; all he could think about was getting to his room and shutting himself in, but then, like every day… he saw her.
Her.
Sitting in the hallway, back against the wall, reading a book. He tried to walk past as if he hadn't seen her. As if he didn't miss her…
'Seriously?' she said without lifting her gaze.
'Are you going to ignore me again?' She still didn't look up.
The air grew tense. Toru tried to avoid her.
'I'm really busy, I'm sorry,' Toru muttered, though loud enough for Asami to hear him.
'Busy, huh?' she replied with a sarcastic tone.
Toru ignored the comment and headed for his room.
When Toru turned the key, the metallic click sounded louder than usual, or maybe it was just his own pulse pounding in his ears. He entered and closed the door behind him, walking to his desk and placing his notes on it, letting out a small, tired sigh. He had to study, yes, but Asami's presence had truly unsettled him. He sat at the desk, trying to force himself to study while the image of her in the hallway kept drifting through his mind.
Why did she affect him so much?
Why her, of all people?
Toru squeezed his pencil between his fingers, feeling frustration run up his arms. He didn't want to think about her—not now. Not when he had so much to lose if he even slowed down a little.
But his mind insisted.
He remembered the way Asami hadn't even looked at him when she scolded him. He remembered her dry, dull tone.
He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. He turned a page in his notebook and tried to stay focused, but…
Nothing.
His eyes moved over the lines of text, even though he couldn't retain a single word.
'Focus…' he murmured to himself as he leaned his elbows on the desk and rested his head in his hand.
The silence of the room and the rain visible through the window, now starting to lighten, didn't help at all.
Defeated, he set his pencil down on the desk and leaned back in his chair, letting his head fall against the backrest.