The rain fell without mercy.
Akira sat alone on the cold metal bench, elbows resting on her knees, hands loosely clasped. Water soaked through her dark hoodie, dripping from the edge of her short hair.
The park was nearly empty.
She didn't mind.
She tilted her head back, letting the rain hit her face.
"Why was I born?" she asked quietly.
Her voice was low. Steady. Almost swallowed by the storm.
"Do I even have a purpose… or am I just filling space?"
Thunder rolled in the distance.
For a brief second, her fingers tightened.
Darkness.
A locked door.
Silence that felt too heavy.
Her jaw stiffened.
Her phone vibrated violently in her pocket.
She sighed and pulled it out.
Unknown number.
She answered.
"Hayashi speaking."
"AKIRA HAYASHI!" the voice exploded from the other side. "WHERE ARE YOU?"
She slowly pulled the phone a few inches away from her ear.
"I'm listening."
"You are late again! Do you think this is optional attendance?!"
Akira stared at the sky for a second.
"…No."
"Then why are you not here?!"
She blinked once.
"It's raining."
A pause.
"That is not an excuse!"
"I didn't say it was."
Another long silence.
"You have ten minutes before the gates close!"
The call ended abruptly.
Akira looked at her phone.
Then she made the smallest, dullest expression — one eyebrow slightly raised.
"…Ten minutes," she muttered.
She stood up.
"Guess I should run."
She grabbed the bag she had left on the bench and slung it over her shoulder. The rain grew heavier, almost challenging her.
Not clumsy. Not rushed.
Precise.
Her shoes splashed against the wet pavement as she moved forward, fast and controlled. She leapt over a shallow puddle without slowing down. Vaulted lightly over a low railing instead of going around it.
A narrow alley blocked by stacked crates.
She didn't stop.
One step on the wall. One push upward.
She cleared it smoothly.
The rain struck harder, soaking her completely.
But she didn't feel slow.
She felt alive.
For once, something was chasing her that she could outrun.
Akira ran as if she were racing the storm itself.
And for a brief moment—
She was smiling.
Scene — The School Gate
The school gate was already halfway closed when Akira turned the corner.
Students inside were hurrying to their classes. The security guard stood near the entrance, checking his watch.
She didn't slow down.
Three seconds before the gate shut completely, she slipped through the narrow gap without touching it.
The guard blinked. "You're cutting it close, Akira."
"I know."
Students stared as she walked past, completely drenched.
"Did she run all the way here?"
"Why does she look so calm?"
"She didn't even apologize to the guard…"
"She's always like that."
That feels more realistic.
They're not calling her weird
They're reacting to her personality.
Halfway up the stairs, a loud crash echoed behind her.
Books scattered across the wet ground. A boy stood frozen as students stepped around him without stopping.
Akira paused.
She crouched and gathered the papers quickly before the rain could ruin them.
The boy blinked. "Oh—thanks."
"You should hold them tighter," she said, handing them back.
It wasn't rude.
It was practical.
She stood and continued walking.
Behind her, the whispers shifted tone.
"She helped him?"
"I thought she was cold."
Akira didn't react.
Akira climbed the stairs without turning around.
Water dripped from her sleeves onto the steps.
The rain had stopped.
But the weight inside her chest hadn't.
She paused briefly at the classroom door, hand resting on the handle.
Then her expression returned to its usual calm.
And she stepped inside.