The sky had been perfectly clear when they’d left Totsuki.
Alice was in the middle of talking—something animated, her hands moving as she walked beside Ryo—when the first cold drop hit her nose.
She blinked. Then another drop splashed against the pavement.
“…Oh,” Alice said, looking up just in time for the clouds to open up completely.
Rain came down hard and fast, soaking the path within seconds.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alice groaned, laughing as she tried—uselessly—to shield her hair with her hands. “I just washed this.”
Ryo clicked his tongue. “Tch. Of course.”
They both froze for half a second.
He shrugged out of his blazer in one swift motion and stepped closer, lifting it above both of them like a makeshift roof. He angled his body slightly, taking the brunt of the rain on his back.
“Hey—Ryo!” Alice protested. “You’ll get soaked!”
“Already am,” he muttered, adjusting his grip. “Move closer.”
Alice did—instinctively—before she even realized how close closer actually was.
Their shoulders brushed. Her arm pressed lightly against his side. She could feel his warmth through the damp fabric of his uniform, smell rain and soap and something unmistakably him.
The world narrowed to the sound of rain and the quiet rhythm of their footsteps.
“…Thank you,” Alice said softly, peeking up at him from under the blazer. She smiled—small, sincere, a little shy.
Ryo glanced down at her for half a second before looking away again. “Ya ya. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
Alice giggled. “You’re terrible at accepting gratitude, you know.”
“Mm,” he grunted. “Survived worse than rain.”
The blazer sagged slightly with water, and Ryo shifted it again, unconsciously pulling Alice just a fraction closer to keep her dry. Neither of them commented on it.
Alice’s heart was doing something very unhelpful.
Why is this… different? she thought, staring at the pavement far too intently. It’s just Ryo. Just rain. Just—
She became acutely aware of how his arm was raised above her, how careful he was not to bump her, how his steps matched hers without thinking.
Ryo, meanwhile, was doing his best not to acknowledge the way her sleeve brushed his wrist, or how easy it would be to look down and meet her eyes.
Don’t think about it, he told himself. Just get her home.
Rain splashed around them, shoes soaked, hair damp, uniform clinging uncomfortably.
And yet… neither of them hurried.
When the Nakiri estate finally came into view, Alice glanced up at him again, rainwater catching in her lashes.
“You’re really nice, you know that?” she said gently.
Ryo scoffed, a little too fast. “Don’t spread lies.”
Alice laughed, warm and bright despite the rain. “Too late.”
They stopped at the gates, both of them a little wet, a little breathless, standing far closer than strictly necessary.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Ryo lowered the blazer and stepped back, clearing his throat. “Go inside. You’ll catch a cold.”
Alice nodded, still smiling. “You too. Get in here.”
She turned, then paused. “Ryo?”
This time, he didn’t brush it off.
He just gave a small nod, eyes soft. “Anytime.”
Alice went inside, heart fluttering.
Ryo stood in the rain a second longer than needed, staring after her, blazer dripping in his hands before stepping inside.
Story courtesy of ChatGPT
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