The sky had been gray since morning.
But honestly, I didn't pay much attention to it.
I had bigger problems.
"'…If the spring flowers fall tonight… then at least let me remember you tomorrow…'"
I frowned at the script.
No.
That sounded terrible.
I sounded like a depressed NPC reading terms and conditions.
I sighed and pressed my forehead against the train window.
Haruto's voice was supposed to sound calm, melancholic, elegant.
Not like a dead corporate employee killed by stress.
"'…Let me remember you tomorrow…'"
Again.
A little better.
"'…Let me remember you tomorrow…'"
The old woman sitting across from me started looking at me weird.
Our eyes met.
I froze.
She looked at the script.
Then at my face.
Then at the script again.
And slowly moved one seat further away.
"…"
I sank down in my seat and nearly died of embarrassment.
Perfect.
Now I look like a crazy girl talking to herself on the train.
Excellent character development.
Classes were still a disaster.
Not as much of a disaster as before.
But still a disaster.
"Shimizu-san."
The teacher pointed at the board.
"Can you solve this?"
I looked at the problem.
The problem looked back at me.
My brain blue-screened.
"…"
Who decided to mix letters with numbers?
I broke into a cold sweat.
At least I understood a little more thanks to Mei.
But only a little.
Very little.
Level "I can pretend to understand for thirty seconds."
With superhuman effort I managed to answer something halfway coherent.
Wrong, clearly.
But the teacher at least seemed to appreciate that I was trying.
That was progress.
I supposed.
The club rehearsal got cancelled.
Harada-senpai had to meet with the festival committee. Rika had student council activities. And two members didn't show up.
So everyone started leaving early.
I was planning to head back to the apartment too.
Until the sky exploded.
"HUH?!"
The rain came down like someone had broken a dam over Tokyo.
Students ran screaming. Umbrellas snapping open. Footsteps. Wind.
In less than ten seconds I was completely soaked.
"WHY IS IT RAINING LIKE THIS?!"
I ran covering my head uselessly with the script.
Mistake.
Now the script was wet too.
Perfect.
Now I'll need another one…
The rain hit so hard I could barely see.
I ended up taking shelter under the side roof near the auditorium.
My breathing was unsteady.
Water sliding down my silver hair.
My shirt clinging uncomfortably to my body.
"Great…"
"Just great…"
Then I heard a voice.
"…Even if you force me to smile… that won't change anything."
I blinked.
Huh?
The voice was coming from the auditorium.
I moved closer slowly.
And looked through the narrow gap in the side door.
The stage was dimly lit.
Empty.
Except for one person.
Yuuna.
She was alone in the middle of the stage, script in hand.
"'…Ayaka cannot love someone like you…'"
She stopped.
Frowned.
Breathed.
And started again.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Her voice shifted slightly each time.
Softer.
More serious.
More emotional.
More restrained.
I watched in silence.
She looked nothing like the cold Yuuna from club.
She looked…
Desperate.
Like someone reaching for something at any cost.
"…No."
"…That's not it either."
She gripped the script in frustration.
Started over from the beginning.
And that's when I understood.
So she makes mistakes too…
She wasn't perfect.
She just worked absurdly hard.
Something felt strange in my chest.
Then I stepped back—
CRACK.
I stepped on an empty bottle.
Dead silence.
Yuuna slowly raised her eyes toward the entrance.
Our eyes met.
…Shit.
"…"
"…"
"How long have you been there?"
Her tone was dangerously calm.
I went rigid.
"I-I just got here."
Terrible lie.
Yuuna narrowed her eyes.
"Right."
My soul left my body.
I walked in with a nervous laugh.
"Haha…"
"Crazy rain, huh?"
Silence.
Oh god.
I'm going to die.
Yuuna sighed tiredly.
"Were you planning to stay hidden the whole time?"
"I wasn't hiding!"
"I was just… casually observing."
That sounded so much worse.
I covered my face.
Yuuna rubbed her temple.
"Unbelievable."
I tried to change the subject before I socially disintegrated.
"W-Well, you were doing really well."
She barely reacted.
"Was I."
"Yeah."
"It looked pretty professional."
Yuuna opened her mouth to respond.
But then she looked up at me.
And froze.
She blinked.
Then again.
Her serious expression vanished completely.
"…Huh?"
I tilted my head.
"What's wrong?"
Yuuna turned red all the way to her ears.
"W-Why do you look so indecent?!"
"WHAT?!"
She pointed at me aggressively.
"Your clothes!"
I looked down.
…
…
…
My brain stopped working.
The wet white shirt had gone practically transparent.
Everything was completely visible — the bra, the outline of my chest, literally everything clinging to my body.
"…"
I let out a scream that probably echoed into the next prefecture.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
I crossed my arms trying to cover myself.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER?!"
"I JUST NOTICED!"
Yuuna turned her face away, completely red.
"And stop moving around so much!"
"I CAN'T STOP MOVING!"
This is hell.
I died and reincarnated into hell.
Yuuna muttered something under her breath.
Then walked over to a bench along the wall and opened her bag.
She pulled out folded clothes.
"Here."
I blinked.
"Huh?"
"Put these on."
It was an oversized black hoodie.
And a sports shirt.
I stared at her, surprised.
Yuuna avoided my gaze.
"You'll catch a cold like that."
…
…
My heart did a small flip.
Ah.
She really isn't that bad.
"T-Thank you…"
Yuuna looked away immediately.
"It's nothing."
And right then—
PIIING.
My soul left my body.
[Urgent Mission Unlocked!!]
No.
No no no no.
Not here.
Please not here.
[Post an "After Rain ♡" photo on Lonely Fans.]
[Requirements: wet shirt + suggestive expression.]
"SUGGESTIVE YOUR—?!"
Yuuna blinked.
"…What?"
"N-Nothing!"
Cold sweat.
The screen lit up again.
[Time Remaining: 10:00]
[Penalty for Failure: IMMEDIATE CARDIAC ARREST.]
My heart stopped for a second.
"…"
Not this again.
Not again.
Yuuna looked at me, confused.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Maybe."
"I don't know."
My stability was short-circuiting.
The counter started dropping.
09:42
09:41
09:40
DAMN IT.
Yuuna frowned.
"You really do look pale."
"H-Haha…"
"Yeah…"
"Normal girl stuff…"
WHAT AM I SAYING?
Yuuna kept looking at me strangely for a few seconds.
Then sighed.
"The changing room is empty."
"You can change in there."
She pointed to the side hallway.
"I'll get back to my rehearsal."
I nodded frantically.
"Thank you!"
I ran toward the changing room like a wanted criminal.
Closed the door.
And pressed my back against it, gasping.
08:53
08:52
"You degenerate piece of—"
[One point deducted for insulting the system.]
"SINCE WHEN ARE THERE POINTS?!"
No response.
That damn system only ever showed up to ruin my life.
I'd let myself believe it might turn into a decent AI just because the last few things it made me post were pretty tame…
I looked at the phone camera.
Then at my soaked clothes.
Then at the timer.
Then at my chest pressing against the wet fabric.
…
…
"I hate all of this."
I sat down on the changing room bench.
First attempt.
Horrible.
Second.
Worse.
Third.
I looked like a hostage.
"HOW DO GIRLS DO THIS?!"
[Smile more.]
"SHUT UP!"
I tried another pose.
The wet shirt clung even tighter.
My face went red.
"This is way too much…"
But the counter kept dropping.
06:17
06:16
"Damn it…"
I breathed deeply.
Okay.
Think like an editor.
Lighting.
Angle.
Composition.
The rain was still hitting the windows.
My damp hair falling over my shoulders.
The white shirt transparent against my skin.
I swallowed.
And slowly raised the phone.
Click.
I looked at the photo.
…
…
My male brain died on the spot.
"Oh no."
It looked absurdly good.
Not vulgar.
Worse.
Too intimate.
Like a photo a girl would impulsively send to someone she likes at two in the morning.
"I'm going to be sick…"
I hit post.
[Posted successfully.]
And right at that moment—
"Are you taking photos in there?"
I SCREAMED.
"AAAAAH!!"
I spun around violently.
Yuuna was on the other side of the door.
Dead silence.
My soul left the planet.
"Y-Yuuna-san…"
"I forgot to give you a towel."
There was a strangely long pause.
Then:
"…Though I did hear the camera sound about fifteen times."
"THAT WAS YOUR IMAGINATION!!"
"Right."
"IT REALLY WAS!"
"Then explain why you just screamed like a caught criminal."
Cold sweat.
So much cold sweat.
Yuuna sighed from the other side of the door.
"Just finish getting changed."
Silence.
And then she added quietly:
"And delete any weird photos before you come out."
I froze.