Chapter 13: After Rain, Came Ice

Although he lived alone, Asahi still relied on his parents.

With school fees, living expenses, and monthly remittances, it was no surprise that he was able to live a comfortable life with no inconvenience whatsoever.

Because of this awareness and gratitude to his parents, Asahi actively avoided spending money unnecessarily.

The day after serving Chiaki beef stew as he requested, I went to the local supermarket in the midst of a rain shower to replenish the contents of the refrigerator, which had run out of meat and vegetables, as part of my conscious effort to save money.

I was hesitant to go out because it was pouring so hard that it was hard to see well, but I couldn’t change my mind as long as there were bargain sales.

While my upper body was completely protected by a large, slightly expensive umbrella, my lower body was soaked by the water splashing up from the ground as I finally reached my destination.

There, I saw a girl with glazed hair swept away by the rain and wind.

“…What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m waiting for the rain to stop.”

Our eyes met, so I called out to her, but as usual she replied in a cold concise manner.

I was lucky that she didn’t ignore me, but at the same time, I could clearly hear in her voice that she didn’t care about me.

Perhaps it started to rain while she was shopping.

Fuyuka, who was standing there looking at the rain with a plastic bag in her hand, didn’t have an umbrella.

And even if she had had one, the situation won’t be any different.

“Your injury, will it heal in time?”

“…It should be, I think.”

When I saw her in the infirmary, she said she was fine, but I guess she couldn’t rest without using her dominant hand at all.

The slight pause and unclear answer to Asahi’s question indicated the extent of Fuyuka’s injury.

Her right hand, which was immobilized with bandages and taping, seemed to be able to move within a limited range, and the subtle movements she was able to make seemed to be delaying her recovery.

“I’m gonna ask just in case, want to share an umbrella? I’m sure it’ll stop after a while, but in the meantime, it’ll be bad if you get cold and catch another fever.”

As usual, Asahi was being nosy.

However, he was thinking that if she refused this time, he would just leave it at that.

Last time, he himself didn’t know why he did it, but it was never something he was originally fond of doing.

The act of imposing good will onto others might be seen as an act of malice.

Having reflected on this, Asahi was planning to withdraw quietly this time if she refused.

It would have been a different story if it was heavy rain, but if it was just a rain shower, we could wait and see.

Of course, the worry of catching a cold would not go away, but in that case, just ask them to go back inside the supermarket.

And so, with the premise of being rejected, Asahi reached out his hand.

He never expected that she would accept his hand.

“…Well then, I’ll take your word for it.”

“Kinda surprising, not expecting for you to be so straightforward.”

“If I refuse here, you’re just gonna call a taxi for me, right?”

“What kind of person do you think I am?”

“A very nosy neighbor, I guess?”

Fuyuka put up her hand over her mouth and displayed a slight sign of thinking, and the words she said accurately described Asahi’s position.

There was no denying that I’m meddling too much, based on my past behavior, and what she said was just the truth.

“Well, it’s not a compliment that’s for sure.”

“Of course I’m not complimenting you.”

Even though she was unusually honest in receiving my help but as always she was still very sharp with her words.

“Why did you think you’re being complimented?” she added. I could only smile bitterly from that remark.

“Well then, I’m gonna finish my business real quick.”

“I understand. I will just wait for you here.”

“In that case, come inside. It’s a lot warmer than outside.”

“…It’s fine. I like watching rain fall.”

“Hmm. That’s fine with me, but try not to get too cold.”

After hearing the short reply, “I’ll consider it.” Asahi proceeded into the supermarket.

I lost a few minutes because I was talking to Fuyuka, but thanks to the fact that I left the house with plenty of time to spare, the store was just starting its time sale.

Looking at the notes I had prepared in advance, I put the ingredients into the basket one after another.

In addition to remembering the layout of the supermarket perfectly, I had everything I needed right away because I knew what I wanted for dinner.

“Next person, please.”

As he handed his shopping basket to the cashier, Asahi smiled a little, thinking of Fuyuka, whom he had a strange connection with.