Shizuku Mito 

It’s raining.

Whenever I’m sad, hurt, or in pain… Or I simply feel down, the weather is always rainy.
I used to wonder why, but now I’ve gotten completely used to it.
As time passes, the rain stops.
That goes for both the rain pouring from the sky and the rain inside my heart.
So at times like that, I paint.
I let my own colors fall onto a canvas as white as the clouds floating in the sky.
In that moment alone, the world was undoubtedly painted in my own colors.

*Plop*

A large raindrop splashed against the window, making a sound.
My concentration was broken, so I put down my brush.
As I stretched while gazing out the window, I felt the damp air fill my lungs, and I shivered involuntarily.
At the same time, I felt as if a wave of melancholy had suddenly washed over me from somewhere, and I gently looked away from the window.
What came into view was Art Room No.2, just as it always was.
A lonely atelier with no one else in sight but me.
That said, I don’t think many people come to a high school art room on their days off…
But this is the only place where I can paint freely.
My mom and dad don’t seem to think much of me painting.

Even so, I want to keep doing it.

Painting.
It’s the only thing I’ve ever truly wanted to do.
So much so that I can’t even think of anything else I’d rather do.

But is that really okay?

Now that I’m in high school, I hear anxious voices all around me. Talk of romance, career paths, dreams for the future, things like that.

As if to shake off my gloomy mood, I pick up my brush again.
But today, I didn’t feel like I could paint any more.

I paint in the art room until the final dismissal bell rings. That’s my daily routine.
Even when I get home, all I do is study, so the only free time I have is at school.
The only place where I can face my paintings alone, without interacting with anyone, is this quiet “Art Room No.2.”
So when the door suddenly opened… I was so startled I dropped my brush and froze.

“Oh, Mito-san? Are you here for club activities?”

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, I kept my head down so he couldn’t see my face and nodded.
I never expected anyone other than the art club advisor to show up.

“Ah… sorry for barging in…”
“N-no, that’s not it! I was just a little surprised, that’s all…”

When I told him honestly, he seemed relieved and let out a dramatic sigh of relief.
Seeing him do that, I secretly thought he looked a little cute.
I know who he is. He’s my classmate, Haruma Asai.
He has tousled hair and a carefree smile. But he’s tall… and his cheerful personality, which seems at odds with his looks, gives off a slightly unbalanced vibe.

“Mito-san, did I… do something weird?”
“Huh?”
“Are you smiling?”

When he pointed it out, I touched my cheek and realized it was relaxed.
What a rude thing to do to someone I’ve barely spoken to…
I shook my head vigorously and looked down, avoiding his gaze.
That was the best denial I could manage right now.
…If I looked in a mirror, I might be making a terrible face.

“Oh, never mind… You’re kind of funny, Mito-san.”
“I’m not… that funny.”

I could tell my voice was trembling.
Desperate to stop my chest from feeling like it was about to burst with tension, I clenched my brush tightly.

“S-sorry… I still have the easel we used in class today.”

He was pointing at the easel I was carrying.
The vague unease in my frightened heart suddenly vanished into thin air.

“…Hehe.”

I thought to myself that these days, it’s rare to see someone so dedicated that they’d go out of their way to borrow an easel from the art room just to finish an assignment.

“Asai-kun… don’t people ever tell you you’re weird?”
“…Sometimes?”

Saying that, Asai-kun shrugged his shoulders dramatically.
That was cute too, and I found myself smiling again without even realizing it.

“If you’re looking for an easel, it’s not here, but in Art Room No.1… I’ll put it back after club activities, so you can just leave it here.”
“Got it! Thanks, Mito-san!”

His expression shifted completely from the exasperated look he’d had a moment ago to a carefree smile again. For some reason, his rapidly changing expressions seemed endearing.
I wish I could be like that, too.

“Oh, is this your painting?”

As I was thinking, he had somehow come to stand right beside me.
My thoughts stopped abruptly.
I’ve never had anyone this close before, and I don’t know what to do.

“It’s kind of a strange painting, isn’t it?”
“…Strange?”
“Yeah. It’s a beautiful picture of the sky, but it kind of makes me feel lonely, I guess.”

Hearing those words, I felt like he’d hit the nail on the head.
It felt like he’d peeked right into my heart.

“Oh, I don’t mean that in a bad way. I really like this painting.”
“Ah…”

He likes it.

I couldn’t remember ever being complimented like that before.
“Good,” “amazing,” “realistic”… compliments from others are usually just impressions based on what they see.
But I don’t paint because I want to be praised… or simply because I want to be told I’m good at it.
I’m just doing what I love.

“…Thank you.”

I murmured that in a voice so faint it might vanish.
Asai-kun probably didn’t even hear me.
I figured I must look absolutely flustered right now, so I gently shifted my gaze out the window.
There, large raindrops were still falling steadily…

“The rain just won’t stop, will it? It’s not even the rainy season yet, and it’s been like this the whole time… It’s really getting me down…”

An innocent knife pierced my heart.
I endured the pain and desperately squeezed out the words.

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

Asai-kun’s expression reflected in the window looked terribly sad.
But I didn’t turn back.

Since that day, the number of afternoons I spent not alone has increased dramatically.
It all started with what happened the other day…

“Um, I can’t concentrate when someone’s watching me the whole time…”
“Oh… sorry. I just got carried away.”

At first, it didn’t bother me that much, but starting this week, he’s been coming by almost every day.
Since I’m really not used to having someone around, I’ve started losing my concentration.

“…Asai-kun, do you want to try painting something too?”

I meant that suggestion as a way to keep him at a distance…

“Does that mean you’ll teach me!?”

His response was a complete 180 from what I expected, leaving me flustered.

“Wow! I’m so happy! I will do my best, Sensei!”
“…Sensei?”
“I mean you, Mito-san!”
“Huh!?”

I couldn’t avoid it, and it seemed I’d been given a nickname for the first time.
But surprisingly, I didn’t mind being called that.
At least, that’s what I thought at the time…

Starting the next day, I ended up teaching him how to paint for just 15 minutes a day.
From the absolute basics all the way to some simple applications.

“Hmm, I guess I won’t get good at this right away. I wonder how you paint like that, Sensei.”

Saying things like that, he ran his brush across the canvas.

“Could you… Please stop calling me Sensei?”
“Why? Aren’t you my teacher in a way?”
“Well, I guess… that might be true.”
“Then it’s okay, right?”

“You called me that in class the other day… It makes me uncomfortable.”

At the time, since I usually don’t talk more than necessary in class, the other girls gathered around me, and it was a total disaster.
But there were some who came to my rescue…

“Hey, Asai, Mito-san looks scared.”

The one who said that was Akane Fujiki, who sits next to me.
She’s petite with brown-dyed hair. The class’s moodmaker, a type of person I’m not really close to.
Even though we sit next to each other, we’ve never had a proper conversation.

“Eh~!? Aren’t you the one who scares people?”
“That’s not true at all. Hey, Mito-san?”
“No… well, it was just so sudden… It’s not that I was scared or anything… if anything, I was actually happy.”
“See? That’s exactly why you need to get away from her already.”

After that, we started talking occasionally.
I wouldn’t exactly call her a friend, but I felt like she accepted me as a classmate.
Maybe, in the end, it’s all thanks to him…?

I stared intently at his face as he called me by my nickname.
Before long, I started to feel a bit uncomfortable…

“I see. You’re embarrassed to be called Sensei, huh? Well then, how about I call you Shizuku?”
“T-that’s my name…”
“Yeah. I mean, we’re classmates, and we talk every day like this, so using -san feels a bit too formal. Between Sensei and Shizuku, which do you prefer?”
“Uh… Shizuku…”
“Oookay!”

It feels a little awkward to be called by my first name by anyone other than my family.
But somewhere deep down, I thought it felt kind of nice.

It was June, just as the rainy season was beginning.
Today was raining again. That made four days in a row.
Feeling gloomy, I sat in front of the canvas without even painting.

“Excuse meee. Oh, is that the career preference survey?”

He walked into Art Room No.2 as usual and peered at my work with the door still open.
In a panic, I shoved the career preference survey form I was holding into my bag.
I didn’t want him to see that blank paper, which was due tomorrow.

“Mito-san, your grades are really good, aren’t they? Are you aiming for a top-tier university or something?”

It felt like a slightly tactless remark, but maybe that carefree attitude was one of his good qualities.
I gave a wry smile, trying to brush it off.

“Not at all. I’m not into that sort of thing.”

Choosing my own future… that’s something I find difficult.

“What about an art college? I hear they’re tough to get into.”
“An art college…?”

Hearing him mention the very path I’d been avoiding thinking about most, my hand tightened around the paper.
Studying art and painting as much as I want would be wonderful.
However…

“I-I’ll probably… go to a regular college. Not a top-tier one or anything, just a regular place.”
“But I think a place where you can paint would be best for you.”
“…Why?”
“Why? Because when you’re painting, that’s when you look your best.”

For a moment, it felt as if time had stopped.

*Plop*

Even though I couldn’t hear any other sounds around me, the sound of the rain echoed endlessly.

“I like it.”

He wasn’t talking to me.
I told myself he wasn’t referring to me, but to someone else who was absorbed in something.

“Ah…”

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
He smiled gently… and I couldn’t even hear the sound of the rain anymore; it was drowned out by the beating of my heart.

I was sitting around the table with my family for the first time in a long while, and it wasn’t for a meal.

“Um…”

I gently handed them the handout for my career preference survey.
There wasn’t a single blank space on the form.
I had filled in all the required fields as soon as I got home.

“I’d like you to take a look at this…”

Even as I said that, I looked down.
I didn’t have the courage to see the expressions on my parents’ faces.

“…What does this mean?”

Just as I expected.

“Um…”
“Shizu… When you talk to us, you have to look us in the face. Haven’t I told you that many times?”
“…Yes.”

I looked up, still feeling gloomy.

“Huh…?”

Neither my father nor my mother looked angry.
If anything, they even seemed confused.

“What’s wrong, Shizuku?”
“Oh, um… nothing.”
“I see. So… could you tell us what you were thinking when you wrote this?”

Saying that, my father pointed to the third choice in the preferred path section of the form.
Written there was the name of the art college closest to our house.

“Uh, well… I couldn’t decide, so a classmate recommended it…”

Nervous, I stammered out my reply.
At my answer, my father rested his hand on his chin and hummed thoughtfully.

“I see, Shizuku.”
“Um… is that not okay…?”
“No, if that’s what you want, then it’s fine. For now, anyway.”

Saying that, my father stood up.
Graduate from a good university, get a job at a reputable company, and have a happy marriage.
That was his constant refrain.
So I’m sure he thinks of painting as nothing more than a hobby.

“I think… if Shizu has really thought this through, then it’s probably fine.”

Even though my mother says that, I’m sure she doesn’t really agree.

“…Yeah.”

An unshakable anxiety welled up inside me, and I stood up.
My act of summoning all my courage had only served to make me realize that I was a bird in a cage.

It’s raining again today.
You could say it’s just typical of the rainy season, but it felt like it represented my situation, making my gloom grow even deeper.
The door to the faculty office, where I’d gone to submit my career preference survey, felt somehow heavier than usual.

“Excuse me.”

I agonized over what to do, but in the end, I left my third choice as it was.
It didn’t seem to sit well with my father, but I felt that if I crossed it out here, I might never be able to choose for myself again…

“…Yes, I’ve checked your career preference survey, Mito-san. Just to be sure, are you really okay with art college as your third choice?”
“Yes, I discussed it with my parents before filling it out…”
“I see. Well, if that’s fine with you, then it’s fine…”

I gave the teacher a slight bow and opened the staff room door.

“Oh, Shizuku?”

It was him who suddenly appeared right in front of me.

“By any chance, do you still have the key to Art Room No.2?”
“Oh-“

Hearing that, I snapped to attention.
Since I’m pretty much the only one who uses Art Room No.2, the teacher has entrusted me with the key.
But now, there’s one other person who uses it… I’d completely forgotten about that.

“Sorry. I’m heading there now…”
“Oh, okay. Well then-“

His offer to go with me was cut short by the sound of the door opening.

“Oh, aren’t you Asai-kun? What perfect timing. If you have a moment, could you tell me a little about your future plans?”
“Eh, uh… sure.”
“Then let’s head to the guidance office right now.”

On the way there, led by our homeroom teacher, he smiled apologetically, looking just a little sad.

“…My family’s finances are pretty tight… I’m planning to get a job right after I graduate high school.”

He said this with a nonchalant expression, moving his hand across the canvas.
For a moment, I didn’t understand, so I stopped painting and looked at him.
He noticed and turned toward me, flashing his usual carefree smile.

“Well, I just happened to overhear that conversation about your career survey earlier, and I was wondering if it might be unfair.”
“Oh, I see…”
“Haha, you probably aren’t that interested, are you? In what I have to say.”

Even though he said it jokingly, I didn’t know how to respond.

“It’s not that I’m not interested. It’s just… I don’t know what to say… I just assumed you were going to go to college.”

At that, he crossed his arms and started looking troubled.
He scratched his head, tapped his arm…

“I’ve indeed found things I want to learn more about lately, but I’m not in a position to be so picky… Oh, sorry for bringing up such a complicated topic. Can you just pretend you didn’t hear me?”

His words pretended it was no big deal, but I felt a sense of loneliness, as if I’d been rejected in some way.

Get a job after graduation… The day after he told me that, he stopped coming to Art Room No.2.
For the first time in a while, I sat alone at my canvas until it got dark.
It should have been a familiar sight just a short while ago… but I just can’t settle down.
A restless anxiety, like something is tearing at the depths of my chest, keeps getting in the way of my painting.
It’s frustrating that I don’t even know why I’m so irritated.

“Ugh, enough already…!!”

Unable to bear it any longer, I instinctively set down my brush.
Why am I so shaken up?
Suddenly, I glance at the canvas next to mine.
Of course, it’s his painting.
Lately, he hasn’t been asking me for advice on his art much. I didn’t want to disturb him while he was concentrating, so naturally, I hadn’t been looking at his work.
Besides, whenever I stood up, he’d unnaturally shift the canvas so I couldn’t see it.
Maybe he doesn’t want me to see it… I wondered.

I’m alone today, so maybe it’s okay to take a look?

I felt a little guilty, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I lifted the cloth.

“…Huh?”

What was painted there was… Me, facing the canvas with a smile.

“When you’re painting, that’s when you look your best.”

His words echoed in my head.
He’d been cheering me on without a thought for himself.

“…!”

I felt frustrated. I felt pathetic.
For not realizing it myself.
For always holding back.
Graduating from a good university, getting a job at a good company… getting married. It might be unremarkable, but an ordinary, happy life is the best. I suppose that’s true.
Painting is just a hobby… something I can keep doing no matter where I am.
As long as I do it for fun, that’s enough.

“Huh…?”

Feeling the coldness on the back of my hand, I realized I was crying.
What am I doing?

Why hadn’t I realized until now that there are people who support me this much?

Dark, heavy clouds hang in the sky.
It’s the kind of weather where raindrops look like they’re about to fall any moment.
But just because it isn’t raining yet, for me, it’s better weather than usual.

“Asai-kun!”

As he was about to rush out of the classroom after homeroom, I plucked up the courage to call out to him.

“Huh?”

I could feel all my classmates in the classroom staring at me. I could even feel my legs go weak and start trembling slightly.

“What’s up? Were Mito and Asai always this close?”
“Are they a thing?”
“Really, in front of the classroom?”

It was scary… I was both at the center of attention and actually speaking up.
Just then, I felt a gentle tap on my back…

“Come on, Shizuku-cchi. You should go before the gawkers swarm over.”

Behind me was Fujiki-san, the classmate I’d become friends with thanks to Asai-kun.
She leaned her face close to my ear and whispered…

“Make sure to tell me all about it later, okay?”

In that instant, I felt my whole body flush with heat.
With a confident smile, she gave my back another push. This time with both hands.

I walked straight over to him.
He looked at me with a surprised expression.

“Hey, come with me…!!”

Saying that, I grabbed his arm and started running.
Our destination was, of course… Art Room No.2.

Once inside, I clutched my chest and caught my breath.

“…I wanted to talk.”

Breathless, I timidly lifted my gaze from my toes to find him with his back turned to me.
I spoke directly to his back, just as I felt.
I was glad I couldn’t see his face.
I thought I’d be able to stay calm that way.

“I saw it. Your… painting.”
“…!”

He turned around, grimaced slightly, and then looked somewhat resigned.

“Well, I guess so… You’d look, wouldn’t you? It’s only natural.”
“…Yeah. You didn’t come, so I looked.”

It was an excuse he couldn’t deny.
It’s a bit sneaky, but it’s the truth, so there’s nothing I can do about it.

“…You didn’t think it was a picture of you, did you? Did you… look down on me?”

I shook my head at that.
I’ve never once thought of him that way.
That’s why…

“No. I was happy.”

And after a brief pause,

“Thank you, Haruma-kun.”

I said it while looking firmly into his eyes.
At those words, he looked taken aback.

“I’ve decided to aim for art college. I was always afraid to face my dream, but the days I spent here with you gave me the push I needed.”
“Shizuku…”
“So, since I couldn’t ask you the other day, I’d like to hear about your dream too, Haruma-kun.”
“…”

I waited while he thought.
I knew it was a mean question.
But I wanted to hear it straight from his own mouth.
After a while, he finally spoke.

“I don’t have one.”

He said it simply and bluntly.
But there was more to it…

“Or rather… I used to not have one. But now it’s different. Everyone says your paintings are wonderful… and I find myself thinking… that if I could just see them up close all the time… Haha…”

A smile that seemed to be covering something up. But his cheeks were flushed, perhaps from embarrassment.

*plop*

A raindrop that had started falling without me noticing hit the window and splashed loudly.
Art Room No.2, enveloped in the sound of rain, just like when we first met.
But there was definitely a difference between then and now.

So, I make up my mind.

“Then, how about we make that dream come true… together?”
“What do you mean… by that…?”
“I’ll study hard at art college so that more people can see my paintings. So that more people will tell me they’re wonderful.”

At my words of determination, he nodded with a beaming smile.

It’s not some self-indulgent, unattainable dream.
Because this is now our dream.

It was pure coincidence that I, Haruma Asai, first learned about her.

I happened to be on duty that day, so I had to return the easel we’d borrowed from class to the art room.

Since I hadn’t taken any art classes, I must have mistakenly walked into Art Room No.2, which was right next door.
But there… She was.

“Ah… sorry for barging in…”
“N-no, that’s not it! I was just a little surprised, that’s all…”

She was painting alone.
There was no one in the art room next door, so I thought maybe she was staying after school… but I realized right away that wasn’t the case.
No, I’m sure anyone would realize it… If they saw her painting.

“It’s kind of a strange painting, isn’t it?”

The words just slipped out before I could stop them.
That’s how much I was drawn to it.

“Yeah. It’s a beautiful picture of the sky, but it kind of makes me feel lonely, I guess.”

I don’t know why, but I felt like the impression the painting gave me overlapped with how I was feeling right now.
My family wasn’t wealthy to begin with, but as more younger siblings were born, my own space just kept shrinking.
While all my friends were going to whatever college they felt like just to have fun, why did I have no choice but to work for my family?
I didn’t exactly have a specific dream or anything, but looking back now… I realize that deep down, I must have felt a sense of emptiness because of that “difference.”

When I shared my thoughts on the painting, she gave me an unreadable look.

“Oh, I don’t mean that in a bad way. I really like this painting.”

I quickly added.

Did I make things awkward?

So I hurriedly changed the subject.

“The rain just won’t stop, will it? It’s not even the rainy season yet, and it’s been like this the whole time… it’s really getting me down…”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

After that, feeling inferior to my friends, I started spending more time in Art Room No.2.
For some reason, the time I spent with her was fun…

“I’m not in a position to be so picky.”

Before I knew it, I was just cheering on Shizuku’s dream.
As for myself, I’d given up on so many things, using reality as an excuse.
With those irresponsible words, I’d entrusted my dreams to her without her consent.
Once I realized that, I ran away.
But…

“Hey, come with me…!!”

She came over and took my hand herself.

“Then, how about we make that dream come true… together?”

What a sneaky girl she is.
To drag others into the path she’s chosen for herself.
But maybe that’s exactly the kind of person I’ve always wanted.

She hated the rain, but I thought it suited her well.
But now, I feel a little differently.
The dignified hydrangeas bathed in the sun after the rain… That’s more like her.

Since then, I’ve talked to my teacher and changed my first choice on the career preference survey to “art college.”
When I finally mustered the courage to tell my parents, they were surprised, but they told me to do what I wanted to do.
After that, I started attending a prep school for art college, and I stopped going to Art Room No.2 after school.
Time passed… and now it was February of my 3rd year of high school.

“Oh, a progress report.”

What had arrived was an update on his painting.
The photographer was Akane-chan.

“It’s already winter, though…”

In his painting, countless hydrangeas were in bloom.
Amid a sunny shower, the rain-drenched flowers glowed faintly in the sunlight.

“Huh?”

There was just one thing different from the last time I saw it.
There was a girl among the hydrangeas.
Even though she was standing firmly on the ground, she seemed to float slightly out of the painting.

“It feels kind of strange…”

Even though it looked unnatural, it had a strong presence, and I found myself drawn to it.
That’s it, if I had to put this feeling into words…

“I really do like Haruma-kun’s paintings.”

I felt my cheeks grow warm without even realizing it.
Because those words had come to mean something special to me.

…
……
………

“Hey, Asai… was it okay to show her the painting?”
“Yeah.”
“Man, that took a long time, though. You’ve been painting nonstop ever since you got your job at the end of last year.”
“Well, yeah.”

I answered without stopping my hand.
I should have had plenty of time, but before I knew it, the day had arrived.

“If you’d sent her the one right before it was finished, wouldn’t it have lost its impact?”

I know that, logically speaking, that’s true.
But it’s okay.

“I think she will notice.”
“Huh, you two are really into each other, aren’t ya?”
“D-don’t tease me too much…”

Saying that, I set down my brush.

“Oh, is it done?”
“Done. …I managed to make it just in time.”

As I took a breath, footsteps echoed down the quiet hallway.
The rhythm gradually quickened, then stopped in front of Art Room No.2.

*clang clang clang*

The door swung open with a bang, and there she stood, her face slightly flushed.
I was happy to see her after so long, but now wasn’t the time for that.

A tense atmosphere filled the classroom, and I swallowed hard.

“…The results are out… I passed!”
“Shizuku-cchi! I knew you could do it!”

After Fujiki hugged Shizuku and they laughed happily together, she glanced at me.
I guess that meant I should have done my part.

“Shizuku, congratulations on passing.”
“Thank you! It’s all thanks to everyone!”

Shizuku turned a beaming smile toward me.

“Shizuku… I want you to look at this.”

There was just one difference between the finished painting and the one I’d shown her.

“Is this…”

A girl surrounded by hydrangeas…
A ring sparkled on her ring finger.

I hate the rainy season… Or rather, I used to.
I used to think the rain was my fault.

“Thank you so much.”
“Thank you for the beautiful painting.”
“Thank you. I’m so glad you like it.”

Right now, I’m technically a rookie painter.
It’s been two years since I graduated from art college. Slowly but surely, more people are getting to know my work. I can’t afford an atelier or an office yet, but I’ve made it far enough to hold a solo exhibition like this.

“Hey there, Shizuku!”
“Akane-chan!”

At first, I was a little scared of Akane-chan.
But now, she’s my best friend.

“You really look like a proper artist now… Still, it’s a shame it’s raining on the first day.”
“Haha… but in a way, I feel like that just suits me.”
“Oh, maybe you’re right.”

She always looked out for me, whether in high school or college.
That hasn’t changed even now.

“But hey, are you sure today was the perfect day?”
“Nope, today was the perfect day.”

Akane-chan looked a bit confused at first, but she seemed to get it right away and nodded contentedly.

“Huh?”

I turned my face toward the sunlight that suddenly streamed in.
Even though we were surrounded by cloudy skies, there was definitely a clear blue sky stretching out there.
As I found myself gazing at it, the smartphone in my jacket pocket vibrated.
The name displayed on the screen was his.
My phone’s wallpaper had always been the painting he gave me, and his name was superimposed right on top of it.

“Hehe.”

What miraculous timing. It was as if a clear blue sky had opened up in my heart, too.

“Oh, it’s Asai, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Man, that guy. Of all times, he has to be overseas.”
“It’s okay. It’s for the sake of our dream.”

After graduating, he enrolled in a correspondence college.
He graduated while working, and now he has a job in the art world.
He shares the wonderful things he discovers with the world… It’s the perfect job for him.

“So, what’s the story?”
“I’m not telling. It’s a secret.”
“Come oooon.”

Saying that, we both laughed.
Before long, rain began to fall from the blue sky.
But I set down my phone and stepped outside without an umbrella.

“Shizuku?”

I looked up at the sun and spun around.
The street trees and the flowers, everything was sparkling.
It was as if they were celebrating us.
After all, today is our special anniversary.

“It’s beautiful, Haruma-kun.”

The ring on my finger sparkled faintly in the sunlight.
There’s only one difference from the painting I received that day.
The ring isn’t on my right ring finger. It’s on my left.

Hey, past me?
You know, right now… I don’t hate the rain that much.