Shimizu-san and the Shared Umbrella 2

“It’s raining, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

Just as we were about to leave the station, the rain began to fall.

The rain, which started out as a light drizzle, gradually increased in intensity and soon turned into a downpour.

“Shimizu-san, do you have an umbrella? “

“I didn’t bring one. Did you?”

“Yes. I brought a folding umbrella.”

I took out the folding umbrella from my shoulder bag and showed it to Shimizu-san.

“If you have one, that’s good. I guess we’ll part ways here today.”

“I’m fine with that, but what about you, Shimizu-san?”

“I’ll call my parents.”

Saying that, Shimizu-san took out her smartphone from her bag and showed it to me.

“In that case, I guess you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, so hurry up and go.”

“Got it. See you at school then.”

“See you.”

I turned my back to Shimizu-san and left the station.

* * * *

(…What should I do?)

After some time had passed since Hondō left, I stayed in the station and gazed at the rainy sky.

I told Hondō I would call my parents, but they had gone out today and would not return until tonight.

I don’t know if Ai has an umbrella, and I didn’t want to interfere with her time with her friends in the first place.

The only thing I could do was to go home by myself, but the rain only intensified and showed no signs of stopping.

I’m at a complete loss.

I would be likely to catch a cold if I were to run home in this rain without an umbrella, and more importantly, my dress and the plush would get wet.

Unconsciously, I realized that I prioritized the condition of my dress and the plush over my own well-being and was taken aback.

(What am I thinking…)

Just because I was praised for my clothes once by him.

He had praised Ai, and he had also complimented the other clothes I wore.

But there was something different about his face when he praised this dress, somehow… he seemed to be captivated by it.

I shook my head from side to side. There was no way that person would react like that.

That dense guy would never notice my feelings, no matter how much I tried to appeal to him.

However, it doesn’t mean that he was completely unresponsive, he did notice a few things…

I shook my head from side to side once again. I didn’t care about that person’s reaction.

Besides, what about this plush? It was just an ordinary teddy bear plush that you could find anywhere. But this one feels special, as it was something that he had chosen for me…

“…Shimizu-san “

I must have been thinking about him too much that I even heard an auditory hallucination. Was I really this weak?

Since becoming a high school student, I have tried to keep people away and not show my weaknesses. And yet, that person was by my side, slowly making me more vulnerable little by little.

“Shimizu-san ? “

A face appeared in front of me.

“Ah?!”

Caught off guard by the suddenness of it, I let out a not-so-pretty sound and jumped back.

Hondō stood holding an umbrella in front of me as if it were natural.

* * *

“Hondō, why are you here?”

“Why? Because I turned back on my way back home. “

“I’m asking why you came back.”

“No particular reason, I guess.”

“Huh?”

Shimizu-san looked at me as if she couldn’t understand me.

Well, I think that reaction is understandable.

“I had a feeling that Shimizu-san was still here. I thought so when I was on my way home. Shimizu-san is so nice to me, maybe Shimizu-san lied to make it easier for me to go back home.”

“What were you planning to do if I had just gone back normally?”

“Then I would have thought I was overthinking and gone back again.”

“You…”

Shimizu-san’s face seemed exasperated, and she appeared to be pondering about something.

“Well, it’s a good thing Shimizu-san was here. If you’re here means you have no way to get home, right? “

“…yes. Do you have a solution for that? “

“Well… about that.”

“Why do you suddenly sound hesitant?”

“You can use my umbrella.”

“Huh? “

Shimizu-san’s reaction was not much different from what I had expected.

“I looked at the nearby convenience store, but they were sold out of vinyl umbrellas. So I only have one umbrella for you.”

“Then what about you? How are you going to get back?”

“I don’t know, maybe I’ll ask Teruno to pick me up.”

Even though Teruno is not fond of going out, I’m sure she would come to help me if I’m in trouble.

“…Half.”

“Yes?”

“Can you lend me half of it?”

“You mean sharing the umbrella?”

“Don’t bother rephrasing it! So, what do you say?”

“Is Shimizu-san okay with that?”

“It’s strange for you to have an umbrella and not use it. But I don’t want to get my dress or plush toys wet in the rain. So… please let me put them in your umbrella.”

Shimizu-san told me in a strained voice.

“Alright, in that case, can you get under the umbrella?”

“O-Okay.”

Shimizu-san hesitantly entered under my umbrella. Thus, Shimizu-san and I started moving toward our home from the station.

“The rain won’t stop, huh?”

” …I guess so.”

A few minutes after leaving the station, we walked quietly under the rainy sky.

“Shimizu-san, am I walking too fast? “

“It’s fine.”

“That’s good then.”

The conversation stopped. I wonder how we were able to talk normally before.

It’s not a common experience for me, so I don’t know what to do either.

“Hey.”

“What is it, Shimizu-san?”

“Come closer to me.”

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“Your shoulder is wet. You’ll catch a cold.”

Shimizu-san seems concerned about the side opposite to the one holding the umbrella.

“Just a little wet, it’s fine.”

“I don’t want you to catch a cold while you’re lending me an umbrella. Come closer.”

“Is it okay if it’s a little cramped? “

This umbrella is not that big since it is a folding umbrella.

To avoid getting wet, maybe we need to get close enough that our shoulders would touch.

” …it’s fine. So come over here.”

If Shimizu-san says so, there’s no reason to refuse.

I moved closer to Shimizu-san until our shoulders were almost touching.

“T-that’s good enough.”

“Thank you, Shimizu-san.”

“It’s your umbrella, so there’s no need to thank me.”

“Fufu.”

“What are you laughing?”

Shimizu-san glared at me. Oops, I accidentally laughed.

“I just thought that Shimizu-san was really nice.”

“What? What’s this all of a sudden?”

“It’s nothing. Just something I thought.”

“If you say it like that, you’re so much better than me because you came back to the station for me even though you’re not even sure I’m there.”

“Somehow… I’m just doing it to make sure I don’t regret anything.”

“You’ve said that before, but what does it mean? Is there a reason for that?”

Hmm, have I said that to Shimizu-san before? I don’t remember.

“It’s not a big reason, but I had a small regret in the past, I just don’t want to feel that anymore.”

“…What happened?”

I didn’t expect Shimizu-san to be interested. I hesitate to speak, but I guess it’s not something to hide.