It was a shame that the school didn't have surveillance cameras around. Otherwise, if I asked Kana-sensei to check the footage, we'd easily figure out who had taken Nayuta's umbrella.
"…"
While Kasumigaoka Touji pondered how to handle the situation, he and Kani Nayuta walked side by side toward the entrance of the teaching building. The rain pattered steadily against the concrete, a soft rhythm that made the world feel strangely quieter.
Already waiting at the entrance was Kasumigaoka Utaha. The moment her burgundy eyes fell upon the pair, her gaze lingered for a split second too long on the silver-haired girl beside Touji. She quickly masked the flicker of surprise with her usual sharp tongue. "You're late again, little brother. What took you so long?"
But as Utaha spoke, her eyes subtly narrowed. Something caught her attention. Touji didn't have his umbrella in hand. Instead, her gaze drifted to the one Nayuta held tightly. For some reason… it looked awfully familiar.
"Utaha-nee," Touji explained smoothly before she could question further, "Nayuta's umbrella was taken by someone. We'll have to share for now."
Utaha blinked, caught slightly off guard. Then, with an almost imperceptible nod, she agreed. "Alright."
Her tone was calm, but there was a spark of surprise in her eyes. It wasn't like Touji to get involved in such matters.
Meanwhile, Nayuta shifted uncomfortably under Utaha's gaze. Her clear blue eyes darted away, guilt and embarrassment mingling on her face. "… Sorry for the trouble."
Touji simply smiled, brushing it off. "Let's go."
Without another word, he reached for Utaha's umbrella, opened it with a soft whoosh, and held it over the two of them. Sliding an arm around her slender shoulder, Touji led her into the rain.
The downpour wasn't as fierce as earlier that morning, and with no wind to bite against their skin, the atmosphere felt strangely intimate. Walking shoulder to shoulder beneath a single umbrella, Touji felt an odd warmth in his chest. Though the wet pavement beneath their feet was unpleasant, the closeness more than made up for it.
Utaha leaned into him naturally, like a bird nesting in its favorite perch. Her breaths were calm, measured, and scented faintly with the aroma of ink and faint perfume. With the steady drizzle as their backdrop, she allowed herself to melt against him. Her burgundy eyes softened as she tilted her face to take in the misty world around them. In that quiet moment, she thought it wasn't so bad that Nayuta's umbrella had gone missing.
The last time she had shared an umbrella with Touji had been over a year ago. Back then, the distance between them had been wider—both physically and emotionally. Now, however, their relationship had shifted. The bond they shared, the change in their identities—it all added a sweetness that warmed her chest. It felt like she was finally living the kind of rainy-day romance others often whispered about.
"…"
Trailing a step behind, Nayuta quickly opened her own umbrella, hurrying to follow. She watched the two figures just ahead of her: Touji and Utaha huddled close together under a single canopy, their silhouettes merging against the rain. The sight was undeniably intimate. Yet, oddly enough, Nayuta didn't feel envy. Instead, her heart brimmed with a pure sense of gratitude. He had lent her his umbrella earlier, after all. That single gesture meant more to her than words could.
Her sapphire eyes locked on Touji's back, sparkling with quiet admiration. For her, just being able to follow him, even at a small distance, was enough.
But soon, they would part ways at the school gate. Nayuta's bus stop was just outside, while Touji and Utaha would continue toward the train station together. Even so, she savored these few extra moments.
"Don't worry about the umbrella," Touji called back suddenly, his voice carrying through the rainfall. His arm still rested lightly on Utaha's shoulder as he glanced back at Nayuta. "I'll help you figure out who took it."
"Eh…?" Nayuta blinked, startled. But then her lips curved into a small, relieved smile. "O-Okay."
The weight pressing on her chest seemed to vanish in that instant. She felt light, almost giddy, as though the rain had washed away her unease.
"Then… see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Touji replied.
Nayuta adjusted her schoolbag, looping its strap onto the same arm holding her umbrella. She raised her free hand, waving softly. Her gaze lingered briefly on Utaha. To her surprise, Utaha also lifted her hand in return, though her gesture was more restrained.
With that, the trio split—Nayuta heading toward the bus stop while Touji and Utaha continued down the cherry-blossom-lined street.
"…"
The sound of rain muffled the usual city clamor. The rows of sakura trees flanking the street had shed most of their blossoms; only a few stubborn petals clung to the branches. The fleeting pink dream of spring had passed. To witness it again, one would have to wait another year.
"Otouto-kun" Utaha broke the silence with a sidelong glance, her tone calm but her eyes glinting with something sharper, "are you really planning to help her track down the culprit?"
Her voice carried a subtle weight, the faintest trace of jealousy. After all, Utaha herself had once had her umbrella stolen, yet Touji hadn't shown such concern back then. Wasn't this proof enough? New bonds were always cherished more than old ones… right?
A faint flicker of resentment shimmered in her burgundy gaze.
"I'll try," Touji admitted quietly. He hesitated, then added, "She… took a leave of absence last year. It wasn't voluntary."
"…!"
Utaha froze at his words, eyes widening slightly. She studied Touji's expression, then looked away, murmuring in thought. Could it be… Nayuta had experienced something that painful?
Now that she thought about it, she did recall Nayuta mentioning once, almost casually, that her 'past life was bleak.'
"…Then we really do need to find whoever it was," Utaha said firmly. "At the very least, make them apologize."
She wasn't one to meddle normally, but this time, she couldn't help but side with Nayuta. She was practically half an insider already.
Touji gave a small nod, his gaze drifting toward the misty horizon as the rain continued to fall…
....
…
Time slipped by quietly, the rain outside continuing its endless rhythm. On rainy days like this, the evening darkness always seemed to arrive faster. By just past four, the sky outside Touji's window was already growing dim.
He flicked on the bedroom light, casting a warm glow over his desk. He had planned to write more of Tokyo Ghoul, but his thoughts kept circling back to Kani Nayuta, refusing to let him focus. Her shy smile, the way she held that umbrella so tightly—it all gnawed at him.
Finally, he sat back in his chair and muttered, "No more waiting."
Pulling out his phone, he messaged the class monitor to request admin rights to the class group chat. Once granted, he immediately tagged everyone:
[Touji.]: "Who took Honda-san's umbrella? It's red with black edges. I hope the person responsible will apologize to her voluntarily and return it. Then this matter will be over."
[Touji.]: "Also—"
[Touji.]: "I'm personally offering a reward of 30,000 yen. If anyone has information, please come to me directly. I won't reveal who told me."
[Touji.]: "That's all!"
Originally, he had intended to wait until later that night, after dinner, when everyone would be more relaxed. But he couldn't hold back any longer. His fingers had acted before he could second-guess himself.
And just like that, the chat exploded.
[Yamamoto Kuma-ji]: "What the heck!? Who would do something so low? On a rainy day too! How's the poor girl supposed to get home!?"
Touji's half-friend Kuma-ji immediately jumped in to support. The class monitor followed with righteous fury.
[Asakawa Saori]: "Too much! Whoever it was, apologize to Honda-san properly!"
[Kitazono Ryo]: "Do we really have someone like that in our class?"
[Itō Hidesato]: "Who is it? Own up!"
[Shimizu Takuya]: "Kasumigaoka's so rich! My entire monthly allowance isn't even 30,000 yen…"
[Nakajima Masaki]: "Tch, I only get 20,000 yen, and that's with lunch money included…"
The group briefly spiraled into chatter about allowances before snapping back to the real issue—
[Sakurai Akira]: "Stealing an umbrella on a rainy day is just vile!"
[Kumin Tsuyuri]: "So mean!"
[Kumin Tsuyuri]: "Honda-san, are you still at school? I'm in my clubroom now, I can walk you to the station, or buy you an umbrella at the convenience store."
[Suzuki Masato]: "Same here, I can help too!"
[Eriri Spencer Sawamura]: "Whoever it is, just admit it! Don't think you can cover this up—there's always a trail!"
"…"
[Eriri Spencer Sawamura]: "Wait, her umbrella was stolen!?"
Eriri popped up in the chat, then quickly sent Touji a private message. He replied casually:
[Touji.]: "Yeah, but luckily Utaha was on duty today. I left late, so I lent Nayuta mine."
[Eriri Spencer Sawamura]: "Unbelievable! Whoever did it is seriously the worst!"
Her indignation blazed—partly for her friend Nayuta, and partly at the sheer shamelessness of the act.
Meanwhile, at home, Kani Nayuta had been scrolling through the chat quietly. When she saw Touji stand up for her so boldly, her chest tightened. Reading classmates like Kumin and Suzuki offering to help, and Eriri jumping to her defense, she nearly burst into tears. The warmth swelling in her heart made her eyes sting. This class really is… kind of amazing, she thought. Well, most of them, anyway.
Finally, Nayuta typed into the group:
[Kani Nayuta]: "To whoever took my umbrella… please return it tomorrow and just say sorry. That's enough."
[Kani Nayuta]: "I won't reveal who you are, but please don't take other people's things again."
[Yamamoto Kuma-ji]: "Honda-san is so generous!"
[Kuriyama Takeshi]: "The thief better apologize properly!"
Then, the atmosphere shifted once more as a new message appeared—
[Kojima Kana]: "@Everyone. If no one admits by tomorrow morning, I'll personally check the surveillance cameras from the school building to the gate. And trust me, when I find out, I won't be so nice."
Even online, Kojima-sensei's aura was terrifying. The group fell into an immediate, uneasy silence.
Touji, however, couldn't help but grin. Cool as ever, Kojima-sensei. She's seriously amazing… The phrase echoed in his mind: the older the ginger, the spicier it is.
A while later, as Touji headed downstairs to prepare dinner, his phone buzzed again. A message from Nayuta—
[Kani Nayuta]: "Someone apologized to me just now. They promised to bring my umbrella back tomorrow."
Touji stared at the message, then let out a low chuckle. "As expected of Kojima-sensei. Truly amazing."
In every sense of the word… the older the ginger, the spicier indeed.
…