Chapter 2: The Girl in the Seasonless Garden
Rain continued to fall—but somehow, it no longer felt cold.
Beneath the thin umbrella in the heart of an empty park, two silhouettes stood closer than strangers, yet not quite friends. The air, heavy with clouds, held a stillness—soft and breathless—like the world had forgotten time just for them.
Ren tilted his head, quietly observing the girl before him.
"Nice meeting you too, Himari," he said at last, voice low but sincere.
She nodded, a bright expression dancing across her face like sunlight behind rain. But as she nodded, water that clung to her hair and soaked into her dress broke loose—streaming in droplets that pattered off her like tiny waterfalls.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
"…Umm… Himari… you're kinda pouring water on me too…" Ren murmured, leaning slightly away, brows furrowed with awkward confusion.
"Oh!" Her eyes widened as she realized her soaked condition was now soaking him too. In her attempt to step back and regain her balance, she moved a bit too suddenly—and ended up sending even more water flying in all directions.
It was chaos. A wet, dripping, adorable mess.
Her expression faltered for a second—embarrassed and horrified—but then shifted into something softer. She pressed both hands to her mouth, trying to trap the laughter threatening to burst out.
Her shoulders trembled.
Ren watched.
He knew.
He didn't need to guess. She was trying very hard not to laugh at her own ridiculousness.
His face flattened into an exaggerated frown, eyes narrowed—a chibi expression that screamed "irritated but defeated."
He just stood there, umbrella slightly tilted, watching her chuckle behind her fingers.
"I'm really sorry," Himari managed between muffled laughs. "I swear I didn't mean to! It just… happened."
Ren raised an eyebrow, pretending to sigh as he glanced to the side.
"…Yeah, I figured," he muttered, voice barely above the rain. "Childish girls like you really are dummies."
She froze.
"…What?"
He turned just enough to see the confusion on her face. Curious. Appalled. And still half amused.
"Oyy… Sharp brain!" she suddenly called him, pointing accusingly with a finger, still under the umbrella.
Ren blinked. "What's with the name, little kid?"
"That's my line!" she fired back, lips parted in disbelief. "First I'm a dummy, now I'm a little kid? Do I look like a kid to you?"
"You're moving around so much you're still soaking me," he replied flatly, stepping back again.
"…Oh my— I'm sorry again!" she gasped, her arms shooting to her sides like she'd touched a live wire.
"Maybe I should call you bird brain instead," Ren teased, smirking.
"Eh?? What does that even mean!?" she asked, stunned.
Ren laughed softly—more than usual this time. "No rush. You'll figure it out someday."
Himari narrowed her eyes, mouth in a pout. "Then why are you smiling like that?"
He shook his head slightly, rain tapping the umbrella's fabric like soft drumbeats. "No reason."
"…You're weird," she mumbled.
But her tone wasn't annoyed. It was… something else. A little softer now. A little warmer.
"So…" Ren cleared his throat. "You're not planning to stay out in this weather, are you?"
"Huh? Obviously not," she answered, straightening her posture with a mock sense of dignity. "I'm a grown-up. I don't do foolish things."
Ren couldn't help it—he laughed again, even as he tried to suppress it.
"What now!?" she asked, a bit pink in the cheeks. "Did I say something wrong again?"
"No no," he assured between chuckles. "You're doing just fine."
He paused before asking more seriously, "Where's home? Is it far from here?"
"Not really," she answered, brushing wet strands away from her face. "But… I don't have a way back. I really was trying to catch a train earlier. That part was true, okay?"
Ren smirked. "So you do know how to tell the truth."
Her cheeks reddened instantly. "Oyyy! You're making fun of me again!"
"Sorry, sorry," he said, biting his lip to hold in another laugh. "So you're stranded. No umbrella. No transport. Huh…"
She looked down, fidgeting with her hands. "Yeah. I guess so…"
"Well," Ren said, lifting his eyes with a calm glint, "I think I have an idea."
Himari looked up, curious.
"What is it?"
Ren tilted the umbrella slightly over her. "How about… I walk you home?"
Her eyes lit up.
"I mean," he continued, voice soft and thoughtful, "you love the rain, right? So walking under this little umbrella, talking along the way—doesn't sound so bad."
There was silence for a moment. Just rain between them.
Then came her reply.
"That would be… perfect," she whispered, eyes shining like lanterns. "Ready when you are."
They stood side by side, smiling at each other like they'd done it a thousand times before. Then—step by step—they turned together, beginning the short walk toward her house.
But just as their steps found rhythm, a sudden gust of wind howled through the air—sharp, wild, and sudden.
Whoosh!
The umbrella flew from Ren's hand like a leaf on the wind, flipping midair and disappearing down the empty street.
They both froze.
For a beat, neither moved. Rain crashed down on them, unfiltered now. Cold. Heavy. Endless.
And yet…
They looked at each other.
And laughed.
Together.
Laughter that cut through the thunder. That felt like warmth in winter. Like the kind you don't plan. The kind that stays.
Two strangers.
One shared umbrella.
Now—no umbrella at all.
But maybe, just maybe…
They were never shelterless to begin with.