When I walked out of Sobu University's gate, the sky had already completely darkened.
The evening wind carried the coolness after the rain, swirling up the cherry blossom petals on the ground.
Okabara Kyogumichi looked up at the sky; the heavy clouds, like water-soaked cotton, pressed down heavily on the roof of the teaching building, indicating that a rain was unavoidable.
He quickened his pace, walking along the familiar street towards home.
He had walked this path for three years, and he could count every streetlamp along the way with his eyes closed.
Passing by the record store that always played jazz, the old-fashioned record player in the window was spinning, and the saxophone melody drifted out with the wind, carrying a lazy sense of melancholy.
"Drip."
The first raindrop landed on Kyogumichi's forehead, and the cold sensation made him instinctively look up.
Immediately after, more raindrops fell densely, as if the sky had suddenly torn open.
He frowned and quickly rushed into the convenience store on the corner—luckily, it wasn't far.
The warm yellow light of the convenience store dispelled the chill of the rain curtain.
Kyogumichi took off his wet jacket and walked to the bento section.
Various flavors of bento were displayed in the glass cabinet, and steam condensed into water droplets on the glass.
He chose a teriyaki chicken bento and took a bottle of hot oolong tea; this was a habit he had recently developed—before transmigrating, he rarely ate such fast food, but now he thought the occasional convenience was not bad.
When paying, the cashier was a young man wearing glasses, who chatted while scanning the items: "This rain came so suddenly; the weather forecast just said it would only be cloudy."
"Yes," Kyogumichi took the bag containing the bento, his fingertips touching the cold surface of the plastic bag, "I wonder how long it will last."
"Probably until midnight, given how hard it's raining outside," the cashier gestured towards the window.
Kyogumichi followed his gaze; rainwater had already formed small streams on the road, and passing vehicles splashed high.
He hesitated for a moment, then turned and grabbed a black long-handled umbrella; he didn't want to get wet and catch a cold.
When he walked out of the convenience store, the rain showed no signs of weakening.
Kyogumichi opened his umbrella, and with a "thump," the umbrella surface unfurled, blocking out the dense sound of the rain.
He walked slowly along the sidewalk, the rain tapping on the umbrella surface, making a monotonous and regular sound, like a lullaby.
As he passed Central Park, Kyogumichi's steps suddenly stopped.
At the swing area near the park entrance, there was a familiar figure.
The girl was wearing the same university uniform as him, a sailor suit, and her flaxen long hair was wet with rain, clinging tightly to her cheeks and neck.
She sat quietly on the swing, not moving, letting the cold rain soak her entire body.
The hem of her skirt hung damply, stained with mud from the ground, but she didn't seem to care at all.
It was Shiina Mahiru.
Kyogumichi knew her, not only because they were neighbors, living on the same floor of the same apartment building, but also because she was the school's well-known "Angel"—excellent grades, gentle personality, always willing to help, and always wearing a perfectly appropriate smile.
But at this moment, Shiina Mahiru had completely lost her usual radiance.
She bowed her head slightly, her long hair covering most of her face, revealing only the delicate line of her chin.
Those eyes, always clear and bright, as if containing starlight, were now staring blankly at a puddle on the ground, without any focus, like a doll that had lost its soul.
No highlights.
Kyogumichi's heart felt as if something had gently tugged at it.
He had never seen Shiina Mahiru like this.
The girl who always wore a gentle smile and would politely say "Good morning" when they met in the hallway, now looked like a white rose ravaged by a downpour, so fragile it made one's heart ache.
He stood still, holding his umbrella, and rainwater dripped from the edge of the umbrella, forming a small puddle at his feet.
He was hesitating whether to go forward.
Although Shiina Mahiru's personality was gentle, she also carried a sense of detachment, as if she had drawn an invisible circle around herself, making it difficult for people to truly get close.
Kyogumichi had been her neighbor for three weeks, and they only occasionally greeted each other in the hallway; the bond progress on the system panel had remained at 1%.
[Character: Shiina Mahiru]
[Bond Progress: 1%]
[Status: Emotional Anomaly (Sadness / Loss)]
[Hint: Detected that the character's current state is unstable; approaching may trigger a special event]
The system's prompt popped up in time.
Kyogumichi looked at the words "Emotional Anomaly" on the panel and tightened his grip on the umbrella handle.
The Shiina Mahiru he knew was always the perfect "Angel," seemingly never having negative emotions.
But now, she was sitting alone in the rain, letting sadness drown her.
Something must have happened behind this.
Kyogumichi took a deep breath and stepped into the park.
The rain formed a dry space under his umbrella.
He slowly approached the swing area, his footsteps muffled by the sound of the rain.
It wasn't until he was a few steps away from Shiina Mahiru that she finally seemed to notice something and slowly raised her head.
Their eyes met.
Shiina Mahiru's eyes were bloodshot, clearly having cried.
When she saw Kyogumichi, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, then she returned to that hollow state, saying nothing, just silently turning her head and looking at the ground again.
Kyogumichi didn't speak, just silently held the umbrella over her head.
The rain was kept outside the umbrella, leaving only a small, quiet space between the two.
He could smell the faint, rain-diluted gardenia perfume on her, and he could hear her suppressed, subtle sobs.
After a long while, Shiina Mahiru finally spoke in a hoarse voice, as if using all her strength: "…Okabara-san?"
"Mm," Kyogumichi responded, his gaze falling on her soaked hair, "The rain is heavy; why aren't you taking shelter?"
Shiina Mahiru didn't answer, just buried her face deeper, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Kyogumichi didn't press further either.
He knew this wasn't the time to ask for reasons.
He just stood there quietly, holding the umbrella, accompanying her as she sat in the rain.
As the rain washed over the swing, the metal chains made a soft "creak."
Distant streetlights shone through the rain curtain, casting a blurry halo, stretching their shadows long and intertwining them.
Kyogumichi looked down at the still-warm bento bag in his hand, then at the girl curled up beside him, and suddenly made a decision.
He said softly, "The rain won't stop anytime soon; I'll take you home."
Shiina Mahiru's body stiffened for a moment, not answering immediately.
Kyogumichi waited patiently, the umbrella held steadily over her head.
After an unknown amount of time, she nodded ever so slightly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "…Okay."
Kyogumichi helped her up by the arm; her body was as cold as jade.
He tilted the umbrella more towards her, almost completely covering her, leaving half of his own shoulder exposed to the rain, which quickly got soaked.
The two walked out of the park side by side, silently walking on the street, which was shining from the rain.
Streetlights cast broken patches of light on the wet ground, like scattered stars.
Kyogumichi could feel that Shiina Mahiru's steps were very light and unsteady, as if she might fall at any moment.
He subtly slowed his pace, allowing her to keep up with his rhythm.
As they neared the apartment building, Shiina Mahiru suddenly stopped and looked up at Kyogumichi, a faint glimmer finally appearing in her eyes: "…Thank you, Okabara-san."
"You're welcome," Kyogumichi looked at her, "Go on up, change your clothes quickly, don't catch a cold."
Shiina Mahiru nodded and turned to walk into the apartment building.
The moment she stepped into the elevator, she looked back at Kyogumichi again, her eyes complex, as if she had many things to say, but in the end, she just softly said, "Good night."
"Good night."
The elevator doors slowly closed, cutting off her figure.
Kyogumichi stood downstairs, watching the elevator number jump to "5"—that was their floor.
He breathed a sigh of relief, closed his umbrella, and rainwater dripped from the ribs, splashing small droplets on the ground.
[Character: Shiina Mahiru]
[Bond Progress: 1% → 5% (Triggered Event: Guardian in the Rain)]
[Event Evaluation: She felt your kindness; the tightly closed heart has a slight crack]
[Points Gained: 50 points]
[Current Points: 350 points]
Kyogumichi looked at the changes on the system panel, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Although he didn't know what Shiina Mahiru had gone through, at least he had taken the first step.
He turned and walked into the apartment building; his wet clothes clung to his skin, chilling him to the bone, but there was a strange warmth in his heart.
Back home, Kyogumichi threw his soaked jacket into the washing machine, then heated up his bento.
Sitting at the small dining table, he ate the slightly cooled teriyaki chicken while contemplating his next plan.
Shiina Mahiru's bond progress was at 5%, Katou Megumi was at 2%, and Chitanda Eru was at 5%.
With five days left to complete the timed mission, he still needed at least two key characters with a bond of "friend" or higher.
"It seems I can't just wait passively," Kyogumichi took a sip of hot oolong tea; the warm liquid slid down his throat, dispelling some of the chill, "I need to take the initiative."
He opened the system panel, looking at the tempting skills, his eyes becoming firm.
Whether to complete the mission or to survive better in this world, he had to work harder.
The rain was still falling outside the window, tapping on the glass with a crisp sound.
Kyogumichi put down his chopsticks and began to plan his schedule for tomorrow—first, to give the modern literature handout to Katou Megumi, then to go to the city hall with Chitanda to check archives.
As for the other key characters… Kyogumichi's gaze fell on Kaguya Shinomiya's avatar on the system panel, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Perhaps he could "accidentally" meet her at the student council office?
As night deepened, the rain showed no signs of stopping.
Kyogumichi lay in bed, listening to the rain, and gradually drifted into dreamland.
In his dream, he seemed to be back in that windmill village full of sunshine and sea breeze, and Luffy was smiling and reaching out to him: "Let's set sail together, Kyogumichi!"