The forecast had promised clear skies.
It lied.
By noon, the clouds rolled in like a gray blanket, and rain poured without warning. The friend group, originally planning to meet at the park, ended up stuck at a nearby convenience store, huddled beneath the awning.
"We're cursed," Aiko sighed dramatically, a bag of snacks already in her hands.
"I kind of like the rain," Sora said, peering out into the downpour.
"Of course you do. You're a poetic soul," Yuto teased, slapping his shoulder. "Bet you secretly write haikus."
"I do not."
"Lies."
Rika laughed behind her hand.
Naoto stood beside her, umbrella in hand but not yet opened.
He glanced at Mei, who stood quietly near the edge, watching the raindrops with the calm of someone who wasn't really in this world right now.
"We can go to my place," Yuto suddenly offered. "It's nearby. And my parents are out all day."
Everyone turned to him.
"Are you… serious?" Aiko raised an eyebrow.
Yuto shrugged. "Why not? We're all wet, cold, and halfway miserable. Let's make it a rainy day memory."
---
At Yuto's Apartment
It was smaller than Rika's house, a little messy, and the lights flickered once when they turned them on.
But it was warm.
And it was real.
They dropped their bags, took off their wet jackets, and immediately started raiding the kitchen.
Sora found instant noodles. Aiko discovered an old karaoke mic. Rika wrapped herself in a fluffy blanket she found on the couch and declared it "mine now."
Yuto turned on music—something cheesy and upbeat—and soon the room was filled with laughter and noise.
---
The Living Room
"Okay, okay—truth or dare, but with a twist," Aiko announced, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "You either answer the question… or you tell a funny childhood memory."
"That's dangerous," Mei murmured, already sipping hot cocoa.
"I'm in," Rika grinned, surprising everyone. "Let's make this the most fun rain day ever."
And they did.
Naoto had to admit his first crush was a 2D anime character.
Sora told the story of the time he got his head stuck between stair railings.
Mei, reluctantly, shared a moment from grade school when she accidentally wore mismatched shoes the entire day and didn't notice.
Even Rika revealed that she used to pretend to faint to avoid gym class.
They all laughed until their sides hurt.
---
A Pause in the Chaos
Later, the noise died down a little. The rain still tapped against the window like a soft lullaby.
Naoto found himself sitting on the floor near the couch, Rika curled beside him, half-asleep. Yuto and Sora were trying to beat a game level. Mei was quietly reading manga. Aiko, of course, was still singing into the broken mic.
Naoto glanced around and felt something strange settle in his chest.
Not sadness.
Not guilt.
Something close to belonging.
---
On the Balcony
He stepped out for a moment. The rain had lessened, and the clouds had begun to break. Mei joined him.
"You're smiling," she said.
He didn't realize he was.
"They make it easy," he replied.
She leaned on the railing. "You've changed, you know."
He looked at her, eyebrow raised.
"You used to carry everything alone. Now you share it… even if you don't realize it."
Naoto didn't respond, but the silence said enough.
---
The Evening Ends
By the time they packed up and left, the sky was clearing. Everyone was exhausted, full of instant noodles, and completely content.
Rika walked beside Naoto, and though they didn't say much, their arms occasionally brushed. Neither moved away.
At her door, before stepping inside, she whispered, "Thanks."
"For what?" Naoto asked.
"For being here. With us. With me."
He gave her a gentle smile. "I'm glad I was."
---