"Good morning, Sara-senpai."
"Good morning, Takanashi-san."
Today, the two of us headed to school together.
Natsumi-senpai occasionally had mornings where club activities kept her from joining us. I only recently learned that she was in the tennis club, by the way. Since our school didn't make clubs mandatory, I’d had no idea—she’d never brought it up before.
"I hope the weather holds out until it’s time to go home..."
"Eh?"
Now that she mentioned it, Senpai was carrying an umbrella, even though the sky was perfectly clear.
"The forecast said it would rain before the evening. Come to think of it, Takanashi-san, did you not bring an umbrella with you?"
"I didn't... but I might be able to get home before it starts. I’m sure it’ll work out somehow."
"I suppose so. If you can leave early, it should be fine."
I came to regret tempting fate like that during our sixth-period class. Even while we were eating our bentos, the sun had still been out...
The rain was coming down in a heavy sheet.
It was a real downpour. However, heavy rain usually lets up if you wait a bit, so I decided to hang back for a while.
...
...
No good, huh? I guess I’ll just have to run for it.
"Oh, Takanashi-kun, was it? What’s the matter? Why are you still here?"
The person who appeared was none other than the Student Council President.
"President. Um, thanks for your help the other day."
I couldn't exactly call us acquaintances, so I struggled to find the right distance to keep with my tone.
"No, that was part of my duties for the Student Council, so don't worry about it. More importantly, since you wouldn't be taking shelter here for no reason, did you forget your umbrella?"
"Yes... It was so sunny this morning that I let my guard down."
"True, looking only at the morning weather, no one would have expected rain. What’s the plan? If you can make a run for it, that's one thing, but if you’d like, the two of us could share my—"
"President... do you have some business with Takanashi-san? If there is something to discuss, I will listen in his stead."
Since the Student Council President was here, it wasn't strange that it was also time for Sara-senpai to head home. But I’d been caught in a somewhat pathetic situation.
"No, it’s nothing like that. I wasn't trying to give him a hard time, so you don't need to jump in so defensively..."
"Then please excuse my rudeness. Takanashi-san, what is the... Ah, that’s right. You didn't have an umbrella today."
Ugh, she hit the nail on the head.
"I was just talking to him about that. But did you know about this, Satsukawa-san?"
"Yes, because we spoke about it this morning."
With that, Sara-senpai lifted the umbrella in her hand slightly and looked at me with a soft smile.
"Now, Takanashi-san, please forgive the small size of the umbrella, but let us head home together."
"!?"
The Student Council President looked as if he’d been struck by a bolt out of the blue.
"N-No, I'll just run ho—"
"I will not allow that. I could never forgive myself if I let Takanashi-san go home alone in this."
Ah, there it was—her 'cannot be resisted' mode. When she got like this, I had no choice but to do as she said. Because if I tried to argue...
"No, but if the two of us share an umbrella, you'll get wet, Sara-senpai. I don't really mind getting soaked, so..."
"Takanashi-san, it is a trivial matter whether I get wet or not. More importantly, do you think I am capable of standing by and watching you leave in this downpour? ...Or is it that you simply dislike the idea of being under my umbrella?"
"I understand! I'm sorry to trouble you, but please let me share it! I’m actually really happy to be able to go home with you, Sara-senpai!"
It always ended up like this. Senpai, that sorrowful expression of yours is just unfair.
"Fufu, then shall we head home quickly? It seems the rain will only get heavier the longer we wait."
...Wait, I'm still standing right here.
I’ve been completely forgotten, haven't I?
Still, I’d heard about this from Natsumi, but the impact of seeing it in person is far greater than I imagined. Is that truly the same Satsukawa-san I know? I’d believe it if someone told me she was a look-alike.
It was surprising enough just seeing her smiling at a man, but does she really change this much when it comes to Takanashi-kun?
...No, this is... Right, I should try consulting Natsumi about this.
"Ahem... Well then, excuse me for heading off first, you two."
Ah, I completely forgot the President was even there.
"Yes... Then, President, thank you for your hard work."
What a formal, business-like greeting. I wondered if she was always like that with him.
"President, thank you for your hard work."
The President opened his umbrella and walked away.
"Now then, Takanashi-san, shall we head home as well?"
Senpai spoke to me while looking my way, appearing quite happy. She opened her umbrella and stood beside me, but... yeah, as I thought, the height difference was an issue. It was a struggle for her to hold it high enough for both of us.
"Sara-senpai, I'll hold the umbrella."
I took it from her and held it over the two of us as we stepped out into the rain.
"Takanashi-san, please stay close so you don't get wet, okay?"
"I'm fine, really."
There was another reason I’d taken the lead. I tilted the umbrella significantly toward her side. Naturally, my outer shoulder started getting soaked, but I didn't care in the slightest. I walked slowly, matching her pace.
"...This is the first time we’ve walked home together like this, isn't it?"
"You're right. I don't have a club, and you usually have the Student Council, Sara-senpai."
Somehow... even though being alone with Senpai wasn't a rare occurrence, today felt different. It felt special.