[ T#0 | 🌆 | June 3rd (Thu) | 5:58 PM | 📍 Beach | 🌀 ]

The June rain pours down without warning.

In front of the school gate after hours. The sky suddenly grew heavy, and thick raindrops began to drum against the asphalt. There wasn't even time to pull out an umbrella. I dashed under a small eave next to the gate, holding my bag over my head. The shelter was so narrow I could barely avoid the rain. Catching my breath, I looked up at the sky.

"..."

Someone was already there. Toru Segawa. He didn't look this way at first. He was just quietly watching the rain fall from the edge of the eaves. The sleeves of his school shirt were slightly damp. Under the narrow shelter, there was barely a hand's span of distance between our shoulders. I felt like I should say something, yet also felt like I should just stay silent. The sound of the rain filled the space between us.

After a long while, he let out a small breath.

Toru | 「…しばらく止まなそうだな。」(...It doesn't look like it'll stop for a while.)

His voice was low and quiet. It was in a tone that made it ambiguous whether he was speaking to me or to himself.

At that moment, Toru narrowed his eyes. He remained silent for a while, still staring at the rain from the edge of the eaves. A fleeting thought that this had happened before crossed my mind and then vanished. The sound of waves could be heard from afar.

Toru continued to gaze at the sea without looking my way. He didn't seem to have any intention of moving yet, though no one knew when this rain would let up. Neither of us opened our mouths easily. We just stood there, silently watching the horizon of the sea.