The rain is getting heavier.
Suddenly when I start running, I sense a confused air coming from behind me. But I don't respond. Grabbing Blake's arm, I hurriedly walk towards the entrance and exit which is equivalent to the back door.
"Ben?"
"I'll explain later."
I just wave my hand gently to signal him not to ask anymore, but my footsteps still don't slow down. However, just a few meters away from the back door, suddenly the rain starts pouring down like a bucket being overturned.
In an instant, we are completely drenched.
"Are you okay?"
"This rain came too suddenly."
Walking into a place with a roof, I look up at the pouring sky. The rain falling from the dark sky forms many puddles on the ground. Some places are even flowing like small streams.
"Ben will catch a cold."
When I lean out of the roof, I am suddenly pulled back by the person behind me. Then Blake uses a handkerchief to press and wipe away the water drops dripping from my hair.
"Anyway, let's go out first."
"Is this okay?"
"Probably this rain won't stop for a while. While there are still cars available, we'd better leave quickly."
I am about to walk out of the park when Blake frowns slightly. But I shake my head and point to the taxi stand outside.
A queue has started to form. Probably in another five minutes or ten minutes, it will become a long line.
"Is Blake's schedule very early tomorrow morning?"
"... No, it starts in the evening tomorrow, so it's not early."
"That's good."
Blake blinks in confusion. I mutter to myself and take out my mobile phone. Then I quickly walk towards the queue waiting for a taxi. Blake stares at me with wide-open eyes.
I also feel that I'm a bit too forceful, but in this situation of being completely soaked by the rain, it won't be good if Blake catches a cold.
"Can I ask something?"
"Hmm?"
"Where are we going?"
"Well, my home. It's about a twenty-minute drive from here. By the way, it's better to take shelter from the rain and dry our clothes."
Hearing what I say, Blake tilts his head and looks even more confused. Even Blake can't keep up with this sudden development, right? The plan for the summer vacation has been brought forward a bit, but it should be okay this time.
As soon as I open the door of the entrance hall, my mother comes out to greet me with a big smile, as if she is waiting for us.
"The rain is very heavy, right. If you had told me, I would have asked Bella to pick you up."
"Mom, what are you doing at the entrance hall?"
"What else could I be doing? Of course I'm waiting for Ben."
My mother answers as a matter of course. I helplessly lower my head and sigh. But she doesn't care about her son's reaction at all and hands the towel to Blake standing behind.
"Welcome. Don't catch a cold. Wipe it quickly."
"Thank you. I'm sorry for the sudden visit."
My mother bypasses me and walks towards Blake. She has always liked handsome guys and is a face-connoisseur. But this time her enthusiasm is a bit too high, right?
"It's okay, it's okay. Come in quickly. Well, is it the first time we meet?"
Come to think of it, except for Carl, I haven't brought a friend home for a long time. Did I make a wrong choice this time?
"Nice to meet you. I'm Blake."
"Oh, Blake. What's your family name?"
"Er, ah, Smith."
Blake is suppressed by my mother's imposing manner and answers. Seeing his pitiful appearance, I can't help but move my body. Facing my mother's continuous questions, although Blake is smiling, he is obviously very restrained. Anyone would back off when being questioned by such an aggressive manner suddenly.
"That's enough. Hey, Blake, this way."
"Ben you are so stingy. Bella——! Blake is here!"
"Don't shout!"
I shout loudly with my back towards my mother. She is calling my sister in the living room. One person is already very noisy. It's obvious that when two people are together, it's even noisier.
I urge Blake to enter the house and then pull his arm and hurriedly run through the corridor towards the inside.
"It's still so noisy. It's really annoying. I'm sorry."
"No, your mother is very lovely."
"Don't say that to her. She will get carried away and involve you too... Anyway, this way."
Seeing Blake smiling happily, I can only force a wry smile and open the door of the changing room at the end which leads to the bathroom. Then I push Blake in and close the door behind me.
"I guess I did something wrong after all, right?"
"What did you do wrong?"
I can't help but say this. Blake tilts his head in confusion.
"Don't pay too much attention to what my mother and sister say."
Thinking about Blake being bombarded with various questions by my mother Shiko and my sister Bella next, I have a headache and must find a way to solve it.
Blake is gentle in behavior, serious and smart. Undoubtedly, he is the type liked by the women in my family. Moreover, he is good-looking. They will definitely be even more excited.
"Why did you sigh?"
"Nothing... Take them off."
"Ah?"
As soon as I finish speaking, Blake widens his eyes. He looks at me in surprise and doesn't move. Looking at his expression, after a while, I realize that what I said might be misunderstood. Such an expression is indeed easy to cause misunderstanding.
"Ah, I didn't mean that. I meant to dry the clothes."
"Oh, sorry."
Blake hurriedly shakes his head and breathes a sigh of relief. Seeing him like this, I feel embarrassed instead. But being said like this suddenly, it's strange if he isn't confused. I feel very sorry.
"These are the clothes to change into. They belong to my brother-in-law... Will they be too big? Is the length okay?"
My sister's husband is about the same height as Blake, but their body types are very different. Blake has a slender figure while my brother-in-law is more like the body type of someone in the sports department.
The T-shirt should be okay, but the bottom part is a big problem. I'm sorry, brother-in-law, but I'm worried whether this pair of pants will be too short for Blake with long legs.
"It should be okay. This pair of pants has a rope at the waist and is like capri pants."
"That's good... Wait, don't take them off!"
I don't know when Blake has already started taking off his shirt and reaching his hand towards the undershirt below. Seeing this scene, for some reason, I stop his hand and take a step back.
Blake tilts his head in confusion while I force a smile with difficulty. Why is my heart beating so fast?