Even after classes finished for the day, the unforeseen rain was still falling outside the window, as it had been this morning.
The rare rainfall in recent years is apparently even affecting public transportation.
"Cherry, sorry to keep you waiting! Let's go home!"
"Sorry! That helps!"
I left the classroom with Lina, headed to the entrance to change my shoes, and then opened the folding umbrella that Lina had been carrying before going outside.
"Well then, let's go!"
"I'll hold the umbrella."
It's obvious. I'm a guy and I'm taller than her. I can't let her carry an umbrella.
"Well then... I'd appreciate it."
Perhaps sensing my feelings, Lina honestly handed me the umbrella.
Taking the umbrella from Lina, the two of us left the school building side by side under the umbrella.
As we walked home from the school, which wasn't too far away, we talked about today's classes and the school fest in a few months' time, and arrived in front of our houses, which were next to each other.
"I'll go home and get ready before I go to your house. You can hold the umbrella!"
"Oh, hey!"
Before I could finish saying everything, Lina ran off and went into her house.
Even though Lina's house was closer, this umbrella belonged to her, even if I would only get wet for a moment in front of her house. And yet, it was a very pathetic story that the owner, her, got wet in the rain while I, who was under the umbrella, got home without getting wet at all.
However, Lina had already gone back to her house, and I thought that if I just stood there, it would be a waste for her to get wet in the rain, so I decided to go back to my house next door.
Before opening the front door of his house, I folded and unfolded the umbrella I borrowed from Lina, then folded and unfolded it again repeatedly on the porch to splash off the water, then opened the door and enterd the house.
"I'm back."
As I said this, I left the umbrella open in the entranceway without folding it, so that it could dry as much as possible in the short time it would take before Lina came to pick it up.
Then, as I was about to take off my shoes, I noticed a thumping sound approaching me.
Judging from the intervals between sounds, I could imagine that it was walking towards me in a hurry.
The owner of these footsteps probably isn't Grandpa... If so, there's only one possible person.
"Cheryyy!"
Yes, it's Niya.
She came towards me with great force, uttering words that sounded like a scream.
"Niya, I'm home... ugh!"
Without slowing down, Niya charged forward, wrapping her arms around my back and hugging me.
Come to think of it, I left the house quietly that morning so she wouldn't notice.
"I-I'm sorry, Niya. It's hard to move, so let go."
Saying this, I tried to pull Niya away from my body, but she didn't budge.
"Cherry..."
"Sorry!"
As I stare at Niya, who shows no signs of leaving, I notice something. The area around her eyes is red and swollen.
"Niya... your eyes..."
As I was surprised by this sudden event, my grandfather appeared from the living room.
"Oh, welcome back, Cherry."
"I'm back. Grandpa, her eyes..."
"Well, that was really tough. After you all left the house, when she noticed that you weren't there, she started bawling her eyes out like a little child…"
"And that's why the area around her eyes is so swollen..."
"That's it. I tried to distract her somehow by trial and error, but when I turned on the TV, she calmed down, but the tears still flowed..."
After hearing about Niya's behavior while I was at school, I felt somehow sorry for her, but at the same time, a question came to mind.
Why is she so obsessed with me...?
It's true that I was the one who found Niya first. However, I don't remember doing anything that would make her feel attached to me and make her burst into tears after I was gone for about half a day.
Well, there's no point in asking him the reason why, so I won't think any further about this question for now.
"Now Niya ,it's time to let go."
I tried to pull away from her, who was still clinging to me, but Niya seemed to have calmed down a bit compared to before, and she loosened her hands that were tightly clasped around my back and let go of my body.
My body finally became free, and after taking off my shoes, I tried to go further than the front door...
"Cherry!"
"Whoa! What's it this time?!"
Suddenly, she grabs my arm and takes me somewhere.
Of course, my destination is not outside, but inside the house. So, I can guess from the direction Niya is heading. The place where she wants to take me is probably the living room, and it was from the living room that she came out earlier.
I followed Niya to the living room, but all that greeted me was the same tidy and clean room as always, and nothing in particular had changed compared to last night when she had arrived.
The only thing different from last night was that the TV was on.
"Look! Cherry!"
Niya points at the TV and tells me to watch it. I reflexively look at the TV, but the show they're broadcasting is one I've never seen before.
--Hmm...? Wait a sec? Look , Cherry... ?