Rain.. Does this word mean something to you? In fact, all people have different associations with this word. Someone finds it not pleasant, someone is just waiting for it.

Most recently, Fumi Furukawa entered high school and began to live alone. Fumi was an excellent student at school and was always among the first. But unlike the other girls at school, she wasn't very popular, although she was pretty enough.

She was a brunette, she had soft and shiny hair, pale skin, dark brown eyes, plump lips. She's a quiet and diligent girl herself, that's just it.. bypasses the guys. But there was one person at school that she couldn't take her eyes off.. And this guy's name was Masao. His friends usually called him Mao, which is not strange, he was not angry at them at all. Anyway, he was a very popular guy at this school, but he still remained cold and indifferent, both towards students and teachers.

The beginning of the second trimester of the first year of study.

It was September. The weather was good on some days, but changed abruptly to rain.

When I moved to a new class at the beginning of the first trimester, I was excited and therefore couldn't get a good look at my new classmates. In the early days, the classroom was pretty quiet and new companies were forming. I was alone because I never started communicating first.. I don't know why, but something bothered me, I didn't look up in class and didn't try to stand out. Even in high school, I didn't try to make a lot of friends, because I just didn't need it.

The school days passed quietly. In turn, I tried to raise my grades every day. After the end of the lessons, I hurriedly went to work part-time. It was a store near my house at Kasumigaseki Station. In the future, I wanted to pay for my education at the University of Tokyo, and therefore I tried to save a little.

Second trimester, September 6th.

It rained heavily that day, and as luck would have it, it only rained in the afternoon, so I didn't have an umbrella with me. After finishing my lessons, I was thinking of running quickly to the train. Coming down the stairs, I saw Masao-kun. He was talking to some girl, and if I'm not mistaken, it was a girl from his class. But I walked past him, pretending not to notice him. After changing my shoes, I was already determined to abruptly run out and run as hard as I could, because the station was nearby. But suddenly someone stopped me by putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Did you want to go out in this rain without an umbrella and get wet?"

I didn't immediately understand who was talking, but when I turned around, I saw him… Yes, it was Masao-kun.

- I left it at home.…

"Then would you like to keep me company?"

Today I'm going alone, because my friends went to the bar.

His voice was very calm. I got the feeling that he was about to fall asleep.

"I just... need to catch a train."

For some reason, at that moment, I thought that he would just pass by and leave, he would calmly do that

- Really? I also live in another part of the city, so I also have to go to the station.

At that moment, I was somewhat surprised, but I still didn't know which station he would get off at. But I decided to ask you something else.

- Why didn't you go with your friends?

I asked. But I couldn't understand why he didn't go with them. "Couldn't they have not invited him?"  I thought.

- I don't drink, and I don't like to go to such places either. I'd rather sit over a cup of coffee and discuss today.

I was surprised by his words, because I imagined the life of a teenage boy a little differently, but after these words he added:

- And don't think that I'm doing this from the bottom of my heart, we're just going the same way. Okay, I'm talking, I have to go, are you coming?

"And how can I refuse?" - obviously, that's what I

thought.

"Any girl in my place would think so," I convinced myself.

I nodded my head and we went to the station.

As we walked to the station there was silence. I tried to raise the topics and asked different questions.

What class did you get here?

What's your favorite tea?

What are you doing on weekends?

But I didn't learn much. As it turned out, we study in parallel classes, and I also found out that we live next door, so we get off at the same station. 

The rain was very heavy, and therefore all the people stayed at home. Sometimes I peeked in his direction, and I understood more and more why he was so popular with girls. He is dark-haired, with dark eyes, relatively long hair, always kind, but cold to everyone. That's all I knew about him. That day, he took me to the store so that I wouldn't get wet. The whole way from the train was in awkward silence, but at some point he asked me a question.

- Do you have any hobbies?

I didn't have any hobbies, but I thought if I said I was studying hard, he'd laugh at me. Even as a child, there was such an incident, but I try not to remember it, because at that moment I was really offended.

- If you don't want to, you don't have to answer the question.

- I have no hobbies, I just like to help 

friends and family.

- I see. But I love volleyball, and I often visit volleyball sections.

And then I remembered that I had seen him in the volleyball section back in high school. He was wearing a white sweatshirt, shorts and athletic shoes. I still remember the look on his face when he fell trying to catch the ball. It was funny.

When we reached the store, I thanked him and was about to say goodbye, but suddenly he held out an umbrella and said:

- Take it. And don't go without an umbrella anymore, it's autumn after all, you'll catch a cold.

- No, not at all. It's your umbrella, and I can't just take it. Besides, the rain will probably be over by then.

- I'm doing this because I want to, there's no need to worry about me.

I took the umbrella and thanked him.

- You should take better care of yourself.Appreciate yourself, because besides yourself.. No one else will help you in this life.

And then he turned around and left.

September 11th.

It was already September, and the cold weather was getting closer and closer. I managed to make friends with only one girl during this time. Yes, of course, this is nothing compared to all the groups that formed in our class, but kindness and sincerity in people have always been important to me. This girl's name was Ayame. She didn't like studying at all and was very lazy, so she asked me sometimes to pull her up in subjects. Ayame-san was also a brunette, but she was tall. She was a very interesting, albeit lazy person. At recess, we liked to go outside, because there was a vending machine with different food. When buying food and drinks, we liked to sit on the bench next to each other and chat about different things. Still, Ayame-san and I strongly disagreed, but that didn't stop us from continuing to communicate to this day.

That day, the teacher announced the test, and the whole class went up in a ruckus. But fortunately we all wrote it well, after which the teacher asked a question.

- So, today we have to choose a prefect for our class. There should be two elders.

Both responsible for the girls' side and responsible for the boys' side.

At that moment, the entire class lowered their heads. I myself understood that the headman should be a diligent and responsible person, and we had only a couple of such people in the class.

The situation was very tense. After a long silence, a student named Yashiro answered from the guys. I can't say that he is very smart, but he seemed to be a responsible person, as I could understand from his behavior this month. On the part of the girls, there was complete silence.

Shh, Furukawa-san, can you try?"

I think it will be great.

Ayame-san whispered

Of course, I wasn't surprised, because it was in her spirit. She always gave advice, but she was too lazy to do something herself. 

- I don't think I want to, and I can't, I'm too clumsy.

And at that moment, a question was asked.

- Teacher, what duties will the headman have besides the main ones that we know about?

At the same moment, the teacher replied:

- In addition to the work that you know about, the elders will also be required to unite with the elders of the parallel class once every half a month. They will also have to submit reports once a week to teachers.

And then Yashiro-kun stood up and asked:

- What are the reports? And on what days will they have to be handed over?

- It's about the weekly reports. We will give you papers to fill out each student's grades at the end of each school week. After that, you will have to give them to the teachers at the end of the school day. Time will be given every Friday after school.

At that moment, I had a thought.

"We only have 2 parallel classes, which means I can see Masao-kun," I thought.

Of course, I didn't really want to see him, but for some reason my heart told me that I should raise my hand and offer myself as a candidate. 

"I've never been a prefect in my whole life, maybe I should try?„ I thought.

- So, if you don't make the choice, I will. I will compare your grades, and whoever has the highest score among the girls, I will put him in the role of headman.

- May I!

I was sitting at the back of the class, and that's why the whole class turned in my direction. I was not an important person in class, and I always sat quietly-below the grass, I was respected but not given attention, and therefore at that moment everyone was surprised. Even Ayame-san was surprised, because just a couple of minutes ago I refused her this offer. 

"You're like Furukawa Fumi, aren't you?"

- That's right, Teacher.

- Well, that's good. If there are no more takers, then we will finish. Are there any interested parties?

The whole class fell into silence, and everyone lowered their heads, as if they were being threatened with something. And I still don't understand why I did it. But my heart felt better, there would be no more of this tense situation.

"Yes, and now I can see Masao-kun," I thought.

- Then let's leave it at that. Everyone is free.

After the class hour, Ayame-san and I were heading for the exit. When we left school, Ayame-san suggested we go to a cafe and drink hot chocolate.

- Ayame-san, have you noticed that September has just begun, but it's already very cold?

- Yes, furukawa-san, and in truth, this has not happened for a long time.

- Come on, stop calling me that, I'm calling you by your first name, so start calling me by my first name, Ayame-san.

I think Ayame-san still didn't understand why I refused her, but then she immediately began to be a prefect. I decided to explain everything to her later.

- Oh, well, I'll try... Fumi-san! - I haven't called someone by name for so long, I was already nervous myself.

-Hahahaha, that sounded so funny, Ayame-san!

-Don't make fun of me, Fumi-san!!

- Okay, okay, I won't do it anymore. So which cafe did you want to go to?

- It is located at Shibuya Station. I went there with my friends in high school, and it's very atmospheric and beautiful.

-Shall we go, Fumi-san?

- That's it! - Come on!  I replied.