The morning after the rain delivered a shiver to the core. Days went by and the dream-like traumatic event seemed to fade away. Shouichi believed that the fuzzy memories of those events were the way that his brain's self-preserved mechanism to guard itself from destruction.
"I'm lucky to have good friends and a loving mother supporting me." The boy encouraged himself as he grabbed the door handle.
"I'm leaving, Yoko-san," Shouichi announced like he usually did.
"Shou-kun! Don't walk today, I'll escort you." Yoko interrupted him.
"It's too cold to be walking to school." Yoko hurriedly tied her dark hair in a ponytail.
"Right." Shouichi agreed with her.
***
The car ride was smooth and cozy. Yoko made sure the heater was on, testing the warmth by placing her hand near the vent.
"Do you still have club practice today, Shou-kun?" The mother asked while keeping her eyes on the road.
"I think so, why?" He responded.
"Well, the forecast said it'd rain again this afternoon." She shared.
"Hmm, if that happens, I suppose we'll do an indoor practice," Shouichi replied, hugging himself.
"Make sure you don't run around in the rain, alright?" She warned and extended her arm to playfully mess up his graphite black hair. "Also someone needs a cut."
"I guess." He agreed. Shouichi had styled his hair differently since the bangs became too long. He parted them to each side creating a messy comma style.
"But you look good regardless, fufufu." She complimented gleefully.
"Mommm…" He let out a shameful groan.
"Say, Shouichi-kun. What's the weather like in Melbourne?"
"Pretty chaotic to be honest, I like it here better." He explained with a smile.
"Really?"
"Yeah, like we sometimes get three weather in one day. Hahaha," He elaborated with a hand gesture.
"Hahaha," She giggled and smiled sweetly.
"We should go there someday together, Mom!" Shouichi suggested. "Come to think of it, you never left Kurohashi town, right?"
"Correct!"
"Crazy! Yoko-san promises me that we'll travel together sometimes." Shouichi excitedly proposed, his eyes sparking like a starry night, "Where do you want to go first?"
"Let me think… I'd love to see the ocean someday, at least once in my life." Yoko replied eagerly.
"It's a promise!" Shouchi said as the two signed a contract by making the pinky promise.
***
"Shouichi, Lady Ayane's here, too?" Ito Toru, the captain of the rugby club turned to ask Shouichi. The boy was so absorbed in his strategy training by catching and passing the ball around in a group, he didn't realise it.
It was raining that afternoon, so the practice was held in the sheltered gym, where other clubs like soccer and baseball were also gathered.
"I dunno… Oh, there she is." Shouichi flatly answered, noticing the elegant girl sitting next to the club manager. The girl waved eagerly at him as the boy looked her way.
"Shouichi! Catch!" Hinoda, the tall boy, shouted but it was too late. The ball hit his head causing him to sway.
"Are you alright? I thought you were going to catch it. Sorry." The tall boy jogged up to him in a panic.
"Ughhh… I'll live." Shouichi groaned and inspected himself, it appeared nothing was broken.
"Wanna rest up a bit?" Cap' Toru squeezed his shoulder firmly.
"I guess so." Shouichi smiled. The new set of clubmates began to form a ring and pass the balls around.
"Ayane-chan! Emi-chan!" Shouichi approached the two pretty girls. Emi automatically picked a bottle of water from the cooler and then handed it to him. "Here, senpai."
"Thank you." He sipped it to quench his thirst right away.
A sudden shoulder hug from his dazzling silver wolf, Shinji. "Heyyyy, Shouichi." He greeted.
"Shinji, need one?" Shouichi asked and pointed at the cooler.
Naturally, the manager handed it to Shinji, "Thank you, babe," Shinji replied, shooting his trademark smirk at her.
"Senpai, it's embarrassing," Emi whispered with a red face.
"Okay, lovebirds." Shouichi teased them. He glanced at Ayane briefly and the girl returned a sweet smile.
"By the way, Shouichi-kun we were talking about the hairstyle, you think how it would suit me if I tie them up like this?" Ayane questioned as she created the ponytail with her fingers, exposing her delicate neck.
At that moment, Ayane was so beautiful, like a hypnotist, Shouichi was too stunned to describe it to her.
Instead, Emi was quick to compliment her senior, "Woah, senpai. You look really pretty."
Shouichi eventually snapped of it, "I guess, it suits you," He responded with a deep shade of red on his face.
The girls exchanged a quick glance and giggled as though their tease were accomplished.
"Ay! You girls playing trick or something!" Shouichi ranted aloud as though his voice could hide his blushed expression.
***
"Morimura-san," The gloomy junior with long brown hair called out to the dark-haired senior. She was standing quite a bit further away from the group.
Ayane turned, "Hi! Miku-chan." She casually greeted the girl, exchanging knowing glances before she turned to the group.
"Right, guys. I gotta bounce." Ayane told the others. The girl then swung her bag to the side and followed Miku out.
Overwhelming by curiosity, Emi lifted her hands to cover her mouth, "Who's the girl?" She whispered to her boyfriend. "I dunno." Shinji brushed her off.
After a few moments, Shouichi tapped on his broader shoulder, "Shinji, we should go, too." He urged.
Springing to his feet, Shinji bidded Emi, "Right. Talk to you later, babe." He snuck a quick forehead kiss on her, causing Emi to become flustered.
"Senpai!" She returned, lifting her hand playfully as if she were going to slap.
The dazzling duo gleefully exited the gym shortly afterwards.
***
Ayane and Miku walked side by side along a quiet, narrow street. The rain had subsided for a while, but small puddles still lingered here and there on the pavement.
"Are you wearing the wire alright?" Ayane asked the gloomy junior. She was lightly adjusting a bow on her shirt. Ayane ran off a few metres and signalled the girl to test it out.
"Hello!? Senpai!?" Miku repeated herself while attentively looking at her senior.
"Yeah, I hear you." Ayane made a hand sign, she jogged back to the girl.
"Are you ready?" Ayane tapped on the girl's shoulder to provide some sort of reassurance.
"Y~yes." Miku replied, anxious but determined.
Miku and Ayane arrived at the abandoned warehouse out of nowhere, it's the remnant of the failed industry bloom.
"Sakurai-san said to meet them inside," Miku informed her, the girl was a bit hesitant to step in.
Determination in her violet-purple eyes, Ayane reached out to rub her shoulder in consolation and replied, "Don't worry, Miku-chan. Once we get the intel, I'll call the police right away."
"H~here I go." Miku approached the metal door, looking around with paranoia.
Before she knocked, the coarse voice interjected abruptly. "What do you want!?" The man asked.
"U~um… I'm here to see Sakurai Hiroshi-san…" She replied, slight trembling in her voice.
"Oh, you are his debtor?" The man probed further, his tone stern.
"Yes…" Miku answered promptly, hiding her nervousness. The creaking sound of the metal door indicated that it had been unlocked. Ayane, who was secretly observing from the fence, saw Miku disappear into the building. Finally, she rechecked if the hidden mic was on and pressed "record".