Meiyu looked outside. Raindrops touched the earth, soft and cool like a lover's sigh. Leaves trembled under the gentle rhythm, and the air filled with the fresh scent of wet soil.
"Okay! Let me cook something then," Meiyu responded gently, tilting her head slightly with a cute, beautiful smile.
Meiyu responded gently and showed a beautiful smile, while Reikou saw her smile. He fell into thought.
"I've seen thousands of smiles before, but hers was different."
"The way her lips curved, the way her eyes lit up—it was like watching the first sunrise after a lifetime of darkness," Reikou thought. He wasn't just looking at her smile, he was falling into it.
"Where did you get lost again?" Meiyu politely said, bringing Reikou back from his thoughts.
Snapping out of it, Reikou whispered, "Ah, nothing."
"Did you actually cook something?" he asked gently.
Suddenly, Meiyu realized—
"What am I doing?"
"I-I said I'll cook... but why? Why am I cooking in someone else's house?"
"But… it's not wrong to cook, is it? Is… is this a romantic situation? No—no! What am I even thinking?"
Her cheeks began to turn pink as her thoughts spiraled.
She fell deeper into confusion, trying to understand why she even wanted to cook.
She couldn't grasp her own feelings—this moment held a strange warmth she couldn't define. Her mood was a mix of hesitation, curiosity, and something she didn't want to name.
"This time, where did you get lost?" Reikou said casually.
Meiyu snapped out of her thoughts and whispered coldly—
"Ah-ah, nothing."
"I was just thinking… what to cook," she defended herself awkwardly.
It was a mixed response—she wanted to cook, but at the same time, she didn't.
From the outside, she looked calm—controlling her emotions with precision.
But inside, her thoughts were a storm she couldn't quiet.
Reikou handed the grocery bag to Meiyu. She took it without any expression on her face and moved quietly toward the kitchen.
She stepped inside and rolled up her sleeves with a gentle smile.
The soft patter of rain tapped against the window like a distant melody, the kitchen was filled withthe the cool scent of rain-soaked earth drifting in—bringing something peaceful with it.
Reikou stood at the entrance, watching her.
She turned on the tap, letting the water flow over her hands as she rinsed the fresh vegetables. Droplets clung to her skin like morning dew.
Reikou kept staring, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He thought—
"I can't believe it."
"Why is she doing this? Does she have some plan?"
"...No—I don't think so."
One by one, Meiyu placed the vegetables on the wooden board.
The knife glided smoothly as she began to cut—rhythmic, steady, almost like a heartbeat.
Outside, the rain danced.
Inside, something stirred gently in the chest.
As Meiyu prepared the vegetables for soup, a thought slipped into her mind—
"Why am I doing this?"
"But honestly… I feel good."
"My hands aren't stopping…"
"Why—why does this feel romantic?"
"No, cooking isn't romantic… right?" she whispered to herself in her thoughts, cheeks faintly warm.
She finished chopping, placed the pan on the gas stove, and picked up the lighter.
Click!
Click… Click!
She tried again. Still, no flame.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she asked,
"Why isn't this gas stove working?"
Reikou rubbed the back of his head, his face shifting with sudden realization.
"Oh—shit!"
"The gas cylinder's empty… I totally forgot to refill it."
Reikou winced inwardly, kicking himself in thought.
She tried one more time… but still, the flame didn't appear.
With a small sigh, she finally said,
"Tell me the reason now."
Reikou rubbed the side of his forehead with one finger, forcing a trembling smile.
He hesitated, then admitted—
"A-Actually… the gas is over."
"Haha… I forgot to refill it."
Meiyu blinked once and replied calmly,
"Oh, it's okay."
She didn't react with shock. No frustration. Just a gentle, composed voice.
"What? She's not angry?" Reikou thought, confused.
"It's okay. These things happen," she said again softly.
Then, without looking at him, she whispered,
"Now, let me go."
She turned toward the door, ready to leave.
But just before she could step out, Reikou quickly called out—
"Ah—wait!"
"Let's go outside and eat something instead," he said, reaching for an umbrella.
"I'll drop you home after that."
For a while, Meiyu didn't respond. Her thoughts spun silently:
"What did he say? Eat together… then drop me home?"
"If I say no, he might know that I have a rule that I never let a guy walk me home."
"But if I say yes, I break my one more rule own… again."
"What do I do…?"
On the other side, Reikou watched her face carefully, reading the subtle changes in her expression. He thought:
"Why is she taking so long to answer…?"
"Does she think I'm trying to figure out her rules again?"
"But this time, I swear… I'm not. I just want to eat together. Just… as friends."
For a few moments, they stood there in silence. No words. No movement. Just stillness between two confused hearts.
Then, Reikou gently whispered,
"If you think I'm trying to guess your rules…
To be honest, I'm not. Believe me."
He lifted his hand slightly and added with a small, nervous smile,
"I have one more umbrella."
Still, Meiyu didn't respond. She just looked at him—quietly, deeply.
"What… is he really being honest?"
"Or… is this another trap…?"
As her thoughts continued to spiral, her hand, almost unconsciously, reached for her bag. And then
She realized something the moment her hand brushed against the familiar shape in her bag.
It was an umbrella.
"Thank god…"
"I already have one."
A quiet sigh of relief left her lips. Finally, she spoke, calm but clear,
"Okay. But I have two conditions."
"First—I pay the bill."
"Second—I go home on my own."
Reikou smiled, almost amused, but also a little impressed.
"Deal," he nodded.
Without wasting time, he quickly locked the door behind them. They made their way down the stairs and stepped outside into the gentle drizzle. Both opened their umbrellas at the same time—two quiet canopies blooming in the soft rain.
They walked slowly, side by side under the soft drizzle, there umbrella a quiet canopy against the gentle rain. Each step tapped lightly on the wet ground, the sound bleding with the rhythm of falling drop.
Reikou glanced at Meiyu briefly. She didn't notice. Or maybe she did, but didn't say anything.
The world around them blurred in a soft silver mist—trees swaying gently, puddles rippling with every drop, clouds drifting lazily overhead.
The rain wasn't cold.
It was calm.
And in that brief moment, under the sky above and the earth glistening below peac wasn't just something they felt—It was something they walked through.
The silence between them wasn't empty.
It was full.
Of questions. Of thoughts. Of something unspoken.
Then—
Reikou suddenly whispered, his voice breaking through the hush like a ripple on still water—
"Can I ask you something?!"