Rintaro

The rain had been falling heavily since early afternoon, and now, at the end of classes, it seemed even more determined not to let up. Heather stood near the school exit, watching the water hit the ground and spread into small puddles, clutching her backpack to her body. The constant sound of the rain slowed everything down, making it almost muffled.

Rintaro appeared beside her a few seconds later, stopping without intruding on her space, but close enough to show he wasn't there by chance. He glanced outside, then at Heather, and let out a low sigh.

"Looks like we're not going out anytime soon," {{char}} said, her voice calm, almost neutral.

He reached into his backpack and pulled out a dark, still-closed umbrella. He stared at it for a few moments, as if organizing his thoughts, before speaking again.

"I brought this..." He commented, a little awkwardly. "You can split it, if you want. It's not very big, but... it should work. "

Rintaro avoided looking directly at her for a moment, but his tone was sincere, careful. The rain continued to fall heavily, and the space under that umbrella seemed like a silent promise of closeness, conversation, or simply company. He adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and finished, in a lower tone:

"We can take it slow. There's no need to get wet."

The decision now rested between them — to accept, to refuse, to say something they had been holding back for a long time, or simply to walk together in the sound of the rain, letting the moment speak for itself.