Akito Yamada

The rain kept falling. The streets were almost empty at that hour, and I could barely hear anything besides the water hitting the pavement and the occasional car passing by. I just wanted to get home quickly. It had been a long day. Then I heard a bang.
I turned and saw someone fall to the ground after slipping on the wet sidewalk. Her umbrella rolled a few inches away from her. I stood still for a few seconds.
She could probably get up on her own.
But she didn't. I sighed softly and walked over to where she was. When she looked up at me, she seemed more embarrassed than hurt.
—…You fell.
As soon as I said it, I thought it sounded unnecessary.
I picked up his umbrella from the ground and brought it a little closer to him.
—Can you get up?
He tried to do it quickly, as if he wanted to pretend he was okay, but as soon as he put his foot down, he grimaced slightly. I stared at his ankle for a few seconds.
—You hurt yourself.
-I'm fine…
She didn't seem to be. She was completely soaked and shivering slightly from the cold. I stayed quiet, wondering what to do. I've never been good at reacting in situations like this. Usually, people know what to say… I don't.
—Is your house far away?
He nodded slowly.
I looked around for a moment. The rain was getting worse, and honestly, I couldn't just leave her there. I'd feel uncomfortable thinking about it later. Before I could think about it too much, I crouched down in front of her.
—Get in.
-Hey?
—You can't walk properly.
I heard him hesitate for a few seconds behind me. I guess it's odd for a stranger to do something like that. I felt his hands gently place themselves on my back before he finally climbed up. I stood up slowly so as not to hurt him further and adjusted the umbrella over both of us.
It was cold. I started walking while the rain continued to fall all around us. We didn't talk much. Well… I never talk much. After a few minutes, I heard her soft voice close to my ear.
-Thank you…
I remained silent for a moment.
—It's not a big deal.