When I Started Doing Housework For The Cool Beauty In My Class, She Began Asking Me About The Dinner Menu Every Day. - Chapter 18: Caught in the Rain.

Caught in the Rain.

The next day, as forecasted, it rained.

Since the rain was expected to start around 7:30 AM, I left the house earlier than usual to avoid commuting to school in bad weather. However, the rain is predicted to last until the evening, so I’ll likely need an umbrella for the way back.

Just as I arrived at school, the rain began to drizzle lightly and then gradually intensified, the sound of it pounding the ground growing louder.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for the students who tend to arrive just on time; they were likely caught in this downpour.

Thinking that, my eyes drifted to the still-empty seat next to mine.

(She did say she’s not a morning person, so I guess she’s cutting it close again today…)

Fujisaki’s apartment isn’t too far from the school, so she should be able to make it in time unless she leaves at the very last minute. But with rain, there’s the added hassle of carrying an umbrella, dealing with puddles, the wind, and reduced visibility—it’s not always possible to make it on time as usual.

I started to worry about Fujisaki, who often skirts the line with her timing, when I overheard classmates who had just arrived complaining bitterly about the rain. Some of them had slightly damp uniforms, confirming that things were tough for those caught after the rain began.

As I watched the rain for a while, my concern for Fujisaki proved unnecessary—or maybe not, depending on how you look at it—because she eventually arrived at school.

“Good morning, Fujisaki. You okay?”

“Morning. If you’re asking whether I’m okay… I’d say that’s a definite no, right?”

“…I guess I didn’t need to ask.”

Her hair was damp and limp, and her blouse was soaked through, clinging to her skin.

Fujisaki, drenched in rain—‘Drenchedsaki’… Actually, maybe ‘Transparentsaki’ fits better. Looks like today’s choice is black.

“…Perv.”

Noticing my gaze, she quickly covered her chest with her bag.

Well, what am I supposed to do? If you walk around in that kind of see-through state, any guy would naturally take a glance.

I get it’s summer and muggy, but not wearing a camisole for transparency protection is on you. Then again, at this level of wetness, even a camisole wouldn’t stand a chance, so it’s probably moot.

“Here, use this.”

“Whoa? Oh, thanks.”

Still covering her chest with her bag, she made no move to do anything else.

I handed her my towel, pressing it into her hands. It wasn’t much, but even just soaking up some of the moisture would help her dry faster. It was a spare towel I’d brought just in case, unused since I’d gotten to school before the rain started, so she could use it without worry.

“Shirayanagi-kun, you didn’t get wet at all, huh?”

“Well, I knew it was going to rain. I made sure to leave before it started. You, on the other hand, were your usual leisurely self. Still not a morning person?”

“That’s part of it, but… Well, the food was so good, I couldn’t help but eat slowly… you know.”

“…I see.”

“So really, you could say it’s your fault I got wet.”

“That’s a stretch. Don’t pin this on me.”

Fujisaki blaming me for her predicament as ‘Drenchedsaki’ was almost funny—it was clearly baseless.

I was flattered that she enjoyed the food enough to savor it, but using that as an excuse for running late in the morning? That’s not right.

If you keep this up, I might just boycott making your breakfast altogether.

“I did watch the weather forecast and thought about leaving early, but, well… The meat and veggies were so delicious that I was savoring every bite, and before I knew it, it was already my usual time to leave. Then I panicked.”

Serves you right, Munchsaki.

Hearing her say that makes me oddly happy.

From now on, make sure to properly munch on your breakfast every morning. Chewing thoroughly is a good habit, after all.

But don’t go blaming me if it makes you late for school.

“Ugh… I’m really soaked. Rain is the worst, isn’t it?”

“…Yeah, it really is.”

I gave a sympathetic reply to Fujisaki’s complaint, but secretly, I couldn’t help thinking that getting a glimpse of Drenchedsaki made the rain not so bad after all.

***

The sound of rain showed no signs of stopping as the day transitioned into the after-school hours.

It wouldn’t have hurt if the weather forecast had been wrong for once, letting the rainclouds pass earlier than predicted… but of course, things rarely go that smoothly.

“Achoo!”

“…Do you need a tissue?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I handed a tissue to Fujisaki, who sneezed adorably. She glanced around, checking if anyone was watching, before discreetly blowing her nose.

While I found the day humid and stifling, Fujisaki had been in her drenched state—Drenchedsaki—since morning. No wonder she might feel a bit chilly.

“Maybe I’ll make some soup tonight to warm you up.”

“Woo, that sounds amazing! Let’s hurry home, okay?”

She urged me to head back.

Not that I had any objections… but did she just casually assume we’d go home together?

It’s not like we need to part ways, and going directly to her place is more convenient if I’m cooking there. Still, it’s a little embarrassing how being with a cute girl has started feeling natural. Thinking about how my school life was entirely devoid of feminine company not long ago makes it all the more surreal.

“Achoo!”

“Hey, you sure you’re alright?”

“Y-yeah, totally fine! Come on, let’s go already!”

She blew her nose with a slightly comical sniff, her face now tinged red from embarrassment.

Worried as I was, I knew the best thing to do was to get her home and warmed up quickly. With that in mind, I packed up and prepared to leave.

At the entrance, I swapped my shoes and grabbed my umbrella from the stand. While waiting for Fujisaki, I noticed her frowning at the umbrella rack, looking troubled.

“What’s wrong?”

“…My umbrella’s gone.”

“…Someone borrowed it without asking, huh?”

“I’m not sure if it was intentional. There are so many similar umbrellas; maybe someone just grabbed it by mistake.”

It seemed her umbrella had been taken, whether deliberately or accidentally. And with the sea of nearly identical umbrellas in the stand, it wasn’t hard to believe someone made a mix-up.

“What should I do?”

“The rain’s not as heavy as it was this morning, but it’s still coming down pretty hard.”

“…Yeah.”

As we discussed, Fujisaki started glancing between me and the umbrella in my hand, fidgeting as if she wanted to say something.

…It wasn’t hard to guess what she was getting at.

Still, couldn’t she have considered other options first? Borrowing a spare from someone else, asking a teacher for a temporary umbrella—there were plenty of alternatives.

“…Want to share?”

“Yup, I knew you’d offer.”

“…Our destination is the same anyway.”

Leaving Fujisaki behind would’ve been the easy option, but if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to enter her house until she got back.

For a smooth return, having Fujisaki as my escort was non-negotiable.

That said, she chose to share an umbrella with a guy without a hint of hesitation. As expected of Fujisaki.

“Alright then, I’m coming in~.”

When I opened the umbrella, she slipped under it without delay.

Good thing it was a larger umbrella, though even so, with two people, our shoulders were bound to get wet.

“Can you move just a little closer?”

“…Like this?”

“Yeah, now our shoulders won’t get wet.”

She stepped half a pace closer, positioning herself so that both our shoulders were sheltered by the umbrella.

The distance was close enough that her hand or shoulder occasionally brushed against mine.

I was the one who told her to move closer, but having a beautiful girl in such close proximity was… unsettling, to say the least.

“Ahh, what a day this is! First I get soaked on the way to school, and now my umbrella’s gone.”

“…Yeah, pretty rough.”

Under the same umbrella, I gave a neutral response to her grumbling.

It was undeniably an unlucky day for Fujisaki.

But for me? It felt more like a blessing in disguise… Sharing an umbrella with a beautiful girl was, honestly, a reward in itself.

(…Rain isn’t so bad after all.)

Once again, I caught myself thinking that, and as always, it remained my little secret.