Episode Two

My life had been one of frequent showers.
I’d been a rain magnet since before I could remember, and whenever something particularly awful happened, the sky was usually weeping.
Like the day my first confession failed, or the day I made an unbelievable mistake at work, or the day my flat share with my best friend fell through.
On those occasions, there was almost always a shower.
　After all, my name is Amami Shigure. It contains the word ‘rain’ twice. It’s no wonder I became a rain woman.
In a life constantly drenched, I learned one thing.
Before the weather, people are powerless. There is no path but to endure.
No rain lasts forever.
If you endure, the rain will stop someday.

That day, unusually, I finished all my tasks just before closing time.
　The mistake was that my boss noticed.
The design department’s boss, Manager Shindo, has eyes as sharp as a hawk’s and never misses a subordinate with free time.

“Sorry, Amami-san. Apologies, but are you free right now?”

“…Ah, yes. I’m fine…”

Sharp. Too sharp.
And this timing. This tone. I knew it.

“I’m terribly sorry, but could you handle one urgent task? I need it checked by tomorrow morning.”

Just as I thought. Starting this means overtime is guaranteed. Whether I’ll finish by 8 pm is another matter.
Still, I couldn’t refuse.
I know full well that as a third-year employee, I don’t have that right.
Besides, if asked if I had any plans, I didn’t really.
If someone had to do the work, I might as well do it.

“Understood.”

When I nodded, Shindo-san visibly relaxed. It was this kind of thing that made him rather endearing.

“That’s a huge help. I’ll email it over now.”

I checked the internal email that came flying in and launched the editing tool.
I skimmed through the revision instructions. Hmm… this looks like it’s going to be a bit of a pain, doesn’t it?

　†

Just as I’d feared.
After working away alone in the office as people gradually disappeared, I finally reached the stage where I could send it for checking after 9 pm.
Turning my neck in the deserted office, I heard an ominous cracking sound.

“Bloody hell…”

　Lately, it’s been like this constantly.
Three years since joining the company, holding onto dreams and hopes of my own.
Just as I’d finally grasped the basics of how to work efficiently and started getting more projects assigned, the overtime visibly increased.
Especially recently, thanks to the senior staff’s hard work, it’s been hectic. I can’t put down the canned coffee from morning till night; I’m completely caffeine-addicted.
It’s not good for me.
I know it, but I can’t stop.
I think it’s bad.
　It feels like some vital part of me is being scraped away by a coarse file.
Scraped and worn down, I have this foreboding that I’ll lose something without even noticing.
But even that is just a passing shower.
If I wait, it will surely stop someday.
　So I’ll go home and try to sleep early. Though I doubt I’ll sleep well anyway.
Come to think of it, when was the last time I had a proper night’s sleep?
Forty minutes spent swaying on the train above ground after passing through the ticket gates.
Days spent merely commuting between home and work, alternating between sleepless nights and hectic days – that’s how it will continue, I thought. Until this day, this night, this very moment.

　Beyond the ticket gates.
A girl in a long-sleeved knit stood before a noticeboard plastered with posters for the local summer festival.
Fluffy, curly hair bouncing in all directions, dark circles beneath her eyes. Sleepy, half-open eyes, drooping. Puffed sleeves. A red-toned checked skirt, an indigo school bag, and a light green umbrella.
No mistake. It was the beautiful girl I’d met this morning.
　She really is cute. As I thought this and glanced her way, our eyes met unexpectedly.
Her half-closed eyes snapped wide open.
But it lasted only a moment before they returned to their sleepy half-lidded state.
Then, for some reason, she started walking towards me.

“Big sis, you’re late.”

“Eh?”

Suddenly addressed, I gave a rather daft response.
Late. Late for what?
Ignoring my confusion, the girl continued talking one-sidedly.

“You’re far too late. It’s past nine already. Aren’t you working a bit too hard?”

That got my goat. What the hell, out of nowhere?
It’s not like I’m doing overtime because I enjoy it, you know.

“──None of your business. And anyway, what are you doing here? It’s time for a high schooler to be home.”

“Don’t treat me like a child.”

The girl twirled a strand of her flaxen hair around her finger, peering at me through half-open eyes.
Her feverishly moist pupils caught the flickering glare of the white light.

“I was waiting for you, big sister. There was something I absolutely needed to ask you.”

“Ask? I don’t know what it is, but does it have to be me?”

“Yes. It has to be you, big sister. Because you’re my destined person.”

“D-destiny?”

Destiny. Did this kid just say destiny?
That’s way too dramatic. These days, you only see that word in manga.
Yet, without a shred of affectation, the girl stared at me.

“Yes. That’s why.”

Slowly, the girl extended her right hand towards me.
The fingertips of her sleeves, half-hidden by her clothes.

“Big sister. Let’s go to a hotel.”

“…………Excuse me?”

Time stood still.
　I scanned her face, hoping I’d misheard.

“I want to go to a hotel with you, big sister.”

I hadn’t misheard.

“Please. Let’s go. Today. Right now.”

“Um… er… sorry, hold on.”

What do I do? My mind couldn’t keep up.
If either of us were male, I’d understand.
　You know, that sort of thing. The active kind.
But I’m a woman. She’s a schoolgirl. Could it even work? Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be impossible.
But doesn’t the active kind happen through apps or SNS? Is this hit-and-run approach even a thing?
Seeing my confusion, the girl said matter-of-factly.

“Of course I’ll pay you. How about thirty thousand yen, plus hotel costs? Want more?”

“Ah, you’re paying⁉︎”

“Well, obviously. I’m the one asking you, after all.”

Well, that’s true.
But no.

“I-I can’t accept money. Not from a younger girl like you.”

“Eh?”

The girl stared intently at my face.

“You mean you’ll sleep with me for free? Are you serious, sis?”

“It’s not like that…”

“Ah, but I’ll pay for the hotel, then.”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

Please, just wait.

“I’m not going. There’s no way I’m going.”

“Eh…”

The moment I said that, the girl looked utterly forlorn, like an abandoned kitten.
Her slender shoulders slumped.

“…Could it be you don’t have enough money? If so, there’s an ATM over there.”

“That’s not it at all!”

This isn’t about that sort of thing at all.
What should I do? My head’s starting to ache.

“You’re a high school student, right? Right? You shouldn’t take things like that lightly. I don’t know what happened, but think it through properly. Take good care of yourself. OK?”

“I am taking care of myself. That’s why I’m asking you, big sister.”

“Eeeeeh?”

What? Why? How did it come to this?

“And anyway, why me? We just happened to sit next to each other on the train, right?”

“But that’s why.”

“What? You’re joking…”

Is that really all? That’s all it takes for her to invite me to a hotel?
Scary. Reiwa-era high school girls are terrifying.
Or could this possibly be what they call love at first sight?
Me, falling for such a cute high school girl?
No, no, no, that’s ridiculous. Impossible. That can’t be.
Yet the girl steps forward, looking up at me with those heartbreaking, upturned eyes.

“You don’t need to do anything, big sister. Just stay asleep. I’ll take care of everything else.”

“Mm, I can’t do that.”

“…Absolutely not?”

The girl took another step closer. There was barely any distance left between them now. The clean, citrusy lemon scent she’d smelled that morning gently brushed her nose.
Her field of vision inevitably filled with the girl. Her upper arms extending from short sleeves. The pure white nape of her neck visible at her collar. Her lightly wavy, pale hair.
Despite still being half a child, her chest softly rounded beneath the knit top. Healthy thighs peeking out from her skirt.
Her overall impression was rather delicate, yet she was a girl who seemed soft and fluffy all over.
It was difficult to imagine such an act between women.
　Still, I thought, just hugging a girl like this tightly and sleeping must feel incredibly good. Just for a moment, I thought it.
My idiot self.

“No, no way. No matter how much money you offer, absolutely not. That sort of thing… with a high school girl… you know, that sort of thing…”

“Eh?”

“…Eh?”

“Ah, sorry. When I said sleep, I didn’t mean that sort of thing.”

When you said sleep, you didn’t mean that sort of thing???
Ignoring my growing confusion, the girl continued.

“I mean, I didn’t mean sex. I really just wanted you to sleep with me. Like, cuddling up together.”

“…………Cuddling up?”

“Yeah.”

Eh, eh, eh.
My cheeks burned bright red from the misunderstanding.
　Aaaargh. Stupid, stupid me.
Of course not. Even if, hypothetically, this girl was ‘that sort’, why would she approach a worn-out corporate slave like me?
My idiot self. Die. Just die.

“Sorry, big sis. My wording was confusing, wasn’t it? My head’s been a bit foggy lately.”

Her wording was indeed problematic.
　But even after calming down and thinking it through, it still doesn’t make sense.
Even without… that, even if it were someone of the same sex, asking a complete stranger to sleep beside you?
That’s not something a normal high school student would do.

“I mean, suddenly being asked to go to a hotel? Of course you’d be scared. Miss, would you mind changing the location?”

With sleepy eyes rimmed with dark circles, the girl looked towards the station entrance.

“There’s a café nearby run by my cousin. Could we talk there for just a little while? I… I’d really appreciate it.”

The girl bowed her head. Her wavy hair fell towards the ground.
I knew absolutely nothing about this girl. She was like a bundle of mysteries.
But there was one thing I understood.
Getting involved with her probably wouldn’t end well.

“—Sorry. I’m afraid I’m knackered from work.”

Shaking off the girl’s hand, I bolted.

“So, goodbye then!”

“Eh? Hey, wait, wait, wait, miss!”

Clutching my handbag, I ran.
I’m certainly not fast. Plus, I was wearing shoes that weren’t made for running.
But the girl was even slower.
　How to put it… she was staggering about.
I almost called out, “Are you alright?”
What an idiot I am. Stay out of it. That girl is definitely strange.
I reached the station front and crossed the roundabout.
My lack of exercise meant I was soon out of breath.
That was when it happened.
Something cold plopped onto the tip of my nose.

“Bloody hell.”

Drops splattered, staining the tarmac.
──A passing shower.
Oh, bloody hell. I’d left my umbrella at the office.
Working non-stop, barely getting any sleep, then getting followed by some weird girl, and now getting caught in the rain.
And of all times, my beige flared skirt was brand new autumn wear.
　I’m used to passing showers. I know if I endure it, it’ll stop eventually.
But.

—Eventually? When exactly?

“Miss”

The rain paused.
The girl who’d caught up to me held an umbrella over me.
She didn’t seem to mind her own hair getting wet, her eyes fixed only on me.

“Let’s shelter from the rain together.”