CHAPTER XXIX
-Where the Rain Remembers You-
Yuzuki darted through the schoolyard, weaving between clusters of students, her heart pounding in her chest. At every stop—behind the gym, near the old cherry tree, beside the vending machines, even by the bicycle racks—she spun around, breathless, only to find Tsukihana Shigure standing just behind her.
No matter how quickly she moved or how many times she changed direction, his presence was inescapable. Sometimes he appeared with a faint mist swirling at his feet, other times leaning casually against a tree, his silken hair catching the light, violet eyes watching her with calm patience. Each time, he seemed untouched by the chaos, his aura of gentle rain following him like a soft, melancholic shadow.
Yuzuki’s panic only grew. She’d dash off again, nearly colliding with other students—who gave her odd looks, seeing nothing but a flustered girl running from invisible ghosts. At one point, she ducked behind a group of upperclassmen, only to feel that cool, familiar presence at her back. She spun, and there he was, his expression as serene as ever.
No matter how many times she tried to escape, Shigure was always there—quiet, elegant, and impossibly close, as if the rain itself had chosen to follow her through every corner of the crowded yard.
“OKAY!” Yuzuki finally shouted, spinning around with her cheeks flushed and her breath coming in short bursts. She’d found a rare pocket of emptiness beneath a tree, away from the crowd’s prying eyes and whispers. Planting her feet, she faced Tsukihana Shigure head-on, her frustration and embarrassment bubbling over.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT???” she blurted, voice trembling somewhere between panic and defiance. “WHY DO YOU KEEP FOLLOWING ME???”
Shigure stood before her, rain-mist aura shimmering in the dappled light, his expression gentle and unhurried. The world seemed to hush around them, the distant noise of the schoolyard fading into the background as he regarded her with those melancholy, violet eyes—waiting, it seemed, for her to finally stop running and listen.
“You— you seem familiar,” Shigure murmured, his violet eyes wide and earnest, glistening with a soft, rain-soaked light that made Yuzuki’s heart skip. His voice was gentle as a drizzle at dusk, so pure and lovely it made her cheeks burn even deeper.
“H-huh??? Familiar? I don’t even know you!” she shrieked, utterly flustered, her hands clutched to her chest.
He only smiled, the corners of his lips trembling with something fragile and beautiful. “That’s just it… Even I don’t know you. But you feel so familiar—like the scent of rain on old paper, or a poem I once loved and lost.” His hand rose to his chest, fingers clutching his shirt as if steadying a trembling heart.
“This feeling inside my heart…” he whispered, his voice barely more than the hush of falling rain, “I can’t— I can’t escape it when I’m near you. It’s as if every unspoken word, every forgotten dream, gathers in the air between us. You are the echo of a memory I never made, the warmth in the coldest rain.”
He looked at her, eyes shining with unshed tears, the world around them muted by the melancholy hush of his presence. “Tell me… do you feel it too? This longing—gentle, endless, and so very old?”
“Wha-wha-wha? N-no. I feel nothing like that!” Yuzuki blurted out, her voice too loud and her face impossibly red, trying desperately to regain her composure. Inside, her thoughts were a whirlwind: I just feel like you’ll devour me alive at this rate, she panicked, unable to tear her gaze from the gentle, aching expression he wore.
Shigure’s eyes softened even more, the melancholy in them deepening, but his smile remained gentle—like rain trailing down a window at dusk. He didn’t press further, simply letting her words hang in the air, his presence as patient and persistent as a soft autumn drizzle.
“Guess all supernaturals have no chance at all…” Shigure whispered, his voice as soft as distant rain, turning away with a melancholy grace.
Yuzuki blinked, the word catching in her mind. “Supernaturals? Wait. You’re a supernatural??” she called out, her confusion and curiosity overriding her embarrassment.
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. For a heartbeat, the world seemed to slow as he offered her a smile—one so heartbreakingly beautiful, gentle, and luminous it could have melted the coldest rain. The kind of smile that held centuries of poetry and longing, making Yuzuki’s cheeks flush all over again.
He didn’t answer with words, just let the truth shimmer in his eyes, leaving her breathless and blushing, her heart pounding with a thousand new questions.
“Tsukihana-kun!” Yuzuki called out, her voice trembling with seriousness despite the vivid blush lighting up her cheeks. “I-I— I think… I also… feel something.”
Shigure’s eyes widened, dusky violet irises sparkling like rain catching the last light of dusk. “You… do?” His voice was a soft, hopeful whisper, as if he hardly dared to believe it.
Yuzuki turned away, her face completely red. “Y-yeah…”
A gentle, radiant smile bloomed on Shigure’s lips, as pure and lovely as a poem whispered in the quiet after rain. He stepped closer, his presence cool and comforting, and took her hand in his—his touch feather-light, reverent.
Leaning in, he spoke, his words a delicate cascade:
“Then… you may call me Shigure.
For the rain and the moon always find each other,
Even through a thousand lonely nights.”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his gaze shimmering with emotion, and added with a playful wink that sparkled through the melancholy,
“Since we’ll be meeting often from now on,
let my name be the promise in the rain—
and let every drop remind you:
I am always near,
where your heart remembers poetry.”
His smile lingered, gentle and teary, as the world seemed to hush around them—just for a moment, only the rain and the two of them existed.
Shigure’s voice was soft as mist, his tone gentle and reverent. “And… what’s your name, miss?” he asked, his gaze never leaving hers.
“Mi-Mikazuki Yuzuki!” she replied, her voice a nervous flutter.
He let her name linger on his lips, as if tasting the syllables for the first time. “I see…” he murmured, turning to glance at the moss of students pressed together on the crowded lawn. Then, with a graceful pivot, he faced Yuzuki again, still holding her hand with delicate care.
“Well then, Yuzuki,” he said, her first name falling from his lips like a secret shared beneath a rainy moon, “would you allow me to accompany you? You seem as if you’ve been left behind by the world, and I would not wish for you to wander alone beneath such heavy skies.”
His eyes, deep as twilight rain, searched hers with a gentle longing.
“May I?” he asked again, his voice trembling with hope, as if every word was a poem written for her alone.
Yuzuki’s thoughts spun—Yu-yuzuki? He’s calling me by my first name? We’re not even that close yet…—but she couldn’t look away from those endless, dusky violet eyes.
“Uh-huh? Oh! Yeah! Sure…” she stammered, pulled from the reverie of his voice and stunned once more by his beauty up close.
Shigure’s smile was soft as falling rain.
“Then, let us walk together, Yuzuki—two strangers in a crowd, sharing the quiet shelter of each other’s company, while the world rushes by like a storm that has already forgotten our names.”
As they walked hand in hand through the bustling crowd, Yuzuki glanced up at Shigure, her hopeful eyes searching his rain-soft expression. “Shigure-kun… you’re a supernatural, right? So… umhh… do you know Amane Rin?” she asked, her voice gentle but filled with curiosity.
Shigure’s gaze softened, the melancholy in his violet eyes deepening as he considered her question. The air around him seemed to shimmer, as if the mention of another supernatural stirred distant memories.
He paused for a moment, his tone as poetic and pure as ever.
“Amane Rin… The name rings with the laughter of wind and the mischief of hidden spirits. In the world where rain meets shadow, even a wandering soul like mine hears whispers of those who play between the lines of night and day.”
He looked at Yuzuki, a gentle smile curving his lips.
“Yes, I know of him. He is… unique—a thread of sunlight in a tapestry of clouds. Why do you ask, Yuzuki? Has his story crossed paths with yours beneath these stormy skies?”
A subtle chill threaded through Shigure’s voice, the rain in his eyes darkening to a stormy dusk. Something in his tone made Yuzuki’s heart skip—a quiet warning, gentle but unmistakable, that urged her not to answer too freely.
“Huh? Oh. No! Not at all,” Yuzuki blurted, forcing a laugh. “A friend of mine speaks of this person, saying he’s a supernatural she met.” The words tumbled out before she could stop herself.
OH SHOOT. I’m the only one who can see supernaturals alongside Ayaka. Should I have not told him this? she worried, panic flickering in her chest.
Shigure’s gaze lingered on her, his expression unreadable, but his next words were as delicate and flowery as falling petals in the rain:
“There are quite a few souls who glimpse beyond the veil,
those rare hearts who see the world’s hidden poetry.
And you, gentle Yuzuki,
seem to walk with another who shares this gift?”
His voice was a tapestry of longing and gentle sorrow, each word draped in the softness of a late autumn drizzle.
“Tell me—does your friend’s heart tremble at the edge of dreams,
or do they dance boldly with shadows,
unafraid of the secrets that rain brings?”
His eyes searched hers, as if he could read the truth in the blush of her cheeks and the hesitation in her silence.
“It is a lonely road, to see what others cannot.
I hope, if you must walk it,
you will never walk alone.”
Yuzuki looked up at Shigure, her eyes shining with genuine warmth and gratitude. “Oh… that’s so very sweet of you,” she said softly, her voice touched with emotion. “Thank you for such lovely words.”
Her smile was gentle and sincere, like a quiet ray of sunlight breaking through a rainy sky. In that moment, the weight of the crowd and confusion around them seemed to fade, leaving only the delicate connection between two souls sharing a rare understanding beneath the soft drizzle of twilight.
As the final bell rang, the throng of students began filing back toward their classrooms, the noise shifting from excited chatter to the steady rhythm of footsteps and murmurs. Groups reformed, backpacks were slung over shoulders, and the schoolyard slowly emptied, returning to its usual calm.
Yuzuki glanced around, realizing the day was drawing to a close. Turning to Shigure, she smiled brightly, her cheeks still tinged with the blush of their encounter. “Shigure-kun, I need to leave now. Thank you for today. I hope to see you again soon!” she exclaimed, waving goodbye with genuine warmth before dashing off into the flow of students.
As Yuzuki waved goodbye and began to disappear into the crowd, Shigure’s voice floated after her, tender and poetic, like a soft rain caressing autumn leaves:
“When the sun dips low and shadows stretch long,
seek me where the whispered pages turn—
the second floor’s quiet sanctuary,
where hearts may speak in silent poetry.
Come find me there, dear Yuzuki,
beneath the gentle watch of falling rain,
and let our souls meet once more,
entwined by the delicate threads of twilight’s song.”
Yuzuki caught his words that lingered in the air, pure and lovely which wrapping around her like a promise to which she responded by nodding subtly, her heart fluttering as she melted back into the crowd, the promise of their next meeting lingering like a gentle drizzle in the air.
As the bell signaled the end of the emergency assembly, students began returning to their classrooms in orderly streams. Yuzuki noticed the pattern: students from the third floor were filing back in from the west side, while those from the second floor descended from the east side of the school. The corridors buzzed with movement, teachers guiding their classes and ensuring everyone followed the designated routes.
Hmm… seems like they’re clearing out floor-wise. Pretty wise. Or not. Can’t decide, Yuzuki mused as she joined the flow, climbing the stairs back to her own classroom. The system, with its staggered return by floor and side, was clearly designed to prevent bottlenecks and keep students moving safely and efficiently.
Normal classes resumed throughout the building, the usual hum of lessons and chatter filling every room. Yet, in certain classrooms, a subtle absence hung in the air—certain individuals known for their exorcising duties were conspicuously missing from their designated spots. Their empty seats stood out against the backdrop of routine, a quiet reminder that while most students returned to normalcy, some were called away by responsibilities far beyond the ordinary.
🎶🔔 Ding-dong-ding-dong | Ding-dong-ding-dong 🔔🎶
Breaktime rolled in, and Yuzuki quickly pulled out her bento box from her bag, settling at her desk. As she began eating, her thoughts drifted to the meeting planned after school, the promise of seeing Shigure lingering in her mind like a soft rain.
Reina soon returned to their shared desk, unpacking her own lunch with a quiet smile. The two sat side by side, the hum of other students around them fading into the background as they began to talk.
“Hey, Yuzuki-san,” Reina said softly between bites, “have you noticed Kaito-kun hasn’t been around all day? He’s missing from class, and no one seems to know where he is.”
Yuzuki nodded, chewing thoughtfully. “Yeah, I noticed. It’s weird. He’s usually so punctual, especially with everything going on.”
Reina’s eyes flickered with concern. “Do you think it has something to do with prefect duties? Maybe he got called somewhere else?”
Yuzuki shrugged, her expression, nonchalant. “Could be.”
“But it’s strange that none of the teachers have mentioned it. I hope he’s okay.” Reina added.
Yuzuki sighed, glancing out the window as she continued eating. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough. For now, I just want to focus on today.”
Their conversation softened, the two friends sharing a quiet moment amid the bustle of the school, each carrying their own thoughts about the mysteries and duties that lay ahead.
As Reina’s delicate fan fluttered beside her, Yuzuki suddenly felt a pang of solitude. Finishing her bento, she turned to tuck the empty box back into her bag—and there it was, the small bag of gummies she’d forgotten.
Oh right! she thought, pulling it out. I should give it to him.
To be Continued...
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