Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051597934651646/episodes/2912051597934671708
Late April. Cold rain was pounding mercilessly against the asphalt.
Amid the annoying splash of mud, Hirugami Seika stood motionless in front of the apartment building’s entrance.
The lukewarm smell unique to rain, mixed with exhaust fumes, stung her nostrils.
Drops of water dripped from the ends of her blonde hair, and her school blouse clung tightly to her skin.
Every time a chilly breeze blew through, her shoulders shivered, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
The coldness of the rain and the pungent smell of the asphalt further intensified her sense of unease.
“What am I doing?”
Her self-deprecating mutter was drowned out by the sound of the rain.
She searched all the way to the bottom of her school bag, but the key that should have been there was nowhere to be found.
Despite her flashy appearance, she prided herself on being perfectly capable at household chores, but she droop her head in disappointment at this clumsy side of herself.
[Is it true that Hirugami-san will sleep with anyone?]
At school, such baseless rumors were circulating about her.
In reality, she was an innocent gal who had never even held hands with a boy, yet she had been constantly misunderstood because of her flashy appearance.
[Hey, Hirugami. Can you stop hitting on my guy? It’s annoying.]
She had just been subjected to this unwarranted verbal abuse from a classmate after school.
Seika had thought she was doing her best to start fresh this new semester and build new relationships.
But her flashy appearance and these heartless rumors are ruining her high school life.
Guys were hitting on her, and the girls resented her.
(Ugh, I can’t take this anymore…)
On top of all the hardships she’d endured, she’d made the fatal mistake of losing her keys.
That was the final straw, completely exceeding Seika’s breaking point.
Just as she was overcome by despair and about to collapse to her knees,
the sound of footsteps approaching on the asphalt, splashing rainwater, grew louder.
A shadow fell over Seika’s head, blocking the rain.
With the sound of an umbrella opening, the light from a streetlamp shone faintly through the plastic canopy.
Standing there was a familiar male student.
It was [Hotarou Achi], the boy who sat next to her.
“Aren’t you in my class…?”
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
He looked down at Seika with calm eyes, as if he had already seen it all.
Amid the cold patter of rain, his voice alone reached her ears, strangely clear.
“Haha, I lost my keys…”
“Even so, you… Haa.”
Hotarou let out a short sigh.
His gaze was a mix of exasperation and faint concern, as if he were looking at a wet puppy.
“Let’s just go inside for now.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll let you use the bath or something.”
There wasn’t a trace of ulterior motive on Houtarou’s face as he stated this matter-of-factly.
It was that unreadable expression unique to him—someone who’d been tossed about by his parents’ circumstances and had given up on living up to society’s expectations.
“I-it’s fine… Achoo!”
“If you catch a cold, it’ll ruin my morning.”
“You don’t really need to worry about that…”
Overwhelmed by his uncompromising attitude, Seika had no choice but to meekly follow him.
A heavy clang of metal rang out as the door to Houtarou’s room swung open.
The interior was stark and bare, filled with that slightly dusty, inorganic scent typical of a single man’s apartment.
After taking off her shoes at the entrance, Houtarou immediately tossed a bath towel carelessly from the bathroom.
“I’ll call the management company.”
“Oh, thanks…”
Wrapped in the soft, fluffy feel of the fabric-softener-scented towel, Seika dried her wet hair while Houtarou held his smartphone to his ear.
A mechanical beep sounded, and a few minutes of business-like conversation followed.
Eventually, he hung up.
“They said they’ll be here right away.”
“Oh, really? Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s fine.”
With that curt reply, he handed her a tracksuit.
It was a bit oversized, and a faint floral scent tickled her nose.
His efficiency was almost too good to be true—or perhaps it was his willingness to look after her without any ulterior motives—and Seika’s doubts began to grow.
She went into the changing room to change out of her wet uniform and into his tracksuit.
Her reflection in the mirror showed her makeup running from the rain, giving her a terribly pitiful look.
When she returned to the living room after changing, Houtarou had already boiled water in a kettle and set out two mugs.
With a soft clink of porcelain, a mug of hot cocoa was placed on the table.
The sweet scent rising from the steam seemed to seep slowly into her chilled body.
She took a sip, and the heat—almost enough to burn her—and the rich sweetness filled her frozen stomach.
“Hey, why… are you being so nice? …Could it be… that you want to sleep with me too?”
She asked in a trembling voice, cupping the mug with both hands.
Rumors like that were circulating all over school. She’d assumed that if she went up to a guy’s room, people would naturally expect things to go that way.
But Houtarou’s reaction was far beyond what she’d expected.
“What are you talking about?”
“B-but…”
“Anyone who says something like that to a total stranger is the one who’s crazy.”
It was a perfectly reasonable argument.
There was not a trace of prejudice toward the rumor, nor any preconceptions about her “gal” appearance.
He had simply helped a person standing right in front of him who was struggling in the rain, as a matter of course.
The moment that fact sank in, Seika’s mind went completely blank.
She stood there with her mouth agape, blinking repeatedly.
And in the next instant, an uncontrollable laugh welled up inside her.
“Hahahaha, that’s right”
Seeing Seika clutching her stomach and laughing, Houtarou blinked in surprise.
The malicious rumors that had been weighing her down until now, and the leering stares from the boys, suddenly became completely irrelevant because of his single remark.
She never imagined there was someone who could see her so simply and normally.
“Yeah.”
“Thanks, Achi-kun.”
“Why did you call me by name?”
Suddenly called by name, Houtarou’s eyes widened in slight surprise.
To him, she might have just been a stranger—a female student living next door.
“Classmate.”
“Oh…”
Seeing Houtarou nod as if he understood, Seika let out a soft chuckle.
Despite his detached demeanor, there was something absent-minded about him that made him seem incredibly cute.
“You’re welcome, Hirugami-san.”
“Just call me Seika.”
“Oh, right. Hirugami-san.”
However, Houtarou brushed it off casually and took a sip from his mug.
She leaned forward slightly, trying to close the distance, but even his aloof attitude felt pleasant to Seika at that moment.
Seika relaxed her cheeks and flashed a beaming smile.
Like an invisible tail wagging back and forth, she couldn’t suppress the urge to get even closer to him.
Deep within her chest, a sweet thump echoed.
In that moment, Hirugami Seika had completely fallen in love with Houtarou Achi.
The relationship between a boy who had given up on the world due to his parents’ circumstances and a family-oriented gal whose love was too heavy would begin on this cold, rainy night.
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Hmm…a secretly rich teenage MC?