CH 23.2

Common Honorifics:

-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.

-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.

-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.

“The rain just won’t stop…”

“Yeah. I thought it was just a passing drizzle.”

It was a chilling sight from inside the earthen pipe. Large drops of rain, almost knives, poured down with cold wind. Not cold, freezing. The gusts blowing constantly on my soaked clothes made me feel even more on the verge of becoming an icicle.

If it were summer, I’d only feel damp and warm, which although not pleasant, wouldn’t be as bad as it s now. Unfortunately, it’s autumn—almost winter—so I was afraid of getting sick from prolonged exposure to this environment. More than that, I was worried about Yuki right next to me. With a glance, I could tell she was quivering.

“Are you okay? Cold?”

“Ahaha… Just a bit.”

She huffed a bit of air, trying to warm her small frail hands, though it wasn’t very effective. I tried to keep her far away as possible from the cold by having her sit out of the current, but cold is cold no matter where.

If the rain doesn’t let up for a moment, we’ll catch a cold. I thought about bolting back to the apartment under the heavy rain, but by the time we reach it, even the papers of our notebooks would be soaking as we were. It might ruin our textbooks as well.

I wonder if Yuki thought the same. Taking a peek, I notice she’s been silent for a few minutes already as if pondering something.

Regardless, we had to wait for the rain to weaken inside this tunnel-shaped playground toy.

“Certainly didn’t expect to rain this much…”

“Mhm… I guess I’ll always have a folding umbrella at the ready from now on.”

“A folding umbrella, huh? I’ll buy a good one ASAP.”

I tried to drown out the cold by talking, but I couldn’t help but feel depressed when I saw the rain, unforgiving and unletting. Then the cold wind bit us once more, making Yuki shiver and sneeze—cutely, I might add.

Now that I think about it, Yuki is wearing thinner clothes than I am. Even though she’s currently donning tights under her skirt, she’s probably feeling much colder than I am under my usual schoolboy pants. Actually, her blazer is even leaner than mine.

While I’m not sure if these conjectures are true, regardless of it, Yuki will end up with a cold if I don’t do something. I knew I had to, so I decided to act on one of the ideas that popped into my mind.

“Yuki, put this on,” I took off my own blazer and handed it to her. While my hand was outstretched, she blinked a few times and gave me a surprised look; her clear blue eyes frozen in place. Then, she shook her head.

“N, no way! If I wear it, you’ll end up with a cold…!”

“I’m wearing a shirt underneath. Just put it on.”

“B… but…”

She’s also wearing a cardigan under her blazer and a white blouse underneath, however, the bottom part of her uniform was wholly different than my boyish version of it. Hers was a skirt, which gives me an advantage in regard to the cold.

Although wet, my offering will stop her from being directly exposed to the merciless gusts of wind, particularly if she covers her legs with it. Doing that won’t remove the cold, but it should be better than it is now.

Above all else, I couldn’t leave Yuki shivering in this cold, so I forced my blazer into her reluctant hands.

“If you refuse it, I won’t wear it,” I added.

“Haru-kun, aw… Why are you so kind…?” She gives me a wry smile, muttering these words. Then, she sighed as if giving up on my idea.

She squeezed that part of my uniform, then slowly pulled her hands through the sleeves, ultimately covering her legs with the overhang, She looked down a little embarrassed, eventually prepping up with a smile on her face.

Her cheeks were licked red as I gently stroked her hair. At that moment, a particularly cold prank of wind blew against my thin clothes, but I held back any reaction, not wanting to worry her. I put on a smile as my body betrayed it, shivering with the biting climate.

“How are you feeling, a bit better?”

“Yes, it’s warm… Thank you, but you’re…”

“I’m fine, it’s not that cold. I’ll take a shower as soon as I get home.”

“That’s fine… Oh, that’s right… If you don’t mind, I can wash your back today…”

“N, no, maybe another time.”

“I’m just kidding. I’ll warm you up with a hot meal tonight instead.”

“L, looking forward to it. Please warm me up from the inside out.”

“But before any of that—I’ll warm you up now.”

“Huh?”

I titled my head back and Yuki, sitting right beside me, extended her arms and wrapped them around my neck, hugging me close. Frozen stiff, I’m unable to react.

After a few seconds of silence, with only the pit-pats of the rain echoing in the air, I finally understood what was going on and raised my voice.

“Y, Yuki…?”

“I’m not that dense, Haru-kun. I realize you’re putting on a strong front from the cold by pretending not to be.”

I couldn’t see her face since mine was pressed against her chest, but neither her words or her tone seemed to condemn me. Rather, they were out of concern.

“You’ve always been like that,” she continued. “…Always thinking of me and putting your body in front of mine… But well, if you catch a cold, it’s all pointless, right? Please cherish yourself too.”

Her eyes landed on me softly, though shimmered with a tinge of anxiety. I know her words come from a place of concern for my own well-being.

Then, she untied her arms around my neck and squeezed my hands. I could feel her warmth through my frigid fingers, and at the same time, feel how cold I’d become.

“See? You’re so cold right now… So just please, rely on me more. I can’t let you push yourself too hard, Haru-kun. It’s just like when we were in elementary school… I can’t just be protected by you. I understand that.”

“Yuki…”

Her tender warmth spread from her hands through my own. I wanted to respond to her feelings, but I just couldn’t think of the words. All I could do was call out her name.

After a bit, she let go of our intertwined fingers and stretched out her arms to embrace me once again. Her squeeze was tighter than before, but with just enough force not to cause any pain. The rhythmic sounds of her breathing tickled my ears so much I involuntarily shook, yet she still never let me go, only pulling me in closer, desperately trying to warm my body.

“It’s fine, Haru-kun. I definitely won’t let you catch a cold…”

Her mellow whispers soaked into my body and echoed through my soul. As I felt her cozy temperature, I pulled her body close to mine, as she did.

“Thanks, Yuki,” I hummed in her ear as I hugged her tight. The rain was pouring down outside, and the wind was biting. Still, cuddling with her made me forget just how cold it was out there.

I glanced at the sky, and before we even knew it, blue patches of sky peeked in between the clouds. The rain gradually lessened in intensity, and the wind calmed down its rampage.

Still, I didn’t want to let go of Yuki’s warmth, so I continued to hold her close, wanting this moment to last even a second longer.