Chapter Text
If only I could return to the past...
I would like us to meet... under that shed, against the breezy dewy wind, when the autumn rain touched our damp cheeks...
Perhaps, we could've become closer... more than just friends...
But, then again, there's no if in life...
“Again? With that ancient-looking pink umbrella, Tetsu?”
A deep, slow sigh escaped my lips. Quietly, I clutch my umbrella, the very item that is the object of his scrutiny this afternoon.
In the ebbing afternoon light, the rain continued to pound over our nylon umbrellas as we hurried towards the parking lot, our leather coats barely drenched wet as we padded along the street, our black boots soaked in the puddle.
“It isn’t pink, the color just faded, Aomine-kun,” I spoke after a short pause.
Aomine-kun always manages to spoil the invigorating tune of the beating rain against the asphalt ground. From the depths of my conscience, or perhaps subconscious, he must've felt truly compelled to openly share his view to every subject he seemed 'uncanny' or strange. However, as I have noticed about him, especially every time it rains, he has the need to bring my umbrella as the main topic, deeming it too important to miss.
“And do you really have to put a name tag on it? Is that how important that old umbrella to you?” he scoffed, quite perplexed to find the existence of my ancient umbrella, which he seemed to despise so much, for unknown reasons I find hard to comprehend.
Pausing for a while, I quietly debated whether to answer him or not. Knowing that we have been friends for more than a decade, and are working in the same company, I quietly sighed, understanding well how his mind works after all of the years of our strong bond of friendship.
“What is so strange about the name tag, Aomine-kun? It’s just normal,” I softly spoke over the pounding rain.
“I’ve heard that answer before, Tetsu, however, I just can’t seem to understand why you would still use that old umbrella, though,” he answered, slightly curving a brow as he eyed the umbrella with little to none interest.
Once more, I sighed, my hand grasping the umbrella so tight that I imagined my knuckles turning white just by the mere force of it. Immediately, I stopped and slowly turned to face him.
“Because this umbrella has been helpful to me, Aomine-kun and without this, I wouldn’t be with Satsuki,” I uttered then pressing my lips in a straight line.
He paused. Aomine-kun's face slowly twisted into a look of astonishment. Then, he turned away.
“Wow… that is just so cheesy…” he mumbled in a dull, monotonous tone as he stared into the distance. “Geez… When will this rain stop? It’s been raining for five days straight!” he exclaimed, disregarding the topic and then resumed on his walk.
Again, I sighed. Quietly, I breathed in the air, its wetness coating my lungs with raw coldness as my brows scrunched into a frown.
'Why am I like this?' I wondered but quickly shook my head.
“I think it’s just fine,” I spoke as I hurried after him.
In silence, we trudged along the pavement, our leather shoes stomping onto puddles of water, splashing drops of them away, with a bit of it splashed in our coats. Soon, we turned to a curb where I spotted my silver mini cooper parked idly beside Aomine’s blue wrangler car drenched in the autumn rain.
I turned towards my car, quietly pulling out the key from my pocket but soon paused. Biting my bottom lip, I then turned towards Aomine-kun, his tall, wide and hard back facing mine as he quietly turned the key to his wrangler's door.
"I-I'm sorry," I mumbled over the rain beating against our steel cars.
The sound of keys brushing against metal drowned into the pounding rain as he slowly tilted his chin towards me, a faint smile crawling to his lips.
"I'm also sorry," he sighed then his gaze panned towards the road, a distant look reflected in those deep set of blue eyes. "I already knew how important that umbrella to you is but I still keep on pestering you about it."
"I sounded obsolete repeating the same thing that I failed to notice your feelings, Tetsu. Again, I'm really sorry," he spoke so softly that I could barely hear his words amidst the pouring rain.
"I am also at fault for being dramatic," I chuckled, a faint smile curving my lips upwards. "And you weren't wrong about my umbrella being 'ancient-looking.' Perhaps, I should buy a new one," I added, finding myself widely smiling.
"Don't be absurd, Tetsu," he quickly snapped with a straight face. "You said that umbrella allowed you to be with Satsuki, right? So, you shouldn't just discard it so easily even if it's ancient-looking," Aomine-kun continued.
My mouth slowly gaped open but slowly curved into a smile, as his words gradually sink deep into my mind.
"Thank you, Aomine-kun," I spoke all the while the rain continued to fall down from the sky.
"I-It's nothing... really," he mumbled with a brush of smile on his lips. "Just take care of that umbrella," he added, his voice trailing off. Hesitantly, he turned towards his car and the sound of the jiggling metals resumed, its tinkling sound drifting into the pounding rain.
"I am your best friend after all," he spoke, slightly lowering his voice that I almost failed to hear him. However, my heart pounded loudly in my chest that I quietly grinned beside my car.
“Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Tetsu,” he said then mounted into his car, his blue-dyed hair disapearing into the confines as he softly closed the door after him.
Soon, the air is filled with the wrangler's rumbling engine, gradually drowning the hard pounding rain overhead as he wheeled the car to reverse, slowly turning towards the road. Not long, his blue wrangler disappeared into the misty, rainy road, eventually camouflaging into the sparkling city lights as it joined the careering vehicles along it. Then, the rumbling wrangler echoed away, only to be replaced by the gentle sound of the rain pounding against the asphalt road and to my car's roof.
Sighing, I turned towards my car, pulled out the key from my pocket and ducked inside, folding the umbrella as soon as I sat down. Quickly, I slammed the door behind me as the rain continued to pour heavily.
As I settled down, I eased myself into the leather seat, slowly breathing out then peeled off my coat, folded it into half and placed it at the backseat. Pausing, I found myself staring before the water-soaked umbrella, the stitches on its hem beginning to hang loose with its peach-faded color.
For how long I have been holding onto this, I wasn’t entirely sure. But, I was certain it had been a part of me since that moment.
I reached for it. Water gradually dripped down onto the floorboard as I folded it, damping my hands from holding it in the process.
‘What was the color when I first received this?’
I wondered, catching myself staring before the rain-streaked windshield while my memory almost forgot the very person who gave me this.
“It was red - as bright as that stranger’s hair,” I begun to mumble to myself.
How long I remained seated in my car, I wasn’t certain. However, I knew that the rain continued to beat down, softly drumming against the car's roof as if knocking, crying, calling out for someone. Staring upon the million, tiny raindrops fluidly sliding down on the windowpane, my mind slowly swam back at the memory of that one rainy autumn afternoon…
Autumn
Picking up her hearty laugh, which only filled my ears, I tightly held her hand, softly squeezing it, as we strolled under the wide canopy of the maple trees amidst the fading afternoon light. Walking side by side, with the cold wind stroking our cheeks, I paused and turned to her, fixing her brown, knitted scarf around her neck.
"You're cold," I spoke, producing a puff of cloud. Then, I found myself tracing a finger on her pallid cheeks. A shade of red crept onto her cheeks, gradually spreading across them. Quickly, she tilted her chin away, biting her quivering bottom lip. As the cold air passed by, I mentally noted how her rose-hued, hair gently swayed, maintaining her gaze away from mine.
My lips curved into a smile. Slowly, I reached for her hands, gently squeezing them.
“Should we stop by for some coffee?” I asked. Slowly, she turned to face me, her soft, salmon-colored eyes directly bore into mine.
“Sure,” she softly spoke, almost in a whisper as she slowly cracked a smile.
In the afternoon, we resumed our stroll, side by side, with my hand tightly clutching hers. Soon, a light drizzle started to pour down.
Wordlessly, I pulled her to tag along behind me. In the autumn drizzle, with the raindrops freely falling on my temples, then, slowly trickling down on my cheeks, I listened to her laughter. Drowned into her voice, a grin broke forth in my lips, continuously ignoring the cold air brushing against our damp faces.
Stealing a glance at her, I pray that smile would remain forever.
Soon, we found ourselves seated before the crackling fire, with its tongue of flame licking the black sills surrounding the ash-coated hearth, thus, offering us a homely comfort as both of us snuggled close to one another in the cosy brown blanket, each holding a mug of hot chocolate.
“I changed my mind,” she whispered with a dreamy look in her eyes, while pleasantly watching the fire flickered. “Starting this moment, I’ll ask you to make me a mug of chocolate every single rainy day.” She had spoken in a soft manner, then afterwards she blew over her mug before sipping the warm drink.
“Do you really want me to spoil you this much?” I asked with a humorous smile before drinking from my mug. Following that, she quickly turned to me, narrowing her eyes at me while pouting her lips.
“Are you bad at making it?” she asked in an accusing tone which I quickly denied with a tender flick on her brow.
“What are you saying? Your husband is a master in making chocolates,” I simply said before sipping a drink from my mug, however, I found myself ejecting the hot fluid onto the floor as soon as it came into contact with my tongue. Henceforth, I stuck out my tongue, fanning it with my hands as I cringed at my folly.
“A-Are you alright?” she asked, immediately putting away her mug to attend to my misery and took out her handkerchief to wipe my mouth. “Geez… You aren’t careful enough, Tetsu-kun.”
Seeing the anxiety ingrained in her rose-hued eyes, I seized her hands, then squeezed them into mine, offering her a soft smile which I cannot stop from revealing to her. “If I make you a mug of chocolate drink, will you promise to stay by my side forever?”
For a while, she only looked at me, her hands gripping back mine, and soon, a faint smile crept to her lips.
“Then, will you promise to never leave my side no matter what?” Returning my gaze with a hopeful glint in her eyes, I only squeezed her hands, then put my arm behind her, pulling her close to me in a hug.
“I promise.” Hearing my answer, she reciprocated with a hug, burying her face in the warmth of my chest.
“I promise, too, Tetsu-kun…” After a moment of silence, she answered my inquiry with a whisper and leisurely, we drifted away from the comforts of silence, tucked into the warmth shelter of her apartment thus oblivious to the drumming beats of the rain.
Since then, I found myself looking forward to the coming rainy days with a gentle smile plastered on my face. Notably hanging onto each other’s promise, I treasured and savored the very memory in the deepest trench of my heart.
Walking down the familiar road, under the tall maple trees, I softly hummed a tune while happily gazing at the gold and rustic view of the autumn vista unmasking before me. Smilingly, I clutched the hardbound Cookbook, which for some reason was gifted to me from a 'kind' person, claimed the librarian from the antique library I frequented. Unable to reject it, I found myself accepting the gift.
'How I wished she told me who this from. I would like to thank that person, too.'
Purely engrossed in my thoughts, I missed the sudden arrival of the rain; instinctively I cradled the book in my arms, sheltering it from the wet as I quickly take cover to the nearest shed.
Completely free from the cold, virile breeze of autumn rain, I took out my handkerchief to dry myself.
“It won’t be long before it stops.”
Pulled out of my pensive mood, I turned around to face a scarlet-haired boy in maroon plaid long-sleeves and black trousers, paired with brown leather boots, who gave me a friendly smile as soon as our eyes met.
“G-Good afternoon,” I greeted in a meek manner, quite uncomfortable after finding myself with a stranger in such a situation.
Silence followed us for I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Straightening up myself, I watched the pouring rain forming a multitude of puddles on the pavement, its silver hue seemed to twinkle from afar. For some reason, I felt an overwhelming calmness taking over me even as I remained in that shed with a stranger, who appeared to be at the same age as I am.
“Do you have an interest in cooking?” the stranger asked out of the blue.
A subtle smile formed in my lips after hearing his question and slowly, I turned to him. “I am just starting,” I answered, noticing his gaze at the honey-colored cookbook.
“For a cooking lesson?” he continued, smiling at my answer.
“No, it’s for my girlfriend,” I answered, sensing my ears warming up.
“Oh, is that so…” he only said and as I looked at him, his face turned glum for some reasons. Perhaps, he remembered something unpleasant with what I have just said. Quietly, I scolded myself for what I have done.
“How about you? Are you interested in cooking?” I asked in a jolly manner, returning the question to him which he answered with a curt shake of his redhead, a waning smile plastered on his face. “I’m afraid I am not.”
“I see,” I nodded, acknowledging his answer before returning my gaze onto the rain, which had somehow calmed down. Further afield, the rustic leaves of the maple trees shimmered in the silver raindrops, twinkling like the cluster of stars.
In that engrossing silence, I soon forgotten him as my mind turned back to her, eager to be out of this unexpected cold weather and to see her smile once more. At that moment, I quietly wondered how I would be able to make her that same delicious taste of chocolate drink she made for the both of us.
“Is she happy?” the stranger asked out of the blue in a somewhat hesitant tone. Quite confused of the sudden interruption, I turned to him.
“Who?”
“Your girlfriend,” he answered before turning his gaze away.
Smiling at his query, a throaty chuckle escaped from my lips as I gazed at the rain pounding hard against the shed’s rooftop.
“Indeed, she is.”
“And you?” he asked and I turned to him once more with the same smile, however, this time, his gaze was bore into mine.
“Yes.”
Upon my answer, he offered me a vague smile, something which held an unfathomable meaning I cannot comprehend.
“I am happy to hear that,” the redhead answered with a seeming defeated smile on his face.
After hearing those words, the rain came into halt with only an amount of a light drizzle soaking the sodden earth and loam.
“Here, you’ll need this more than I am,” he suddenly said, sticking out his arm with a folded red umbrella in his hand. Immediately, I looked up at him, arching a brow at the sudden proposal.
“B-But I cannot –“
“At least accept this,” he insisted with a strong emotion straining his voice while holding my hand, pressing the article in my hand. “You’ll have to protect that book for her, right? You’ll need to be good for her sake,” he continued, turning his gaze down, which did not allow me to see his face.
After hearing his words, I stopped and thought of it, causing me to miss his departure. Noticing this, I immediately turned to him who has been already far in the light drizzle with his back on me.
“Hey!” I yelled out, hoping that he could still hear me despite the pitter-patter music of the rain. “How will I return this?”
He seemed to hear me, for he immediately paused.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s yours,” he said without even turning a final glance at me.
Quietly, I stood there, watching him disappear in the fading rain. Holding tightly onto his umbrella, I looked at it, noting the brightness of the color, which was quite the opposite of the dull color of that rainy autumn afternoon. A clink, as soft as the bell rang in my ears, and as I flipped the umbrella over, I found that it was only a silver name plate…
Along with the gentle music of the pouring rain and the ringing sound in the still air, I could not deny the sensation slowly encumbering me as I stared through the glass window fogged with the light drizzle cascading from the dark sky.
Slowly, my eyes turned to that metallic name plate and carefully, I pulled out the piece of paper, now turned amber-hued, with my name written over it. It revealed a heart-colored paper underneath it.
“Thank you, Akashi Seijuuro-kun…”
I chuckled then, my eyes noticed something glossy red sticking out underneath the old parchment.
Quickly, I pulled my kerchief from my pocket, wiping the dampness from my hands as well as the clamminess from the silver nameplate. Completely dry, I placed the almost-soak kerchief back into my pocket before turning my attention back to it.
Carefully, using my fingers, I pulled it out, slowly at first since the parchment above was almost torn. Afraid that I might harm it further, I slowly pulled it out, so slow that I held my breath, almost suffocating myself, nonetheless, with ample concentration, I was able to withdraw the said article.
Taking in a lungful of air, I held article carefully, then, I noticed how it was delicately folded, similar to an art of folding an origami. Creasing my brows together, I put away the umbrella with the name plate and proceeded to unfold the parchment, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.
Having read the note, I felt my whole world shift into a different gear and once more, I can't help but to recall that seeming defeated smile etched on his face.