Chapter Text
Rain was pouring down on a Monday morning at Haneoka Girls High School.Tsugumi, Moca,Tomoe and Himari are at the shoe lockers waiting for Moca to wear her school shoes.
“Moca! Hurry or we will leave you behind!” Tomoe yelled playfully, swinging her school bag behind her.
“Shouldn’t we wait for Ran..?” Moca replied, hopping on her right foot struggling to put on her left shoe.
“You're just trying to make us stay. And knowing Ran she's probably already waiting for us! Let’s go!” Tomoe looked over her shoulder walking towards the staircase with Tsugumi and Himari chatting alongside her, “ Wait up..!” Moca finished putting on her shoes and swung her bag on her shoulder, running towards Tomoe. The group of girls soon reached the top of the staircase, laughing and talking together. They stopped by Class 3-A like usual expecting to find their dear friend Ran Mitake sitting at her desk finishing up some leftover homework, however that wasn’t the case today.
“Ran..~ Moca is he-.. Ran?” Moca stopped in her tracks peeking into the classroom looking around for Ran,but all she could see was a few female students talking amongst each other and the rain droplets trickling down the classroom windows. Tsugumi,Himari and Tomoe drop their conversation to look around the classroom for themselves, Ran is absent, that is.. Quite unlike her. Before any of them could unlock their phones to check the Afterglow groupchat, A sound of quickening, rushing footsteps could be heard on the staircase.
At the top of the staircase, a girl with short dark hair with a bright red streak in her hair and damp, soaking wet school uniform crouched catching her breath.
“Ran?!” all girls yelped in unison, immediately rushing towards her.
“Oh.. you're all wet..” Moca spoke, her fingers curling around the black haired girl’s waist.
“Hii-chan.. Get a towel please..”
“Y-Yes!” Himari immediately snuck into the nearest classroom to borrow someone’s towel.
“Did you run all the way here without an umbrella?!” Tomoe crouched down to look at Ran’s tired and embarrassed face.
“It broke on the way here!” Ran replied sharply, her cheeks growing a light shade of pink from embarrassment.
Himari returned with two soft thick white towels in her hands, she gently draped them over Ran’s head and shoulders helping her dry.
“Why are you late anyway? You're never usually late.” Tsumugi asked with concern in her voice.
The black haired girl stood up straight whilst slightly leaning on Moca,due to the run tiring her out. “A new live house opened up near my home.. They are looking for bands to perform live there.. So I signed us up.”
The girls paused, then immediately perked up “Really?!”
“Yup.We are scheduled to perform next week Sunday.”
Before Ran could continue, Moca reached into her school bag and pulled out a spare school uniform to replace Ran’s soaking wet one.
“Moca has you covered~!” She smiled sweetly and took Ran’s hand in hers, “To the bathroom!”
“W-Wait! Moca!!” Ran protested but Moca wasn’t having it.
Tomoe chuckled as she watched Ran get dragged away “Make sure you two get to homeroom on time!”
“See you at lunch!” Tsugumi waved and so did Himari, as they made their way to class.
By lunch time, The rooftop is not accessible due to the heavy rain casting over the city,Therefore Afterglow decided to enjoy lunch together in Class 3-B, The four girls sat around two joined desk to make enough space for all of them to fit.The room is mostly quiet besides the sound of the rain droplets hitting the classroom windows and the sounds of Afterglow’s laughter and chatter. Ran took up the responsibility of working on the set list for Sunday’s upcoming show by jotting it down in her cherry red notebook, Moca nibbled on a soft doughy sweet bun she bought from Yamabuki bakery on her way to school, Tsugumi is enjoying her small creamy strawberry cake dessert whilst sharing it with Himari , and Tomoe bit down at her salty salmon onigiri.
The white haired girl brought her sweet bun to Ran’s rosy lips “Ran say aah..~” .
Ran stiffened up “Moca! What are you-?!” .
The second the black haired girl’s mouth opened Moca shoved the soft sweet bun into her mouth.
“You forgot your lunch.. So Moca to the rescue..!”
“Thanks..” Ran replied shyly, her voice muffled due to her chewing on the sweet bun.
“This is the second time Moca has saved you today Ran” Tsumugi chuckled.
“You two are so cute.. Moca must really care about you huh?” Himari commented teasingly.
“S-Shut up! Don’t make this more embarrassing than it needs to be!” Ran called out sharply, her face growing red.
The dark haired girl cleared her throat “Ahem.. Anyway are you guys free to sleep over at my house Saturday night? Since the live house is near my area.”
“Yup!” Himari exclaimed.
“ I should be available..” Tsugumi commented ,unlocking her phone to check her calendar.
“You bet!” Tomoe replied excitedly.
“Mhm..” Moca nodded whilst nibbling on a hard salty pretzel from Yamabuki Bakery.
The final school bell rang. All the students gathered around the shoe lockers, chatting amongst each other as they obtain their outdoor shoes and pick up their transparent umbrellas from the school’s umbrella rack. Tomoe, Tsugumi and Himari bid their farewells and began walking home together. Ran is mentally preparing herself to run out in the heavy rain due to the loss of her umbrella, Moca finished slipping into her outdoor shoes and took out her wet transparent umbrella from the rack.
“Ran.. Lets go..” Moca once again took Ran’s hand in hers intertwining their fingers together so Ran is unable to escape her grasp.
“Wait! Huh?” Ran seemed confused.
“You don’t seriously think your dear Moca will leave you out in the rain after this morning…” She looked over her shoulder, giving the dark haired girl another sweet smile. “Let’s go..”, Moca pulled her outside before opening her umbrella making a small ‘pop’ sound.
Ran stayed close to Moca.Her cheeks growing a light shade of pink “Let’s stop by Yamabuki bakery.. I’ll get you a choco cornet.. My treat.”
“Aww~ Ran-chan is going all soft for me~” Moca replied teasingly.
“S-Shut up! Its just to thank you for helping me out today…” Ran said flustered , she looked away avoiding eye contact.
The two girls proceed to make their way towards Yamabuki Bakery, talking amongst each other as the heavy rain fell upon them.