After being dragged off the train by Chika Fujiwara, a cold wind mixed with fine rain struck their faces. The sensation was particularly sharp as they stepped away from the station's shelter, but Chika didn't seem to care, too preoccupied to notice.
"Moeha is right across the street. Let's hurry and follow her."
She tugged at Kanade Natsukawa's arm, ready to dart across the road.
"Hold on," Kanade said, stopping to pull out an umbrella.
"We can't wait!" Chika protested, her tone urgent. "If we lose track of Moeha, she might—"
"Might what?" Kanade asked, his tone deadpan.
Chika's worried gaze turned into an exasperated glare. "Stop asking so many questions, President!"
What if Moeha ends up experiencing "adult life" before me? she thought in alarm. She wasn't ready to be an aunt just yet!
"Let's go!" Chika spun around and prepared to take off.
But before she could move, Kanade grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
The next moment, a bicycle sped past, spraying water as it raced down the street.
"Don't run off like that," Kanade said sternly, his expression serious. "No matter what's going on, you need to follow traffic rules. What if you got into an accident?"
"..." Chika was momentarily startled, her grip on his arm tightening slightly.
After taking a moment to calm herself, she bit her lower lip and cast a worried glance across the street. "But… Moeha's gone now. I can't see her anymore…"
The sound of the rain falling around them grew louder.
Suddenly, Chika felt the chill lift as an umbrella was placed over her head.
"It's okay. I saw which way they went. I've memorized the route, so we can catch up," Kanade reassured her gently. He understood her concern for her sister but knew they needed to take care of themselves, too.
"You didn't bring an umbrella, did you?" he asked after noticing Chika's expression. "Since your house is pretty close, you usually walk home, right? You probably only took the train today to avoid the rain."
Chika mumbled something under her breath and then turned her head, a faint pout on her lips. "Fine, I'll give you some credit this time… but only enough to cancel out what happened earlier!"
"..." Kanade blinked, quickly realizing she was referring to his earlier teasing during the study session when he'd called her a "baka."
She actually held onto that? I thought people like her didn't hold grudges.
"Anyway, the rain seems to be getting heavier. I didn't see Moeha carrying an umbrella earlier… Do you think she's okay out there?" Chika asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"I wouldn't worry too much," Kanade said, trying to reassure her. "Your sister wouldn't be reckless enough to wander around in the rain without an umbrella. She's probably found somewhere to take shelter. Let's cross the street first and check."
The pedestrian light turned green, and Kanade took Chika's hand, gently leading her across the street.
A cold gust of wind blew by, sending a few stray raindrops down the back of Chika's neck. She shivered, letting out a small squeal.
"Eek!"
Instinctively, Chika pressed closer under the umbrella and wrapped her arms around Kanade's. "S-So cold!"
Kanade glanced at her briefly. He felt like making a snide comment but decided against it, considering her current mood.
Chika, however, noticed his gaze. Her cheeks reddened slightly, and she pouted in embarrassment. "It's because your umbrella is too small!"
Hey, that's a bit much! Kanade thought. This is a single-person umbrella. Letting you share it is already more than generous—don't push your luck!
He sighed but tilted the umbrella slightly in her direction without saying a word.
"Sorry my umbrella is so inadequate," he said, trying to sound irritated as he put on an exaggeratedly stern expression. "I guess I should make it even worse for you."
"Eh?" Chika looked up, confused.
Kanade pretended to adjust the umbrella, moving it as if he intended to shield only himself.
For a moment, Chika froze in shock, then panicked. She raised her arms protectively over her head, bracing for the rain. When she realized it was just a joke, her expression quickly soured.
"You idiot President!" she huffed, puffing her cheeks indignantly. She poked him in the side with her fingers as if to get back at him.
"Hey, stop that! The umbrella might fall," Kanade protested.
The two of them continued their playful bickering as they weaved through the crowd, searching for Moeha.
Although Kanade had seen which direction she'd gone, finding her wasn't easy. The streets were vast, and the rain added an additional layer of difficulty. As time passed, the sky darkened further, and the mist grew thicker.
The neon signs lining the streets shimmered through the rain like distant stars, casting an almost dreamlike glow. Umbrellas of all colors moved through the wet streets, forming a flowing, vibrant river of humanity.
In a city so large, people's lives often felt fleeting. Every passerby could be a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, vanishing into the sea of faces, never to be seen again.
"I can't find her…" Chika bit her lip, her expression growing increasingly anxious. "Where could Moeha have gone? We've looked everywhere… If only we'd followed her sooner, we wouldn't have lost her."
"If you'd tried that, you'd probably be in the emergency room by now," Kanade said with a sigh. He softened his tone, trying to calm her. "Take a deep breath and think of another way."
"...Okay," Chika murmured, though she still seemed troubled.
"What about your phone? You should have it with you, right? If you're worried, you could message her," Kanade suggested.
But Chika quickly dismissed the idea.
"No way! We can't let her know we're following her! If Moeha thinks I'm some overprotective older sister, it'll ruin everything!"
"..." Kanade Natsukawa stayed silent, thinking to himself, Aren't you already the textbook definition of an overprotective sister?
"Let's keep looking," Chika continued, biting her lip anxiously. "After all, the person with Moeha might not even be a boy. It could be a girl, right?" Despite her own words, her uneasy expression suggested she wasn't convinced.
"I checked my phone earlier," Kanade began, adopting an analytical tone. "There aren't any parking lots nearby, and the train station is just around the corner. If Moeha didn't head that way, it's unlikely she came here for transportation. Plus, it's dinner time, and there are plenty of restaurants around here. The most likely explanation is that she's here to have dinner with friends."
"Really?" Chika's eyes lit up slightly, seemingly comforted by the logic. It did make sense—her older sister Kaho wasn't home tonight, and Chika herself had been planning to eat out.
"Just a guess," Kanade added with a shrug. "Though it's also possible she's working a part-time job—maybe as a clerk at some obscure bookstore or something."
Although Moeha's family background made the need for a part-time job unlikely, Kanade reasoned there could be any number of motives—perhaps similar to someone like Yukino. That said, he deliberately refrained from voicing the darker, more troubling scenarios that briefly crossed his mind: things like being coerced into a delinquent karaoke outing or participating in dubious "sugar daddy" activities.
While such things weren't uncommon in certain parts of society, he knew Chika would be utterly devastated by such thoughts, so he wisely kept them to himself.
"Hmm… so it's probably just dinner," Chika said, nodding. Her expression finally calmed a little. "As for a part-time job, that seems unlikely. Moeha gets the most allowance out of all of us sisters, and she's only a middle schooler—working doesn't really make sense."
"..." Kanade didn't argue but shot her a sidelong glance.
For anyone else, her reasoning might have been easy to dismantle, but in the case of the Fujiwara sisters, Moeha's middle-school status actually seemed plausible. After all, the Fujiwara girls were… unique.
"Well, let's just check the restaurants one by one. If she's around, she's probably on this street," Kanade suggested.
Chika agreed, and the two began their search.
In this city where space was at a premium, many eateries were tucked underground, accessible only by staircases. It was nearly impossible to spot someone just by walking along the street, so their search required going into each establishment.
Fortunately, luck was on their side. After a bit of effort, they finally found Moeha in a cozy family restaurant.
"There she is!" Chika exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
Kanade's reaction was calmer. His gaze briefly landed on Moeha before shifting to her companions: a girl seated beside her and a boy sitting across from them.
No wonder Chika was worried… Kanade thought. It wasn't surprising for her to fret over Moeha being out with a boy at this age—especially since middle school boys were, well… unpredictable.
At least they'd found her. Chika looked noticeably more relaxed, though standing at the entrance like this wasn't ideal. Kanade suggested they find a seat of their own.
The two picked a corner table and settled in, holding menus as makeshift shields while surreptitiously observing Moeha's group.
"Okay, we found her, but I really want to know what they're talking about. I can't hear a thing!" Chika muttered. She slouched low on the table, her menu held up to obscure her face as she strained to eavesdrop.
"It's just a group of classmates having dinner. There's no need to spy on their conversation—that's crossing a line," Kanade pointed out.
Chika's antics were drawing attention, including that of a nearby server who looked unsure whether to approach their table. Kanade sighed and took charge, ordering some light snacks and desserts to avoid drawing further suspicion while still allowing for a quick exit if needed.
"It's not like that!" Chika hissed, glaring at him. "You don't get it, President! Moeha has never gone out with boys before! This is her first time! Of course I'm worried!"
"..." Kanade didn't know how to respond. He could understand her feelings—no one wanted their "cabbage" to be snatched by a "pig."
Still, he found it ironic. Here she was, a high schooler out alone with a boy, fussing about her younger sister doing the same. But since he was already here, he resigned himself to playing along with Chika's antics.
As it turned out, reality wasn't as dramatic as fiction. Despite their attempts to predict twists and turns, Moeha and her friends did nothing unusual. They simply ate dinner, chatted, and eventually prepared to leave without any signs of suspicious behavior.
In fact, from Kanade's perspective, the boy in Moeha's group seemed far more interested in the girl sitting next to Moeha than in Moeha herself. It was a typical scenario, hardly the stuff of scandal.
Not that Kanade cared much—people's romantic dramas were less engaging to him than the crispy fries on his plate.
"Oh! They're leaving! Quick, President, hide!" Chika whispered urgently. Her idea of "hiding" was to lower her head and pretend to focus on her food—a method that was far from effective.
Predictably, her attempts failed spectacularly.
As Moeha's group approached the restaurant exit, she glanced around casually—only for her gaze to land squarely on their table.
Her eyes widened slightly, scanning the area. When she spotted Chika pretending to eat while still wearing her school uniform, Moeha's expression shifted into one of mischievous amusement.
Kanade recognized that look all too well—a little devilish and entirely mischievous. He'd seen it often enough to know that whatever Moeha was planning wouldn't bode well for Chika.
"..."
Kanade cast a sympathetic glance at the oblivious Chika, who was still focused on her act. He silently prayed for her as he braced for the aftermath.
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