Kato Megumi didn't want to go out today.
She had a feeling of unease, for some reason.
Although the girl's presence was extremely faint, it seemed like fate had made a choice for her. As a trade-off for her weak presence, her intuition was much sharper than that of ordinary people.
This intuition had indeed saved her life once, preventing her from meeting a fatal end.
Since that incident, she had come to rely heavily on her intuition, including when she applied to Funozaki Private Academy as her high school, following the guidance of her instincts.
And that's where she met the person she most wanted to see.
But from the moment she woke up today, she felt very depressed, and her heart occasionally skipped a beat.
The girl initially attributed her bad mood to the gloomy weather, but when she stepped outside, she discovered how wrong she was.
Kato Megumi's parents were a typical salaryman family in Japan. Although it was Saturday, there was no such thing as rest for salarymen.
If they were lucky, they might get some overtime pay from a good boss. But if they met a normal boss, overtime pay might only exist in their imaginations.
However, Kato Megumi's father was indeed lucky. Although he didn't get overtime pay, the sales industry he worked in was a classic example of "the more you work, the more you earn."
Despite having to go to the company to handle documents on a Saturday, it was a pity that he couldn't spend time with his family. But both Kato Megumi and her parents had already become accustomed to this situation.
After all, what could be more important than providing for the family?
Moreover, the girl felt that there was nothing to complain about. Her parents had done their best to provide her with the best possible environment to grow up in. It was indeed quite embarrassing when they occasionally forgot about her, but most of the time, they were still excellent parents.
So, in the morning, Kato Megumi saw her father off to work as usual.
But it wasn't until two hours later that she realized her mother had left her father's lunchbox at home.
To prevent her father from working on an empty stomach, she had to run an errand for him. She braved the rain and went to the Ginza commercial district.
Her father's company was located there.
Things went smoothly. Kato Megumi wasn't a two- or three-year-old child. As a qualified high school student, a 16-year-old girl would have been old enough to get married decades ago.
But things wouldn't go that smoothly. It wasn't until she came out of her father's company that the girl realized the source of her morning unease.
"That's... Kasugai..." Kato Megumi couldn't believe her eyes.
Sharing an umbrella, even in a country as open-minded as Japan, was not something ordinary friends would do. And seeing their arms pressed against each other clearly indicated that they were no ordinary friends.
Kato Megumi felt like her heart had stopped beating.
Wait, why did the streets of Tokyo suddenly become so quiet?
Was it still raining? Why wasn't there any wind?
Right now, Kato Megumi just wanted to rush to the boy's side and ask him clearly what his relationship was with the blonde girl beside him.
Just as she was about to act, Kasugai Tetsu's action stopped her in her tracks.
He was touching her hair.
Did she even need to ask?
Kato Megumi found it amusing.
In the past, her unparalleled intuition had saved her, but her embarrassing lack of presence had brought her misfortune.
But today, the situation had completely reversed.
Her unparalleled intuition had allowed her to witness this scene, while her embarrassing lack of presence had saved her.
At least Kasugai-kun didn't see her.
…
Due to the rain and Kato Megumi's weak presence, as well as the cover provided by the umbrella, Kasugai Tetsu didn't realize that Kato Megumi was watching him from a distance.
But that was normal, wasn't it? Who would have thought that they could bump into a classmate on the streets of Tokyo?
After all, Tokyo, the world's largest city, has a population of over 20 million.
And a class at Funozaki?
Less than 30 people.
The odds of this happening were no less than winning the lottery.
After finally freeing Eriri's hair from the umbrella rib, Kasugai Tetsu immediately took half a step back.
His previous actions were unavoidable. If he didn't want to see the girl's beautiful blonde hair ripped off in a big chunk, he could only do that.
But now that the crisis was over, if he shamelessly approached the girl again, he would definitely be considered a thug, wouldn't he?
As always, he wouldn't do anything that would offend a powerful family.
That would be too dangerous. He had such a cute little sister to take care of. He didn't want to be sunk into the dark depths of Tokyo Bay.
As Kasugai Tetsu took a step back, there was some space under the umbrella, and a stream of air passed through the space where their arms had been pressed together.
The girl shivered. Suddenly leaving the warm source, she couldn't take it anymore.
Spring was a season of fluctuating temperatures, and it was raining and windy today, making the temperature even lower and making people shiver.
Moreover, Eriri had been standing on the street with Kasugai Tetsu for the whole morning. Considering her frail physique, it was a miracle that she could last until now. When her work was finished, the girl's relaxed mind finally felt the chill.
"Let's find a place to rest. You've been working hard this morning, Sawamura-san."
"No, Kasugai-kun, you've been working harder. You taught me so much."
Here we go again, that frustrating answer.
Can't you use a different word?
Although she sounded humble, Eriri still agreed to Kasugai Tetsu's suggestion. If she didn't find a place to sit down and warm up, she might get sick when she went home today.
She knew her own body. She wasn't so arrogant as to think that she could handle it.
Especially since she had learned so much today and was about to show off her skills, she had to take care of her health.
"Kasugai-kun, shall we go to that coffee shop over there to rest? As a thank you for today, I'll treat you to coffee."
Kasugai Tetsu nodded. There was no need to mention rewards between friends.
But if it was just a cup of coffee, then there was no problem.
However, as they were about to leave, another incident occurred.
A bespectacled young man rushed towards them and blocked Kasugai Tetsu's path.
"Eriri, who is this guy?" Although his eyes were fixed on Kasugai Tetsu, Aoi Rento directed his question to Eriri.