It started raining during the last period on Thursday.
By the time school ended, the sky was gray, and puddles painted the sidewalks. Most students ran for cover or called rides. Josh didn't. He stood by the gate, his hoodie pulled up, watching the raindrops bounce off his shoes.
He wasn't waiting for anyone.
At least, that's what he told himself.
Then came the voice he always heard first in a crowd.
"You forgot your umbrella again, didn't you?" Aki said, walking up beside him with her hoodie halfway zipped and a bright blue umbrella in hand.
Josh didn't answer. He couldn't meet her eyes.
"Come on," she said, holding the umbrella above them both.
They walked in silence, close but tense. The sound of rain tapping on the umbrella filled the space between them.
Aki finally spoke. "I miss you."
Josh's heart thudded. "I'm still here."
"No, you're not. Not really." She glanced at him. "You've been shutting me out."
He stopped walking. So did she.
"I didn't know what to do," he admitted. "I didn't want to ruin everything."
Aki looked at him, confused. "Ruin what?"
"This." He gestured vaguely between them. "Us. Our friendship. I thought if I told you how I felt, everything would change."
Her voice was barely a whisper. "How do you feel?"
Josh took a shaky breath. "I like you, Aki. More than a friend. I've liked you for a long time. But I was scared you didn't feel the same. That I'd lose you."
A beat of silence. Rain hitting the pavement. Her expression unreadable.
Then Aki did something he didn't expect—she laughed.
"What?" he asked, blinking.
"You're such an idiot," she said, smiling through misty eyes. "I've liked you forever. I thought you didn't feel the same."
Josh stared at her. "Wait—what?"
"I was waiting for you to say something," she said, blushing now. "You're the one who backed off."
Josh's heart flipped, stumbled, and soared all at once. He laughed too, a quiet, breathless sound.
"I can't believe this."
Aki nudged him with her shoulder. "Took you long enough."
They started walking again, umbrella between them, but this time Josh didn't care if he got wet. He felt lighter than he had in weeks.
The rain kept falling, but everything between them felt warm.
Something had changed.
And this time, it felt right.