WHAT WAS MY LUCK.

Darkened and dense patches of clouds blanketed the sky. With every gush of the furious wind, rain speared from above, and trees violently swung back and forth. The air was thick and suffocating, and the cement was covered with murky puddles.

I'd taken cover underneath one of the playground equipment in an empty park. Although it was dark and gloomy when I left home, there weren't any signs of a thunderstorm. It started with a light drizzle, and within seconds, I was drenched. I didn't have any time to think. Hence, here I was—at the nearest park. All I had on was a thin t-shirt and sweatpants. I didn't even bring my wallet, not that I had any spare change in there to use.

I fought a shiver.

If I had at least an umbrella or coat, I'd be better off. I was definitely going to catch a cold.

I retrieved my phone from my pocket. Brushing off droplets, I shakily dialled his number and pushed it to my ear.

"Asahi—"

"What do you need? Can't you tell I'm busy?"

"But—"

"I don't have time to hear you complain. I get it. It's unfair. I'm the embodiment of evil. But, there's no way you're coming back home. My friends are already here."

"That's not why I called. Listen, it's rai—"

"No, you listen! I don't give a damn about how you feel or even if you're on the verge of death. Unless I call you or I text you, you aren't allowed home. Are we clear?"

The line went dead.

Mutely, I removed it, and rubbed my arms to generate some semblance of heat. Should I call Azuma or Azusa to complain? Usually, they chose Asahi's side over mine.

I hated being the youngest.

For a moment, the sky brightened. Lightning streaked the sky. Thunder rolled in after. The streets were barren, almost ghostly. It made sense. No sane person would be outside in this weather.

Now, my only other option was. . .

I sighed.

Moe, are you home?

Yep! Hehe, I'm with Sae. We're cuddling and watching movies. (*/ω＼)

Is there room for an extra person?

Er. . .
You mean, you want to come over?
Like, right now?

You're right. Dumb idea. Never mind.

Sorry! It's not dumb at all!
Just, we're spending quality time, you know?
It'll only be awkward for you if you show up.
You're better off watching TV or playing video games.
Plus, have you seen the weather? It's atrocious. You shouldn't even step outside.

That's okay. I get it.

I'm sorry, Anri!
Next time, I promise!!!

I brought my body closer. If I mentioned my current situation, Moe wouldn't hesitate to rush over and drag me to her house. But, I'd bothered her a ton growing up. There was no need to bog down the mood, especially if she was spending quality time with Saeki.

Cuddling and watching movies during a thunderstorm. . . That would be nice. I bet they were using a blanket. The heating system in her house probably worked. You couldn't go without a piping cup of tea. Also, a warm meal.

My stomach gurgled as my thoughts roamed. How much longer was it going to rain? Should I risk it and sprint to the closest family restaurant? I had no money to spend. I couldn't loiter at the convenience store for hours either. Not to mention, it was late. There was no guarantee anywhere else would stay open for long.

Great. I didn't have any options. I was totally stranded.

Seconds passed into minutes. Minutes into a full hour. Once my phone died, it became abundantly clear that the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon. My extremities were numb, now. Unexplainable fatigue washed over me. Although I was used to being neglected, this was cruel. What was the point of being a super genius when I lived a life as awful as this?

Whenever Asahi decided to flash the green light that I was allowed home, I'd be forced to sleep it off, and attend school as usual tomorrow.

Who knew, actually.

Another one of my brothers could kick me out again tomorrow. It wouldn't be the first time it'd happened.

Their nasty treatment was never-ending.

This was why fiction far surpassed reality. No matter how tragic a life the female lead lived, it didn't last. Even with a situation like this—no, especially with a situation like this—some pretty boy was guaranteed to pass by and extend a helping hand.

As if. . .

"Is that you, Ann?"

My eyelids pried apart. I knocked my head back, assured I was hallucinating. Except, the boy with cherry red hair didn't disappear. Naoya didn't disappear. He blinked, his coffee-coloured eyes alight with a thin veil of curiosity.

"For real?" he demanded, a firm grip on his umbrella. "Look who it is, Ren!"

Exactly five steps behind him, there Takumi was. His icy gaze pierced right through me. In his hand was an umbrella, the rain cascading off of it and in a perfect arc to the ground. Not a single droplet of this torrential storm dared graze him. He was blessed even by the rain gods.

It hit me, then, the sight of his backpack hung haphazardly across his shoulders. Both he and Naoya were still in their school uniforms. Meaning, they were either on their way home now, or. . . they stopped by somewhere after school.

"Ann." Naoya broke the silence. "Why are you out here at this hour?"

"It's a beautiful night," I answered. "Thought I'd enjoy the scenery."

My sarcasm flew right over Naoya's head. He sparkled as if he'd encountered a kindred spirit. "Seriously? I love rainy days too! Jumping in puddles is the best! I used to love rolling around in the mud too but that gets embarrassing after a certain age. . . so I had to stop."

What was he, a puppy?

"She's being sarcastic, Nao," Takumi interrupted, rolling his eyes at his idiocy. "No sane person would willingly take a stroll in this weather. Also, don't just casually admit to stuff like that."

Naoya's eyes awkwardly darted between us. Understandably. The tension in the air prickled. Takumi's dirty look wasn't subtle in the least.

"Don't mind him, Ann," Naoya eventually told me, a wide grin splitting the lower half of his face. "Believe it or not, we were at the public library. We go there every single day now until closing time. Ren's that determined not to lose to you again."

I whistled. "Really? That's adorable."

A fiery blush enveloped every inch of Takumi's face. "What are you telling her?!"

"He was so focused," Naoya singsonged. "The guy wouldn't even go to the restroom or eat dinner since that would've meant losing precious time to beat you. You're all he can think about."

"That's not it," Takumi refuted, albeit red. "I only go there to study since midterms are around the corner. It seriously has nothing to do with you. Whatever I decide to do has nothing to do with you."

"Whatever you say, dude," I responded, a smirk tugging on the corners of my mouth. "I'm starting to feel a little bad. Want me to take it easy on you?"

He grounded his back molars. "Just try to. You'll regret it."

"Up against you? I highly doubt that day will come."

Naoya snickered all the while Takumi foamed by the mouth.

It took very little to rile him up. The fact that this anger stemmed directly because of my existence was an honour, really.

Takumi cleared his throat—an effort to both bury his frustration and restore his composure. He narrowed his eyes, raking me over from head to toe. "Look, I don't care what brought you out here," he spat, "but a storm warning was issued. It isn't safe outdoors."

"Gee, thanks for pointing out the obvious. I can literally see that."

His eyebrow twitched in indescribable annoyance. "Go home."

"I heard you just fine the first time."

The downpour cranked another notch. It filled the gutters and drains. The wind blew dangerously strong. This storm—it was getting worse by the second.

It didn't take a prodigy to figure something was wrong with this picture. The fact that I—in thin, drenched clothes—chose to purposefully remain out here, at some random, secluded park at night, when any sane person would be long gone, tucked under their covers at home. However, a prodigy Takumi was, I was convinced he would still take his leave without wasting his breath. As my supposed "rival," as my childhood tormentor, the last thing I would expect was any means of concern.

Clearly, I'm no psychic.

Takumi was in front of me before I could even blink. He dropped onto one knee, leaning in unbearably close. "How long have you been out here?"

My lungs caved inwards. His steel-grey eyes bore a hole through my chest, in a manner that caused my high and mighty smirk to shrivel up and disappear, and my stomach to crumple to my gut.

I gripped my forearms tighter. It was impossible to hide my shivering. No wonder Takumi caught on to it. That aside, I couldn't answer him. The words wouldn't bubble up.

"Now that I get a better look, you're all soaked, Ann!" Naoya zoomed over too, his eyes bugged. "How come? Where's your umbrella? Aren't you freezing?"

My teeth chattered. "Nope."

Oh, great. They could've just gone on about their day and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Naoya aside, Takumi shouldn't even be showing me a millimetre of concern.

"It's not a big deal." I got my mouth to work. "My older brother invited his college friends over for a party. I'm out here killing time until it's cool for me to go back."

Naoya pouted a pout that put puppies to shame.

I gnawed my lip. I didn't need that look. I spent the better half of my childhood pleading for sympathy from others only to learn just how cruel the world really was. The last thing I wanted was for somebody—let alone Ren Takumi—to see me at my lowest.

Not again.

"Mind your business," I snapped, palpably irritated. "Go waste your energy thinking up other futile strategies to beat me. Clearly, you need to."

Takumi's icy visage didn't crack. He tugged my forearm, and the heat from his fingertips prickled my skin like needles. "How am I supposed to beat you if you freeze to death out here?"

"Hey!" I remarked.

Despite my protest, he hauled me out from under the park equipment and to my feet. He squeezed my forearm with no intention to let go. His overwhelming strength startled me.

"It's because I consider you my rival, I need you in good health," he said, almost begrudgingly. "Until the storm passes, you can kill time at my house."

Naoya brightened. "That's a great idea!"

"In what world?" I demanded, brushing my slicked bangs out of my eyes. "I'm not going to your house."

I'd rather die.

"I'm fine as is," I adamantly refused. "The storm isn't even that bad—"

As if to chuck my declaration right at my face, a tree from across the street—which had been violently swaying in the wind—snapped in half. It teetered and hit the road with an echoing thwack!

Naoya dramatically squeaked.

My heart skipped a beat.

Takumi's frown deepened.

"We're going," he said.

I resisted his tugs. "Who's "we"?"

His patience wore thin. The rain drenched his uniform, and his hair, matting strands messily across his forehead. "There are certain times to be stubborn. Now is not one of them."

"Just mind your business," I snapped right back. "I'll pop by a convenience store. Hell, another building close by. I'm not going to your place, all right?"

"Um. . ." Naoya feebly muttered. "Not to be that person but, a whole tree fell over. Like, literal metres away from us. Can we get out of here before another one breaks and flattens us?"

I scowled—a look Takumi readily returned. As two stubborn peas in a pod, this argument had no resolution.

"Excuse me," Naoya tried again. "You guys saw what I saw, right? It isn't safe out here. Let's go. Pretty please?"

"Guess a number from one to ten."

Takumi's order took me by surprise.

My eyebrows pinched together. "A number?"

"We'll have Nao think of one," he explained. "If I guess the number closest to what he's thinking of, you have to come with me."

There it was: a solution. In the guise of yet another petty competition, albeit.

"And if I guess the number?" I asked.

"I'll leave you alone," he answered. "Your call. Make up your mind or not, I can stand here all day."

"I can't!" Naoya fearfully piped in.

Dammit.

He was serious.

If I refused this competition, he'd just stay here until we both froze to death.

I gulped, hard. So, if I played along and won, he'd leave me alone then? Was it that easy?

"Think of a number between one and ten," Takumi instructed Naoya.

Exaggerated tears pooled into Naoya's brown eyes. "Is this really the time and place? Our lives are on the line," he whimpered. Our heated stares weren't helping his case. His shoulders sagged. "All right, fine. Fine. I thought of a number."

I hadn't lost at anything in my life, unless I did so willingly.

Out of all those challenges, this game of probability was a piece of cake. Statistically, under circumstances like this, people were guaranteed to choose. . .

"Four," I recited before Takumi could dare beat me to it.

"Eight," he guessed after me, without a shift in expression.

Naoya's hefty pause was accompanied by a meek smile. "Eight was my number."

The shock froze every muscle in my face, and every nerve in my body. Takumi dragged me towards him, leaving enough space under his umbrella for the both of us to share.

I wasn't supposed to lose.

"It's settled, right?" Naoya giddily asked, jogging in place. "Great! To Ren's we go!"

It wasn't until Naoya sprinted a reasonable distance and I mindlessly allowed Takumi to string me along, did it hit me. "You cheated," I cursed, wrestling my arm free. "You had Naoya pick your number!"

"You should've factored that in before you agreed to the terms and conditions," Takumi responded.

How did I not see it coming?

Naoya and Takumi were best friends. On top of that, Naoya wanted to desperately get out of the rain, but he wasn't cruel enough to leave me stranded. Him choosing Takumi's number reaped the most benefits, for the both of them.

I didn't notice Takumi had this ace up his sleeve. Normally, I would. Being out in the storm this long had mentally drained me.

"Hey, Nao!" Takumi called out. "What number did you really think of?"

The redhead in question spun on the soles of his sneakers. "Four." He beamed directly at me. "Sorry, Ann. It was an emergency."

"You could've just lied and taken the win," I sputtered. "I lost the moment I chose to accept your conditions without assuming Naoya would take your side."

"That's why it's not a real win," Takumi refuted. "For some frustrating reason, I can't beat you. Even in a game of probability, you have the advantage. But, one day, it'll be different. I'll beat you fair and square. Without having to use underhanded tricks like this."

Seriously?

What sort of promise was that?

This wasn't the Takumi I knew.

My gaze dropped to my feet, elsewhere from his side profile. Where he held my arm continued to tingle. "I'm not going to thank you."

"You better not. I'm not doing this expecting your gratitude."

I made a face. Of course he wasn't. "Are you that incompetent at holding an umbrella? The rain is hitting my shoulder."

"That's because you're standing all the way out there. Move in closer if you're going to complain."

This was officially the worst day of my life.

I didn't outright take the initiative, leaving Takumi to shuffle towards me instead. Our arms grew close enough to brush, which made it even more difficult to ignore this embarrassing situation. But, our physical proximity aside, I didn't feel remotely closer to him. There was an unexplainable distance between the two of us that would never shrink.

"Better?" he asked.

"Debatably," I answered.

No matter how deeply the world entangled our lives, no matter how much it urged for me to believe that Takumi wasn't so bad of a person, part of me knew I'd never give in.

I hated Takumi. I'd never forgive him. He was a horrible, unredeemable human being.

. . .Right?

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