The Heroines All Regretted It

The cardboard didn't last ten seconds.

The rain soaked it instantly, the wind tore it apart—it was nothing but a hindrance. It didn't stop the rain at all.

Within moments, Yoru felt drenched to the bone.

The icy raindrops felt like needles piercing his skin.

It was freezing and painful, and he shook uncontrollably.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

Breathing became difficult.

The heavy rain thinned the air, and Yoru hadn't even gone far before he found himself struggling to breathe.

Worse, the downpour flooded his face. Water slid into his eyes and nose. It was unbearable—he couldn't even open his eyes properly.

Squinting through slitted lids, he tried to keep going.

Breathing through his nose became impossible, so he opened his mouth—but rain poured in, choking him.

And the sky was completely black...

Yoru had never felt so miserable. Even the simple act of breathing felt like a luxury.

It was torture—both physically and mentally.

Suddenly, his foot slipped. He crashed to the cold, wet pavement.

He didn't know whether it was rain or tears that streamed endlessly down his cheeks...

Back in the taxi, Eriri slowly woke up.

"Achoo—!"

She sneezed and instinctively hugged her arms, her mind still foggy.

Wait, she was in a taxi?

The umbrella?

Suddenly, she remembered Yoru's umbrella and opened her eyes wide.

"Crap, I forgot!"

She shouted in alarm.

"Miss, we're almost at your stop," the driver said, turning the car around a corner.

Hearing that, Eriri scooted over to the window.

A familiar street appeared before her eyes.

She was almost home!

Her heart pounding with panic, Eriri quickly pulled out her phone.

6:17 AM.

She had only slept an hour and had already left the naval district!

"He's still waiting for me at school!"

Eriri suddenly remembered Yoru, grabbed her umbrella, and wanted to ask the driver to turn around in frustration.

But...

"It's still raining outside, but it's just a drizzle now..."

Her pale little hand gripping the umbrella loosened.

"With rain that light, he should be fine, right?"

"Besides..."

The image of a fat otaku flashed in Eriri's mind again, sending a chill down her spine.

She wanted to stay far away from Yoru. She was scared. She didn't want any contact with him.

If it had been someone else, she probably would've turned back.

"At worst, I'll just give him a bit more money, that should make up for it, right?"

She was trying to convince herself.

Deep down, the real reason was that Yoru was a disgusting fat otaku. She didn't want to be near him. She was scared. That's why she refused to go back.

Meanwhile.

Yoru still hadn't left Shuchiin Academy.

The storm was too strong. He couldn't leave. Every step made him feel short of breath, like he was suffocating.

It was freezing. A cold that seeped deep into his bones.

The sky had turned completely dark. He couldn't see the road at all.

Right now, he was hiding inside a bathroom near the school gate.

Not caring about the filth, he curled up in a corner, his fat body hunched into a ball, shivering uncontrollably…

It wasn't until past 9 PM that the storm finally began to ease and turned into a light rain.

Navigating through the dark, with only the top of his head feeling hot, Yoru tripped several times on his way home in the drizzle.

San-san had been waiting at the door for its master to return.

When Yoru entered, it was so startled it took off running.

Back home, Yoru rushed into the shower, stripped off his clothes, and wiped his face dry with a towel.

The exposed skin on his hands and arms had gone pale, wrinkled, and started to peel from the rain.

"Eriri Spencer Sawamura..."

Yoru gritted her name out between his teeth, on the verge of losing it.

"Achoo—achoo—achoo—"

Suddenly, he sneezed several times in a row. His teeth chattered uncontrollably as he steadied himself against the wall.

A while later.

Yoru was soaking in the small bath. The warm water gave him a bit of relief.

But he still hadn't recovered from the experience.

Cold. Helplessness. Fear. Despair. Breathlessness...

It was all because of Eriri!

Without realizing it, Yoru clenched his fists. He was going to confront Eriri tomorrow.

That night.

Huddled under the covers, Yoru was endlessly irritated by the sound of rain outside.

He drank some cold medicine, but it didn't seem to help much.

His body still felt awful. It wasn't just the fever and chills.

It was also the lingering trauma from enduring that storm, the two hours trembling in a filthy toilet corner, the difficulty breathing as he walked through the storm in total darkness…

Later in the night.

Yoru's body couldn't take it anymore, and he finally drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next day, he was woken up by Gabriel.

Gabriel hadn't slept well either—just had dark circles under her eyes.

Yoru forced down a little breakfast and went with Gabriel to school.

He was going to confront Eriri.

That stuck-up, arrogant, half-blooded girl who always rolled her eyes at him.

"You don't look so good."

Gabriel looked at Yoru with concern.

"Cough... cough... I'm fine."

Yoru clenched his fists tightly. The scenery outside the window passed by in a blur.

They arrived. He got off.

Yoru walked so fast on the way that he left Gabriel behind.

"What's up with Kitakami-kun today?"

Passing by a bookstore, Nanami asked Gabriel curiously.

"He has a fever. Don't worry about it," Gabriel replied.

Yoru went straight to the Service Club, grabbed his bag, and headed straight for the classroom building despite his sick body.

But when he stormed in full of fury, Eriri still hadn't arrived.

He waited until homeroom started, then checked again.

It was Friday. Since she hadn't shown up yet, she probably wasn't coming today.

"Too scared to come?"

Yoru was burning with rage and had no way to let it out. His mind was starting to spiral.

He was off the entire day.

He didn't feel well and didn't go to the Service Club either.

After returning home, he drank some more cold medicine and lay down again.

That night.

Nanami brought over a bowl of herbal medicine.

"Kitakami-kun, drink this. I learned it from my grandma. It really works for colds."

She stood at the door, looking at the weak Yoru with concern.

"Huh?"

Yoru, sluggish, nodded and took the bowl. Then he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right, Aoyama-san... your boyfriend told me to stay away from you. Was there some misunderstanding between you two?"

After speaking, he stared at the dark, murky liquid in the bowl and took a bitter sip.

"My boyfriend?"

Nanami blinked her pretty eyes, looking completely surprised.

She had never liked any boys before, let alone had a boyfriend.