Dandelion Fluff [Sugawara Koushi]

Lost and Found

        Sugawara turned the eraser over in his palm, which was stuffed into his pocket. Ever since he found it, he hadn't stopped rotating it between his fingers. In fact, the little rectangle had absorbed a lot of his body heat and had become quite warm. Not coincidentally, when he first picked it up and saw [Surname] [Name] written on the wrapper, his visage also grew warm.

        His fiddling had become even more rapid as he made his way down the hall. While he was in class 4, [Name] was in class 2, so the setter had more than enough time to decide he was too nervous and head back to his class, only to veto this idea and head back veto this idea several times.

        "Excuse me, Is [Surname] [Name] here?" he asked once he finally reached the classroom.

        "You just missed her," a student said, "I think she went home. You might be able to catch her if you run."

       "I see, thanks," the setter responded before leaving the room. He exhaled, all that pacing for nothing.

        The other student's words echoed in his mind, you might be able to catch her if you run. Should he? He'd probably look like a fool if he ran and she was already gone. Daichi might also get mad if he were late to practice. Even so, it was a waste to have come all this way for nothing. At that, he started down the hall, his pace picking up as he went.

        [Name] pouted as she looked out the window at the pouring rain, it was coming down in sheets and like a total airhead she managed to forget her umbrella. Furthermore, she didn't want to walk in the rain due to her (evidently foolish) decision to not wear a sweater combined with a white shirt*. She sighed, at this rate she'd miss the television show she wanted to watch.

       "[Surname]!" She turned at the sound. She recognised the voice, but she couldn't fathom why he would want to speak with her.

        "Sugawara?" she said, "what is it?"

        "I found this," he said, giving her the eraser.

        The girl recognised the object instantly, having realised it was not in her pencil case and searching for it fruitlessly. "Thank you so much!" she beamed, "I was looking all over for it."

        "No problem." With nothing else to say, silence settled between the pair, until only the sound of rain occupied the air.

        "It's really pouring, isn't it?" [Name] said, trying to initiate conversation.

        Sugawara looked out the window as she spoke, "yeah, I didn't notice until now." Suddenly he was grateful to the weather, otherwise he suspected [Name] would be long gone. At the same time he realised why she was still here. "Did you forget your umbrella?"

        She flushed, "yeah, foolish, right? The weather said there was a sixty percent chance too."

        "I think I have an umbrella in my locker," the setter declared without hesitation, "give me a minute!" with that he dashed off in the direction of his locker.

        "Wha?" she uttered, "wait!" she sighed when he didn't stop or even slow, "geez."

        The boy was surprisingly fast, [Name] decided when his grey hair came into her view.

        "Here," he smiled as he gave it to her.

        "But-"

       He looked at her, trying to understand why she wouldn't want to borrow the umbrella when it was pouring. "Oh, your boyfriend might get made if you use my umbrella," he said, "sorry, I wasn't thinking."

        A puzzled look crossed her face, "boyfriend?" Then she laughed, the sound sending Sugawara's heart into a chaotic flutter, "I don't have one. But I wouldn't date someone who would prefer I get wet than borrow someone else's umbrella."

        "So you'll use it?"

        "Don't you need it?" she asked, "you'll get wet if you lend it to me."

        He felt his ears heat up at the sound of her words, especially because she was worrying about him. "Don't worry about me, I have volleyball practice so the weather will probably clear up by the time I'm done. Take it," he insisted.

        "Okay, if you're sure."

        He smiled, "I'm sure."

        Hesitantly, she reached for the umbrella and the boy pressed it into her hand. "Thank you," she said.

        "Be careful on your way back, the ground is probably slippery," he said.

        "Okay. Do your best in volleyball," she smiled as she swung the umbrella over her head and walked out into the rain.

        As the girl walked through the rain she felt her cheeks burning. She hoped he hadn't heard her pounding heart beat when he called her name. [Name] gripped the eraser; she hadn't let it grow cold since he gave it to her; she prayed he didn't notice her blush when he gave it to her and she realised how warm it was.

         Beneath the shelter of the roof, watching her figure through the open doors, Sugawara could feel the butterflies in his stomach refusing to settle. He inhaled and through the falling drops of rain he said: "[Surname], I like you" knowing she wouldn't be able to hear over noise of the rain. He never dreamed she would actually hear him. He was partially correct in this assumption, as [Name] heard only a whisper of the words he spoke. Even so, her visage flooded with scarlet and her pace wavered, but she did not turn back, convincing herself it was only a figment of her imagination.

*for anyone who doesnt know when white shirts (esp thin ones) get wet they become practically clear and it sucks