Rainy Morning and a Missing Friend
Good morning, friend.
The dark night had retreated, and the bright sun should have been rising. But when I raised the blinds, all I saw was a terrifyingly dark storm.
...Maybe I shouldn't go to school today.
That thought crossed my mind briefly, but nah, that wasn't happening.
"Hey, Sofia, put on the weather forecast."
"..."
"Sofia?"
"..."
No response even when I called her. I picked up my smartphone to check, and there she was, still fast asleep.
That's weird.
She usually woke up before me in the mornings and started whining about this or that.
Plip, plip.
Raindrops gathered one by one outside the window, quickly moistening the room's dry interior, which had only seen sunlight for so long.
If my luck's bad, this'll pour all day.
I hate rainy days.
Maybe it's that uniquely gloomy vibe they have. Right now, we should've been greeted by warm sunlight, but instead, dark clouds were welcoming us.
Anyway, I hate rainy days.
Days like this are perfect for chilling quietly at home and mocking everyone heading out.
But it sucks when I'm the one getting mocked.
"Haa..."
In the end, I had to go to school. With a sigh at that fact, I left my room.
The first things I saw in the living room were Pronesis's plush doll on the desk and the embroidered English Lavender doll toppled beside it.
When I picked up the English Lavender doll to set it right, it felt... damp.
...No way.
I rushed back to my room and checked the other dolls and merch.
"...They're damp."
The moment I realized it, I fired up every dehumidifier in the house.
Electric bills? Not my concern right now.
Only after dealing with my precious stuff quickly could I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Phew..."
That should hold them for now.
Glancing at the clock, I still had plenty of time before heading to school. I brewed some coffee and turned on the TV for the weather report.
"Yes, strong winds and rain are expected nationwide today, so please avoid going out if possible..."
Tch.
Always telling us to stay in.
I left the TV on and started prepping a simple breakfast. Something light like cake for morning...
"Ah."
The fridge was empty when I opened it.
Did I eat it all already?
In the end, I went with coffee on an empty stomach. Sure, it'd hurt a bit, but skipping breakfast entirely felt wrong.
Slurp.
The hot coffee's flavor spread across my tongue. I'd built up tolerance from daily doses, so it didn't burn.
"...Bitter."
Today, the bitterness overpowered the acidity more than usual. Probably because no sweet cake to go with it.
I forced my protesting tongue to finish the rest of the cup.
"Phew."
Even after draining it, the bitter aftertaste lingered unusually long today.
Whoosh.
Even after getting ready and stepping outside, the relentless rain pelted down. And now strong winds too.
...Forgot my raincoat.
"Haa..."
Three sighs before noon.
They say sighing chases away luck, and sure enough, even with my adult-sized umbrella open, rain seeped in, slowly soaking my uniform.
Along the way, my eyes caught the cherry blossoms, now utterly scattered.
It was almost April, so the petals that had bloomed were starting to fall one by one. Most would be gone by today, probably.
Impressive they'd lasted this long.
Thanks to the ridiculously nice weather until now, we'd enjoyed the pretty blossoms on the commute. Time to let them go.
Enough reminiscing—time to head to school. Plenty of time, but the situation wasn't forgiving.
Splash.
Ah.
Stepped in a puddle.
This is why I hate rainy days.
Slide.
Six kids were already in the classroom when I arrived. One short of the usual early birds, so something felt off. I checked who was missing.
Seoyeon's not here...?
Her seat was empty.
That's odd.
Still 30 minutes till official start time, but she'd always beaten me here. Maybe she stayed up late after hanging out yesterday.
Running a bit late today, I guess. I sat at my desk.
After switching seats, mine was in the far back—bad luck, since Seoyeon's was front row. Farthest apart, but whatever; outside class, we could just meet up.
She'd seemed a bit bummed about it, though.
Anyway, I fiddled with my phone, waiting for her.
...
Ten minutes passed.
The classroom was over half full now, kids starting to chatter, but no Seoyeon.
...
Another ten.
Everyone except Yena was here; some headed to the hall to chat. Their voices echoed faintly, but still no Seoyeon.
...
Another ten.
Thud thud thud thud!
Bang!
"Heyyy!!!!!!!"
"Ah! Hey, Yena!"
"Hi hi!"
Yena burst in right before the bell, as always, kicking the door open. Kids greeted her warmly.
♪~
Homeroom bell rang soon after, but no Seoyeon.
...
Ten more minutes.
"Yun Seoyeon."
"Yun Seoyeon."
Homeroom teacher calling roll, but still no Seoyeon.
...
First period.
"Good day, students! Rain or no rain, no canceling class today! Open your textbooks!"
Mr. Kim Tler droned on with his speech-like lecture despite the downpour, but no Seoyeon.
...
Second period.
"Today... please turn to page 143."
Mr. Goo Jinsu, drawing the girls' attention with his handsome looks, but no Seoyeon.
...
Third. Fourth. Lunch. Fifth, sixth, seventh. End of day.
Still no Seoyeon.
"Yes... Seoyeon seems to be... no, even calling home got no news.... Anyway, good work today everyone... Please stand..."
"Attention! Salute the teacher!"
After Yena's closing greeting, I bolted out of school.
Something.
Something felt wrong.
Just that Seoyeon didn't come to school.
Logically, yeah. Maybe sick, overslept, or hated coming in the rain.
But something nagged at me.
Why?
The rain today?
Nah, coincidence.
The coffee on empty stomach?
Nah, just indigestion.
Sofia sleeping in this morning?
Nah, she does that some—
Wait.
Sofia's an electronic lifeform. Why does she sleep?
Sleep's for real-world living beings.
But she's virtual, even if alive in some sense.
What does that mean?
Bzzz...
As one thought branched into many, my phone vibrated, snapping them off.
"Sofia, why were you asleep all this t—"
"B-rank kaijin."
Sofia cut in urgently before I finished.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!
Then an explosion nearby. I spoke again.
"...Sofia. CCTV around?"
"None. Transform quick. Association hasn't detected it yet."
Haa.
I hoped my bad feeling was wrong.
If not, this situation was heading straight to worst-case.
"Transform."
My rain-soaked uniform shifted to a tomboy princess magical girl's dress. The deep navy in my vision turned white.
"Phew..."
Explosion sounded close, so to save mana, I ran toward it.
"Any magical girls fighting nearby?"
'One's mana signature, but she's already beat to hell.'
Tch.
At Sofia's words, I raced to the presumed kaijin spot.
Smoke visible from afar guided me there fast.
Battle traces—no, calling it a battle would be an insult—scarred the area.
Houses toppled like dominoes. At the center, a kaijin's voice.
"My beloved daughter.... What a mess you're in...."
The voice from the rising smoke was jarringly out of place. As it cleared, I saw the kaijin.
It looked like an ordinary family father at a glance.
But it was pinning Magical Girl English Lavender's throat—
"S-sorry..."
No, now Yun Seoyeon's throat.
"Looks like a friend showed up? Won't you introduce her to your dad?"