A Rainy Day with the Saintess
Rain pattered steadily against the window on that rainy day.
A rainy morning.
Only the ticking of the clock echoed through the room.
Clothes strewn messily about.
Outside the window by the bed, gray skies through droplets of rain.
Staring hazily at my phone screen, the date and time stared back: March 17th, 11:41 AM.
I'd slept in properly.
But I wasn't particularly displeased.
The scale of events over the past week had exceeded expectations.
If anything, managing this much rest felt like an achievement.
It was lunchtime on a Saturday after the evaluation match had ended.
'The evaluation match... it's over.'
I hadn't done much—just holed up on one island—yet it was done.
I'd been looking forward to it, in my own way.
My first memory as a student, with no prior recollections to draw from.
A memory that might leave a bitter taste from unexpected failure.
Or one that could become a pillar of support if things went as hoped.
I'd anticipated stacking up such memories.
Having no memories at all was strangely disconcerting...
'...What the hell.'
No, forget it.
The rain must be making me sentimental.
Speaking of which, it's pouring.
...Maybe I can just lounge inside today.
A day of rest... wouldn't be so bad.
Might as well sleep a bit more...
Knock knock.
"Open the door."
A husky low voice accompanied the knock—a woman's.
...A familiar voice.
One I'd heard frequently lately.
The voice of that woman steeped in cigarette smoke...
I must have misheard.
"I said open the door."
...What?
Why so brazen?
Did I do something wrong...?
No... I don't think so.
"...You're not opening it?"
Her words tossed the blame right onto me.
The moment they hit, I flung the door open.
...Whenever the Saintess said stuff like that, nothing good ever came of it for me.
"Tch... Open it quicker next time."
"...What gives you the right to be so bold?"
"Should I not be? I didn't do anything wrong."
...Fair point, I guess.
"Normal saintesses don't just waltz into a guy's room alone."
"Well, as you know, I'm not your normal saintess."
She responded by casually pressing her finger to my nose.
...The cigarette stench was insane.
"You're not smoking in here, right?"
"...If you say it's okay, I will."
No.
Don't.
"No need to scowl—I won't. Even I'm a saintess; I don't go bothering people like that."
"...Coming into someone's dorm on their day off isn't a bother?"
"If we're splitting hairs, you're the one who bothered me."
...Me?
"Who do you think fixed that broken-down body of yours?"
"Oh."
"Who came to check on you after that grueling evaluation match, fixed you up, and let you rest~?"
Ah, so the uninvited holiday guest was actually my benefactor healer.
Impressive work from our doc.
Absolutely top-tier.
No wonder my body felt so cleanly mended.
Right, right—I'd been awful to my savior...
"Sorry..."
"Whatever."
She brushed it off with a chuckle.
"Wanna step out for a smoke?"
"...It's raining outside?"
"Then I'll smoke here."
"Out you go."
I'd even grabbed an umbrella for your convenience.
"Feels like I'm being escorted. Nice."
Hm?
"Don't saintesses get escorts everywhere?"
"It's who escorts you that matters."
True...
But does it mean much from me?
"Anyway, open the door already."
"Ah, yeah..."
She's acting like the boss.
One hand on the umbrella, the other opened the door.
We walked side by side down the hall.
Hall to stairs.
Stairs to the first floor.
Out into the downpour, where the rain drummed fiercely.
The rainy scenery outside had a certain charm.
The rain, maybe?
No people in sight.
Actually, even without rain, I rarely saw anyone around the dorms...
...Do they all head out early mornings?
Everyone's got their own lives, I suppose.
"Not opening the umbrella?"
"Ah, sorry."
Her sharp glare made me pop it open.
Big enough for one comfortably, tight for two.
Shoulders would brush, one side getting wet.
Naturally, it was mine.
She probably didn't intend that, but... she was my healer.
Didn't want her getting soaked.
"Rain sounds nice, doesn't it."
"...You like rain sounds?"
"Yeah, I do."
First time she'd shared something she liked with me.
Good to remember—could come in handy.
"Rain sounds... yeah. They calm you down, make everything settle."
"Same here. Walking to the rhythm, thoughts pile up... then sort themselves out. Feels good."
The more we talked, the more similarities surfaced.
Gliding past things smoothly.
Not investing much emotion in most stuff.
Those overlaps made getting close easy, comfortable.
"So, why'd you come today?"
"...You know why you're asking, right?"
Hm...
"To ask how I got hurt? Or... this black choker that popped up on my neck?"
"...Close, but there's something more important."
...More important?
What?
"Sigh... To check if you're okay, if anything still hurts."
...Ah.
Hearing that from someone felt so awkward, it hadn't crossed my mind.
"...Hurts? Not sure...?"
"Wow... what kind of answer is that?"
"Probably... not hurting."
I'd grown numb to pain ages ago.
I could gauge and describe levels, but just 'hurts' or 'doesn't'? Tough for me now.
Sensations fade with time.
Pain too.
What hurt before might not anymore.
Like someone who can't handle spice eventually eating it fine.
Something like that.
...Her face soured as she listened, but what can I do? That's my limit.
"...Fine, if you say it doesn't hurt, who am I to argue."
True enough.
And I really was fine.
No discomfort.
"No issues, probably. Saintess healing and all."
"Yeah, exactly. My personal touch—can't go wrong."
Confidence, check.
Guess that's saintess-level poise.
"Now, your turn to spill what you mentioned."
"What I mentioned?"
"Yeah, how you got so banged up."
Ah.
...What excuse to spin?
"...Tripped? Too cliché?"
"Cliché aside, boring. Rejected."
Tch...
"Car accident?"
"How do you even crash bad enough to lose an arm?"
...Pickier than expected.
"...Hm."
No good lies coming to mind.
Can't blame the evaluation match without knowing its details.
How to...
"Forget it. Don't wanna say? Don't."
"...Huh?"
"We'll skip this one."
...Why?
She's high-status.
Even if not a typical saintess, still one.
Precious, pampered.
Academy incidents demand protection for her ilk.
Yet... why?
"Don't look so baffled. Makes me feel ripped off."
"...You are getting shortchanged."
She could milk this for so much from me.
"Yeah... but we're... kinda friends, right?"
"Friends...?"
"Yep. Friends. What, was it one-sided?"
No... not that.
"Just didn't expect someone like you to treat me that way."
"...What's so special about being a saintess? We're both just people."
Oh...
Our saintess is even more enlightened than I thought.
"Well... works for me."
"Ah, but one favor."
She finished, quietly pulling out a lighter.
Other hand fetched a cigarette.
Click.
It lit.
"...What?"
Instead of answering right away,
she inhaled deeply.
"Hang out with me today."
Exhale.
Her deep breath filled our shared umbrella with hazy smoke.
"...I'm super bored today."
"A saintess with that much free time?"
"Well... as you know, I'm a bit special."
...I can't quite grasp this situation,
but...
"...Jackpot for me."
Long live our Saintess.