It rained so much that even when dawn broke, it was hard to tell morning had come.

I opened the curtains.

Thick clouds were covering the sky. Silver rain fell upon the city like threads. The sound of rain bouncing off the dimly lit room could be heard.

I've liked rainy days since I was a child. The feeling of being closed in gives me a sense of security.

I changed my clothes and left the room, then rang the intercom for the next room. After a while, I heard the sound of the lock being released, and the door opened. Rui-san peeked out.

"Good morning."

"Hello. You're up early today. Did you wake up?"

"I feel good on rainy days."

Rui-san says that and then asks.

"Have you already contacted the school?"

"I just did it. I said I have a fever and am taking a break."

The person who answered the phone was a teacher from another grade.

I have a fever, so I'm taking the day off. When I reported that, it was accepted without hesitation.

Even if it were a regular school day, they never thought I would skip the field trip. Or maybe they just weren't interested in the behavior of students from other grades. Either way, it doesn't matter.

Either way, I skipped the field trip today. That won't change.

"Hmm. A fever, huh?"

Rui-san places her hand on her chin and chuckles softly.

In the next moment, her outstretched hand was lifting my bangs.

When I realized what was happening, her forehead was touching mine.

The alluring eyes and artificial-looking features were right beside me.

"Hmm. 38.5 degrees. Indeed, you need to rest."

Rui-san says with a lot of mischief.

Of course, that's impossible. I was perfectly healthy. But now, if I measure it with a thermometer, it might be around that.

Actually, my face was hot.

"Come in, please. I'll make you some coffee."

I am invited into the room through the open door.

Last time, I was with Saki-san. But today is different. It's just the two of us. When I became aware of that, I started feeling strangely nervous.

"Do you want sugar and milk?"

"It's okay not to have it."

I wanted to drink it black.

After a while, Rui-san comes over holding a mug with both hands.

"Yes, here you go."

"Thank you very much."

I receive the mug with both hands. My face is reflected on the surface of the black liquid.

"You actually prepared cups for the guests, didn't you?"

"Saki-chan told me to buy it. I didn't buy it because it was a hassle, so Saki-chan brought it herself."

"Well then, this is..."

"It's a secret."

Rui-san placed a finger on her lips. Then, listening to the sound of the rain, she turned her gaze out the window.

"If it rains, will the field trip be canceled?"

"It seems like they're going ahead with it even if it rains."

But, it seems I won't be able to go to the sea.

Even if I can make my classmates obey, I can't make nature obey. Thinking about that, I felt a slight emptiness in my chest.

"What movie are we going to watch today?"

"We're going to watch a boring movie today."

"Boring movie."

"To be precise, it's a movie that is considered boring by the general public, but I don't think it's that bad."

Rui-san added, "Rather, I might actually quite like it," and then continued as if to advise me.

"Originally, today would have been a zero-point day for Yuito-kun. So, I thought any movie would be better than that."

"Is that so?"

A bitter smile escapes.

"Alright. Let's watch."

I've decided to take it on.

Watching a movie with Rui-san. No matter how uninteresting it might be, it's still much better than spending time with everyone at school.

Rui-san puts the DVD into the player in front of the TV.

"It's a DVD?"

"There are quite a few movies that I can't watch on subscription services. For those, I have to look for and buy the DVD."

Rui-san turned off the lights in the room.

A room with closed curtains becomes a small movie theater.

Because the TV is small, I have to get close to the screen to watch it.

In front of me is the table, behind me is the side of the bed. And next to me is Rui-san. We huddle together so closely that our shoulders almost touch.

I can faintly smell a cigarette. Did she smoke in the morning? For me, this cigarette smell was Rui-san's scent.

"Did you know? Couples apparently cuddle while watching movies."

"Is that so?"

"It seems that when they start kissing and groping each other and getting excited, they abandon watching the movie halfway through and engage in the act."

"But, we're not a couple, right?"

"Even if we're not dating, if a man and a woman, that kind of atmosphere might arise. By the way, Yuito-kun, what do you think about what we just talked about?"

"I thought, 'we should seriously engage with the movie.'"

I don't use my work as a mere ingredient.

"Absolutely."

Rui-san smiled as well. Then she pressed the play button on the remote.

An image is displayed on the small TV screen.

The hundred seconds from there felt like an eternity.

As per the public's reputation, I couldn't find it entertaining in the slightest.

The script is amateurish, and the actors' performances can't be called good either. The direction is rough, and the story progresses without a clear understanding of the characters' motivations.

If I paid to watch a movie in a theater, it wouldn't be surprising if someone got angry. Some people might even decide that cutting their losses and leaving before the end is the right choice.

I might be the same way.

However, Rui-san was different.

When I glanced at her expression midway, she was staring at the TV screen. Her eyes were different from the detached ones I had seen at the university's smoking area.

Seeing Rui-san's profile as she watched the movie with a smile, I thought it was nice.

She is not to be swayed by public opinion or reputation. Even among things considered boring, she can identify what is interesting and valuable to her.

In Rui-san's eyes, there are things that others cannot see. I wanted to see the scenery reflected in Rui-san's eyes.

What kind of scene could that possibly be?

After the screening ends, Rui-san asks me for my impressions.

"How was it?"

"Honestly, it wasn't interesting."

When I honestly said that, Rui-san seemed very pleased. Seeing Rui-san so happy made me happy too.

"Well then, let's keep going."

After that, we continued to watch one boring movie after another.

From start to finish, it was boring, and time felt like it was flowing eternally. Normally, I would find it painful, but I didn't feel that way. I thought it would be nice if it never ended like this.

After finishing the second movie and having lunch, we watched the third one.

It was a really boring movie.

From the beginning to the middle and all the way to the end, it was perfectly amateurish. There's no phrase that fits better than like chewing sand.

But one particular scene struck a chord with me.

It was a scene where the frustrated protagonist exploded with emotion and rampaged around.

He tries to destroy everything in exchange for the end of his own life, but as if to mock his intense resolve, he is quickly subdued without any resistance.

As for him, he takes it seriously and thinks of it as the climax of his life, but due to the film's own amateurishness, it just seems boring and like it's going in circles from the outside.

There's no catharsis or anything. For most viewers, it's just a boring movie.

But that emptiness, that sense of futility, somehow pierced my heart. I don't think anyone else would feel the same way if they saw it.

After the screening ends, Rui-san asks me again.

"How was it?"

"Honestly, it wasn't interesting."

But, I added.

"I really liked only the last scene."

I said.

About a scene that moved me.

Why did I think it was good? I might not have been able to articulate it well.

Rui-san listened to my impressions and seemed to enjoy them just like before. But somehow, she seemed even more pleased than usual. She looked happy.

The answer check came soon after.

Rui-san looked at me while hugging her knees, a gentle smile on her face. Then, as if revealing the secrets of the world, she softly spoke.

"I really like that scene too."

☆

By the time we finished watching three movies in a row in the morning, the rain had stopped.

As the movie ended, it was as if the lights in the theater were being turned on. Outside the window, everything was bathed in red.

The time had just passed six-thirty.

The field trip is already over, and everyone has probably set off on their way home.

As expected, watching three movies in a row was tiring. Also, I was hungry. Rui-san might have felt the same way.

"Since the rain has stopped, shall we go somewhere to eat?"

"Sounds good."

Following Rui-san's suggestion, we decided to go out for dinner.

We grab our wallets and phones and leave the room.

I opened the front door and stepped into the hallway.

Rui-san went out first, and then I followed. As I was about to step out into the hallway after Rui-san, I bumped into her back.

Rui-san was standing still. And she was staring at a certain point. Her profile looked surprised and bewildered.

"...Rui-san?"

"It seems like you have a visitor, Yuito-kun."

I skeptically stepped out into the hallway behind her and followed Rui-san's gaze.

There was a person standing in front of my room.

Short hair and a petite build. Dressed in a light brown jacket and pants. That's the sight I see almost every day in the classroom.

But I've never seen her outside of the classroom.

"Enoki-kun?"

There was Koharu-sensei.

Chapter 25: On a Certain Rainy Day