Waiting for Madoka to finish up with band practice, Haruna decided to pass time inside a convenient store, sitting down on one of the high stools with a bottle of green tea. Elbow resting on top of the table and her cheek against her fingers, she was the rain pour down hard onto the ground, wondering when will it ever let up. She knew rain in spring is inevitable but she didn't quite expect to come this early in April. She took her phone out to see if there is any new messages for her, but alas, there is nothing. A soft sigh escapes her lips, putting her phone back inside the pocket of her bag; opening the cap of her green tea and then taking a sip.

The warmth of the hot green tea she had purchased made her feel relaxed. It is nice that she had found a comfortable seat inside the convenient store, as the rain poured harder by the second, soaking anyone who didn't bring their umbrella out. All the while she watches the rain pour out, she doesn't notice a man enters the convenient store, taking a quick glance at her before moving somewhere along inside.

By the time Madoka texted Haruna that she is finished, the rain had not yet let up. Nevertheless, Haruna gets off from the high stool, holding onto her half a bottle of hot green tea and was about to leave the convenient store when a hand clamps around her elbow, halting her from her tracks. Turning her head around, she sees a tall man with long, black curls wearing a flannel and matching black tank and pants.

"You dropped this." The man spoke to her, handing to her a yellow and white colored handkerchief.

Haruna's eyes widened and took the cloth from his hand, thanking him by smiling up at him.

"The rain's still pouring down hard, huh?" He continues speaking to her, his hand loosening around her elbow. "Do you got an umbrella with you?"

Haruna knows she should lie and nod her head yes, she didn't know who this man is after all. In her eyes, he didn't seem to be someone who is familiar to her. She knew the faces and names of almost everyone in Makochi due to being a part timer in Pothos.

As if he read her mind, the man begans shaking his head and clicking his tongue. "I'd hate it if you got sick because you walked under the rain." He says, handing to her his bottle of green tea, the same one as hers. "Can you hold this for me?"

Without any words, Haruna takes a hold of his drink with her free hand.

The man proceeds to take his flannel shirt off and the first thing that she notices is the amount of tattoos adorning his arms and shoulders. She couldn't get a good look on his upper chest since he was wearing a tank top. As she stood there watching him, the man hovers his flannel above their heads. "Let's go."

Together, the two of them exit the convenient store. Pitter patter sounds of rain hitting against the fabric of the flannel fills the silence between them. Although she didn't really like walking side by side with a stranger, she couldn't complain much since he is doing her a huge favor by allowing her to stay under his protection.

"Where were you headed, by the way?" He asks her, tilting his head to look at her.

Haruna responds by using her index finger to point at the visible building of Sacred Heart.

"That's a relief to know. I'm headed in that direction too." He says. Together, they walk side by side under the rain with his flannel shielding the top of their heads.

"You don't...really talk, do you?" He asks her.

The issue with how she doesn't speak with actual words and only saying what is on her mind with facial expressions has been anything but sensitive to her. She is grateful that there are people who understand her but there are also people who still push her in a forceful manner. Like opening closed wounds that took a long time to heal.

"Don't worry. It's just you and me here." He says, flashing a smile to her. "And it doesn't really matter if you don't talk at all. Just take your time and the words you mean to tell everyone will come flying out."

For the first time since he approached her in the convenient store, Haruna looks at him in the eyes. She didn't expect him to say something like that. How is he so kind to her? How is it that they just met minutes ago and he is already giving her his undivided attention? An air of mystery lingers around him yet she decides to let go off it.

"By the way," He begins speaking again. "Do you want me to walk you all the way to Sacred Heart?"

Haruna blinks, looking at him again before shaking her head yes.

By the time they reach the grounds of the school, the rain has mellowed down and he continues walking with her until they both took sheltered in the building. Once they did, he puts the flannel shirt back on. Haruna, handing towards him his drink.

"Oh right, thanks." He says, accepting the drink. To show her gratefulness towards him, Haruna smiles then bows her head to him.

"No problem." He replies. "Anyway, I should probably get going. See you around."

Haruna bids him goodbye by waving her hand at him.

"Did you seriously wait for me while you're all alone here?"

Turning around, Haruna shook her head no before using her index finger to point at the convenient store.

Madoka lets out a sigh of relief, however, her expression changes. "It's raining hard earlier and how are you dry?"

Blinking her eyes twice, Haruna turns around to see if the same guy whom helped her is still in sigh, much to her surprise, he can no longer be spotted.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

As Madoka sits down on a high stool, both Haruna and Kotoha stood behind the counter, apron's adorning in front of their clothes. One is busy wiping the surfaces clean while the other one is busy making pudding for two people while making for the drip coffee maker to be finished.

As the door chime tinkles, three heads turn to look at the door.

"Kotoha! Haruna! I'm home!" Umemiya beams.

When Sakura and Haruna meet gazes, the two of them fluster and then look away as if they're avoiding each other's eyes.

"You guys always go all out, huh? How are you doing?" Kotoha asks, inspecting their faces. "I see. You're all patched up too."

"Were fine. This is nothing." Hiragi replies, taking a glance up at Haruna. "Cups of coffee for us, please!"

Pursing her lips into a thin line, Haruna salutes then proceeds to bring out more cups from the cupboard.

"Sakura, you're a wreak too." Kotoha says, noticing a few cuts on his face.

Not saying a word, his eyes casts towards the back figure of Haruna before turning around on his heels. Hand holding onto the knob of the door. "I'm leaving."

Before he could even think about leaving, Umemiya is quick to take a hold of the back of his collar. "Now, hold on just a minute there, Sakura!" He says, his face still beaming. "It's a day to remember! We gotta celebrate!" He adds, dragging the younger male towards an unoccupied booth. 

"So, how was it? Your talk with Togame?" Umemiya asks.

As Madoka continues sitting on the high stool, a cup of coffee with a plate of pudding rests in front of her. Kotoha continues to clean the surface behind the counter whilst Haruna serves their coffee for them.

"I've already said this." Sakura begins to say, "I didn't talk with him. I didn't hear any voices from our fists."

"Ah, I see. That's what you thought, huh?" Umemiya says, a look of ease painting his face.

"You're quite the dreamer, aren't you, Sakura?" Suo asks.

"Sakura, that's not what he meant..." Nirei pitches in.

"W-What's with all of you?!"

"Sorry, sorry. It's my fault for not explaining!" Umemiya speaks once more. "I'm not talking about telepathy but rather, having a 'conversation with your fist' doesn't necessarily mean 'speaking while fighting.' It's just a method that lets you express your thoughts and take in your opponents' feelings."

"Using your fist is a primitive and ancient way to communicate, compared to speech. So the things you can express and feel would be more basic too."

As Umemiya darts his eyes, they land on the direction where Haruna, Madoka and Kotoha are at, the three girls happily chatting and giggling to themselves.

"Let's take Haruna for example. You can tell what's going on inside her mind by her use of facial expressions. Smiling for agreement, frowning for disagreement, beaming for interest and boredom for disinterest." Umemiya says, turning half of his body around to call out his younger sister. "Haruna"

Upon being called, Haruna turns her head and paints her lips with a small smile, already expecting what he has to say when all of his company has their attention towards her.

"What do you think about Sakura?"

Both Sakura and Haruna spat out their coffee at the same time.

Using a napkin to wipe her mouth, Haruna takes a deep breath before doing the unthinkable.

"I like him, maybe." Haruna spoke.

The air inside the cafe is still, shocked faces of Umemiya and Kotoha were the first thing Haruna has noticed, when in actuality, all of them looked at her with shocked expressions. Her eyes averted elsewhere, looking everywhere but everyone's eyes, the embarrassment is already eating her alive. Before anyone else could speak, she immediately hops off the high stool chair and scrambles up towards the private rooms upstairs of Pothos, closing the door behind her with a loud bang.