"Ichiko, you seem distracted after dinner. Is something on your mind?"
At 8 PM, large raindrops were pattering down, washing over the city shrouded in twilight, the scent of mud and dust lingering in the air.
Ichiko and Sento stood outside a shop, the sky dark and low.
Having just finished dinner, and with the 9 PM event yet to begin, the two planned to stroll around casually.
But the rain came without warning.
Along with the sound of the rain, Sento also keenly noticed that Ichiko's spirits seemed lower.
She was wearing a simple white embroidered formal dress, her head lowered, the tips of her shoes, which encased her small feet, lightly tapping the floor. He didn't know what she was thinking.
Sento saw this and nudged her shoulder. "What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought."
"Ah... oh, sorry." Ichiko forced a smile. "Nothing, I was just thinking about Haruko."
Hearing that name, Sento slightly frowned. "Why are you thinking about her? She's not your kind of person. Ichiko, you should just break off ties with her sooner rather than later. You're still defending her like this."
Ichiko opened her mouth, wanting to confide her inner thoughts, but the scene from the basement flashed through her mind, stopping the words she was about to say.
Finally, she slowly asked, "Sento, what kind of person do you think Haruko is?"
"Very disgusting."
Sento replied without hesitation.
Ichiko gave a dry laugh. "Putting aside the later stereotypes, what about when you first met me and Haruko?"
Sento looked at Ichiko, puzzled.
His thoughts, however, followed her words back to the summer a few months ago.
His first meeting with Ichiko was in a clothing store.
To avoid a woman from another family he was supposed to have a blind date with, he hid in the changing room of a clothing store. Coincidentally, Ichiko came out of it.
She had changed into a simple white long dress she planned to buy.
Like a pure white fairy, she involuntarily attracted people's attention.
After the two met face to face.
The woman from the blind date came to question him.
He commandingly told Ichiko not to reveal his location, and he could give her 100,000 RMB after it was done.
Even though Ichiko tried to cover for him, he was still discovered.
Facing the questioning, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say that Ichiko was his girlfriend.
The result was that Ichiko not only admitted it but also generously retorted to that shameless blind date woman.
As the overwhelmingly powerful Young Master of the family, it was the first time he had hidden behind a girl.
She returned his smile gently.
She looked at him with reassuring eyes.
He was protected.
Afterward, because he had delayed Ichiko, Sento immediately offered 1 million as compensation.
An ordinary person facing such a huge sum would have been too excited to speak.
But Ichiko calmly refused.
And patiently comforted him, saying things like "It was just a small favor."
Perhaps it was the protagonist's halo, but after being rejected in various ways, Sento couldn't help but feel that Ichiko was very interesting.
Naturally, her appearance was also a very important factor.
And so, his story with Ichiko began.
As for Haruko...
Sento rubbed his chin and thought back carefully again. Only then did he remember that next to Ichiko, there was also a little figure so small that she could almost be ignored.
"At that time, her makeup didn't seem as exaggerated as it is now, just some light makeup?" Sento looked lost in thought. "I don't have much of an impression, but anyway, it was very disgusting."
Ichiko looked up at the overcast sky and sighed. "Actually, Haruko wasn't like this at first. She... met some bad friends and was led astray."
As she spoke, Ichiko recalled when she first entered high school and couldn't help but chuckle. "The old Haruko was very innocent, and Haruko without makeup was actually quite cute."
Sento looked at Ichiko strangely again.
He didn't understand why Ichiko would talk about that person.
She was already so ugly with makeup.
He couldn't imagine what Haruko looked like without makeup.
So he assertively told Ichiko, "Anyway, I can listen to you and not go looking for trouble with Haruko, but you also have to listen to me and not have any more contact with her."
Ichiko opened her mouth.
Lowered her head.
She neither nodded nor shook her head.
Seeing this, Sento unhappily drew out his nasal sound. "Hmm?"
Ichiko shrank her neck at the sound. "I actually want to try again. Haruko was just led astray by others. Her nature is actually kind. If possible, I don't want to give up on her as a friend."
"She treated you like that, kidnapped you! If I hadn't arrived in time, something might have happened to you. Why do you still have hope for her?!"
Sento couldn't understand Ichiko's thought process at all.
But he was also helpless.
Because he liked her, he didn't want to be rough with Ichiko, and even less did he want to forcefully make her do something.
Seeing that Sento seemed to be getting angry, Ichiko weakly explained, "I'm an orphan. From the time I met Haruko in elementary school, we've been together. She accompanied me throughout my childhood, like a sensible younger sister, and for the first time, she gave me a feeling of home."
"So I want to... try again."
Sento extended his large hand, wanting to say something.
Finally, he let it drop heavily again.
He scratched his head irritably.
"People change!" he said, not wanting to talk about it, and simply changed the subject. "Forget it, let's not talk about that unlucky person. Although the event doesn't start until 9 o'clock, let's go over there first."
With that, he directly ordered Ichiko to get in the car and drove towards the beach in Jiuzhou City.
While driving, Sento said to Ichiko, "This event is being held by our families on a large cruise ship. You'll absolutely amaze everyone in that dress!"
"And my family will be there too. Ichiko, do you know what that means?"
Sento talked on and on, but when he glanced over, he saw Ichiko looking down at her phone. "Are you listening to me?"
"Ah?" Ichiko immediately snapped back to attention and chuckled sheepishly. "Uh, can you say that again?"
Sento's voice sounded in her ear again, but her thoughts were still on her phone.
On it was a message Haruko had just sent.
"Ichiko, it's almost 9 o'clock. Are you in the dorm? I'll come find you."
She had to go with Sento to the party at 9 o'clock.
She wondered what Haruko wanted to tell her.
If it was just talking, they could chat on the phone, right?
Ichiko thought for a moment and typed a reply, "Haruko, is something wrong? I won't be back by 9."
Haruko's message was an instant reply: "I need to tell you in person. Can Ichiko come back?"
"Sorry." Ichiko sent a cute begging emoji. "I'm still out shopping with someone. I won't be back that quickly."
Rumble—
A clap of thunder sounded at this moment.
The rain got heavier.
After sending that message, Ichiko regretted it.
It looked like a heavy rain was coming, and the excuse she used was terrible.
But she didn't dare to say she was with Sento, afraid of provoking Haruko.
Fortunately, Haruko's reply made her breathe a sigh of relief. "Then will you keep the appointment?"
"Mhm, I'll be back as soon as possible!"
Ichiko put down her phone, a look of relief on her face.
This was a good sign.
As long as Haruko was still willing to communicate with her, there would definitely be a chance to restore their friendship.
Raising her head, Ichiko ran her hand through her hair, only to meet Sento's displeased eyes.
Ichiko gave a dry laugh. "I won't look at my phone anymore. I'll mute it now."
She turned off the sound on her phone and put it in her bag.
But she didn't notice the next message Haruko sent.
"Ichiko, I'll wait for you on the rooftop then. When are you coming back?"
Ten minutes later: "Ichiko, when are you coming back?"
Fifteen minutes later: "Ichiko, when are you coming back?"
Twenty minutes later: "Ichiko, when are you coming back?"
The rain got heavier and heavier.
"Ichiko, when are you coming back?"