Lunch break hit like a blessing. The rooftop was quiet, except for the gentle tapping of raindrops that hadn't stopped since morning.
Riku stood by the railing, holding an umbrella halfway open. Kaito leaned against the wall, biting into a rice ball like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
"You ever think about how much school feels like a long-running anime filler?" Kaito asked between chews.
Riku laughed. "You mean the kind where nothing happens but somehow it's still the best part?"
"Exactly," Kaito smirked. "Like today. Just good ol' rain, rice balls, and bad grades."
Suddenly, the door flew open, and Airi appeared with a very annoyed face and a very soaked skirt.
"You idiots left me at the vending machine!"
"You said you'd be two seconds!" Riku defended, his umbrella slipping as he offered it to her.
"You know girls can't do anything in two seconds except kill your ego," she snapped, grabbing the umbrella while shooting Kaito a death glare.
He looked at her, unimpressed. "You didn't bring your own umbrella?"
"I did," she muttered. "It flipped inside out like a cheap fan service scene."
Kaito and Riku cracked up. Even Airi broke into a small, reluctant smile.
The three of them finally settled under the shared umbrella near the bench. Kaito stretched his legs and said, "You ever notice how we never talk about real stuff?"
"What do you mean?" Airi raised a brow.
"Like… dreams, goals, crushes… if aliens are real."
Riku chuckled. "You want my list in order or alphabetically?"
"No joke," Kaito said seriously now. "I think it's weird. We're 18. Almost out of here. Feels like the clock's ticking."
Airi looked down. "I want to do something that matters. But I don't know what that is yet."
There was a soft pause.
Riku said quietly, "I want to become the Bloom King."
Kaito blinked. "The what now?"
"It's dumb. Just a dream I had once," Riku said, brushing his bangs aside. "A king who's not really a king. Someone who protects what matters most before it fades. Like flowers. Or feelings."
Airi looked at him, strangely silent.
Kaito smiled, strangely warm. "You're weird, man."
"I know."
The rain thickened. Below, the school continued as usual—yells, bells, footsteps. But on the rooftop, three friends shared something more than just rice balls and teasing.
They shared a quiet moment that would one day bloom into something impossible to explain.
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