Rain pattered against the umbrella, then slowly slid down its sloping surface.
Asano Kiyoshi subtly tilted his wrist toward Nel, covering most of her with the umbrella while leaving over half of his own body exposed to the rain.
Nel held the cake in her arms, supporting its bottom with one hand while tightly holding Asano Kiyoshi's hand with the other.
In the hazy Rainy Night, they walked slowly through neon-stained reflections. Beneath the dim yellow lights, their shadows stretched long and long, intertwining like petals fallen into an ink-wash painting.
Asano Kiyoshi held the umbrella handle in one hand and Nel's slender, bonelessly soft hand in the other. Her hand was slightly warm, perhaps from having run over earlier, or perhaps for some other reason...
A tender, ambiguous feeling was like a slowly growing seed in their hearts, gradually sprouting into affection.
Holding the cake against her chest, Nel spoke in a manner unlike her usual carefree self. With a hint of shyness, she asked Asano Kiyoshi, "Um, Little Kiyoshi, why did you suddenly think of buying me cake?"
At her words, Asano Kiyoshi's ears reddened slightly. He instinctively looked around rather than meeting Nel's eyes. "Well, how should I put it? Didn't you tell me before that you wanted to taste Mango Cake from the Living World? And when I told you stories in Hueco Mundo, I promised you that... Did you forget? I also said that when the weather got better and Mr. Urahara gave us time off, I'd take you to see the gardens and exhibitions in the Living World..."
Asano Kiyoshi spoke for quite a while, and Nel never interrupted him. She merely smiled as she looked at him, saying nothing, though her eyes were already filled with his image.
Asano Kiyoshi held Nel's hand