I don't even care anymore.

Another "day in the life" of Milliardo's on rainy days.

Today, the sky is blanketed by gray clouds and the wind is blowing hard enough to move the tree branches. When I was in school, on days like this the teachers would capitalize on the bad weather and manipulate it into a gloomy atmosphere by keeping the lights off and everyone would keep their side conversations down for once.

With the Angel busy with paperwork, these past few days have simply gone by. The option of visiting her was overruled since I don't want to distract her. After all, I've made her my priority and as useless as it may be as long as she sees a point in doing it, there's no reason for me to stop her from making something of her self that could be of use to others, right? For me, today is special as there aren't a lot of deliveries so I'm taking an extra long break.

I have returned to Rosewood. I'm at the southern entrance. Here, there is a small soccer field. It's the kind of place where you would expect to find little kids and their moms. The goal posts are freshly painted white and even the artificial grass looks brand new. Other than me, there's no one sitting around to appreciate the view right now.

Humph, the random idea of wanting to read the newspaper was good and all, but I've never really had much of an interest in current events. I mean, there is never anything new to comment on. I have all the respect in the world for those journalists who go out there to the darkest corners of human society where those with common sense fear to tread to shed a light and show it to the world. Really, it must be fun to travel the world.

News these days, though, there's hardly anything good being reported. Celebrities in the jail house, politicians in the dog house, bed bugs in yours and mine and somewhere in between is a brutal homicide or an interview. Who cares about that kind of stuff anymore? What about the discovery of vampires or big foot? How about someone proving that aliens exist or discovering a cure to some kind of thus incurable disease? When something truly terrible happens, then yes, that's news, but when it's about something we simply read and say “Oh, that's terrible...and so what else is going on?” isn't.

Sighing, I close the newspaper and fold it shut. I don't even the weather report to tell me that it's cloudy and going to rain. As I thought, this world that I have been ignoring for the past few years hasn't changed at all.

“...It's getting cold now. I wonder if I should have brought an umbrella...except I don't have one anyway.” What's to be afraid of about a little rain water? It's lightning I'm more concerned about.

“Yo, Milliardo!” A familiar voice suddenly shouted out from behind me and my heart leaped from reflex. The voice is definitely familiar as are the lively green eyes of its owner.

“Where did you come from?” I asked immediately. How long was she standing behind me?

“Right over there...” she pointed in the direction from which she had come. “Did I scare you? I didn't mean to scare you.” She walked around in front of me. “Don't have heart attack!”

Pizza's as easy going as ever, I see. I wonder what color she sees reality in. Is it rose colored or is it jade?

“...What can I do for you on this lovely day?”

“If you're serious about that, then why don't you come hang out with me? You don't look like you're busy.”

“I'm on break right now. I'm just killing time right now. What about you? Aren't you also the student of a rather impressive university?”

“...And so I wouldn't be goofing off if I didn't have the time to be, right?” she says like it's a matter-of-fact.

“I don't know. Should you even be goofing off at all?”

“This is the part of life when you're supposed to party and live it up.” says Pizza. “Even Angel went to a party the other day. You only live once, right?”

“...Thank goodness!”

Pizza chuckled. “You are funny! You'd definitely stand out at a party. Why don't you consider it sometime?”

“Eh, I don't do parties, not even birthday parties. Why waste-”

“Alright, alright, alright!” She interrupted rudely. “I got it, I got it. Anyways, it's going to rain soon so I'm just throwing it out there. You want to come up?”

Normally, I would have refused on the spot without a second thought. For some reason, though, I didn't.

“Thank you for the offer, really, but I can't do it. I don't really mind the rain. You're welcome to hang out here with me until then. I don't mind.”

“Hmm....” Pizza looked at me for a moment and then turned her head to the sky for some reason. “You know, despite being half crazy, Angel's actually very popular. She's almost always super serious and is hard to approach. When I first met her, I seriously thought she was like the daughter of some well off family. She gets a lot of attention not just on campus, but anywhere she goes and has been asked out by a lot of guys and to to date, she's been pretty straight forward in turning down every offer no matter how good the guy seemed.”

I'm sure this story has a point to it...somewhere.

“As I got to know her and found out that she was just a weirdo, I couldn't help but start to like her. Before I realized it...I had fallen in love with her.”

“Eh?”

Wait a minute, what? Just now, what did she say? I think I just heard something amazing!

“Angel must really like you since she's dating you, but she really likes me too since she comes and reports everything to me.” She thrust her fist out at me. “So, if you do anything to screw up and make her cry, I'll definitely punch you, got it?”

With that, she opened her umbrella and walked away. She stopped at the entrance, waved back at me then continued on her way.

At that moment, it began to rain. Why does it feel like my life is rapidly becoming some kind of drama?

It started raining immediately after my conversation with Pizza this morning and continued to do so throughout the rest of the day. By the time I was allowed to go home, the rain was only drizzling. Now, I do like the rain. There's something about the sight of soaked pavement and bricks and the smell of wet plants that puts me in a mood that could be remotely described as “really good.”

The city feels the most realistic when it is raining. It's like reality is finally showing its true colors or something, I don't know. It's one of those things that words alone can't express.

“I wonder if I should drop by the book store today...”

While staring across the street pondering if I should make that cross, a woman on her cell phone passed by. The smell of her perfume drifted into my nose and annoyed me. It was far too much.

Up to this point, I haven't really had a need or a good enough reason for a cell phone. It's not like I have someone to call or call me so it was pretty pointless. All things considered though, a house phone wouldn't be so bad.

“Hey, Delivery Boy, if you stare any harder she might just die!”

...I'm a delivery boy so this random comment made from behind caught my attention. I turned my head around to see who it was engaging in such careless talk.

I was being looked up at with an expression of scorn by a face which had large brown eyes.

“Oh, it's you. What kind of greeting is that?” Just a simple “Hey, good afternoon” would do.

“I was watching you as clear as day stare at that lady's butt and I just couldn't let that go. You were doing it so...so obviously! Are you a pervert?”

“No, what do you talking about? I wasn't even thinking about that woman. I was thinking about getting a phone since I saw her on one.”

“So you want her number? You're not going to get it by staring at her butt. Not while she doesn't know, anyway.”

“What are you- I wasn't staring at anything! Don't lump me in with the rest of those perverts, okay? I have standards.” I may be a lot of tings, but a pervert is not one of them.

...Wait, why am I getting so wound up by a squeaker? I know what she's doing and I know she's thoroughly enjoying this.

“Sure, whatever you say. I'll forget all about if you buy me some ice cream. Please?”

“Get lost kid. Go play with your mother's make-up.” Heh, that was a good one.

“What do you meeeannn? Like, come on...”

“Where did you come from anyway? I don't have the money to buy some random kid ice-cream whenever.”

This girl, she did something completely annoying. She opened her mouth and let out an exaggerated “Ah~” sound. Then, making her voice as adorable as possible, she said, “C'mon, be a bro.”

“I'm not your “bro.” I replied almost automatically. She's just as annoying as my real little sister, though.

“Why don't you like me?” she asked. “I thought we were homies?”

What is she talking about?! What “homies”?

“Listen, I don't like people. I hate everyone equally and those I don't hate, well, I still don't like them. With one exception.”

“Gah! What's that got to do with me, though? Why are all you adults so screwed up? If a kid asks you for some food is it like in your brain to say no or something? I just asked for some ice cream. Show some humanity! Show some compassion.”

This girl's got “drama queen” down to an art, I swear. It must be something though. Even by a squeaker, I'm getting dragged in someone else's pace. The Angel hijacks my pace, Pizza is more of a “bro” than I am and now this squeaker is just making fun of me.

“Why do you want ice-cream so much anyway? It's like cold and raining.”

“Yes, I am aware of the weather, thank you! You're the one without an umbrella, I see.” With an impish smile she added, “I can do this all day.”

And so, that's how I ended up buying her some ice-cream instead of getting my book.

“Thank you~” she said sweetly as we left the store. The rain had finally ceased, but the clouds were still dark gray so it seemed only to be a temporary thing.

“...Don't mention it, kid.” Humph, whatever, at the very least she did say “please” and “thank you,” even if sh was just making fun of me.

I don't even care anymore!

“Let's do this again sometime okay, Delivery Boy?”

“Let's not...” but she had already skipped off before she heard me. “...Brat!”

I really must have angered some God in the past life. I hate these days, nineteen years old