The Height of a Maiden

Summary

Kohane Kashiwagi is a bright, friendly high school girl who spends most of her days trying to keep the peace and avoid disappointing anyone around her. One rainy afternoon, she realizes she forgot her umbrella and unexpectedly receives an offer from the quiet “loner” in her class, Kiryuu — a boy who always reads alone and rarely speaks. Embarrassed, she turns him down, but the moment keeps replaying in her head.

Days later, her curiosity and guilt lead her to follow him into the school library, where he immediately confronts her. Kohane apologizes for rejecting his umbrella, worried she seemed rude. Kiryuu calmly accepts the apology and explains that he isn’t alone because he doesn’t “fit in” — he simply prefers reading over small talk. His blunt honesty surprises her, but she respects it.

When she returns to the library again the next day, he points out that she probably doesn’t even like books. She admits she wants recommendations because he clearly loves reading. He lends her a novel, and Kohane takes the story seriously, reading it with real focus. One afternoon, while she’s quietly reading, Kiryuu peeks into her classroom and watches her with the softest smile — a moment she never sees.

Meanwhile, her friends gossip about him, saying he isolates himself to act cool, calling him weird or attention-seeking. Kohane is uncomfortable, realizing how quickly people judge someone they’ve never tried to understand. But she doesn’t defend him — something she immediately regrets.

After finishing the book, she returns it to Kiryuu. He listens closely as she shares her thoughts and even tells her he feels like he’s learning more about her through the way she speaks about stories. On their walk home together, he gently points out that she’s a people pleaser — someone afraid to voice her true wants. Kohane admits she’s been playing piano only because her mother teaches her, not because she loves it. The day it rained, she didn’t want to go to her lesson but forced herself to anyway.

When he asks what she liked about the book, she blurts out that it “reminds her of him.” Realizing how that sounds, she panics, blushes, and runs away.

The next day, Kiryuu approaches her in class and straightforwardly asks, “You fell in love with me, right?” Her friends misunderstand the situation and accuse him of harassing her, but Kohane freezes and doesn’t defend him. Instead of getting angry, he tells her she’s too kind and avoids confrontation even when it matters. He understands, he says — and walks away.

That moment shakes her. Kohane finally reflects on her habits: hiding her real feelings, doing what others expect, and staying silent to avoid conflict. Wanting to change, she musters the courage to talk to her mother that night and expresses her true desire to quit piano.

The next day, it rains again. Kiryuu stands by the school exit and mentions it’s Tuesday — implying her usual piano lesson. Kohane looks him in the eye and tells him she quit. She apologizes sincerely for letting her friends misunderstand him and for staying quiet. Kiryuu immediately asks her the question she ran from before: “Do you like me, or not?” For the first time, she answers honestly — “Yes. I like you, Kiryuu-kun.”

He steps forward, shelters them under his umbrella, kisses her softly, and tells her his interests are limited “only to her.” The two walk home together, finally choosing each other in the quietest, sweetest way.

My Thoughts

This one-shot is soft, quiet, and incredibly introspective. It isn’t dramatic — it’s tender. A story about being seen, being understood, and being gently challenged to choose yourself for the first time. Kohane and Kiryuu’s slow, book-filled connection feels like a quiet breath on a rainy day, and their final umbrella scene is peak shoujo softness. I like how this is a story of chance encounter turned into a route toward self-discovery. It helped her get out of her shell and learn to stand up for herself and say no. He didn’t pressure her but it was a kind push to better herself not turn her against anyone. It was peak adolescent pure love, this blossomed from a chance encounter uring a rainy day and the simple question of “Do you need an umbrella?”.