It was precisely 9:35 a.m. when drops of water started falling heavily in the streets of Tokyo. The darkened sky had taken everyone by surprise, except for a certain woman with long, black hair who paused in her steps and glanced up to the sky. While everyone around her was speeding up and trying to take shelter from the rain, she calmly took out her small umbrella from her handbag and opened it, placing it over her head.

It is true to say the weather forecast had not announced rain, but Rena Matsui was a sagacious person. It didn't matter all the progress science had accomplished in 2050: meteorology was an unpredictable parameter. After all these years, Nature was an element mankind was unable to fully comprehend, even less bend to its will. That was why Rena had learned never to trust the weather forecast; she always went to work with a mini collapsible umbrella inside her handbag.

Rena resumed her walk, ignoring the sound of the drops of water hitting loudly against her umbrella to fall deep into her thoughts. She had been working on an important project for more than four months, without managing to make much progress. Her young age was not in cause. Despite the fact she was only 26, she was one of the most brilliant minds of her generation. Moreover, she was surrounded by renown scientists and experts in their field of work.

Rena was aware that she was attempting to accomplish the unthinkable. If she succeeded, it would be an extraordinary breakthrough. However, she wasn't solely doing it for the sake of science. She also wanted to fulfill one of her wildest dreams: to go back in time. It was a dream that formed inside her young mind when she was an innocent child, and never left her as she became a grown-up woman.

Society was more than ever turned towards the future. The country was getting robotized at an increasing speed. When it came to robotics, Japan had always been at the cutting edge of technology, and Rena could see how much society was changing. Nevermind how much she believed society was losing its humanity in favor of excessive technology, she had one certitude: old civilizations had not reveled all their secrets.

The knowledge she would acquire if she managed to build her time machine would be immeasurable and priceless.

The rain was slightly decreasing when Rena stopped a few minutes later in front of a 25-floor building. It was one of the five buildings that belonged to her company, and that she had acquired at the sudden death of her millionaire father, Akihide Matsui. Her eyes fell onto the golden plate, Matsui Corporation, and she turned towards the male guard posted in front of the majestic door.

“Welcome, Matsui-san.” He bowed, opening the door to let her in. "The weather is really unfortunate today.”

Rena gave him a thankful nod and, when she found herself in the safety of the hallway, closed her umbrella. “Thank you, Nakamura-san. Weather has always been unpredictable, and I don't believe it will ever change.”

It was very brief, yet Rena didn't miss the surprise flashing into his eyes when she said his name. He had been hired only a week ago, and was manifestly not expecting his employer to remember his name. “Have a nice day, Matsui-san.” A pleased smile moved to his lips, closing the door behind her.

Rena took a few steps inside the hallway and left her soaked umbrella at the reception, before moving towards one of the four elevators. A few seconds later, the doors opened and she entered, pressing the number 22, only to see a girl rushing into the elevator as the doors were about to close. Her eyes widened in surprise at the irruption, and she scanned the stranger from head to toe. If one thing was certain, she had not seen the rain coming: she was completely soaked.

“T-Thank you.” The girl with black, shoulder-length hair said with a grateful smile, slowly catching her breath.

Rena, disturbed by the view, mastered her best polite smile. The other girl was fixing her disheveled hair as best as she could, and Rena couldn't help thinking how useless it was. Rena had no idea who this person was, which was strange considering she remembered all her employees' faces, and she had to refrain herself from saying it wasn't just her hair that needed fixing right now.

Her whole appearance was a total mess.

As if the stranger could feel her eyes on her, she tilted her head in her direction. “I look awful, don't I?” She gave her a small embarrassed look. “I'm going to a job interview. Something is telling me I'm not going to make a good first impression on my new employer.”

Rena shook her head at her, trying to sound reassuring. “The rain took you by surprise. I'm sure he'll be lenient.”

“You think?” The stranger arched an eyebrow. Rena could tell by her amused expression that she didn’t manage to make herself as convincing as she intended.

Rena had always been good at keeping her emotions in check, but maybe the view was too shocking for her to remain imperturbable. Apparently, her perfect mask of composure had slipped, and her true feelings managed to come across. The girl was applying for a job? Surely, she had to be pretty confident in her skills to have the nerves to present herself in front of the recruiter in such a state.

Rena looked away, troubled that this stranger had seen right through her. She took a peek at the number flashing on the wall: soon, she would arrive at her floor. In a few seconds, she would have all forgotten about her short encounter with the talkative, yet pretty girl. Even if Rena believed her job interview had little chance of succeeding – which reasonable employer would hire someone who looked like a mess? – she couldn't help thinking that she looked attractive with her charming smile and cute dimples.

Little by little, silence enveloped them, and Rena came to the realization that the other girl had not pressed any button. Could she have possibly forgotten about it in her haste? Rena turned towards her, startled. “Forgive me, but what floor are you going to?”

The other girl, who was adjusting her clothes, looked up at once, and gave her a small confused look. “Floor 22.”

Rena froze. Wait. What? She was going to the same floor? That was impossible. The staff working on her time machine project was located on floor 22. She had to be mistaken and have the wrong floor number. Rena didn't have time to question her. The elevator doors opened on floor 22, the stranger not waiting to make her way outside.

Rena stepped out of the elevator, her eyes glued on the stranger’s back as she was walking towards the white door at the end of the corridor. She was at the wrong floor, and she needed to warn her.

“Excuse me...” Rena started, but didn’t have time to finish her sentence.

The white automatic door opened on the other side, revealing her most trusted colleague and best friend Akane. When their gazes met, the latter gave her a warm smile, before diverting her attention to the drenched girl who had rang at the door. If Akane was disturbed by her appearance, she was careful not to let it show. Instead, she gave her a welcoming look. “You must be Jurina Matsui?”

“Yes.” The girl, whom Rena discovered in surprise shared the same surname as her, replied with assurance. So, it wasn't a mistake after all? She was at the right floor?

“Please come in,” Akane said, stepping aside. “It's the room at the end of the corridor, on your left.”

Rena watched the other girl walking away, dumbfounded. As soon as she was out of sight, she approached her best friend. “Who is she, Akane?”

“Who?” Akane frowned, and glanced back at her in confusion. “Don't you remember you were supposed to meet candidates for the new position? She's likely going to be your new assistant. Airi told me she has the best résumé amongst all the candidates.”

“W–What?” Rena stammered. The drenched girl she met in the elevator was supposed to be the genius she had been looking for all this time? The person who was going to help her build her time machine? There had to be a misunderstanding; Rena was positively sure about that. So why on earth was Akane looking at her with such a serious expression?

Version edited on August 12, 2019.