Hana opened her eyes as her alarm rang, but she still felt tired and wanted to stay in bed for a few more seconds. Just as she was about to close her eyes again, a notification on her phone startled her.
It was a message from Gaeun:
"Where did you disappear to yesterday? You didn't even tell me!"
Hana quickly sat up. Ah… I really forgot to tell Gaeun! she thought. Yesterday, she had been hanging out with Hyunwoo and had completely forgotten about Gaeun. A slight sense of guilt crept in.
"I'm sorry, let's have lunch together today?" she texted back.
A few minutes later, Gaeun replied:
"Okay, but you owe me!"
Hana let out a relieved sigh. Gaeun didn't seem too angry, but she still felt like she should spend more time with her. Lately, she had been hanging out mostly with Hyunwoo, so it was understandable that Gaeun might have felt a little left out.
—
She got ready for school. As she stepped outside, she glanced up at the sky. It was slightly cloudy, but it didn't seem like it would rain, so she didn't pay much attention to it.
When she arrived at school, Aerin and Hyunwoo were already in class. As usual, Hana glanced at Aerin before taking her seat, but Aerin turned her head away, avoiding eye contact.
Hana hesitated. For a moment, she wondered if she had done something wrong the day before, but nothing came to mind. Did something happen?
As the lessons went on, Hana began to notice that Aerin wasn't acting the same as usual. Normally, they would chat about small things, but today, Aerin only gave short answers or didn't reply at all. When Hana tried to approach her during lunch break, she realized Aerin had already left the classroom.
An uneasy feeling settled in Hana's chest.
—
By the end of the afternoon classes, a loud thunderclap was heard from outside. Everyone turned to look at the windows.
"Ahh! It's raining!"
When Hana looked outside, she saw that heavy rain had started pouring down. That's when it hit her: I forgot my umbrella!
The girl sitting next to her turned and asked, "Hana, do you have an umbrella?"
Hana shook her head. "I forgot it..."
At that moment, Aerin was also packing her bag. Hana turned to her, just about to say "Shall we go together?" when Aerin spoke first, her voice cold.
"I have one, but I'm leaving with Eunbi. Sorry."
Hana was surprised by how distant and formal Aerin sounded, but she didn't say anything.
As she was wondering what to do, someone suddenly walked into the classroom.
"If you don't have an umbrella, you can take mine."
Hana turned and saw Hyunwoo holding out his umbrella toward her.
"But what about you?" she asked, surprised.
Hyunwoo shrugged. "I don't need it. I like the rain anyway."
Hana hesitated. She was both touched and a little embarrassed that Hyunwoo was doing this for her. But the rain outside was getting heavier, and she didn't want to get soaked.
Smiling, she said, "Then, thank you." and took the umbrella.
The students watching from a distance immediately started whispering.
"Ahh, they really look like a couple!"
"Hyunwoo is so thoughtful! He literally put Hana first!"
"Aren't they getting a little too close?"
Hearing these murmurs, Hana tensed up slightly. She glanced at Aerin and saw a strange expression on her face. Without saying a word, Aerin looked away and left the classroom.
Even though Hana didn't know why Aerin was acting this way, an uneasy feeling settled in her chest.
—
As Hana walked toward the bus stop, she gripped the umbrella tightly. She thought about the umbrella Hyunwoo had given her that morning and unconsciously smiled. The rhythmic sound of raindrops gave her an odd sense of peace, but her thoughts wouldn't stop. The rumors, Aerin's cold attitude, Gaeun's looks… No matter how much she tried not to think about them, the storm inside her kept growing.
As she neared the bus stop, she noticed a group of students gathered near the school's entrance. Hyunwoo and a few of his friends were there. They stood in the rain, their hooded jackets pulled up, carelessly smoking cigarettes. Some were chatting loudly, while others remained silent.
Hana unconsciously slowed her steps.
She couldn't tell if Hyunwoo was smoking too, but she found herself frowning. Seeing him like this—cold and distant—made her feel uneasy. For a moment, she considered turning around and walking away, but then that strange, unexplainable feeling inside her stopped her.
Taking a deep breath, she started walking toward them.
Hyunwoo noticed Hana approaching and slowly lifted his head. His eyes, as usual, were calm and unreadable, but something flickered within them. As he watched her coming closer, he twirled the cigarette between his fingers for a moment before dropping it to the ground and stomping it out.
When Hana finally reached him, the distance between them was small. Her hair, slightly damp from the rain, clung to her face, but she didn't seem to care as she raised the umbrella and tilted it toward Hyunwoo. Rising onto her toes, she made sure it fully covered him.
"You're getting wet," she said in a soft but firm voice.
Hyunwoo looked at her, surprised. Her face held a mix of concern and something else—something sweet. For a few seconds, he said nothing, just staring into her eyes. Then, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"So you're holding up the umbrella I gave you… for me?" he asked, his voice deep and calm as always.
Hana felt her cheeks heat up slightly but didn't look away. "Yes, because I don't want you to stand in the rain," she murmured.
One of Hyunwoo's friends whistled. "Wow, you two really look like a couple now," they teased.
But Hyunwoo only glanced at them briefly before shrugging indifferently.
Then, he turned back to Hana. His eyes held a seriousness that made her heart pound.
Hyunwoo suddenly leaned in a little closer, closing the already small gap between them.
"When you do things like this," he said in a low voice, "I don't know how much longer I can keep my distance from you."
Hana's breath caught.
As the rain poured down around them, for a moment, it felt like the world belonged only to the two of them.