Rain has been pouring out since that morning and seems to have no intention to stop even it is already late afternoon. God knows how she hates going out the house on a rainy day like this but it has been weeks since they have a night out together.

 

"Oh, it has been that long." Song Ji Hyo muttered while checking herself in the mirror for the nth time. Her doe-like eyes stare back at her while she is fixing her wavy hair.

 

"He may be surprised that I changed my hairstyle again."

 

She chuckled as she remembered the day she changed her hair color into an almost-reddish shade. The look in his face is priceless. All he can say is, "You are a woman full of surprises."

 

Full of surprises she is. She hopes to surprise him not only by her change of hairstyle but also by donning a sky-blue dress, which she rarely does. In fact, this may be the first time he can see her wearing a dress, as she is more of a t-shirt and jeans type of girl. One last look and she's ready to go.

 

They had decided to meet up at their favorite cafe. Well, actually it's only her favorite, since they do not share the same addiction to coffee. However, at some rare, as in, very rare moments, she can coax him to drink her favorite Americano.

 

"Americano is perfect for a rainy day like this", Ji Hyo muttered, "but, sh*t, when can I hail a cab."

 

She has been standing at the curb for almost half an hour and she only have 15 minutes remaining to arrive on time.

 

Fifteen minutes, for a half-hour ride, not yet considering the monster traffic jam awaiting her.

 

Sh*t, if I only did not overslept.

 

She may have said the curse word loudly, as people are staring at her. Who cares, I can curse as much as I want.

 

Cursing is the only way to vent out her frustrations, though she often curses on her mind. It is only a slip of tongue when she said it aloud.

 

Oh, at last, an available cab is approaching, but many are also waiting for that damn cab.

 

As she approaches the cab, a man reaches the door handle at the same time with her. They are almost of the same height but well, all she did is to stare him down.

 

 

As if reading her mind, the man backs way.

 

Feeling smug as she enters the cab, she does not even bother to look back. If she did, she can see that look on that man's face.

 

A teenage boy is talking to him, telling him that at least that girl does not curse him out.

 

It does not bother him, he said. There is only one thing that bothers him now. Why that girl looks familiar, yet he knows he had never met her until now. There is only one person who can answer his question. He really needs to see him right away, ah, but that girl stole that ride. If that girl is really the one he thinks she is, well, he is in for a night of surprises. All he can do right now is to wait for another goddamn cab.

 

By the time Ji Hyo looked back, the short man is also able to hail a cab, not by staring down, but by unintentional leg tripping of whoever comes on his way.

 

At least, he's able to ride a cab immediately, she thought. Well, why bother with him, when I have something to think about. What to say to him.

 

She dials his number, and on the first ring, he picks up.

 

"Yah, I know you’re just going to say some excuses. Don't worry; I know that you will be late. I am still on the way."

 

The first word she hears from him is yah. To others it may sound offensive, but she really loves the way he says it. Yah, Ji Hyo-yah. It is as if he is annoyed and she likes it. She's the only one who can really annoy him.

 

"O~ppa," she hears him chuckle. He really likes her calling him oppa with that tone.

 

"Wae, Ji Hyo-yah." Her aegyo works as she can hear a tint of amusement in his voice.

 

"Mianhe. I overslept."

 

"I know you would. Sleeping is one of those you love doing the most."

 

"And what are the others oppa?" She knows what he will answer but she always likes to hear it from him. It's like a testament on how well he knows her, or as her best friend said, how she had opened up everything about her to him, no reservations at all.

 

 

 

"Ji Hyo-ah, still there?"

 

"Oh, oppa, sorry, I just..."

 

"You’re spaced out again. No wonder you do not respond. What are you thinking this time?"

 

"I'm just wondering what you are going to answer."

 

"Oh, really. Ok, so, sleeping is definitely one of them, and spacing out. And, eating, then, ah, drinking coffee, and," she knows he purposely stops just to .

 

"And what oppa?"

 

"You like drinking soju, which, by the way I think you should stop doing so."

 

"Ah, oppa, ok, I already stop drinking. By the way, you forgot something."

 

"Oh, there is another thing you like to do? What, oh, wait."

 

He stops, as she can hear from the background someone calling him hyung.

 

"Oppa?" It seems he is talking to somebody, but she cannot really hear what he is talking about.

 

 

"Ji Hyo-yah, yah. Yah, Miss Mong." He calling her nickname brings her back to earth.

 

"Oppa, ah, right, what is that all about?"

 

"Oh, there is something I have to do first. Would it be okay if you wait for me in the cafe?"

 

"Oppa, what is...?" She knows he sounds like in a rush, but she always have the need to know everything about him.

 

"Look, I said just wait for me there. Just wait." Then he hangs up.

 

It is not the fact that he hangs up that bothers her. He always does that. When they are in the middle of a conversation, someone always manage to interrupt them. She knows that he is busy, though she really does not have an idea on what he is doing.

 

No, she has get used to that. What she will never get used to be is him talking in that tone.

 

That irritated tone.

 

And she had not yet even told him what she loves doing the most.

 

 

 

All she can do now is to sigh and, 

 

"Sh*t, just sh*t."

 

The taxi driver looks at the rear-view mirror and cannot help but to shake his head. Such a beautiful woman yet cursing. Maybe it's just the traffic. Or maybe the rain.

 

The traffic caused the short man to decide to ride the train. After learning where his hyung is, he decided to drop-off at the nearest train station.

 

 

Five minutes later the short man can finally have his questions answered as he can already see his hyung, not on a coffee shop, but on the street across it. It was then he realized that the rain has stopped already. There is no way his hyung will stand under the rain without his umbrella on. He folds his umbrella as he slowly approaches the man he has been seeking out the whole day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He goes near his hyung so that he can hear him but he is still unnoticed.

 

"Ji Hyo-ah, still there?"

 

 

 

 

But a sound from his phone brought him back to his senses.

 

 

One look at the message and he knows things have gotten serious.

 

 

"Hyung!" He finally calls him out. "Hyung!"

 

He knows he got his attention when he put downs the phone, without ending the call.

 

Oh, he should just end the call. He knows the protocol.

 

"Oh, Dong Hoon-ah."

 

 

Five minutes after leave him more perplexed as five minutes before. He may be able to ride a cab in peace, but his mind is not at peace at all.

 

 

 

 

As he fumbles in his pocket for his phone, a bracelet falls.

 

It is a silver bracelet with star-shaped designs. Engraved on it is a name in Hangul: Byul.

 

 

His thoughts about that woman make him forget about the boss, his hyung and Song Ji Hyo.

 

The rain has started to fall again when Ji Hyo arrived on the coffee shop. Enticing aroma of coffee welcomed her, which makes her immediately proceed to the counter. It is only when she is fully settled by the window with her Americano on hand did she looks around for her oppa. Coffee over oppa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sh*t, I forgot she’s out of the country.”   

 

 

Aware that people in the café are looking at her, she pretend to be busy with her phone.

 

She is thinking of someone to call; there are only few options:

 

Yeo Jin-ah, which is out of the country to visit her relatives.

 

Ji Soo unnie, but probably busy cooking for dinner.

 

That leaves Dong Wook, but is it ok to call him about this?

 

“I should give it a try.”

 

The first ring is not finished yet when Dong Wook picks up.

 

“Oh, Ji Hyo-yah,” as she can hear from the background, Dong Wook is probably on a bar.

 

 

“Sorry, Dong Wook, wrong number dialed.”

 

“As if I will buy that excuse of yours. There are only few numbers saved in your phone.”

 

She cannot react to that. He's right on the spot.

 

 

"Ji Hyo-ah. Yah, calling me then spacing out on me. Just stop thinking the reasons why there are few numbers on your phone and blunter out why you called me."

 

"You're a bit rash on that. Are you drank already?"

 

"Oh, I think so. But, it's just a few drinks."

 

"Yah, I think you should just get yourself a girlfriend instead of getting drunk early in the evening."

 

"Did you just call to nag on me or what?"

 

"I just called so that I can have someone to talk to."

 

 

“You’ve got a boyfriend, yet no one to talk to. So why would I need a girlfriend?"

 

 

“I don’t think it is okay to talk to you right now. I will call you once you are not crazy enough.”

 

She then hangs up. She feels bad for Dong Wook for disturbing him but hanging up is the best thing to do.

 

Talking to each other while one of them is drunk can mean war. 

 

 

So she did, but on the third ring, she hanged up.

 

 

With that, she decided just to wait.

 

 

On her third cup of coffee, she had enough. Her patience is wearing thin.

 

Without waiting for the rain to stop, she goes out of the coffee shop.

 

As she steps out of the shop, her cellphone rings. It’s oppa.

 

“Hello, opp-“

 

“Ji Hyo-ah, mianhe, but just stay where you are. I’ll just go to you later, but for now, just wait. Wait for me.”

 

“Why would I...”

 

She was not able to finish her question.

 

It is a noisy Friday night, but there is only one sound she hears.

 

It is a crowded street, but only one man is all she can see.

 

A gunshot was heard.

 

And, across the street, is her oppa, lying on the sidewalk, with blood pooling on his head.

 

 

 

 

The rain has stopped, and the stars are visible again in Seoul skies. Song Ji Hyo does not noticed all of that.

 

All that matters now is her oppa. Kim Jong Kook oppa.