Let It Rain
AUTHOR:ANONYMOUS
 

Pitter-pat.

Drops of rain start to fall helplessly from the gray-colored clouds. Taeyeon, while waiting for her ride back home watches as these transparent beads of water strike the ground like speeding bullets.

It is always a fascinating scene to Taeyeon, especially when a tint of yellow light emitted by the post lamps late in the afternoon makes these droplets of water appear as if they exist to make the asphalt road wonderful at nighttime. The raindrops seem like they are glitters thrown purposely in the air and the way the light reflects on them is like a playful display of mini lights. It is even prettier when the front lights of cars shine through these droplets of water as they pass them effortlessly.

It is not that late at night but there is hardly anyone around the place. Taeyeon is among the few students who don’t go to their highschool dorms. She prefers to stay with her family at home even that means she has to wake up earlier than her classmates to keep up with her 7 am classes. In the afternoon, her dad will pick her up even though she repeatedly asks him not to anymore because he’s too tired from work. Fetching her will be her dad’s another task but he is too kind so he keeps on turning down her requests until it came to a point when she finally gave up.

It is becoming colder. It was a good thing that she wears a jacket. She could have frozen to death if it wasn’t for the wool-made clothing. She pulls the ends of the sleeve and blows a mouthful of air on her cupped hands to make her warm. She her cheek with the now warm hand hoping that the heat caused by her breath will transfer to her face.

She glances at her wristwatch. Her dad is later than usual. As much as she wants to call him, she can’t because her cellphone’s battery is slowly dying on her. She blamed herself for not charging it earlier. It is also the reason why she doesn’t want to go back inside their school’s lobby which is only several strolls away from where she’s currently standing. She could have avoided being in the cold but no, she decided to just go and wait outside because she doesn’t want her father to wait for her. It is her who always have to wait.

A handful of minutes passed and yet a sign of her father is nowhere to be seen. She sighs, starting to get bored. She paces back and forth under the waiting shed.

Because only private vehicles can enter inside the university and the public transportation’s route has recently changed, the waiting shed has practically no use aside from serving as a temporary shelter that gives shade when the weather is too sunny or provides shield when the rain is too heavy.

She looks around to check if she’s still alone and when she notices that she is, she plugs her earphones and starts to sing along to the lines of her favourite song.

You are my everything to me
You are my everything to me
haneul ui byeolcheoreom hwanhageh bichwojuri
geudaeneun naman ui sarang
yeonywonhan namanui sarang
uri saranghaeyo
geudae hanamyeon nan chungbunhaeyo

She is about to sing the next line when a text diverted her attention. It is from her father.

Taengoo ah.

Sorry to make you wait. Appa cannot fetch you right now. My boss is calling for an emergency meeting. I’m really sorry. Don’t sleep in the bus okay. Take care of yourself. And oh, it’s raining. Don’t forget to use your umbrella ~byong♥

A slight disappointment forms on Taeyeon’s face after reading the message. She heaves out a sigh. Her shoulders slumped. She removes the earphones that were glued to her ears a while ago and rummages her bag for something she needs so bad after seeing that the rain hasn’t stopped yet. She froze when she realized that...

“WHAT?! I forgot to bring it? No. I used it this morning! Maybe I misplaced it? Where is it?” She digs inside her bag for several times but still keeps on having the same result. How unlucky she is. She thought. The rain is slowly getting stronger.

“How can you be so careless Kim Taeyeon? Aish.” Taeyeon scratches her head with a defeated expression. She doesn’t want to get sick. She doesn’t want to miss her classes the next week more importantly.

“Are you looking for this?” Taeyeon was startled. A husky voice that she didn’t expect to hear made her head turn to where the voice came from. It was behind her. A girl with a flowing jet black hair is the owner of the voice that almost made her leap. She is slightly taller than her. She greets Taeyeon with eyesmiles that can make anyone have butterflies fluttering in their stomach.

Taeyeon was surprised. The thing is indeed hers. But how this girl in front of her got it and how Taeyeon barely knows her and yet this person is actually using a possession of her makes Taeyeon want to start a conversation with the girl.

“You..you scared me!” Taeyeon failed to say the right words and instead let the truth escape . This stranger really scared the heck out of her.

The stranger giggled and found the response given to her by the girl she’s talking to amusing.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Here’s your umbrella. You left it on the lobby’s sofa.” The taller girl went near Taeyeon and joined her under the waiting shed. She closed the baby blue-colored umbrella carefully and gave it to its owner.

“Gosh, I’m so forgetful! Thanks so much for returning it!” Taeyeon smiled sheepishly while thanking the stranger for her kind gesture. Though she’s just young, she tends to act like an old lady who has an amnesia that attacks her from time to time. The last time she forgot something was when she accidentally left her cellphone inside their fridge. It was a good thing that her brother saw the gadget before it became totally useless.

“No problem.”

“Uhm. Can I ask what your name is? I want to know so I can thank you properly.” Taeyeon politely asked for the stranger’s name. Even though she’s a bit introvert, this girl makes her want to open up.

“Tiffany Hwang. Just call me Tiffany.” The taller girl responded with an adorable smirk.

Taeyeon was taken aback and can’t help but stare at the girl’s loving smile.

“Oh. Tiffany. You have a very nice name. Thank you Tiffany.” Inside Taeyeon’s head, she knows she’s not telling the whole truth. What she wants to say actually is that Tiffany is as beautiful as her name. But she can’t say that to someone she just met. She’s afraid that Tiffany might think that she’s a weirdo for saying that.

“You’re welcome and thank you too.” Tiffany’s eyes disappeared into crescent moons and gazed at Taeyeon. Taeyeon is becoming uneasy.

Why is she not moving? She’s just smiling at me. Did I say something wrong? A lot of thoughts are coming into her whirling mind.

Seconds passed and still Tiffany is not saying a word. Her eyes, still fixed on the smaller girl. Taeyeon finds it weird and coughed intentionally.

“Erm.”

The smile that grazed Tiffany’s lips got even wider.

“Uh. Aren’t you coming back?” Taeyeon again chose the wrong set of words and hit her head because of her silliness.

Taeyeon’s dorky gesture earned another eyesmile from the taller girl. “Yeah. But I won’t go anywhere until you tell me your name.”

Because Taeyeon is clueless on why Tiffany is still there waiting, Tiffany finally revealed the hidden agenda behind her smile. Woah. She’s much cuter upclose. I’m glad I was the one to notice her umbrella and return it to her. Tiffany thought.

“Oh! So that’s why!” Taeyeon snapped her fingers.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t want you to leave though.” Taeyeon scratched her head like a little kid.

“Name’s Kim Taeyeon. Taeyeon for short.” Taeyeon offered her hand.

“Tae..tae? That’s a cute name.” Tiffany welcomed Taeyeon’s friendly handshake.

Tae-tae? It’s Taeyeon. I can’t believe she missed my name. Maybe, it’s because of the rain that’s why she didn’t hear it clearly. Anyway, Tae-tae is fine. She’s the first person to call me that way. Tiffany’s cute mistake made Taeyeon smirk.

“Uhm. I guess I’m gonna go back now. Nice meeting you Tae-tae! And please take care of your umbrella next time.” Tiffany said. She is about to run from the waiting shed back to the lobby when Taeyeon stopped her.

“Wait!” Taeyeon held the girl’s wrist.

“Huh?”

“It’s raining hard. Don’t run under the rain. You’ll get sick. I’ll just accompany you back to the lobby so you can get your umbrella.” Taeyeon is worried that the girl who just brought her a favor will get sick and she doesn’t want that so she’s offering to help her in return for bringing back her umbrella.

Tiffany was touched by Taeyeon’s concern and she really appreciates it.

“Thank you. But the truth is I forgot my umbrella at home. I’m waiting at the lobby for a classmate who I can borrow an umbrella from or maybe share it with but it turns out that students in our department go home early on Fridays so there are not much people around.” Tiffany reasoned out. “I’m just waiting for the rain to die down and then I could go home.”

“But you can ask me. This umbrella is big enough for two people to share.” Taeyeon suggested.

“Wouldn’t that be troublesome for you? And I think you’re waiting for someone.” Tiffany asked with worry.

“No. It’s okay. I was waiting for my dad but he couldn’t come. So it’s fine.” Taeyeon reassured Tiffany.

“Well, if that’s the case then I would gladly accept your offer!” Tiffany’s face lightened up.

“Then let’s go!” An eager Taeyeon opened her umbrella.

Holding an umbrella above one’s head is normally a simple thing to do but Taeyeon finds it rather difficult. She’s wondering where to stand beside Tiffany. Should it be on the left side or the right? Seeing that Taeyeon is only staring at her umbrella; not moving an inch, Tiffany moved closer to Taeyeon to ask what’s bothering the shorter girl. Unknown to Tiffany, she is helping Taeyeon solve her problem by standing at the girl’s right side.

“What’s wrong TaeTae?”

Taeyeon snapped back to reality when she heard Tiffany’s voice. “Oh. Nothing. Don’t worry.” Taeyeon answered softly. Well, I guess it’s the left then. She exhaled in relief.

What Taeyeon doesn’t know is that more awkward moments are bound to happen now that she’s just a few centimetres away from Tiffany. While she was carefully holding the umbrella; shielding them both from the coldness of the rain, Tiffany suddenly wrapped her arms around the arm Taeyeon was supporting the umbrella with. The moment Tiffany initiated the skinship, Taeyeon felt zaps of electricity came into contact with her. The gentleness this grip Tiffany has on her is unique and she feels like she wants the moment to stay forever; with Tiffany clinging on her for support and protection.

The blowing of the cold wind, the rustling of the leaves, the cry of the crickets, the rhythmic beat emanating from the strikes of water and two pairs of light steps alternately pressing against the wet ground are the only surfacing sounds that can be heard except those that come from their hearts beating and air going in and out of their lungs.

An understandable silence forms between the two; with the raining in the background, both struggling to find the seemingly right time to speak. It was not that long since the girls heard each other’s voices. Taeyeon can’t take it anymore. She’s itching to hear the husky voice again so she decides to break the awkward silence even though she’s a shy person herself.

“Uhm, Ti-“ Taeyeon hesitates; her words, much to her disappointment, at the same time relief, were drawn back to because Tiffany started to speak at the same time.

“TaeTae, are y