It was raining in sheets. Eunkyung uttered a heavy sigh. She hadn’t looked at the daily forecast that morning – in other words, she didn’t have an umbrella. However, she had to go home somehow. Biting her lip, she dashed out into the waterfall and began running towards the sidewalks.

She passed by a tall stranger with a red umbrella. She swerved to the side to avoid crashing into him, but an arm extended to wrap around her waist, preventing her from running past. The person pulled her under his umbrella, which was too small for two people.

Eunkyung was practically pressed against the stranger. She looked up with wide eyes. Taehyung was staring down at her with a haggard expression.

Startled, she pushed herself away from him and back into the merciless rain. Just as swiftly, as if sensing her intentions, Taehyung picked up her hand and pressed the handle of the umbrella into it. Now he was standing under the torrent by himself.

“No, it’s yours!” Eunkyung objected. She pushed the umbrella back to him, but he refused to take it. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Eunkyung helplessly took a step towards him and lifted the umbrella on her tip-toes to prevent at least half of each person from getting wet.

“I love you.” It was more of a whisper than a confession. Eunkyung’s eyes widened and she wasn’t sure if she heard him right.

“I love you.” The repeated sentence was louder and clearer. Taehyung had an intense look in his eyes. “Can’t you give me at least a chance?”

Dumbfounded, Eunkyung’s jaw dropped. The boy lifted a hand and though it was wet, put it gently against her cheek, but she shook it off.

She shook her head furiously. “No.” Her voice trembled. Without thinking, she took a step back. Taehyung was out in the rain again.

“Please,” he pleaded, his voice almost getting lost in the downpour. The rain slid down his cheeks like tears. Eunkyung couldn’t remove her gaze from his eyes, which were pools of sadness. She had never seen Taehyung Kim look so hopeless and innocent before. It felt like she was staring at V for a moment. It bemused and frightened her. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her eyes from the raindrops dripping from her wet hair.

“I have no room in my heart for you. I like someone else,” she choked out.

"Who?" But Taehyung already knew the answer.

“I like V.”

Hearing that name, Taehyung felt somehow beaten, as though he had lost. “Why?” he croaked. “Why do you like him?”

Eunkyung was speechless for a moment. Her heart beat rapidly around V. Her mood lightened every time she saw him. When with him, she felt at ease and content. Flashes of memories passed by her: the dog key chain, the amusement park, and the quiet walks with him at the Han River Park. V’s warm smile and innocent eyes. “I like him because he’s nice. Because he’s honest.”

Turning her face away, she took another step back. “I’m… I’m really sorry.” Dropping the umbrella, she dashed away in the rain.

Taehyung didn’t move from his position. The red umbrella lay upside down on the ground, collecting water. The rain kept pouring, showing no sign of relenting.

**********

“You’re wet! No, you’re soaked!” Manager Song exclaimed.

Taehyung dropped himself heavily on the chair despite dripping water everywhere. A swarm of emotions was bombarding him again. “I can’t believe I’m feeling jealous of myself,” Taehyung muttered, bitterly. “She says that she likes V. She won't even give Taehyung a chance.”

Manager Song sat down next to him, eyeing him in a concerned way. He offered the boy a towel, but Taehyung ignored it. “You should just tell her that you are V,” his manager finally said.

“I can’t!” Taehyung slammed a hand down on the coffee table, agitation in his voice. “I can’t! She says she likes me, no, V, because he’s thoughtful! Because he’s honest! Her image of V will crash when she finds out the truth. She’ll hate me for sure. Both sides of me.” His voice caught on the last two sentences.

His manager put a comforting hand over Taehyung’s, which was on the table. “Taehyung, you are thoughtful. No one in the industry would know that, but those who are closest to you do. You rarely show it in public, but you have a gentle side to you. That’s the side that becomes fully revealed when you cast off your celebrity identity and spend time with Eunkyung. Also, although you weren’t totally honest about your identity to the girl, your feelings toward her are honest, no? She may be furious at first, but I’m sure you can make her love the real you.”

Taehyung pressed his lips together. “That sounds like a story from a happily-ever-after novel, Uncle.” He lifted his head to look at Manager Song. “But thank you for being with me at such hard times.” He gave him a small smile, but it was laced with pain. Manager Song gazed back at the boy, who was like his own nephew. His own heart was thrumming unhappily.

Four posts a day is hard... XD

If I get 20 subscribers in total, I'll double-post the next day.

It's D-day tomorrow!