[ episode 1 : our beginning ]

 

"Yah! Kang Daniel, hurry up and finish this damn project," Ong Seongwu sighed in frustation. How couldn't he? Daniel —his project partner— has been staring blankly to his computer screen for a whole twenty minutes. His fingers doesn't even move an inch to type something and fill his working sheet.

 

"Hyung, I could've died working all day like this," Daniel said with that straight face of his. Boi, he made Ong Seongwu's anger became unbearable.

 

"You haven't even start yet, pabo-ya. We have to hand this project first thing in the morning. Or else the big fat Shim will kill us in an instant," said Seongwu, starting to give up from giving Daniel a speech because hey, that peach boy wouldn't hear him out anyway. His mind is full of thoughts on how his teacher Shim will beat him into pulp because of Daniel.

 

Like Daniel is ignoring the whole world today, he began to sip his americano that he had abandoned since twenty five minutes ago. This is Seongwu's favorite place. A small internet cafe downtown with tiny but neat tables arranged in such creative ways, a storefront displayed kinds of cookies, spreading the scent of sugar and butter all over the place. Daniel kept complaining on how he's not on his mood to drink americano, but Seongwu bribed him with cookies and Daniel couldn't say no.

 

"I know you have a lot of thoughts these days," Seongwu said all of a sudden. And for the first time in a while, Daniel looked up from his computer screen, confused on his bestfriend's words.

 

"But try to ignore it and do the things you have to do, because you can't continue like this, Daniel-ah," he said, not even bothered to meet his eyes with Daniel's. Seongwu was his best friend for as long as he can remember, longer than half of his life. He remembered the first day he met Ong, he was a first grader in elementary school and Ong was only a year above him.

 

But Daniel never really talk about his problems to Seongwu. He knows what Daniel was going trough but he doesn't really know his feelings. How he tried very hard to hide the fact that he was ripping himself up. Either Daniel was too scared to talk about it, or he just didn't want to make Seongwu worried. 

 

Daniel was a cheerful kid, he always have. But there's a part of him that he never show to anybody but himself. A part of him that even Seongwu doesn't need to know.

 

"It's already late," he said after a few minutes of dead silence, "I need to go home, I'll finish this tonight, Hyung, I promise."

Before Seongwu could say anything, Daniel hurriedly pack his books and walk out of the cafe, leaving Seongwu tiredly leaning back on his seat.

 

"You think I have no idea that you hate going back home, Kang Daniel," he sighed, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

 

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It was raining.

 

Stupid of him not realizing the thunder and blazing rain outside of the cafe earlier. And now his shirt is soaked, and he didn't have an umbrella with him. With his last attempt, he tried to cover his now-see-trough white t-shirt with his bag. 

 

Daniel let the rain fell on his face, piercing his skin with ice cold water until he can't bare it anymore. His whole body is now shivering and he can't see where he's heading because of the haze.

 

Daniel hates rain. He hate the fact that he had to stuck in the middle of it. He hate the scent of soil it caused. He hate how it ruined his favorite t-shirt. And most importantly, he hate how it sounds. Noisy and annoying. Billions of water droplets crashing every surface on the same time. 

 

He doesn't even remember when is the last time he ought to spent his time sitting near the window to hear the sound of it until he fell asleep. Daniel hate that. He hate to listen to it all by himself.

 

Twelve years ago.

"Oppa!" exclaimed the little girl who excitedly pulling his sleeve, "Oppa, come on!"

 

"Sohye-ah, I don't want to hear the sound of rain, it's too boring," Daniel answered with annoyance. Oh, Daniel. Look, you almost made her cry. Daniel was only ten years old that day. He was busy cleaning his shoes from the dirt outside. 

 

"Please, just this once, you're gonna love it," said Sohye, still eager to make Daniel do what she wants. He finally gave up, and the girl excitedly pulling Daniel with her. Her ponytail swings from left to right as she ran, making sure Daniel is following her step.

 

"Now listen," she commanded, after sitting down near Daniel's window, and the boy forcedly do the same. It was nothing at first, Daniel wasn't actually listening to it. But the minutes he saw her eyes glittering with joy, Daniel starting to get curious about the rain. How could an abstract sound turns out very beautiful? He never thought that he would fall in love with rain. Until that single accident took everything away.

 

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Today is 21st of August.

The day of that accident took place twelve years ago from this day. Daniel doesn't want to remember. But the thoughts of her taking control of his brain, burned on his skin. It feels like he couldn't go anywhere without the memories clinging onto his shoes. 

 

When it feels like the rain will be last forever, Daniel ran to the nearest store and hid himself from it. The store's blue canopy is enough to keep him from getting even more soaked. Then he realized that it was a flower shop.

 

Today is 21st of august.

Should I bring her flowers?

Daniel chuckled with the thought of it.

Of course, Sohye dislike those kind of cheesy things. But he made his way into the store anyway.

 

The small florist is colored in pastel, a perfect combination for its colorful flowers on every corner. He could identify the roses displayed near the window, and baby's breath on the other side. He placed his bag to the nearest round table, admiring the scent of hundreds of flowers combined together.

 

But then he realized that he wasn't alone all along. She's standing a few steps away from him, dilligently arranged her flowers. Daniel is paying attention to her hands, it was small and fragile, as if she could break if anyone is holding her too tight. She has short dark hair, covering one side of her face. Her smile is the lively kind of smile, a genuine smile, the one that is very addictive to every eyes. Just like Sohye's.

 

Daniel could stand there forever just to see her arranging flowers, but he doesn't want to have the impression like he's a stalker or anything. So, Daniel decided that saying hi won't hurt. 

 

"Excuse me," Daniel greeted in a low voice. But the woman is too startled that she dropped her flowers. Daniel swore that he saw her jumped a few centimeters from the ground. As soon as she picked up her almost-broken flowers, he bowed to apologize.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he chuckled, scratching the nape of his neck. It seems like the woman is avoiding Daniel's eyes, as her gaze continously falling to the ground. He was starting to get curious of her.

 

"Are you the owner, perhaps?" He tried to form a conversation again since his first attempt didn't work out. She was going to answer him when an old cracky voice heard from the back of the shop, shouting one's name.

 

"Bae Eunha!" An old lady on her thirties came out of nowhere, her eyes are flaming with anger, "I told you to stay inside," her sentence stopped mid-air as her eyes noticed Daniel.

 

"Oh, good evening, can I help you?" she throws a forced smile to his direction, before her eyes are back to the woman she called Bae Eunha earlier, asking quietly for her to do as she said. Eunha bowed to say goodbye before hurriedly going to the back.

 

So, her name is Eunha.

 

"Don't mind her," the old lady said when she noticed Daniel's eyes were following Eunha's steps, "She's my niece, she wasn't suppose to go out."

 

"Why?" Daniel asked in a sudden. The lady hesitated, this wasn't a topic she's likely to have with her costumers.

 

"The girl is...a little out of her mind."

 

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Daniel wasn't sure how long he has been here. Standing before a tombstone as the sky turned dark. He doesn't remember since when the rain had stopped, and his t-shirt is already dried. But he couldn't escape the cold air, that roughly piercing his skin and making his bone aches.

 

There's a single red rose placed peacefully in front of the tombstone, the one he bought from the florist earlier. Of course, Sohye dislike cheesy things, but the rose is an only gift he ever bought for her.

 

Daniel went here almost everytime, he always had something to tell her. His grades, his friends, his mother.

 

'I start b-boying again today, you know.'

 

'Ong Seongwu is very annoying, aish, how can I handle him?'

 

'You should see when he humiliate himself.'

 

'I ate a lot these days, don't be worried.'

 

But today, he have nothing other than his shallow breath, and tears formed on the corner of his eyes. Daniel wished she's here to cheer on him, to tell him that everything is going to be okay even if it won't. 

 

"Sohye-ah, today I met someone," he started, "and she looks just like you."

 

Today is 21st of august.

They used to celebrate it every year.

Since twelve years ago until today, Kang Daniel celebrate it alone like this.

 

"Happy birthday, Sohye."

 

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Okay okay....that's all for the first episode

Are you curious of who's Sohye?

What actually happen to Bae Eunha?

And what makes Kang Daniel stressed a lot?

Keep up for the next episode! ^-^)/