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The industrial looking cafe felt chic and familiar as a chill song played through it’s entirety. Combined with the aroma of bold caffeine and sweet pastries, the cafe felt like a haven to be in. It was one of the reasons why Kang Seulgi frequented it. She had gone through all the cafes in the neighbourhood where her office was located but it was this particular one that she had taken a liking to.

 

She always occupied a specific seat in the cafe, a round table in a tiny corner filled with plants and neon lights. It was a place of solitude for her and she found herself rarely disturbed there. That’s why it was a shock to her when a voice called out to her on a particular rainy day.

 

“Kang Seulgi?”

 

Seulgi looked up from her laptop with a jolt to see a pretty lady waving at her from across the room.

 

“Jisoo?” Seulgi called out and the lady responded with a bright smile. Jisoo made her way towards her old friend and the two embraced.

 

“It’s been forever!” Seulgi exclaimed. “How are you?”

 

“I’m fine. Irene told me that she saw you recently. You’re apparently doing really well. But I wanna hear more about it from you. How are you?” Jisoo asked.

 

The two chattered and caught up with each other since they hadn’t seen each other since university where they had joined the same Photography club.

 

“I’m glad to hear that your shop is doing well,” Seulgi said. “You should contact me if you ever need someone to help market and advertise your products. I’d be glad to help.

 

Jisoo smiled widely at her. “You’re so sweet. Thanks for the offer. How’s Jongin, by the way? Did you ever end up together?”

 

Seulgi made a face upon hearing her old crush’s name. “Not at all. I don’t think it was ever really meant to work out, to be honest.”

 

As she spoke, a sharp ring came from her phone, notifying her that someone had messaged. She quickly checked to see a text.

 

Forgot my umbrella. Can I borrow yours?

 

She couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes and sighing. Why was she even friends with this idiot? He forgot to bring an umbrella every single time he went out, even when he already knew it was going to rain. Nonetheless, she quickly texted him her location.

 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Jisoo. “My friend will pass by for a moment just to get something.”

 

“No problem,” Jisoo replied. “So if it didn’t work out with Jongin, did you ever see anyone? Are you seeing anyone right now?”

 

Seulgi shrugged in reply. “Not really. I mean, I had a short thing a few years ago with a guy named Jaebum. And I made out with a few random dudes when I used to attend parties. But that was about it.”

 

“Focused on work, huh?” Jisoo teased. “It’s okay; I get it. I’m the same too.”

 

As Jisoo spoke, Seulgi noticed a familiar bright orange hoodie from across the room. It didn’t take long for the owner of the hoodie to spot her and make his way to her table. She quickly got her umbrella from her bag as she watched him approach.

 

“Thanks, I owe you one,” Park Jimin told her with a brilliant smile on his face as she gave him her umbrella.

 

“Damn right,” she teased. “Look who I bumped into.”

 

Jimin turned to see Jisoo who waved at him. “Hey! It’s been a while. How are you?”

 

“I’m good,” Jisoo replied. “Seokjin’s been wondering about you. He’s worried that you aren’t taking care of yourself.”

 

Jimin laughed. “Tell your brother that I’m completely fine. I’m a grown man now. I can look after myself.”

 

“Sure you can,” Seulgi said with a snort. “You’re always leaving your umbrella and borrowing mine.”

 

“I always return it,” Jimin pointed out. “Anyway, I’d love to stay and chat with you ladies but I’m really, really late for a class. My director is gonna kill me.”

 

“Hurry before he does,” Seulgi teased. “A dead man won’t be able to bring me back my umbrella and is thus useless to me.”

 

Jimin rolled his eyes. “Glad to know I mean so much to you Seul. Anyway, gotta go! Bye!” He quickly excited the cafe and the two ladies watched him until he was out of their sight.

 

Jisoo quickly gave Seulgi a look that she knew too well. Seulgi braced herself for the statement she already knew was coming.

 

“So, what’s up with you two?”

 

Seulgi sighed. “We’re just friends.”

 

“Until now?” Jisoo exclaimed. “I remember asking you the exact same question years ago.”

 

“Well, my answer is still the same.”

 

“You’re telling me,” Jisoo said slowly, “that you haven’t kissed or anything yet? You’re joking, right?”

 

“I’m not,” Seulgi said. “We’re just friends.”

 

“And you never liked him? Romantically, I mean.”

 

There was slight pause before she answered. “Never.”

 

—-

 

“—and she asked me if there was anything going on between the two of us! We’re really just friends, I swear,” Seulgi ranted to her best friend Seungwan. They had just finished a round of karaoke. It was a tradition of theirs to loosen up after a tiring week with an hour of just letting go and doing the one thing that they both loved to do: sing.

 

“So why are you so heated up about it?” Seungwan asked her. “I mean, you’ve been asked the same question numerous times. Heck, even I ask you that question frequently and I’ve known you for years. Shouldn’t be used to it by now?”

 

“I never said that I’m not used to it,” Seulgi replied with a heavy sigh. She fiddled with the end of her jacket as she spoke. “It’s just that… I used to be so assured about how I felt about everything until today. I honestly don’t know why, or how it even changed. But I know for sure that how I feel has changed.”

 

As Seungwan opened to speak, a quick beep came from Seulgi’s phone.

 

“Speak of the devil,” Seulgi muttered as she looked at her phone. “It’s him.”

 

“What did he say?” Seungwan asked as she got her bottle and took a sip.

 

“He’s asking what time we’ll be done,” Seulgi replied. “His dance studio’s just nearby so he offered to walk me home after this.”

 

There was a brief silence before Seungwan let out a heavy breath and put down her water bottle on the table, creating a satisfying clang that rang against the background music of the loading karaoke screen.

 

“Seulgi,” she said seriously. “Let’s face it. I know that you’ve regarded him as one of closest friends over the years. He’s been there for you since the beginning and has stuck around through the good and bad. He’s almost lasted as long as me. But honestly, I can’t blame people for thinking that there’s something between you two. Jimin’s a naturally sweet guy… but he’s always been especially sweet with you. He does things a boyfriend would do, sometimes even better than the boyfriends you had.”

 

Seulgi stared hard at her friend. “What are you trying to say, Seungwan?”

 

“What I’m trying to say is that it’s high time for you to ask yourself what he really is to you.”

 

“I suppose,” Seulgi said softly after a moment’s pause, “that I would be lying if I said I never considered or thought about the possibility of having something more with him. But I would also be lying if I said that I’ve had feelings for him.”

 

Seungwan sighed as she listened. “You two are a complicated bunch, you know that?”

 

Seulgi simply picked up the microphone and queued a song in reply. As the intro of her chosen song started to play, she brought the microphone to her lips and started to sing. But there was nothing more than she wanted to do but nod and agree with Seungwan’s statement.

 

After an hour of belting and dancing around crazily, the two ladies stood at the front of the karaoke shop. It was raining heavily as Seulgi watched her best friend get into a cab.

 

“You sure you don’t want to join?” Seungwan asked. “You don’t have an umbrella right?”

 

Seulgi gave her a soft smile and shook her head. “I’m fine. There’s a lot I need to think about. You know that when I need to think, walking helps the best. I’ll manage.”

 

Seungwan could only give Seulgi a worried look in reply but she knew Seulgi the best, and she knew that once the stubborn girl made up her mind, there was no persuading her to think otherwise. Seulgi watched the taxi disappear into the sea of other cars, all drowsed in the tears of the night sky. When Seulgi could no longer see the taxi, she stared hard at the raining sky before letting out a sigh and reaching into her bag to get a cap.

 

It was only when she saw the bright yellow cap that she realized it wasn’t hers; it belonged to the man in question, Park Jimin. She examined it carefully as she brushed her fingers against it. Wordlessly, she put it on top of her head before shoving her hands in the pockets of her thin jacket and prepared to brace the unforgiving weather.

 

The harsh pitter-patter of the rain fit right it with the noise of Seoul traffic and footsteps of commuters. Seulgi was thankful for the well-lit streets. Her jacket was completely drowsed and Seulgi could tell that she would end up regretting her decision the morning after. But she knew she needed to think and thus, she needed to walk.

 

The route she took wasn’t one unfamiliar to her; in fact, it was almost by second nature that she took the roads she took. She couldn’t help but fiddle with the cap she wore as she walked. It was bright and bold, just like him. There was a repeating question in her mind: What was he to her?

 

She was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the sound of rapid footsteps approaching her. It was only when she felt a warm hand fall on her shoulder and a shadow cast over her that she snapped back to reality.

 

“Kang Seulgi,” Jimin whispered. She turned to look at him and she could see the worry in his eyes. “You’re completely drowsed.”

 

It took a while for his words to register in her mind. “Hmm? Oh,” she said as she looked at herself. I guess, I am completely wet.”

 

“What were you thinking?” He asked. “I mean, you could’ve hailed a taxi or texted me to return your umbrella if you really wanted to walk home.”

 

She shrugged at him. “I wanted to walk home because I needed to think. I didn’t want to bother you either. I know you’re busy.”

 

Jimin snorted. “Yes, I’m busy but not with anything so important that you should risk your health so that you wouldn’t bother me. I would’ve come running to return your umbrella if you asked.”

 

“Oh,” she said quietly as she stared at her feet.

 

“It’s a good thing you wore my cap,” he teased to brighten the mood. “I spotted you as I exited the building. There’s no denying that that’s my cap.”

 

He was only replied with a soft sneeze. “Gosh,” he remarked as he gently led her back to the building where he had came from. “You’re completely wet. Come on, you should dry yourself. I have extra clothes at the studio that you can borrow.”

 

The walk to the dance studio was silent. It was nostalgic, Seulgi supposed. She hadn’t gone back in a while. She used to dance when she was younger but she was too busy with work nowadays. Remembering the days she spent there brought a smile to her face.

 

“Here,” Jimin said as they walked into the empty locker room. He gave her a small towel, sweat pants, and a shirt. “I’m sorry about the towel… that’s the only one I have that’s clean right now.”

 

She shook her head. “It’s fine. This is plenty.”

 

He gave her a smile before pointing to a door. “There’s the restroom. You can change there.”

 

It didn’t take long for her to change. She didn’t mean to but she couldn’t help but admire the scent of his clothes. It was comforting and it made her feel secure.

 

She exited the restroom to see Jimin waiting for her. “Thanks,” she said with a small smile as she sniffed.

 

He stared at her for a moment before he started to remove his hoodie.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” Seulgi exclaimed as she took a step back.

 

“Relax Seul,” he said as he rolled his eyes. He threw his orange hoodie to her. “You’ve got a cold. Let’s just try to not make that worse, shall we?”

 

She stood frozen, holding his hoodie in his arms. After a moment’s pause, she quickly put it on and embraced the extra warmth it brought to her body. He had aleady walked away when she was done and she had to run to catch up with him.

 

“Hey!” She cried out as she ran.

 

“It’s still raining pretty hard,” he remarked as the two exited the building. He opened her umbrella. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

 

“Stop it with the cheesy romantic acts,” Seulgi said with a snort. “You’re not fooling anyone Chim.”

 

“Look, I want to go home too but it’s raining. I am not going to do something stupid like walk home in the rain and get sick. Which is something a certain person did,” he teased as she rolled her eyes at him. “I’m just being practical Seul. Don’t fool yourself. All my girls would die if they find out what I’m doing for you.”

 

She gagged. “You’re disgusting. What girls? Your love life is as non existent as mine.”

 

He pouted. “It was funnier when you didn’t state the obvious. Sticks and stones, Seul… sticks and stones.”

 

“Let’s just walk home,” She replied before teasingly slapping his arm.

 

The two walked in silence. She hadn’t noticed that she was deep in thought once more. But she couldn’t help it. Seungwan’s and Jisoo’s words rang in her head, with each word as clear and loud as they were when they were said. She hadn’t noticed that they had reached her house until Jimin nudged her.

 

“Hey,” he asked in a soft voice. “Are you okay?”

 

“Y-Yeah,” she stammered. They continued to walk before she stopped, thus making him stop as well.

 

“What’s wrong, Seul?”

 

“Doesn’t it bother you?” she asked.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The teasing,” she replied as she turned to him. “People asking if we’re a couple. The whole ordeal.”

 

He sighed. “We’ve been through this, Seul. I’ve told you and assured you numerous times: I’m okay.”

 

“It’s just…,” her voice trailed off as she stared at the ground. “I feel like if we’re really friends, we should talk about it… just so that it’s clear to both of us.” She sighed before turning again to him. “Look, what I’m trying to say is: what are we? Are we just friends? Or is there a possibility that we’re going to be something more?”

 

There was a second of unbroken eye contact between them before she spoke again. “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not confessing that I like you or anything. But I have to be honest with you. I won’t deny that I’ve played around with the thought of us dating once or twice; it’s a path that we could easily take it either of us wanted to. I’ve always liked you as a person, Jimin. I’ve always been sure about the platonic part. And I just want things to be clear between us so that nothing is kept in the dark. So, what are we?”

 

He stared at her for a long time and Seulgi sighed. There was a sense of dread that crept in her heart as she realized that she might have just completely ruined their friendship.

 

“You don’t have to answer tonight,” she said after a while. She mustered up a smile. “I’ll get going. Keep my umbrella for a while. Don’t forget to return it, okay?”

 

She quickly turned away from him as she put on the hood before running towards her house.

 

And perhaps, also running away from him.

 

She couldn’t even bring herself to look back at him and wave goodbye.

 

“Kang Seulgi,” he called out to her. She felt compelled to at least turn towards his direction.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you want to hear my answer?” His words made her freeze. When she didn’t respond, he simply continued. “In all honesty, I don’t mind becoming something more with you. Don’t fool yourself; the great Park Jimin isn’t confessing to you, he’s just expressing his interest.” She watched as he gave her a playful smile and she could feel a sense of relief rush in. She found herself rushing back to him, despite it raining.

 

She knew he expected some sort of sweet gesture but she did what she was most comfortable to do with him: she slapped his arm.

 

“Hey!” He exclaimed as he pouted.

 

She simply giggled before she put her arms around him. It must’ve taken him by surprise because he stiffened for a few seconds before he relaxed in her embrace and wrapped his arms around her as well.

 

She looked up at him. “This feels weird.”

 

He laughed before rubbing her cheek. “Agreed… but it does feel kind of nice… don’t you think?”

 

“I guess,” she said with a shrug and they both laughed as they teased each other while walking back to her home. Before he left, Jimin bent down and left a small kiss on her forehead. The small, intimate act left her speechless.

 

He smiled at her sweetly before saluting. “Good night, Kang Seulgi.”

 

“Good night, Park Jimin.”

 

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