“Huh.”

Mi Joo stared at the drop of crystal-clear water that appeared on her fragile skin. She looked up, the sky growing a shade darker as another droplet landed on her face.

“I better walk faster,” Mi Joo muttered upon realising she has forgotten to bring her umbrella. Making quicker footsteps, she found a sheltered area just as it began to pour heavily.

At a bus stop, Mi Joo wiped herself dry. The pitter patter of rain continuously hit the ground, unlikely that it will stop anytime soon. The bus stop was empty except for a lone figure who stood at the other end.

Red crept on her cheeks when Mi Joo made a sudden eye contact with the stranger. However, the person was of no stranger. It was someone she knew in school. Both looked away once but somehow met again. They gave a small nod of acknowledgment, their faces blushed in embarrassment before they averted their eyes once more.

Mi Joo watched the rain fell in crazy chaotic drops and shivered when a wave of cold air hit her. She looked down at the puddles forming around her shoes, eyebrows furrowing at the sight.

“It started to rain all of a sudden.”

A hint of surprise spread across Mi Joo’s face, taking a glimpse at the person whose eyes were glued to the hard-concrete ground. It was unexpected for Mark to break the silence, to Mi Joo at least.

Mark was a schoolmate in a different class. Unlike the other boys in school, he was soft-spoken and not as rowdy. His voice rather than low and rough, was clear and smooth. Maybe that was why Mi Joo took notice of him first.

“Yeah,” Mi Joo replied lamely. She may seem calm on the exterior but in her mind, she was scolding herself about how she could have come up with a better answer.

The awkward silence resumed but Mi Joo was scrambling in her head on how she should begin another conversation with Mark.

“Uh…” Mi Joo glanced around the bus stop, hoping there was something that could be considered a topic worth talking about. She then saw a poster and immediately said while unintentionally sounding a bit too excited, “Are you going to the firework festival?”

Confusion was written on Mark’s face as he looked at Mi Joo. Her cheeks instantly turned pink again when she figured how her question seemed like an invitation. She tried to save her embarrassing self by quickly adding, “I wonder if Ji Soo is going there this weekend. I have to ask her about it.”

This is so humiliating and lame, Mi Joo thought while staring ahead. She bit her cheeks due to a nervous habit, questioning herself on why she did not just run back home or bring her umbrella to school. How she wished she could just travel back in time to escape from this situation.    

“Here. Use this.”

Mi Joo peered up and saw a gym clothes covering the top of her head.

“Use it so you will not catch a cold.”

“Oh.” Mi Joo hesitated, contemplating about it.

“Nothing to worry about. I have not used that one.” There was a slight pause before Mark continued in a cheeky tone, “More than once.”

“Ah?! That means you have used it!”

Upon hearing Mi Joo’s exclamation, Mark burst into laughter. And somehow, it caused a weird tingling sensation in her heart.

“Um, whatever. I will just use it.” Mi Joo rubbed the soft fabric against her hair, taking a few glances at Mark who was now gazing in front, his face slightly flushed.

“Thank you.”

“Mm.”

“Here. Your gym clothes,” Mi Joo said, passing a zip lock bag to Mark outside of his classroom. “Thanks for lending it to me.”

“Yeah.”

“Then, I guess…” Mi Joo’s voice faltered, unsure of what she wanted to say. She casted her eyes down, her hands fidgeting.

“The firework festival.”

Mi Joo lifted her head at once and saw Mark with his face covered by his arm. “Did you have plans with your friends already?”

“Uh… Not ye –”

“Seven o’clock,” Mark abruptly said. “In Moonlight park at the swing bench.”

Already flustered, Mi Joo’s cheeks grew even redder when Mark suddenly looked at her with a shy expression which changed to a worried one not long after. “It is okay if you do not want to –”

“I will be there!” Mi Joo responded immediately for it took her a full ten seconds to finally comprehend what was happening. Did they just make plans?

“Hey! Oh? What are yo