Deciding to dial her unresponsive friend's number for the last time, Karina slowly watches her phone's effort to reach her friend go to waste just like it did for the last twenty minutes.

 

"Come on pick up, pick up." She muttered to the phone just before the familiar tone played out again.

 

Having enough of the device on her hand, she hastily put it back inside her pocket as she scouts her surroundings once more.

 

Ningning I swear to God she thought as another shot of thunder sounds off into the distance. The weather unexpectedly made a turn for the worse when it started raining cats and dogs on the unsuspecting city. The streets were immediately filled with water. The traffic started gaining up making it impossible to hail a cab or even catch a bus. And to make matters unbearable, Karina didn't even bother to bring her umbrella with her reasoning that the skies were clear when she went outside of their house earlier.

 

Her only saving grace was the almost rundown waiting shed with its old roof slightly uncovering from its latch which provided her the cover to stay off of the rain.

 

. Karina realizes that she was nowhere near any establishment and by the looks of it the rain wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. She was at the mercy of the ruthless weather until she gets lucky enough to get a cab or until the roof of the shed stays in one piece.

 

The only hope in her situation came neither from those options. Her eyes twinkle with happiness when she sees a blonde girl with an umbrella walking towards her direction. But now come her new dilemma. Should she ask the girl for permission to share the umbrella knowing well enough that she could easily refuse with the excuse of not having enough room for the two of them which by looking at the size of the black umbrella was true enough.

 

Karina stomps her shoe on the ground making a splatter around her feet. This is all Ningning's fault! If she hadn't invited me to hangout today then I wouldn't even be in this situation! And the worse is that she even had the guts to stood me up! She better have a life threatening situation as an excuse if she expects me to—

 

Her inner monologue suddenly stops when realization kicks in that the girl was a few meters away and that she could lose her chance to escape from the unforgiving weather. 

 

Without thinking, Karina folds her crepe colored button down shirt way up to her elbows so it wouldn't get soaked by the rain. Her arms gripping her bag by the strap as she gears to step into the girl's umbrella as she walks by her.

 

She was quick but not quick enough. The rain had managed to get her hair wet in the process of ducking under the umbrella's cover.

 

"Uh hello?" A soft voice catches her attention as she tries to pat away the droplets of rain that had clung onto her hair.

 

The girl has stopped walking. Karina did the same. Lowering her chin to get a better view of the blonde, Karina could only smile shamelessly at the bewildered girl beside her.

 

"Hi, I'm Karina. Can I share this umbrella with you?"

 

The girl looks left, looks right, then blinks a few times. For a moment Karina was ready to face the rain once more but the negative thought was quickly washed away when the girl squeaks out, "I guess so?"

 

"Cool. Thanks." Karina managed to reply calmly, suppressing her urge to jump out of happiness at the girl's kindness.

 

"You're welcome then?"

 

Karina smiles once more before they both started walking forward slowly to avoid splashing water around their shoes even more.

 

"Here, let me hold it for you." Karina offers when she felt the tiny metal frames of the umbrella softly hitting her head. The girl stops for a moment realizing that she was holding the umbrella too low for the taller girl's inconvenience. She mutters an apology before giving over the handle to Karina who raises the umbrella in a more comfortable space above their heads.

 

"No, it's okay. It's the reporter's fault. He said there was little to no chance of raining but voila! A whole thunderstorm!" 

 

Just then the sound of a rumbling thunder booms around them which startled the blonde making her cling to Karina's right arm. Her black cardigan brushing against the taller girl's skin.

 

"Not fond of thunder?" Karina managed to squeak out at the unexpected contact. Her head lowering to get a glimpse of the girl's face to make sure she was alright.

 

"I could do without it." Having realized her sudden action, the blonde immediately tears her hands away from Karina's arm and apologizes.

 

Karina shrugs it off. "Don't be." She tightens her hold on the handle making the veins in her arms a lot more visible. "My arm is momentarily at your disposal in case any thunder arises."

 

As if on cue the sky spews out another loud thunder making the girl flinch as she unconsciously grabs Karina's arm once more.

 

"See?" The taller girl fought the huge smile threatening to cross her face by simply poking the inside of her cheeks with her tongue.

 

"Thank you."

 

"It's the least I can do for you saving me from that rundown shed."

 

With her hands comfortably around Karina's arm, the girl asks, "Where are you headed to?"

 

"Anywhere dry and warm please." Karina answered absentmindedly. Her eyes shooting straight forward to avoid them from going down the warm hand placed on her arm and the soft fabric of the cardigan occasionally brushing against her.

 

"There should be a coffee shop five blocks ahead of us."

 

Coffee! That's it! I just need coffee to calm myself down.

 

"Great! That sounds lovely."

 

The sound of another thunder ruptures the splattering of rain on the umbrella above their heads. The shorter girl halts again to compose herself, steadying her breathing.

 

"You can tighten your grip at my arm. If that's any help." The taller girl suggested to somehow ease the initial shock of thunder once it hits again.

 

The blonde didn't resist this time and wrapped her fingers closer to Karina's wrist.

 

 

They walked in silence save for the sound of rain above them and the squeaks that their wet shoes made every time they step a little too hard against the pavement. A few steps more and that's when the blonde noticed that the umbrella was angled more towards her direction leaving Karina's opposite shoulder in the rain.

 

She tugs at Karina's arm to get her attention. "Pull the umbrella closer to your side. Your left shoulder is getting drenched." 

 

Karina simply smiles at her. "I'm right handed so it's no biggie."

 

"I don't see how that corresponds to my request."

 

"You're cute. Do you know that?" 

 

Karina's chuckles gets drowned out yet again by the hammering of another thunder. But this time it was much louder than the last. She feels the girl beside freeze, eyes glued on the wet ground beneath the soles of their shoes.

 

"It's fine. We're alright. We didn't get hit." Karina would have rubbed her back only if her left hand wasn't holding the umbrella.

 

"Let's go?" The blonde nodded reluctantly as she once again grab onto Karina. 

 

The rain have lightly loosen up but Karina intentionally slowed her pace as she wished that they could take the long way towards to the shelter of the café.

 

 

 

"Here you are." The shorter girl mutters as they stop at the shade of the front door of the café. There were more vehicles on this side of the city but the traffic was still jammed because of the unexpected rise of water due to the heavy rain.

 

"Would you like to take some shelter first? I mean it's looking like the rain isn't going to stop anytime soon." Karina offers not wanting to let go of the blonde yet.

 

"There's still some table available inside. We won't have to stand after getting our coffee or tea whichever you prefer. My treat of course."

 

The girl closes her umbrella, shaking the rain droplets off as she mulls over the taller girl's invitation. 

 

she's undeniably beautiful. It was the first time that she was seeing the girl without anything obstructing her view. Those hazel eyes are way brighter without the shade of the umbrella dimming her face off and Karina finds herself staring at plump lips and fluffy cheeks.

 

Her left shoulder down to her left arm was soaked but it was all worth it.

 

The spell gets broken when the blonde lowers her head. Karina follows her motions and sees that she's looking at her shoes.

 

"My shoes are soaked too." She assures her. Karina taps her shoes repeatedly on the ground producing some rain water along with it. "I don't think they'll throw us out if ever. Coffee shop employees are almost always nice."

 

Karina looks to the counter over the glass window and sees that there wasn't any queue. Her gaze falls back again to her companion.

 

"So what do you say..."

 

"Winter. My name is Winter." The girl lends out her left hand for introduction but it was left hanging in the air when Karina suddenly places her hands on both sides of her head fully covering her ears.

 

Thunder, Karina mouthed.

 

Deeming that the smashing sound of yet another thunder was over, Karina quickly retrieves her hands away to be tucked into the pockets of her pants.

 

"Sorry." She quickly apologizes and explained. "I saw lightning flashed behind that building and knew that thunder would come seconds after so I..."

 

"Yes, I would like to have coffee with you, Karina."

 

 

*Author's Note: This was actually inspired by NCT 127'S LOVE SONG but I didn't think that it would be a fitting title for the story so here we are. Another untitled one!