Chapter Five

It’s strange. Before the bus arrived, Jieun was unable to stop talking for more than five seconds—something about Jongup made her talkative and she would blurt out the first thing that came into her mind while they were waiting for the bus. It’s not that she is a quiet person; she enjoys speaking and holding conversations with strangers when they approach her, but she would be considered quiet in comparison with people her age.

          But with Jongup, she feels like she talks too much.

          The boy doesn’t seem to mind. When her words are drowned out from the howling wind and pouring rain, a little smile appears on his face and he leans down towards her, his hand cupping behind his ear. Every time this occurs, Jieun can’t help but laugh a little, embarrassed. She tiptoes, stretching her limbs, repeating herself a little more loudly in his ear with her hand beside her lips.

          The moment disappears when the bus arrives (a little too soon for her liking) and the doors open, revealing a glaring man behind them.

          Jongup fumbles around with the umbrella, trying to close it while Jieun climbs up the stairs, trying to stall for time with a small smile at the bus driver. He smiles back as she holds up her wallet to the sensory machine. It beeps and she turns around, relieved when she sees an embarrassed-looking Jongup behind her holding a closed umbrella. An apologetic smile appears on her face for not helping him with the umbrella.

          The bus is surprisingly empty on a rainy day, but then again, people would probably be indoors on rainy days. The sky is covered with gray clouds and it worries Jieun how cold it is today. Youngjae doesn’t have an umbrella.

          Jongup follows Jieun to the back of the bus, but not a single word is uttered between the two. Somehow, the comfortable silence has now transitioned into awkward silence. Jieun slides in the seat directly next to the window and he sits next to her, but they still do not speak.

          Time passes by as Jieun stares out the window, watching the streets pass by. The only thing that stays the same is the weather.

          The silence shatters.

          “Do you like the rain?”

          Jieun doesn’t know how to answer.  

          It’s a simple yes-or-no question, but it’s difficult for her to convey her feelings for the rain with mere words.

          His eyes are patient. Jongup understands her hesitation and doesn’t prompt her to answer immediately. It feels like time has stopped, as if they have all the time in the world. The pounding raindrops sound like an accompaniment to a song to his ears.

          “Sometimes I like the rain,” she answers carefully after a considerable amount of time. Her small smile doesn’t reach her guarded eyes. “Today I like it, but ask me tomorrow. I might not like the rain tomorrow.”

          A unique answer, much like the unique girl next to him. Jieun never ceases to amaze him. Sometimes she seems so perfect with her sweet smile and sometimes her smile fades and her eyes shine, revealing a certain blankness within them. She’s not as open as she seems.

          An enigma. That’s what she is.

          He decides to take a gamble. “And why do you like the rain today?”

          She doesn’t answer for a few seconds, but then she turns her head towards him and looks into his eyes. He can’t bring himself to blink; he feels like he would miss something important in her eyes if he does.

          The raindrops sound gentler now.

          “It makes me feel alive.”

--

Author's Note: I normally don't write these, but I felt like it was necessary after two years. I don't think anyone still reads this, but I don't mind. I've been meaning to update this for a long time.

I intended to write a BangSong story. I really did, but after chapter four, I forgot about Yongguk...I'm sorry. I really don't know how this happened. I suppose I ship Jieun with Jongup now...I also like her with Daehyun. (And Zelo.) I really don't know what is going on.  (Maybe it's because those are my biases...)

I believe I wrote this story when B.A.P were still rookies and they all had personas. Daehyun's persona was of a quiet person (I still wondered how he managed to stay quiet for so long when he's such a loud person) and Yongguk's persona was...tough, I suppose. You probably know what I mean. Although we all know that those are not their true personalities, I won't change their characters in the future chapters.

It's been a very long time since I've written anything, so please bear with my poor writing. I'm trying to get into practice.

If you read this, thank you very much. If you read this story in the past, thank you very much. But I would like to thank everyone who commented, because I wouldn't have been motivated to write a new chapter without all your lovely comments. Thank you so much. You probably are all gone, but those comments mean a lot to me.