Step. Step. Step.

Suzy’s tennis shoes hit the pavement as she trudged across the street from the coffee shop. She huffed into the cool air and inhaled that sweet aroma of the two coffees she held in her hands – one for her and the other for Min. She didn’t understand why her group mate sent her out when there was a coffee kiosk downstairs lobby, but Min insisted the coffee there was one of the “best.” Still, Suzy didn’t complain and set out to venture into the streets. She tried her hardest not to bump into people, seeing it was a busy day in Seoul, despite the gloomy-looking rain. Nudging shoulder to shoulder with someone, Suzy gripped the cups and brought her hands down in case they spilled on someone. If she had gotten in a fight with random person on the street, JYP would’ve been mad. Heck, she wasn’t even supposed to be outside the company walls.

Her CEO wasn’t lenient on idols leaving the building during the day. Still, Suzy managed to sneak by body guards in order to satisfy her caffeine cravings. Besides, it happened to be perfect that it was showering. She was decked out in sweats and a pair of large, non-prescription glasses she bought at a gift shop. No one would’ve guessed she was an idol. It didn’t even occur to her to bring an umbrella along, since she was comfortable whenever it rained; it was only water. The hoodie on her head completed her façade. With this disguise, she would be able to roam the area all she wanted without paparazzi chasing her.

“One Americano and one mocha!” she sang aloud. She sped up her pace to hurry back to the company building where Min was waiting.

Her ears twitched. She heard the footsteps of someone behind her hurry up as well. Suzy turned her head ninety degrees to peer whoever was behind her.

The first person she took notice of was short, balding middle-aged man with a stoic face. He was draped in a long, beige trench coat with a belt that was knotted loosely at the waist. His eyes were shifting left to right, as if he was being more cautious of his surroundings than Suzy was with her coffees.

A stalker. A flasher. A . Her head was racing with ideas, she couldn’t comprehend a single conclusion – who knew what this suspicious guy was.

Suzy stiffened and straightened her back as her steps became quicker and took a turn at a random grocery shop corner. After walking past a mom and her loud, crying child, she slowed down in hope she had lost him, but she couldn’t get rid of the sense that he was still tailing her. Unwilling to look behind her, Suzy looked above spotted a circular street mirror and saw the same person right behind her.

“No way,” she gasped as her stomach tied into a knot.

Moving into a big group of people, she quickly lifted the coffee cups to her stomach and weaved her way through the busy citizens of Seoul. Her breathes were short as if she was hyperventilating and kept turning her head back to see if he was still there. Although he was at a distant, she could feel that she was locked on his target.

“Aish!” she said under her breath as she took another turn at a merchandise vendor.

A left turn at a convenient store.

Another left turn at a chicken restaurant.

A right turn at a different coffee shop.

Across the street to a vegetable stand.

One more right turn at a bakery.

Surely, she had lost him.

Suzy smugly smiled to her herself and turned around to see that the man had lost her.

To her horror, he was still behind her.

She bit her lip and whipped her head forward. “Why can’t he just…” she started to say loudly, but shook her head. She had to do something – fast. Suzy trekked on more to find another way to get rid of the shady pursuer. Apprehension and anxiety filled her body. Was she going to get hurt? Would this be the end of her career? This was not the kind of news she needed to see on headlines.

A black umbrella.

Sticking out in the sea of Koreans.

Of the many, colorful umbrella that dotted that the streets, it was strange that a black umbrella caught her eye. She immediately felt drawn to it, like it was calling her. She gripped the coffees again and walked a bit slower. An idea had come to her.

Suzy gulped and sauntered over to the black umbrella in a casual fashion. She pressed forward and pushed her way through people with her elbows, keeping in mind of the coffee.

She approached the unknown person, and before she could get a full glimpse of his face, she gave a blaring “Hey!” and kicked his calf.

“There you are!” she exclaimed, possibly more raucous than she needed to. “Geez! I’ve been looking all over for –“

Perhaps she shouldn’t have just picked a random person. She was hoping it was just anyone – someone who would be a lucky winner of gaining the privilege talking to Bae Suzy. But no. It seemed this person had a more uncomfortable atmosphere around him. Her face flushed and her cheeks puffed out. How embarrassing.

It just had to be another idol. Dark hair, milky skin, and brown eyes. He was at least ten centimeters taller than her and had a muscular physique. She immediately recognized him. He had the brooding look like he was always bothered on his visage. Only, he wasn’t wearing fancy clothing like on the music stages. Except he had the same get-up as her; Sweats and glasses.  She knew. She watched “Shut Up Flower Boy Band!” with her other band mates whenever it aired.

It took a while for Suzy to process it in her head, but she suddenly gave out an unnatural-sounding laugh. “Oppa!”

“O-oppa?” he said and tilted his head to show his confusion.

“Where the heck did you run off to?”

“Wait, who are-“

“I got your mocha,” Suzy quickly cut him off and pushed her coffee to him, trusting he would play along. She made a face and scrunched her eyebrows. Her head flipped backwards to try and spot the man and whipped her head forward to meet the guy’s intimidating eyes. She felt another electrifying shock through her body and looked down in discomfiture. “Please take it, please take it.”

It felt like the longest moment in her life. If he would just take the coffee, then the trouble with the stalker would be over. But how would she deal with this incoming situation?

Then, what felt like a benediction from heaven above made Suzy heart race. The rain suddenly stopped. His hand met her’s and grasped the cup out of her hand.

Looking up in surprise, she saw that his black umbrella covered her head as well. Suzy gaped and sent a mental message to him saying multiple “Thank you’s!”

“But I don’t like mocha,” he replied bluntly.

Her face fell and scowled. She noticed he had a smirk on his face, as if he was laughing at her.

She pouted her lips and turned around and squinted her eyes.  The man was nowhere in sight. Suzy turned around to address him. “Thanks for helping me. A crazy stalker was following me around. I’ve been navigating around in the rain this whole time! What are the odds of running into another star on the streets of Seoul?”

He flinched. “Um, sorry. But who are you?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Well, you said another star, so…”

Suzy rolled her eyes. She removed her glasses and used her free hand to pull up her bangs and scoffed. “I’m Suzy! From miss A! Aigoo, what’s wrong with this guy? At least I know another idole when I see one. You’re L! From Infinite!” It would be awkward if it wasn’t and he was a random guy on the street who shared a striking resemblance.

“My name is Myungsoo.”

Although taken aback by his short and dull response, she grinned and nodded. “I see! Just call me Suzy then.”

“Or oppa, if you prefer,” he sneered as he drank from the container.

Suzy pouted and brought her hand down from her forehead to look down at the ground. She crossed her arms and bit her lip, not knowing what to say next. It was kind of unusual, standing in the middle of the sidewalk with a bunch of pedestrians passing by two of the most popular celebrities in the country.

“But really, thank you. You just saved me right now. If I didn’t have that idea, who knows what would’ve happened to me,” she sniffed, still not facing him. She cold from the rain, but it was ceasing.

Myungsoo patted on the head. “Try to be more cautious the next time you’re out.” He gave a quick smile and made a small wave. He adjusted himself and his black umbrella, and passed by her shoulder.

Suzy couldn’t help but beam, even if the moment was short and sweet. Those words replayed in her head like a recording. She watched him walk away and blend in with the crowd to the point she couldn’t see his black umbrella bobbing up and down. His voice and his smile… She stood there as if she was in a trance for a minute before a high school student jerked her back into reality. Slipping on her glasses, she looked up. The sky was clearing. She didn’t even notice that it had stopped raining. It didn’t seem to dark anymore. She sipped her Americano and made a refreshing “Ah!” sound. Looking around at the people and buildings, she realized she was in another predicament.

~~

Suzy arrived back in the JYP building safe and sound, but was completely drenched from the rain. Sooner or later, she would get a scolding by the head honcho himself, but at that moment, changing out of her clothes was her first priority. She was at no rush, since more than an hour had passed since she had left the building

She rode the elevator to the level of her practice room where she and Min were dancing, and where her extra set of clothes were.

Her clothes dripped all over the place, Suzy could’ve flooded the elevator. She gulped and shivered as she opened the door to find Min on her back, lying in the middle of the floor.

Her short friend arched her back to Suzy so that she could see her upside down.

“Ohmigod,” she cried in English. “Where have you been? I sent you to get coffee, like, and hour ago!” Min scrambled to her feet and stomped over to her, and took notice that one coffee cup was in Suzy’s hands. “Why is there one?” She snatched the cup and brought it to her lips – it was empty.  Min took it away from her face and stared at Suzy with a look as if some horrible injustice had been done to her. “What in the world were you doing?” she whined. “I even gave you money!”

Suzy chuckled at her over-dramatic friend and coughed. “I’ve been running around Seoul.”

-

A/N

I'll be inserting an illustration SOON!

^^

This was my first one-shot for Myungzy~

It took awhile for me to come up with a main symbol.

Rain? Coffee? Umbrella? Stalker? Poor Suzy got sick in the end... :( Sorry if I made Min look bad. I mean, I like her too, but I just needed someone there.

In the end, I settled with "umbrella," because it was what drew them together, and covered both their heads, and so it's like they shared body warmth and stuff. Well! Thank you for reading, and tune in next time!

Comment below for any symbols you want to see in a future fic, or illustrations you might want me to feature.

Sweets for you if you do! *bows*