Today, though, it seemed like the Universe was conspiring against her.

It was definitely not her day.

First, the maid had put black clothes together with white clothes and now the ones that were supposed to be black were gray and the ones that were supposed to be white were black; then the neighbor’s kid, a six-years-old brat, had drew a very unpleasant caricature of CL on her car’s window, putting her eyes in evidence; she had got late for her French class that had been postponed, which means she had received a fine for dangerous driving for nothing and because the car’s battery had been overused, she had to take it to a mechanical.

It was almost 10pm by the time she had finished with the files her father had sent to her tiny office, on one of his business buildings.

When people say “Keep it among the family”, they never expect a father to hire his only daughter and nobody else to translate tons of documents.

CL walked to the bus stop. She was all by herself, at 10:20pm, on a very dark street. On her pocket, nothing but the bus ticket; on her hands, nothing but pepper spray.

 It couldn’t be worse, except, maybe, for the fact it could.

It started raining all of a sudden. CL had no umbrella, no coat, no jacket... It was warm in the morning. There was no chance it’d rain!! Well, at least her shirt was black. Nobody would see anything they were not supposed to.

Five minutes had passed. Five minutes that seemed like five long eternities and still, no busses, no people, close to none light.

The lightings made it even more difficult for CL.

Aren’t horror movies just like that? The main girl alone, on a dark rainy night and then she is killed by a psychotic murderer who collects women’s hair?! Aish… the movie Minzy had lent her was doing no good.

CL shaked her head trying to send those thoughts away. It was just a movie!

She closed her eyes for just a second and when she opened it again, there it was: A silhouette.

A tall man was walking on her direction. He had an umbrella… that would probably be the crime weapon.

CL tightened her grip on the pepper spray.

“You want a ride under my umbrella?” – The man offered smiling.

It was just Thunder, Dara’s younger brother. He was close enough for CL to see his face.

She smiled in relief. Thunder smiled back. A smile that faded away too soon.

The bus CL had been waiting for had just passed at not less than 100km/h over a huge puddle.

They were both soaked now. The umbrella was no longer useful.

CL could bet her front teeth that there was mud even in her pockets.

“That was… unnecessary.” – Thunder said. He was completely soaked now. His white shirt tightly stuck to his body.

“I can give you a ride. We go home to change and I drive you to your house, is it okay?” – he completed smiling. Such an optimist…

“That’d be great.” – CL replied. She was just too tired to refuse his help. At least she knew him, and it’s true that he was a bit awkward sometimes, but she was sure he was not a psychotic murderer.

They got to the Park’s house at almost 11pm.

“We better go to my room! Mom is gonna kill us if we get the rug dirty.” – Thunder spoke while hurrying upstairs, to his room.

CL following.

It was only when they got to his room that CL noticed Thunder’s state.

He was completely soaked, there was mud on his soaked jeans and his soaked white shirt was thigh on his body. She could see heaven through that t-shirt. She saw everything Dara would not approve of her, or any other woman, seeing.

Suddenly, CL’s mouth was dry.

“I’ll get you a towel.” – Thunder said going out of his room, interrupting CL’s forbidden thoughts.

“Get a hold of yourself, Chaerin, he’s your friend’s bother!!!” – She told herself.

“Here’s your towel” – Thunder said, entering his room again in a couple seconds. – “You can take one of my sister’s pajamas. She won’t mind.”

CL was dumbfounded.

She couln’t help but stare at the man in front of her.

Though Thunder was older, she had always seen him as just a boy, maybe because he was a cutie or because his sister always treated him as a kid, but… at that moment, with that soaked t-shirt completely stuck to his body, showing his muscles, that she had never noticed existed, it was difficult to see a boy.

All CL could see was a handsome man wearing a very soaked t-shirt, willingly showing her his abs. It was like on those non-sense perfume ads and according to the ads’ logic, next thing he’d do was take his shirt off.

“Damn it.” – She cursed in a low tone, staring at him.

“Sorry?” – Thunder asked. His towel around his neck, his shirt completely transparent.

In a deep madness moment, CL got close to him, her own shirt still soaked. She got close enough to touch Thunder’s shirt with her hands close to her own body.

She rubbed his belly lightly, feeling his muscles… All Thunder did was stare.

CL looked at him in the eyes. She could bet he wanted her too.

She held his belt. Her mind full of forbidden thoughts, her body with forbidden desires.

Dara’s brothers was forbidden.

Inch by inch, they leant forward. CL was ready to rip his t-shirt; Thunder was about to do it himself.

“I…I think I got a heat.” – he spoke in a low tone. His lips almost touching CL’s.

“AHÁ!” – Dara yelled, opening her brother’s room door all of a sudden.

Thunder and CL separated instantly. They had just been caught red handed.

“Mom’s gonna kill you both when she sees all that mud on the rug!” – Dara laught.

Relief!

“I’ll make some tea.” – Thunder spoke before anybody could notice his blushing face, and left.

CL breathing heavily, looked at Dara and smiled.

Damn it! She almost… damn it!

Down stairs, while Minzy and Bom stared at CL, now on Dara’s baggy pajamas, Dara innocently told them about her brother giving CL a ride.

“I taught him well.” – she said – “See one of my friends, help!”

Minzy had a small smile on her lips.

“CL’s really lucky, yeah?” – She said giving CL a mischievous glare.

Bom had a reproving expression.

“Right on time…” – she said, giving CL a glare.

Everybody knew that Dara was not very fond of women drooling over her baby brother. Such an overprotective sister she was. Bom was becoming the same.

“You know, I…I think your brother’s hot.” – CL spoke double meaningfully.

“Yeah?! I’ll take a thermometer and check.” – Dara said innocently.- “You should drink some tea too, before you get a cold.” – and she went up stairs.

In the living room, Bom forever judging CL and Minzy laughing at how naïve Dara could be.

                                   “There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.”

                                                                                      - Mark Twain