2. Out of Goodbyes - Maroon5 ft. Lady Antebellum

never asked you to change, but sadly you don't feel the same

about me

i wonder, does your man still shudder when you took his hand?

like this man

on our way home i realize

there's some kind of storm brewing in his eyes

only veiled by a thin disguise

Seoul in spring is a flurry of rain and lingering winter coldness, only with the greeneries and splotches of colorful flowers at day. At most nights, though, it rains, hard, and it seems as if winter is unwilling to let them go, ghosting them at times as such, and the streets will be a flurry of colorful umbrellas tinged with darkness and shadows. Of all things, Baekhyun wishes to be home nuzzling in his warm blanket or drowning in one of his best friend and roommate Chanyeol’s huge and comfortable hoodies. Of all things, in times like these, in rains this hard, Baekhyun loathes the fact that he has to stay late in the café he’s working in to help pay his tuition.

Especially the fact that he has to stay late in a shift with Soojung.

Baekhyun notices that their shifts seems to be coinciding a lot, but he keeps his distance and focuses at the costumer or at his college assignments in slacking days. Their interactions for the past few months were merely Baekhyun or Soojung handing one another an order or two. More often than not, he sticks with Zitao, a Chinese student surviving on scholarship and part-time jobs, just like him. Baekhyun often sees Zitao throwing a look of sympathy at him but he pretends not to see.

Today, Baekhyun can’t stick with Zitao because he has to switch his shift with Kyungsoo, who literally begs to Zitao for it because he has to attend a post-test. Baekhyun had snorted because Kyungsoo is over exaggerating, for Zitao would have easily switched their shifts without him begging. By 10PM there are only three people left—him, Kyungsoo and Soojung, and Kyungsoo, being the oblivious kid he is (Baekhyun can’t really blame him, Kyungsoo’s new), goes home first after doing his cleaning part, leaving Soojung and Baekhyun to theirs.

Baekhyun’s done his cleaning by 10.12, but Soojung hasn’t, and it’s raining so hard outside and Soojung’s a girl and it’s freaking dark out, Baekhyun can’t bring himself to leave.

Soojung looks genuinely shocked when she sees Baekhyun awkwardly standing near the glass door. “You’re still here? I thought you left already—thanks, um,” she says hesitantly as she picks up her backpack, “for waiting for me.”

“Do you bring an umbrella?” Baekhyun asks instead, and he wishes his voice doesn’t sound so sharp and rash, but it did.

“I do…,” Soojung trails off, rummaging through her backpack, “…not.”

“Then walk home with me.”

Baekhyun himself winces at the harshness on his voice as he turns and steps out of the café, the rain greeting him like waterfall, the sound of water hitting concrete roads so loud that he hears nothing but it. He opens his umbrella—it’s thankfully big enough for two—and waits Soojung to lock the door. His eyes flit to Soojung’s slightly smaller form (Baekhyun’s just a man with an average built, alright) and he smiles slightly at the sight of her—her slightly tousled long hair, the red tip of her nose, her eyes, her sharp and often said rebelling eyes, her oversized sweater that’s far too long, the sleeves that cover even her fingertips. It’s a gift from him on their first year anniversary.

Baekhyun may have lost his mind because he unconsciously wraps his freezing hands around her sleeve-covered one and since she doesn’t complain anyway, Baekhyun leads them walking the long way to the station. Soojung’s quiet the whole trip, even as Baekhyun wraps his arm around her shoulders and presses her close to him, and maybe, as she suddenly wraps her arms around his waist, Baekhyun thinks she’s out cold too. Baekhyun’s quite sure the shiver that’s running down his spine isn’t from the storm.

“Baekhyun oppa, you’re shivering,” she whispered. “And your whole left side is soaked.”

Of course I’m shivering. It’s your touch.

“I’ll manage.”