Weather forecast: Showers

Pairing: Dongmi

Dongwoo climbed up and down the ladders searching for the few titles.

“Why are you looking for those books?” his colleague asked.

“For a friend.”

“Wow, you are one nice friend.”

Dongwoo laughed, “But of course.”

It was evening when Dongwoo ended his shift at the book rental shop. He left the shop struggling to carry a stack of books with one arm while making a call.

“Hey, Bomi. I’ve got the books that you wanted. When are you free to meet up?”

“Oh, you actually got them for me?” Bomi sounded extraordinarily happy, “Wow, thanks Dongwoo! I was just stating the books that I was interested in the other day. I didn’t expect you to actually get it.”

Dongwoo chuckled, “Well, it wasn’t much of a trouble anyway.”

“Where are you now?”

“I’m on the way home, somewhere near the Treetop Café now.”

“Ah, I’ll be passing by that area later!” Bomi quipped, “Can you wait for me at the café? I have something to pass to you too.”

“Oh, sure thing. See ya!”

“See ya, Dongwoo!”

Dongwoo settled down at a corner of the café and ordered a cup of cappuccino as he waited. He stirred the beverage and stared at the steam as it rolled up from the porcelain cup in curls. He felt his eyelids grow heavy and closed his eyes, intending to take a rest for a short moment.

#

Dongwoo sat down under a cherry blossom tree in bloom while Bomi laid on his lap. The strong mid-day sunlight shone mercilessly onto their faces and Dongwoo placed a hand over Bomi to shield her from the sunlight.

Bomi giggled and said, “Thanks.”

Dongwoo just smiled amicably as he tried to grab some of the falling flowers.

“Actually, I’ve thought through your question…” Bomi began with a silly grin on her face.

Dongwoo looked at her with big bright eyes and said with obvious anticipation in his voice, “Oh, so…” Even before Bomi uttered another word, the sides of Dongwoo’s lips began to curve up into a tiny smile.

Bomi nodded her head with a big childish smile even as she was still lying on his lap.

Dongwoo revealed his wide toothy grin in response as his heart swelled with bubbles of happiness. But very soon, he broke out into a great guffaw.

“Why’re you laughing?” Bomi asked, her bottom lip unconsciously extended in a pout.

“You hair… it tickles...” Dongwoo struggled to say in between peals of his trademark laughter.

Bomi sat up straight and looked at him. “So it tickles huh?” She asked with a sly grin.

“Yes!” Dongwoo exclaimed, still unable to stop laughing.

“What about this?” Bomi said as she poked his side a few times.

Dongwoo laughed even harder, and cried out, “Oh my gosh, stop it! My stomach hurts!”

Bomi didn’t stop, so Dongwoo got up and ran away from her. They chased each other around the garden for a while until Dongwoo stopped to catch his breath.

“Okay, okay, I’m tired! What should I do so you will let me off?”

Bomi simply smiled and shrugged. Seeing that she was about to start again, Dongwoo ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders. Bomi looked startled as her eyelids flew open to see Dongwoo right in front of her.

Dongwoo quickly placed his lips onto hers and Bomi’s eyes grew even wider. A rosy pink colour washed over her cheeks, much like an overdose of blush from her make-up in the morning.

“Will this do?” Dongwoo said as he let go of her. Bomi blinked hard a several times even as she stood rooted at her spot.

She giggled shyly and buried her face into her cupped hands.

#

Dongwoo felt someone shaking his shoulders. He slowly opened his eyes and was surprised to find Bomi sitting opposite him. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head several times to completely jerk himself out of slumber (and confirm that Bomi wasn’t just an illusion).

His cheeks began to burn as he remembered the dream he just had while looking at her. But then his eyes shifted to the right and he realized that Howon was also there.

“Oh, you’re here. And hi, Howon. You’re here too. I guess I, uh, fell asleep…” Dongwoo chuckled embarrassedly.

“You seem tired. You should get more rest. I can already see your dark eye rings emerging,” Bomi said.

Dongwoo narrowed his eyes and said with a hint of sarcasm, “Thanks.”

Before he could forget, Dongwoo grabbed the stack of books on the floor beside him and passed it to her.

“Here you go!”

“Oh, thanks a lot! Really, you’re the best!”

“Ah, it was nothing really. What are friends for right?”

“Oh yes, I have something to give you…” Bomi said as she dug through her tiny sling bag, feeling for the item.

After a few moments, she pulled out a golden card and passed it to him.

“What’s this?” Dongwoo said as he took the card, looking amused.

You’re cordially invited to Lee Howon and Yoon Bomi’s wedding –

Dongwoo placed the card down and looked up. He couldn’t bear to read anymore.

 “W-wedding? You’re…” Dongwoo stuttered as he gazed at Bomi. He could almost see his own blank expression in her chestnut brown orbs.

Bomi placed her arms over Howon’s shoulders and smiled widely – Dongwoo thought it was widest he’d seen from her.

“Yeah, we’re getting married!” She proudly announced as she looked over at Howon – her fiancé, and Dongwoo’s friend. The three of them had been inseparable since college, but somehow, somewhere, Bomi and Howon developed a different kind of feeling for each other. Dongwoo hadn’t even realized it until they told him one day and it felt like, suddenly, he was just out of the game.

Howon returned her smile and nodded to confirm Bomi’s words.

 “O-oh, that’s fast…” An awkward laughter escaped from Dongwoo’s lips and he realized his grip on the cup handle had been tightening. He let go swiftly and placed his slightly clammy hands on the table.

Bomi laughed as well, while Howon just continued smiling.

“Yeah,I know. But we thought it’d be nice to have a few years of marriage before having kids, that’s why we decided on it. You’ll come right?” Bomi asked cautiously as she grabbed Dongwoo’s hands.

“Of course! What are friends for?” Dongwoo laughed as he retracted his hands from Bomi’s touch and hit her playfully on the shoulder.

“Great!” Bomi beamed and then added softly, “At first I thought, maybe… ah, well, never mind. It’s great that you’ll come. You’re my best friend after all.”

Dongwoo laughed again, “Yeah, of course I’ll be there!” Laughter was his greatest disguise.

Bomi smiled gratefully, and then said, “Okay, I guess we’ll get going now. See you around, Dongwoo! And really, I can never thank you enough!”

“Bye, Dongwoo! Thanks for going!” Howon said as he got up.

“No problem! See ya! Bye, guys!” Dongwoo waved vigorously as Bomi packed up and left hand in hand with Howon, who helped to carry her books.

He looked back down at his cup of cappuccino which had gone cold and began to stir it absent-mindedly (though it really didn’t need any stirring anymore).

A teardrop fell into the cup and he just continued stirring even faster.

Dongwoo scoffed at himself.

“I thought I’d gotten over this,” he muttered with a bitter smile.

“Yes, we’re best friends. Best friends alright. Best friends. That’s all.”

As he continued stirring the cold cappuccino, however, he couldn’t help remembering the dream again. It was just something his brain made up to make him happy, because that was the answer he wanted, but didn’t get.

When you’re in a dream, everything makes sense. Everything feels so real. Only when you wake up do you realize how nonsensical it was.

“Wake up now, Dongwoo,” he whispered to himself and then gulped down the cold beverage.