The cash drawer of the register dinged as you had to ram the rusty thing back into its slot. You were prepping for closing at the music store you worked part-time at. You wanted to leave as soon as possible because your favorite show was going to be on tonight and your mother had called you earlier to say that she had left some desserts at your apartment outside your door for you. Also, you knew that tonight’s forecast had called for some rainy weather and you definitely did not want to get caught in that.

“Change the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’, turn off the lights and you can go, ________.” The owner of the store, an old man who had once been an aspiring musician in his younger days, called out to you from the back room.

“Yes, sir!” you replied back to him, putting on your coat and lifting your bag over your shoulder. You opened your bag to check that everything was in there; wallet, phone, keys, check. You knew you hadn’t brought an umbrella but it would’ve made you feel slightly better if there had magically been one in your bag. You looked outside up at the darkening sky as you flipped the sign to say ‘Closed’. You thought about asking the old man for an umbrella to borrow.

But that would mean he wouldn’t have one. He was going to be leaving later than you so he would need the umbrella more than you did. You called out ‘Goodbye’ to the old man and the door made a Ding! as you shut it behind you. You weren’t as prepared for that blast of cold as you walked outside. You pulled your coat tighter against you and sort of hunched over so that you could contain more of your own body heat. The wind started to pick up just a little until there was a slight breeze every now and then. The streets weren’t as busy, just the few cars passing by, people getting off work and going home. The streetlights were now starting to turn on as the sky turned a darker gray than earlier, signaling you that the sun had set.

That’s when you felt it, that single drop of rain on your nose, followed by a slow procession of a light sprinkle. You hurried your steps in search of shelter, holding your bag over your head. There wasn’t much shelter or anything to stand under on this side of the block. You kept your bag over your head and kept your head down to watch were you were stepping so you wouldn’t slip. Of course, you weren’t looking ahead of you and so you didn’t see the other person coming towards you. You felt your head hit someone’s body, a foot stepping on your own, and before you knew it, you had landed on the wet floor of the sidewalk.

The rain was getting a little harder as time passed, picking up from a sprinkle to heavier drops but it wasn’t pouring… yet.

“I’m so sorry! Really sorry! Are you alright?” The pace of his voice was quickened since he was so alarmed that he had actually collided with someone and made them fall while it was raining, but it sounded very familiar to you.

“I’m okay.” You said as you grabbed your bag. You looked up to see a hand held out for you. For you to take hold of. You looked past the hand to see his face. It was dark and the way the streetlight was angled from your point of view and also the fact that he was holding an umbrella above his head caused his face to be even more shadowed but you could still make out who this was.

“…Chen?” you took hold of hand and you heard him do that thing where he laughs and clears his throat at the same time. It was him.

“________?” He pulled you up and held you by the shoulder, with one hand, to help steady your balance. The other hand was holding an umbrella above your heads; that was how close you two were.

“Oh wow, it is you!” His smile was still bright in this gloomy rain.

You couldn’t help but return that smile with your own. You became a little warmer now that you two had crossed paths again. You realized that you sort of missed him.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” he started.

“I’m fine, really. Don’t apologize, I was the one who wasn’t looking. I forgot my umbrella today even though I knew it was going to rain.” you explained to him.

He still held the umbrella above your heads. You heard the drops hitting the umbrella a little harder now.

You saw him glance up at the umbrella and then back at you.

“Where are you headed?” he asked.

“Back home.”

He hesitated a little before saying, “Here, you take it.” And handed you his umbrella, he kind of just forced the handle of it into your hand.

You refused. “No, I can’t take it. I don’t live that far from here, I’m okay. Thank you, but it’s yours. You need it more.”

He nodded. “Alright, alright. You say it’s not that far? Then, I’ll walk you there. Is that okay?”

You looked away from him. “I… guess that’s okay.. with me. I mean, if you’re okay with it.”

He grinned and lowered his eyes. “I see. If I just leave you alone with the umbrella, you don’t accept it. But if it’s with me, you’re all for it.”

“Not true!” you felt yourself blush and moved your gaze to the ground to look at both of your feet. He was wearing some black sneakers and you were in boots. “I just didn’t want to take your umbrella and leave you without one.”

“Okay, I get it. No need to explain yourself.” He turned sideways slightly to let you walk in front of him. You did so and you heard his footsteps immediately follow yours while he held the umbrella above the both of you. The rain was getting harder. You felt his presence getting closer behind you. His leg would occasionally lightly hit the back of your bag. His jacket would brush against the side arm of your coat. But your head was kept dry. You knew this would happen though. Silence. The two of you were nearing your apartment. You were already both in your neighborhood. Chen just followed behind you. You wanted him to talk again. You decided to initiate conversation.

“Can I, uh—, ask why you were out in the rain?”

“I was just taking a walk. It was gloomy earlier. I didn’t think my walk would end up lasting this long. Figured I would be back before it would rain.” he said.

“Do you want to know the real reason why I didn’t want to take your umbrella?” you said, continuing your pace of walking and you kept yourself from turning your head around.

“Why?” he piped up and you felt his shoe hit the back of your boot but you didn’t mind. He wanted to get closer to you and not just because the rain was now pouring. You saw he had lowered the umbrella a little; your head was now touching the metallic rims that held up the umbrella’s shape.

“Because…,” you started. “If I had taken it and left you without it, I honestly would’ve been fine with that.” You heard him chuckle.

“But in the end, I would’ve had to eventually return the umbrella to you, right?”

“Yes, what’s so wrong with that?” he asked, amused.

“Well, that just seems like a tedious task. It’d just be another thing to add to my long list of things to do. ‘Return Chen’s umbrella.’ So, opting out of that and having you walk me home is like.. a shortcut or something. I don’t have to remember to give you back your umbrella. Get it?” you smiled at your own wittiness. You stopped walking as you arrived at the front gate of your apartment building. You heard his footsteps stop too.

He grabbed your shoulder to turn you around so that you were both facing each other.

“Don’t tell me that you didn’t want to see me again.” His tone was more serious and quiet.

You were surprised by his sudden actions. “I d-don’t… I told you.. that I didn’t.”

“No, you said returning the umbrella back to me would just be another thing for you to do. You never said you wouldn’t do it. You never said you didn’t want to see me.” He took a step closer to you, making you take a half-step back. And you still couldn’t take your eyes away from his.

Why was his glare so intense yet alluring? Why were those eyes trying to shatter the shield that you had put over yourself? You had promised yourself you wouldn’t let anyone, especially a guy, get too close. Why were you letting him do this to you? Why did he not have to do much at all in the first place for you to feel this strongly about him?

You blinked and really looked at him again. His glare didn’t seem like a glare anymore. Your failing to respond to his retort caused him to soften up. He was just gazing at you really. His light smile almost always lifted your mood. It all seemed so innocent. Why were you questioning what he was trying to do? You answered all those questions, buzzing in your mind, on your own. He was just… different. Different from all the rest. He was understanding and kind. He was Chen and he seemed to always be there for you. Like he was right now. In front of you, with an umbrella over your head.

You smiled.

“Something funny? Why are you smiling now?” he asked.

“I was thinking about something.” you said.  

“Thinking about what?”

“That time you sang…” a mischievous grin formed.

“Oh.. that.. I—you remember…?” he was stammering over his own words, which, in turn, made you laugh.

“Thank you for walking me back home. I should go inside now though, I don’t want to catch a cold. I’ve already missed my show and it’s gotten too late to eat dessert.” You slightly bowed as a ‘goodbye’ gesture and turned to walk out into the rain from under the umbrella.

“_______, wait.” He grabbed a hold of your hand. It was a different feeling than when he had held it to help you up off the ground earlier. “I… want to see you again.” He looked up from your hands to meet your eyes.

You let out a half-hearted sigh. “If our paths are crossed again, then we’ll see each other again. For now, you should get back home soon, too.” You clenched his hand a little and then released it, he took his own hand away from you.

He nodded and you turned away from him, holding your bag above your head as your hurried to your door, turning the lock with your key and you were finally inside.

“Until next time then.” Chen smiled at the porch light of your door and then up at the sky. The rain had lessened from pouring to a gentle shower. He clutched the handle of his umbrella and started on his path towards home. 

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a/n: jongdae~~~~ ; w ;