Rain & Love 

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Jessica glanced around the condo and immediately beamed at the sight of the glass balcony that allowed access to the city's night view.

“The night view here is beautiful!” she exclaimed as she pressed herself against the glass door.

Donghae chuckled, “It's so easy to please you.”

She simply smiled in response before plopping herself down on his sofa and making herself comfortable.

“I'll wait here while you go shower.”

He looked down at her, shaking his head disapprovingly as he pulled her up by the hand and made her follow him to his bathroom.

Taking a towel, Donghae placed it over Jessica's head as he worked on drying her damp hair.

Jessica smiled.

She took the towel from his hand when he was done and did the same for him, making sure to dry his face as well.

She then turned him around by the shoulder and ushered him into the shower.

“I'll be in the living room!” Jessica called out behind her while making her way out of the bathroom.

-

She furrowed her eyebrows and bit at her lips as she put her hands to her hips.

'He's still as messy as ever!'

Due to her immediate focus upon the night view, Jessica had failed to acknowledge the condo's disarray when she had first entered, but now as she took a close look around his place, she could only frown in disapproval.

Getting straight to work, Jessica had the place spotless in no time, before Donghae even finished showering. She sighed in relief and was extremely grateful that she knew him well enough to know where he would want his specific possessions placed. Jessica had also made sure to keep away from the things he would not like to be touched, such as his work documents.

Out of the corner of her eyes, a picture frame caught her attention. She noticed that it was the only one in the house.

Carefully picking up the frame, she ran her fingers over it and smiled softly.

-

“You're finally done,” Jessica said as she looked up from the magazine that she had been flipping through.

Donghae looked around his condo, amazed.

“You cleaned my place?”

Jessica shook her head.

“Cinderella and her animal friends came just now and cleaned it,” she said it with a completely straight face.

But of course, not without bursting into fits of laughter right afterwards as she held onto her stomach.

Donghae quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

“You just get weirder and weirder you know.”

Jessica shot him a glare.

-

They were now sitting side by side on his balcony, staring out at the night view from above.

“You must love her.”

Donghae turned to the speaking girl.

“I saw your picture when I was cleaning up,” she explained.

Turning away, he replied, “I wouldn't call it love.”

“Then what would you call it? Seems like you love her to me.”

She gave him a gentle smile.

“I guess, I'd call it an open relationship," he breathed, "She's free to do whatever she wants, and I can do whatever I want, see whoever I want, and there are no strings attached.”

“Mmm,” Jessica hummed.

“You don't seem convinced.”

“I'm not.”

“And why is that?”

“The smile you wear in the picture, it's a genuinely happy one.”

He shrugged.

“I smile when I'm happy.”

“And she makes you happy. Isn't that what love is?”

“Not necessarily. People in love can have their hearts broken and wear a frown, but still love each other.”

“But that's only because they hold on and bear with the sad times, with the strength they are given from the happiness that also comes with it, isn't that right?”

Donghae paused thoughtfully upon her reply.

“There's no reasoning with you is there?”

Jessica cracked a smile, “No, not really. I admit that I'm stubborn.”

Donghae returned her smile.

“How do you feel about the rain?” she questioned him.

“I guess it's alright.”

“Don't you find it especially relaxing and calm though?”

“It is," he agreed, "But it also feels lonely. Whenever it rains, it makes me feel empty, like someone is supposed to be there beside me but isn't.”

Jessica turned to him, surprised.

Her gaze lingered on him and her lips slowly curved into a smile before turning away.

“Why do you like the rain so much?”

“Why do you think that there is a reason why?” she countered his question with another.

“Because within the few hours that I've spent with you, I've come to realize that with you, there's always a reason for everything.”

She pushed him and laughed.

“I've never realized that before, but I think you're right.”

He laughed as well. Just because her laughter was infectious.

“It's actually because the person I love, he loves the rain as well and taught me to love it along with him. Well, he loves anything that has to do with water to be honest; swimming, the rain, the beach. It's almost like he's one with it. Rainy days always remind me of him since we spent almost every rainy day together,” she paused, smiling as she reminisced the memories, “He'd always make me come out to play with him in the rain, no matter how big or small it was. It really didn't matter to him. He simply loved it for the joy that it brought us. That's why, on every rainy day, it feels like he's here beside me, even when he's not.”

Silence slowly engulfed the two, as they both remained quiet.

It was a comfortable silence.

-

“Regarding LJ," he started out, "You don't have any desires to manage it?”

Jessica shook her head.

“I'm really not for the business world and I prefer leading a simple life rather than being involved in the luxuries, but also inevitable competitions that comes with it.”

Donghae frowned.

“As the daughter of one of the wealthiest man in Korea, you sure don't act like it.”

“I've been told,” Jessica laughed, recalling the same words her mother had told her.

“But I don't get why," he paused, "Why you wouldn't like the wealth, power, and status that surrounds it.”

Her eyebrows knitted together.

“I guess, they just don't matter to me,” she murmured softly, and how she wished that it could be the same for him. Because she knew, that with the wealth, power, and status, there also comes pain and loneliness.

The car slowly came to a stop as their conversation faded away and Jessica's house came into view.

Unbuckling her seatbelt, Jessica turned to him, “Thank you for the ride. It was nice spending time with you.”

Jessica smiled at him.

“Don't mention it. I'll see you next time.”

Donghae smiled back at her.

"See you next time,” she repeated back.

She liked that. The fact that she'd be seeing him again.

Jessica's smile slowly turned into a grin as she opened the car door and stepped out to the warm night's wind.

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Technically, I broke my words on updating as it has already passed midnight, which means I didn't update within the two days that I promised ):

I'm sorry guys!

But I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter regardless!

Does anyone feel like the progress is too slow?

I usually like introducing my characters and their personalities throughout the story instead of in the forewords/description so the plot takes a bit of time to develop haha

Goodnight guys! XO