I pinched the paper star between my fingers and held it up to the moisture-dotted window.

                “Are you going to be okay getting home?” asked Soojin beside me, observing the pouring rain.

                I tucked the star in my bag. “I’m a fast runner,” I assured her.

                She pressed her lips in a fine line, her expression full of doubt. “Let’s go and ask to borrow an umbrella. I’m sure someone has one they can lend.”

                I shook my head. “I’ll miss the bus.” I offered a smile to ease my friend’s worries. “It’s okay. I’ll cut through the gym on my way out. There’ll barely be any rain on me by the time I get home.”

                “Alright. In any case, I’m sure Seungcheol will make sure not a single drop of water touches you before he does.”

                My lip curled as she waved and walked towards the front of the school. I squinted at the gray sky before taking off running through the sidewalk towards the gym.

                I managed to not get too soaked as I entered the building. There were two guys playing basketball, one coaching the other. I stuck to the periphery, intending not to disturb them until I realized the two guys were Dabin and Seungcheol.

                Dabin was the first to spot me.

                “Mikyung!”

                He waved. Seungcheol looked over, his face lighting up when our eyes met.

                “What are you two doing?”

                “Seungcheol is giving me tips on basketball in exchange—”

                “Hey, think fast!” Seungcheol exclaimed, cutting off Dabin by throwing the basketball at him. Dabin caught it with a startled look on his face.

                “Are you going home?” Seungcheol asked.

                I nodded. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I said, starting towards the exit.

                “Wait, you don’t have an umbrella? It’s raining pretty hard,” Dabin said, concern in his voice.

                 “It’s okay. I’ll just run.”

                “I’ll go with you,” Seungcheol said, moving to grab his bag.

                I put my hands out, motioning for him to stop. “No, there’s no use in both of us getting wet. You have practice later anyway.”

                His shoulders drooped and his lips formed a thin line of worry.

                “I’ll see you later,” I said again before leaving the gym.

                Outside, there was a boy standing under the awning of the building holding an umbrella, looking out onto the rainy street. He turned as he heard the door shut behind me.

                “Doyoon,” I said, surprised.

                He surveyed me. “Do you have an umbrella?”

                I held my bag over my head with a sheepish smile.

                “I’ll see you tonight,” I told him, prepared to make a run for it. Doyoon wordlessly stepped toward me, covering me with his umbrella and putting an arm around my shoulders. I flinched and looked up at him, bewildered.

                “Let’s go,” he said, starting to walk forward into the rain.

                By the time we were long out of earshot, Seungcheol emerged from the gym, holding a towel.

                “Mimi, at least…” His voice trailed off as he saw me and Doyoon. His arm dropped to his side.

                “You don’t need it, huh.” He watched us until we disappeared from sight and then turned back, re-entering the gym alone.

                It felt strange riding the bus sitting next to someone who wasn’t Seungcheol. Doyoon didn’t seem too concerned, but my body, on the other hand, was rigid and I was hyper-alert.

                “Do you need to dry off anywhere?”

                Doyoon’s sudden question made me jump. He handed me a towel with a vaguely bemused expression. I took it cautiously and used it to brush the remaining water droplets from my uniform.

                “You’re very prepared,” I said, handing the towel back to him. He only shrugged.

                Another silence passed over us. I took out a book to keep myself occupied and flipped to the marked page. There were a few strips of star paper tucked in the center. I began to fold them absentmindedly, listening to the sound of the rain and the bus’s engine.

                Doyoon reached over and took a strip, folding it quickly and precisely.

                “You’re good at this,” I observed as he dropped his star into my small pile.

                “Isn’t everybody?” he asked, doing another one.

                “Seungcheol has been practicing for weeks and his are still lopsided,” I said. I started to smile and caught myself. Why was I getting all happy talking about him?

                Doyoon stopped folding and started staring at me. I glanced at him uneasily.

                “What?”

                A cryptic smile lined his lips. “How are things going between you and Seungcheol?”

                “What do you mean? We’re friends.”

                “Just friends?”

                I nodded slowly, unsure of what he was getting at.

                “You and I are friends, but I’m almost positive you don’t sit that stiffly when Cheol is here.”

                I huffed and tried to relax my shoulders. “It’s different! I’ve just known Seungcheol for longer, so I’m a little more comfortable around him. That’s all.”

                “If you say so.”

                The bus eased to a stop in my neighborhood. Doyoon took the lead, stepping off the bus and opening his umbrella seamlessly to cover me as I got off as well. Beside us, a few older women giggled at his show of chivalry.

                We started walking toward my house. Because of his longer legs, Doyoon was always half a step ahead, leaving me struggling to keep up. A few water droplets fell on my shoulder as I slipped out of the umbrella’s border.

                “Don’t walk so fast!” I called irritatedly.

                Doyoon glanced over at me and put an arm around my shoulders again, forcing me back in line with him.

                I shrunk away from his touch this time and he stopped walking.

                “Why do you keep doing that? Are we dating or something?”

                “Should I just leave you behind, then? See you later,” he teased, waving and taking enough of a step to put me dangerously at risk of getting soaked.

                “Just walk a little slower,” I grumbled. He complied this time, matching my pace until we were at the front of my house. We climbed up the steps and took cover under the awning in front of the door.

                “Where are my keys?” I muttered to myself as Doyoon was closing his umbrella. “I must have—”

                I cut myself off when I realized just how close we were. Doyoon looked down at me. The sound of rain filled the silence, and strangely enough, I found myself thinking of the time at the park with Seungcheol.

                “You’re thinking about Cheol, aren’t you?”

                I looked away, flustered by his correct deduction.

                “Mikyung.”

                My eyes found his again. His expression was undecipherable, but I thought I felt a slight shift in the air around us.

                “I’m right in front of you, you know,” he murmured.

                Before I could ponder what he meant by that, the door opened. I started and saw my mother illuminated by the interior lights.

                “What are you two doing just standing there? Come in, hurry.”

                Doyoon acted like nothing happened and greeted my mother, walking in. I pressed my lips together and followed him in. We left the moment in the rain, but it didn’t seem to dissipate completely.