I walk up the narrow stone stairs leading to my small house, and when I am just about to unlock the gate, I grunt in exasperation. Ugh. Toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, I ran out of them all at the same time this morning. I shove my keys back to my bag and turn around to once again walk the stone stairs, and slip a little in the middle because of the drizzle a moment ago, that I saw on the bus home. I stomp at the rung angrily. Stress and exhaustion and probably PMS make me super cranky today, but it’s not like I originally don’t have this personality.

                I arrive at an irritatingly bright convenience store, and squint my eyes to avoid the excessive light. I grab the necessities and pay for them as fast as possible, as I heard thunder sounds on the way here. The drizzle before might be a beginning to something big. Just when I step outside, it’s like clouds dropping their buckets of water all at once on this dark night.  I close my eyes in despair.

                I ask the cashier if they sell umbrellas, and they just ran out of them. I crouch in front of the convenience store and stare at the rain. Damn. I really want to take a hot shower right now then go to sleep immediately.

                I hear the glass door closing with an annoying creak and footsteps that stop right beside me. This person must want to wait for the rain too. I feel a blunt object poking my arm from above. With a bit of rage, I lift my head with a frown, and I freeze when I see the person beside me.

                “Byun Baekhyun.”

                “Hello, long time no see, Yoon Mina.” He looks down on me, literally, with a jester smile. His head is covered in his black hoodie, revealing only his face and bangs.

                I stand up, and I’m still frowning. “Why are you here?”

                “Well, I was buying some things, then you came rushing into the store, I was going to greet you but you were so in a rush—and I was hesitant whether it was really you or not—but then you went back into the store and that anxious face when you asked for umbrellas were confirming you were indeed the Yoon Mina.”

                Baekhyun is my high school friend—no, let’s just say he happened to be my classmate for 3 years. People would say he’s playful, but by my standards, he could be pretty annoying sometimes. Looking at him now brings back memories, and they are not particularly good ones.

                “No—why are you here, in Japan?”

                “I’m working as a musical actor right now. I’m invited to stay here this year!” he grins. I want to punch him.

                “Good for you.”

                “And why are you here, in Japan?” he tilts his head towards me.

“I’m attending university here.”

“Wow, as expected, Yoon Mina.” He claps. Dear God, I want to run away right now. “Speaking of umbrellas, look!” he shows and pops open a wide grey umbrella that he used to poke me a moment ago. “Do you live nearby? Do you want me to walk you there?”

No, I want to hit you dead with that umbrella then happily go home using it. I ignore him and continue staring at the rain.

                “Come on, it’s getting late!” he grabs my arm. Wow wow WOW wait up. I quickly move away from his touch and give him my most evil look.

                “No, thank you, I’m going to just wait.”

                He looks at me blankly for awhile, but then smiles again. “How can you say that to a friend you haven’t met for 3 years?” he pulls my shoulders with a single arm and drags me into the rain, under the grey umbrella. I instinctively try to pull away but my belongings starts to slide down my arms and hands. I sigh and yank off his hand from my shoulder, and I can feel him looking to my direction as we walk.

                “You still can’t accept people’s kindness, can you?” he says flatly.

                You call this kindness? I really want to run and leave him, but probably after five minutes, until I reach home, he will leave. Forever.

                I lead the way, and we spend the seemingly long minutes in silence. Baekhyun randomly exclaims tiny things that happen like “Oh look, huge trashbin!” “Hey, that one street lamp is crooked.” “My new shoes aren’t slippery, yay.”

                In front of the long and high stone stairs, I stop him. “Thank you.” I say with gritted teeth. “Go back safely.”

                “What, you live on these stairs?”

                “No, my house is just up there. Thank you for the umbrella.”

                “Then of course you need the umbrella to walk up these too.” He starts walking up.

                I sigh and walk up the stairs with him. I walk in front of him and nearly slip in the middle, but he holds me before I fall. I hastily let go of him, and finally we arrive in front of my gate.

                “Finally.” I mumble. “Thank you. Goodbye.”

                Baekhyun closes the umbrella since we’re protected by small roofing above my gate, then looks at me with a puppy-like expression, and I get nauseous. “Mina-ya…”

                Mina-YA? Based on my experience, him adding ‘ya’ means he wants something.

                “Can I stay for the night? Please?” he pouts.

                My mouth slightly opens, and I instantly feel bewildered. “What the hell are you saying?”

                “Oooh, our Mina is as scary as ever.” What, he upgrades to OUR Mina? This is my limit.

                “Leave, meeting you was enough for me today. Goodbye.”

                “Mina-ya, please? I have nowhere to go.”

                “Hotels, motels, heck even park benches are everywhere. Go choose what you like.” I dig my bag for keys and unlock the gate. “For the last time, goodbye.”

                “Mina-ya, please let me in just for a night. I’m going to explain everything inside.”

                “As if I’m going to let you in!” I can’t wake the neighbors in this hour, and this takes a lot of emotional control to keep my voice low.

                “Okay, I’m going to sleep in front of the gate until the morning, and wait until your neighbors ask me what happened.”

                “Is that the best threat you can make?”

                “Mina-ya, I’m begging you. Just give me a place to sleep, the sofa, or the floor, whatever as long as it’s inside. I’m not going to bother you.”

                A lost raindrop lands on his face. This begins to get more dramatic than it should be. I turn around to walk to my doorsteps without a word. He catches up soon.

                “Thank you. Thank you.” His tone turns cheery again, and it rings on my ears like an annoying alarm. As I open the door, he starts to whistle a song, and I glare at him. He shuts up in a second.

                “This is your room.” I open the door of the guest bedroom near the kitchen. “Go in. Sleep. And if you need anything…”

                He lights up, and looks at me with expectant eyes.

                “…try to search or do it yourself. Don’t bother me. I’m going to my own room.”

                I dash to my room and lock the door. In the shower, I feel uneasy, and my mind is half—no, completely filled with Byun Baekhyun who is just a few meters away in the guest bedroom. Byun Baekhyun. A popular guy, mainly because he’s good-looking, a great singer, and as a plus point, he got brains. In our second year, I was the third place in class, and he was the fourth. For some reason, one day the teacher assigns us to sit in twos according to our ranks, and that was one of the most dreadful day I had ever had in my life.

                Right. He’s good-looking, an amazing singer, and smart. Girls called him cute. What’s there to hate? I was the main victim of his teasing, for 3 full years. Calling him a bully would be too much, as he was actually nowhere near ill-behaved or something, but our personalities just clashed horribly. If I thought of it as a signal to stay away from him at all costs, he took it as an overwhelming curiosity about me.

                I go to bed feeling dense, and wake up feeling super dizzy. Realization about what happened last night and that I am not alone in this house makes me fall back to the bed.

                Outside, Baekhyun, still in his sleeping attire and bed hair, is wandering around my tiny living room, and looks at every photo hung on the wall. I go to the kitchen, openly connected to the living room, and pour myself a glass of water.

                “You go to Japan a lot, don’t you?” he points to one of my vacation photo.

                “As I should. My mother came from Japan.”

                “Oh really? You’re only half Korean? Wow, I never know this. Where is she now?”

                “She died two years ago.”

                Baekhyun instantly gets silent. “I’m sorry.”

                “It’s okay.”  I act indifferent. “Car accident. Nobody predicted that.”

                Baekhyun is now in front of me, separated by the pantry table. “And your father?”

                “He’s going on a business trip until winter.” I drink the water and stare at him. “Are you done asking?”

                He blinks. “I saw that photo of the three of you… Building this house. When you were little.”

                “Yes. We basically built this house by ourselves.”

                “Wow, that’s some Full House realness right here!” he seems genuinely amazed and amused.

                I exhale, and stare at him. “When will you leave?”

                Baekhyun looks somewhere else. “Um, this afternoon.”

                “Good.” I lift my glass and drink again. Baekhyun notices something, and his eyes widen. He grabs my right hand immediately after I put down my glass. “What are you doing?”

                “Your… Pinky finger…”

                I slowly pull away my hand from him, and stare at it, at my non-existent pinky finger. “Yeah. Also because of the car accident.”

                Baekhyun looks at me sympathetically. “So you were there too… I’m sorry.”

                “I’m willing to lose all my fingers if that means I won’t lose my mother.” I murmur.

                I don’t really like talking about myself, but hey, if that can make Byun Baekhyun shut up, I’ll gladly do it. I move on to cook some eggs and bacon, while Baekhyun showers.

                Now we’re eating breakfast, practically together, in front of each other in my tiny dining table. He’s been saying nothing since he goes out from his room, and this is considered magical.

                “What major are you?” he asks.

                “Business management.”

                “Wow, we grow up so fast, don’t we? I called Kyungsoo last night, and he’s currently in the military. I told him about you and he seemed surprised that you let me sleep here.” Kyungsoo was our classmate in second and third grade.

                “You told him that you—?!” my mouth gapes. “Ugh. Whatever. Kyungsoo is a nice and calm person though, he won’t tell anyone about this. Unlike someone.” I sneer. “You got less annoying, though. A bit.” I add quietly.

                “Mina-yaaa, it’s all in the past, our beautiful high school life, we’re adults right now. I’m getting more mature, aren’t I?” He acts cutely.

I cringe. “What time will you leave?”

                “I don’t know.” He answers nonchalantly. “Aren’t you going somewhere today?”

                “Saturday is my solitude time. All alone.”

                “Oh come on, let’s go out and play!”

                “No.”

                “Come on, I’ll pay. I need to have fun before start practicing for my musical next week.”

                “Can’t you go with other people? The people in your musical?”

                “They haven’t even arrived here. I took an early start.” he smiles widely.

                “And you crash someone’s house to sleep.” I bitterly add.

                “But the house owner is a very nice high school friend!” he wiggles his eyebrows. I groan. “Come on, Mina, let’s say it’s for the room you provide. Of course I need to give something back, I’ll treat you to a meal, and more.”

                He keeps whimpering and I give up. Maybe if I do this, he’ll leave me alone. Forever.

 

                We go to Shibuya, and he doesn’t buy anything, but he enjoys coming in and out of stores, looking at things and trying them out. As a sudden guide, I just tag along and give half-hearted responses to whatever he does.

                We have lunch in a ramen house. We meet a group of Korean tourists, and Baekhyun proudly introduces himself as an up-and-coming musical actor. The tourists, mainly comprised of elders, enthusiastically give him words of encouragement. I silently admire his ability to talk to other people like this, and I introspect on myself, on how I’m such an awkward turtle.

                “Why is your girlfriend so quiet?” a tourist asks. I’m too surprised to even open my mouth, and Baekhyun says “She’s Japanese.”

                We excuse ourselves and leave. Baekhyun marvels on how he got so energized after the ramen and the cheer he received from the people we met.

                “Thank you for before.” I say quietly.

                “I know too well that you hate speaking to strangers.” He sounds proud of himself.

                “Hah. You know it well but you nagged nonstop at me for not talking back then.”

                “But I'm not a stranger! Okay, for the nagging, today I’m going to redeem myself, Mina-ya. For everything I did wrong.”

                I turn my head to face him. “Wow. Who are you and what did you do to Byun Baekhyun?”

                He grins, and I’m starting to see why girls fell for him.

                We continue going around in Shibuya, and I start to get tired. Not going out much to crowded places has its effects—I’m imagining myself lying down on my bed, reading books. Baekhyun’s excited chirps sounds really annoying right now, and I feel lightheaded.

                Baekhyun points at a poster in front of a stationery store. “Fireworks! Fireworks festival!” he starts jumping around. I lazily read the poster. The festival will start once it’s dark, at Yoyogi Stadium near here.

                “I want to go home before night comes.” I say sharply.

                “Mina-ya, come on, I’ll take you home, don’t worry.”

                “It’s not about getting home, I’m just so tired!” I stomp my foot. Baekhyun gets silent, but then his face lights up again.

                “You’re tired? Then let’s stay in a café first to rest!” he takes my hand and drags me to a café across the stationary store. He lets me sit while he orders drinks, and I grudgingly look at him once he’s back. He pouts. “The fireworks festival, pleaseee, just this once.”

                I close my eyes and keep thinking he’ll leave after this, he’ll leave after this. I cross my hands on the table and drop my head. “I’m going to sleep, don’t disturb me.”

                “Okay.” he coolly agrees.

                I was sleepy when we were walking, but I actually find difficulty to doze off now with Baekhyun in front of me. I close my eyes tightly and really try to sleep now. I heard him softly laughing, then I feel his hand my head twice. I feel stunned and I want to lift my head, but I decide to let this go. Surprisingly, I’m able to fall asleep after that.

                I wake up and see the sky is getting gloomier. Baekhyun sits in front of me with his elbows on the table, hands cupping his face. Damn, he looks like a cute puppy. “You slept for quite long. I drank your coffee too because I was thirsty. Do you want me to order another one?”

                I get up and lift my bag. “No, let’s go out now, I’m going to get some water first.”

                I ask for a bottled water to the cashier, and she seems a bit taken aback. “Oh, you’re Japanese, Miss? I thought you were a foreigner because your boyfriend spoke with broken Japanese earlier. I think he is Korean, isn’t he? It was a beautiful image to see him watching you throughout your sleep.”

                My eyes widen. Baekhyun looks at me with a puzzled expression, having no idea of what the cashier said. A part of me thinks it’s creepy as , but an uncontrollable part sends blush to my face instead. “He’s not my—yeah he’s Korean.” I pay immediately and go outside.

                “What did the cashier say? She looked at me a few times before, did she talk about me?” Baekhyun asks curiously as we walk to the stadium.

                “She just asked if you’re Korean.”

                “But that was too long to just ask about that, though?”

                I gulp down the water in the bottle to avoid answering him.

                In the middle on our way, it drizzles. I take out my white umbrella, but it can barely cover the two of us. Our shoulders awkwardly press together, to avoid getting wet on the other sides.

                “Let’s do this.” he says. He takes my arm and puts it around his, so we can squeeze into the protection a bit more. “Ah, I should have brought my grey umbrella~”

I can just yank it off, but suddenly my nerves just shut off themselves. And… It somehow feels comfortable.

Near the stadium, the drizzle stops and we are the first ones to arrive. Soon people start swarming the place, and the festival will soon start.

The unexpectedly clear night sky appears in this rainy summer season, and fireworks start to light up the air above us. I have my head stretched back and mouth slightly open. This is beautiful.

I don’t even mind the crowd around me, or the exploding sounds. Or Baekhyun screaming like a little kid beside me. He cheers every time a firework pops out its colors.

For five straight minutes, the fireworks keep being shot to the sky, blinding my eyes. I smile as my heartbeats get faster, loving what I see. I suddenly realize that I no longer hear Baekhyun’s cheers, and I turn my head to my left and right side, but he isn’t there.

Someone hugs me from behind. I know who it is, but that doesn’t hide the fact that my heartbeats get even faster now. That person rests his head on my shoulder.

“Yoon Mina.” Baekhyun softly speaks to my ear between all the noise, and every vibration of his voice makes my body shudder. “I like you.”

 

                On the bus home, none of us says a word. We even sit a seat away, on the very back of the bus. We get off, and walk together.

                What am I supposed to say now?

                We arrive in front of the stone stairs. “Thank you. You can go now.”

                “I never say I would only stay for one night. Can I stay for another night?”

                “What? Do you think my house is a motel?!”

                “I will do exactly what I did last night. No noises, no interruptions, anything.”

                “If I let you in again tonight, I don’t know if you’re going to beg for another. Go somewhere else. Good night.”

                Baekhyun grabs my wrist as I turn around.

                “Leave me alone.” I say, as I try to let go from him.

                Baekhyun pulls me into a hug, way too tightly, to the point where I almost can’t breathe.

                “Don’t leave me alone.”

                 I release myself after much effort, and turn my back on him. “I’m sorry. Goodbye.”

                I hurriedly walk up the stairs while thinking about the possibilities. Will he walk up the stairs too? Will he call my name? Will he stay there?

                I hear his footsteps, and the sound gradually gets further. I turn around, and he wasn’t there.

                I enter my house, and notice Baekhyun’s large grey umbrella folded beside my shoe rack. At the same time, I hear thunder outside. I sigh and enter my room to shower.

                When I finish, it’s raining outside. I peek at the grey umbrella again. How am I going to return it?

                My phone rings. It’s a Korean number. What if it’s Baekhyun?!

                “Hello?”

                “Oh, I expected moshi moshi. Hello, Mina. It’s Do Kyungsoo.”

                “Kyungsoo? Oh my, how are you?”

                “I enlisted in the military last year, and I’m on vacation now. I’m sorry I suddenly make this call out of nowhere.”

                “It’s okay, what happened?”

                “So I heard Baekhyun stayed at your place last night, but you didn’t let him to tonight.”

                “…yeah. He called you? And how did you get my number?” I spot the list of phone numbers beside my home phone in the living room. Baekhyun must note it. “That little—“

                “Mina, I’m calling you not to ask you to let Baekhyun sleep at your house again, but I want to tell you something, and I need your help.”

                “What is it?”

                “Baekhyun lost his father last year. He is known to love his father so much. But all his life, his family wasn’t exactly the harmonious type. They stayed together because of inheritance matters. After his father passed away, his mother, older brother, and Baekhyun himself inherited each a large sum of money. With the money, his mother went abroad to start a new life, and his brother went God knows where. That left Baekhyun alone, and this is the important part…”

                I take a short breath.

                “Baekhyun developed monophobia a few months after everyone left him. He has an irrational fear every time he’s alone. He always needs someone beside him, and he doesn’t care who. He just hates it when he sees nobody around. We, our high school friends, took turns accompanying him every day, except when he sleeps, for a few weeks.” Kyungsoo sounds melancholic. “He had therapies and whatnots, and his condition is getting better actually, but he’s starting his life in Japan now, and his musical cast hasn’t arrived, so he needs someone to be with him. He came a few days earlier there because of a flight schedule mistake.”

                Uneasiness fills my heart. Oh my.

                “His Japanese is still limited, and it’s not like someone will accompany him everywhere once they met him, so when he met you, he spent one hour calling me on how happy he was to see you. Mina, I’m asking you to help him, just this once. I don’t know how. At least until the other actors arrive.”

                I have tears in my eyes right now. Dear God, I’m an evil. I am someone who appreciates solitude, but that doesn’t mean I need to be always alone, I’m just using it as an excuse for my own benefits. But in Baekhyun’s case… Loneliness, which I always want, is going to be like literal hell.

                “Kyungsoo, give me Baekhyun’s number.”

                After Kyungsoo sent it, I grab Baekhyun’s grey umbrella and go out. As I unlock the gate, I dial his number.

                “Yoon Mina.” Baekhyun picks up, and there’s no life in his voice.

                “Where are you?”

                “A park bench… You suggested me to sleep there last night.”

                I rush through the rain, and go to the park behind the bus stop. I find him there, and fortunately the bench is sheltered. But his hair is partially wet, he must encounter the rain for a bit.

                He’s sitting with his head down, and his face is breaking my heart. Did he look like this when I turned my back on him earlier?

                “So you’re alone, too?” I ask, a step away from crying.

                “But you want to be alone.”

                “But you can’t be alone. Let’s go to my house. You’re drenched.”

                He gets up, and threw his arms around me. This hug is weak, sad, but I can feel his despair not to let me go. “Thank you.” he says slowly.

                I blink a tear. “I’m sorry.”

                I walk with him to my house holding his hand, by my own initiative. I only know one thing to do right now: don’t leave him alone.

                Once we arrive, I give him a thick towel. “Go dry yourself, take a hot shower. I’m going to make something warm to drink.”

                He forms a thin smile and proceeds to the guest room. I finish making two glasses of hot chocolate as he comes out from his room, fresh from the shower with his hair already dried up.

                We awkwardly sit beside each other in my living room, holding our own glasses.

                “What you did in the fireworks festival was unexpected… We just met yesterday.” I say, trying to break the ice.

“We just met again yesterday. You make us seem like we never knew each other. We’ve been knowing each other for years.” he lets out a small laugh.

“Kyungsoo called me.” I confess. “He told me about you.”

“Hmmm.” he sips his drink. “Do you bring me here because you pity me?”

“No. I did wrong, I’m sorry. I should have let you stay. Even if Kyungsoo didn’t call me.”

He puts his glass on the small table beside him, stretches his body and lies on the sofa, with his head on my lap.

“What are you—“

“Sssh, please just let me do this. I’m tired too.” he closes his eyes, and folds his arms on his chest.

I stare at his freshly washed, dyed copper hair. Why is it so tempting to touch? “You’re still so close with Kyungsoo?”

“Yeah, remember when we were the killer vocal duo on school festivals?” he opens his eyes, and they shine with excitement now. “I asked him to pursue a musical career together, but his parents were against this idea, so he just chose to enlist first, and think later.”

“And Chanyeol? I remember you guys were inseparable in the second year when Chanyeol was in our class, I almost thought you two were dating.”

“Hah, sorry, he’s not my type!” Baekhyun snickers. “He has a passion for rapping, so we kinda made music together with me as the vocalist that time. He goes to a university now, but I don’t know the details.”

I nod, and my hand carefully reaches to slowly ruffle his hair. Baekhyun is staring at me as I his hair, but I avoid his sight.

“About what I did at the fireworks festival, do you have something to say?”

I keep his hair, but I get tense inside.

“Maybe an answer?” he fishes for more.

“You didn’t ask anything. You just confessed.”

“Ah, our Mina. Okay. Do you accept my feelings?”

                “You rush things, do you?”

                Baekhyun gets up, and his lips find mine. The kiss lasted for a bit too long, and when he breaks it, I think I’m ready to combust.

                “Yes, I do rush things.”

                He kisses me again, and I give my answer by welcoming his kiss.

 

                Baekhyun has his first performance in the middle of autumn, and he’s clearly the crowd’s favorite with his explosive vocals and appearance even though he’s still a supporting act. I visit his every stages when I don’t have class, or to be exact, pick him up to go home after he performs.

                “What will happen when your father comes home in winter?” Baekhyun pouts as we walk up the stone stairs home.

                “You need to move to the dorms with the others, obviously.” I answer flatly. “Stop being a freeloader.”

                “I help you cooking and cleaning every day, though!” he huffs. “But that time, you won’t stop seeing me, right?”

                I try to hide my smile, and just nod. Of course I won’t. I won’t leave you alone.

                Now, don’t leave me alone, too.

 

-

 

Please also check out the sequel for this story, Friday the 14th! :)