“Myungsoo-yah!” Dongwoo called happily from several feet ahead. “Look, look! It’s raining!”

Myungsoo squinted up at the puffy gray sky. A light sprinkle of raindrops was falling down, and one fell in his eye. He immediately lowered his head, blinking frantically. When he raised his head again, he saw Dongwoo frolicking and dancing as the rain steadily increased.

“Hyung, we’ll get wet,” Myungsoo said, not really caring if he did.

Dongwoo laughed his contagious laugh, opening his wide mouth and trying to catch raindrops on his tongue.

Grinning in return, Myungsoo removed his camera from his bag, carefully keeping one hand over it to shield it from the rain. He raised the lens and snapped a photo as Dongwoo raised his arms in the air, smiling delightedly at the sky like a child would at a new toy.

Myungsoo tucked his camera back in his bag. This would be the perfect photo to fit with the study he was doing for his photography class in university.

Dongwoo continued to dance and laugh, attracting glances from bemused bystanders, and Myungsoo stuck out his own tongue to see if he could catch a raindrop as well.

On Thursday evening, Yoojin texted Myungsoo the location of their meeting, and on Friday at precisely six o’clock, Myungsoo approached the coffee shop that Yoojin had specified. He scanned the people on the sidewalk in the usual Friday night crowd and quickly spotted Yoojin, who was wearing a pale blue sundress. Myungsoo had the unwelcome thought that this was the first time he had seen Yoojin wear a dress, then wondered why he had even thought so in the first place. It shouldn’t have mattered.

Yoojin straightened her dress and bowed when Myungsoo walked up to her.

“Kim Myungsoo-ssi!”

Myungsoo acknowledged her and glanced behind her at the entrance to the coffee shop. “Competition?”

Yoojin nodded. “I think this one was even in a popular drama last winter, so they have a lot more customers than we do. But at least we attract a lot of students.”

Yoojin studied Myungsoo momentarily and decided that he had come directly from work.

“Where’s your briefcase?”

“I left it with Sung-” He paused. “A friend.”

An assortment of street food across the street caught Yoojin’s eye.

“Do you want to eat first?” She asked. “Or should we start shooting now?”

“Work first,” Myungsoo said with finality. “Eat later.”

Yoojin nodded her consent, and the two began to walk along the sidewalk, with Myungsoo constantly looking around them for appropriate subject matter. After several minutes, Yoojin noticed that the people they passed, particularly females, were staring at them, but she couldn’t discern why. Finally, a single ajhumma surfaced from the steady flow of young people and made a beeline for Yoojin and Myungsoo, effectively stopping them in their tracks.

“Hello,” Yoojin said hesitantly, bowing.

“You two,” the ajhumma said, beaming, “are perfect for each other. So handsome,” she patted Myungsoo’s arm, causing him to flinch. “Young man, you have such a beautiful girlfriend. Treat her well.”

With that, the woman continued on her way, leaving Yoojin and Myungsoo behind. Yoojin looked to Myungsoo with caution and was not surprised to be greeted with a blank stare.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly. She was sure that Myungsoo had been humiliated by the woman’s words.

“I’m fine,” Myungsoo snapped, and kept walking.

“We weren’t even holding hands,” Yoojin said to herself, still at a loss as to why anyone woud assume they were together.

Presently, they came upon a street musician who had attracted a small crowd. Myungsoo withdrew his camera from his shoulder bag and begn snapping photos while Yoojin swayed to the music. The singer sang of a confession that wasn’t as cool as he had planned it to be, and Yoojin absentmindedly wondered how many women had confessed to Kim Myungsoo. She was certain that the number would be the same as the number of women he had rejected.

“Kim Myungsoo-ssi,” Yoojin whispered, “what kind of music do you listen to?”

“Music? I don’t have time for that.”

When the musician finished the song and prepared for the next one, Myungsoo darted away from Yoojin’s side and approached him. Yoojin craned her neck, but even though she could catch glimpses of them, she hadn’t the slightest idea what they were saying. She saw Myungsoo hand something to the man, and they both bowed. The musician looked pleased.

“What did you say to him?” Yoojin asked when Myungsoo had returned.

“I asked his permission for his photo to be used and gave him my card,” Myungsoo said.

“He seemed happy.”

“Of course. If your coffee shop uses his photo, he’ll get publicity and gain visual recognition.”

As they walked along the street, Yoojin felt a strange contentment inside her. She might detest cold men like Myungsoo, but she was also satisfied that he was beginning to talk more. His sentences were longer, and the more time she spent with him, the more he seemed like a human being- a distant, icy-mannered human being, but a human being all the same.

Yoojin glanced over at Myungsoo and watched his unmoving, calculating face. He would make the best model for the photos, she thought. He would fit perfectly behind a cup of coffee with a satchel hanging on the back of his chair. He perfectly fit the description of a modern university student despite having a full-time job. But he was the photographer, and he would probaby be unwilling to pose for anything. Yoojin began to wonder when Myungsoo had finished school. He looked around the same age as Sungyeol, and she was two years younger than Sungyeol. Myungsoo had never mentioned his degree, and he had a steady career.

“Waffles,” Myungsoo said suddenly, and Yoojin was pulled from her musings.

“I beg your pardon?”

He regarded her for a moment. “There’s a waffle stand over there. Buy one and eat it; I’ll try and get a good shot.”

Yoojin’s eyes widened. “You want to take a picture of me?”

Myungsoo nodded curtly. Sure enough, a small waffle cart was located on the side of the street, and several customers were waiting patiently in line. Yoojin could smell the waffles, and her grumbling stomach served to remind her that she had yet to eat dinner. So she took her wallet out and followed Myungsoo’s instructions. He hadn’t offered to pay, and that didn’t surprise her. This wasn’t a date, and Myungsoo just barely observed even the most basic cultural norms if it wasn’t in his own best interest.

Several minutes later, Yoojin walked back over to Myungsoo, clutching a chocolate waffle in her hands. In the background, she heard one of the couples from the waffle stand talking as they passed by.

“Oppa, look!” The girl said under her breath. “He didn’t even pay for his girlfriend’s food. So stingy.”

It was very obvious that Myungsoo heard her, as he immediately became rigid and stared daggers at the air in front of him.

“Just ignore them,” Yoojin said, sighing internally. Here she was in Hongdae on a Friday night with the most attractive man she had ever seen outside a concert, and she wasn’t even on a date. The public didn’t seem to know that, though. And now he was angry. Again. Or was he just emotionless? Yoojin couldn’t decide.

“Take a bite,” Myungsoo said, suddenly holding his camera. “Act natural.”

Yoojin obeyed, sinking her teeth into her chocolate waffle and watching her surroundings as she chewed. Before she knew it, Myungsoo had snapped several more pictures and put his camera away.

“Do you want some?” She offered her waffle to him.

“Why?”

“You haven’t eaten dinner, and I’m eating next to you. Wouldn’t you like some?”

“No, I’m alright.”

Yoojin had suspected that he would say no, but what encouraged her more was that he had answered her with more than his usual “no.” Myungsoo was definitely opening up. Just a little bit.

They passed several blocks until they had nearly left Hongdae, and Myungsoo snapped many more photos as the sun set. Yoojin’s heart sank when an elderly couple approached them.

“What a good-looking couple!” The woman exclaimed. “How pretty. Couples like you should be holding hands.”

“Thank you, halmeoni.” Yoojin bowed her head. “But we aren’t dating. We’re doing business together.”

“If you aren’t together, you should be,” the elderly man said. “You’d better catch her before she gets away.” He winked at Myungsoo before he and his wife continued down the sidewalk.

“Sorry,” Yoojin said quietly when they were gone.

“It’s not your fault,” Myungsoo said somewhat stiffly. “I guess we look like a couple.”

Yoojin blushed and looked up into his dark, unwavering brown eyes. “Do we?”

“Everyone seems to think so.”

Yoojin had opened and was about to reply when she heard the rumbling of thunder and the skies opened up, letting down a deluge upon the city. Pedestrians scrambled for cover, and people who were dining outside ran beneath awnings.

Myungsoo simply looked over at Yoojin with large eyes as though he wasn’t sure what to do. Yoojin had never seen him like that before. He seemed vulnerable and more human than ever before. Yoojin stared back at him. Neither of them had umbrellas, and by now, they were completely soaked. Yoojin prayed that her dress wasn’t clinging to her body too much and thanked the universe that she hadn’t worn too much makeup. Myungsoo’s collared shirt was now flat against his apparently somewhat sculpted chest, and his wet hair was plastered to his forehead.

“My apartment! My apartment is nearby,” Yoojin said. “Let’s go there and dry off. You can’t go home like this, and your camera might get wet.”

“Alright,” Myungsoo said, looking slightly uncomfortable with the idea but not protesting. He wasn’t sure why he was agreeing to go with Park Yoojin, but he felt like it was what he was supposed to do, so he consented.

Yoojin nodded, and they set off in the direction of her apartment. The rainy season had taken them both by surprise, and she felt obligated to make sure that Myungsoo, her manager’s photographer, made it home safely and without ruining the photos.

Yoojin unlocked the door to her apartment and, immediately after removing her sodden shoes, journeyed into the kitchen, leaving a dripping Myungsoo in the foyer.

“Ji Eun?” She called. When no answer came, she returned to the entryway, deciding that her roommate had gone out for the evening, most likely with her boyfriend.

“Who’s Ji Eun?” Myungsoo took off his shoes and placed them neatly next to Yoojin’s.

“My roommate. She’s not here now, though.” Yoojin wondered what Ji Eun would have to say when she found out that the aforementioned cold, handsome man had visited their apartment.

Myungsoo eventually lowered his gaze to his wet socks with a grimace.

“It’s okay,” Yoojin assured him. “You can use the guest slippers. It doesn’t matter if they get wet.”

With a reluctant nod, he slipped his feet into the guest slippers and stepped inside.

“I’ll drip everywhere,” he said.

“So will I,” Yoojin laughed. “Wait here; I’ll get you a towel, alright?”

She made a brief stop in the kitchen to start water boiling for hot drinks, then retrieved a fluffy white towel from the linen closet.

“Here,” Yoojin handed Myungsoo the towel. “You can dry off. You’re completely soaked; you can’t very well go home like this.”

He warily accepted the towel and took out his phone with his other hand. “I’ll call someone to bring me dry clothes.” But after several attempts to turn his phone on, he realized it was out of battery. “May I borrow yours?”

Yoojin handed him her cell phone, and while he walked into the kitchen to make his call, she went to her bedroom to change into dry clothes. When she had changed into a comfortable t-shirt and shorts, she started back down the hall to the kitchen, pausing when she heard Myungsoo’s voice.

“Yah, Lee Sungyeol!” He said loudly. “You have to bring me some clothes! Yes, I’m at Yoojin’s apartment. Fine, I’m calling Sung- Hey! Hey!”

There was a moment of silence before Myungsoo dialed again.

“Hello, Sunggyu-hyung?”

Yoojin caught her breath. She remembered hearing Myungsoo and Sungyeol mention a Sunggyu who lived with them. It had to be the same person.

“Hyung, it rained suddenly and I’m stranded in wet clothes. Can you bring me dry ones? No, I’m at Park Yoojin’s apartment. Yes, Sungyeol’s co-worker. Yah! We were doing business. Yah! Alright. Please hurry.”

Yoojin turned the corner just as Myungsoo was ending his call. He whirled around to face her, and she blinked in surprise.

“My friend can’t be here for another hour.” He stared at her with an expression that told her he didn’t like being stuck in her apartment any more than she did.

“Is there someone else you can call?” Yoojin prompted, trying to be helpful. She knew that there were at least a few other people living with Myungsoo and Sungyeol.

“He’s the most reliable,” Myungsoo said. “If I call anyone else, I’ll be a burden, or they won’t come.”

“Like Sungyeol?”

“Aish.” For the first time, Yoojin watched as Myungsoo’s mouth drew into a frown. “He’s just teasing me, and he won’t come.”

Yoojin gave a dry laugh. “I can relate to him not helping. You should see him at work. Has he always been like that?”

“Like what?” Myungsoo gave her a blank look. “I don’t understand.”

“You know, before. In past years.”

“I...I...” Suddenly, Myungsoo felt sick. “I can’t remember. I don’t know.”

Something strange was going on, Yoojin was sure of it. But she didn’t press the issue and settled instead for a strange look.

“Kim Myungsoo-ssi, you can-”

“Myungsoo, just call me Myungsoo,” he said faintly.

Yoojin stopped for a second. He was treating her in a more familiar way, and she hadn’t the slightest idea why.

“Myungsoo,” she said gently, “if you want, you can take a shower. My roommate’s boyfriend leaves some clothes here sometimes, so you’ll have something to wear afterward.” She touched her hand to his arm without thinking.

He froze, then deliberately turned to meet her eyes.

“Yoojin,” he said in a voice quite different than the one she was used to. “Thank you. I will.”

Myungsoo exited the bathroom twenty minutes later dressed in Ji Eun’s boyfriend’s clothes with damp, finger-combed hair. Yoojin noticed later that the mirror hadn’t steamed up from his shower.

Myungsoo shuffled into the kitchen where Yoojin sat at the table with a cup of tea. in her hands. She gestured to a nearby chair in front of which she had placed another cup of hot coffee.

“Black with no sugar,” she said as he sat down. “ I remembered your order.”

“Thanks.” He took a sip. “I haven’t had a hot drink in a long time. I always take ice.” He took another sip of coffee.

“Um, excuse me, Myungsoo...” Yoojin said tentatively, “But how old are you? You look very young to have a job like the one you have.”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Twenty-one?”

“I don’t have my college degree.” Myungsoo took a long sip of coffee.

“If you don’t mind my asking...why?” Yoojin hoped that she wasn’t crossing a boundary, but she was so curious that she couldn’t help herself.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Myungsoo said, giving a short, dark laugh.

“What was your area of study?”

“Photography. I just...after a certain point, something kept me from taking pictures like I used to. I just...couldn’t.”

“But you took them today,” Yoojin pointed out.

He gave her a long look. “It’s been a little over a year. I don’t know why I’m doing it suddenly like this.” Something in his expression changed, and his eyes became shadowed again. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I don’t talk about things with people.”

His last sentence sounded ridiculous to Yoojin, but she believed it to be true. Kim Myungsoo seemed exactly like the type of person who did not discuss things with people, not to mentiont the fact that he hardly seemed to discuss things internally with himself. He didn’t know why he had dropped out of university, and he didn’t know if Sungyeol had always been as humorless and antagonistic as he was now. He didn’t know why he had stopped taking photos, and he didn’t know why he had started again. The more Yoojin got to know Myungsoo, the less he seemed like an arrogant jerk and the more he seemed like a lost soul.

The doorbell rang, and Yoojin leapt up to answer it. She opened the door to reveal a handsome, suited man with small eyes.

“You must be Yoojin,” he said.

“Uh...yes. I am. How do you know me? Did Sungyeol tell you?”

The man chuckled. “In his own way. If Myungsoo ever discussed anything, I’m sure he would have mentioned you too.”

“Ah...”

“Sorry, I should have introduced myself. I’m Kim Sunggyu.”

“Nice to meet you.” Yoojin smiled, and Sunggyu smiled back.

“Hyung!” Myungsoo called from behind Yoojin.

“Please, come in,” Yoojin said, opening the door wider to let Sunggyu in.

Myungsoo hurried off to change into the dry (and very professional) clothes that Sunggyu had brought him, and Sunggyu glanced around the apartment.

“So...do you work with Myungsoo?” Yoojin asked.

Sunggyu shook his head. “No, we live together. I work at a firm in Gangnam.”

Yoojin raised her eyebrows. “That’s very impressive.” Taking note of his work attire, she continued, “Did you just come from work? Have you eaten?”

“I’m fine, thank you. So you and Myungsoo are...doing business together?”

“Yes, the manager of the coffee shop Sungyeol and I work at chose me to find the photographer we need for our remodeling, and he sent me to Myungsoo’s company.” Seeing the confused look on Sunggyu’s face, Yoojin added, “I didn’t find a match, so Myungsoo offered to take the pictures himself?”

“Really?” Sunggyu asked incredulously. “Myungsoo did?”

“I did what?” Myungsoo asked, approaching the door in his work pants and long-sleeved blue collared shirt. “Ah, Yoojin. We need to schedule another meeting to shoot. Let’s arrange it over text, alright?”

Yoojin agreed, while Sunggyu stared at Myungsoo as though he were a stranger.

“You’ve changed,” Sunggyu said.

“Yes, I changed into my own clothes already,” Myungsoo replied, oblivious, and put his shoes on. “Good evening, Yoojin.”

“Goodbye, Myungsoo. It was nice to meet you, Kim Sunggyu-ssi.” Yoojin bowed as the two friends left the apartment.

“Myungsoo-yah, you even showered there. I’m going to tell Woohyun,” she heard before she closed the door.

Yoojin frowned. Just how many people did Myungsoo live with?