Summer is Kyungsoo’s favourite season. Everything is sunny and hot and dry, nothing wet because Kyungsoo doesn’t like getting wet. His nose would smell mouldy things making him sneeze non-stop as if his nose would come off then turn red like Rudolph’s. Kyungsoo could not be any more annoyed when that happens.

May God bless mother Earth because she is definitely very, very ill. The rain falls like any other day in fall, except it’s not fall, but midsummer. The sun is supposed to shine brightly and make people curse because their skin gets darker and skin cancer is on a higher risk and the weather’s too hot for everything and everyone to function productively. No, mother Earth is too sick and rain is her tears of pain.

It was around the middle of June when a very jolly Kyungsoo skipped, not really but his steps were light and he was in high spirits, through the campus’ hallways to finally end his semester and into summer break of a week. Not enough but at least he had a break. The weeks before were hell. Packed with assignments and projects but he was in the mood of completing all that because the weather was to his liking. Drinking water frequently was a good habit and he thanked whoever for his good bladder.

Life was good, until today. He was about to reach the end of the hallway where the exit was when he heard a loud clap of thunder.

“No…” Kyungsoo stopped on his tracks and stared wide-eyed at the glass exit doors. He could see the darkness becoming of outside and he cussed under his breath. He was not ready for the rain. He had no umbrella, no raincoat and definitely, no liking towards the horrid acidic liquid that fall from dark skies (sometimes from bright skies too and that kind of rain is sort of more dangerous).

However, he had no choice but to walk forth. The building was a few minutes to closing and he had nowhere else to wait except for the shaded entrance. So there he was, standing rather awkwardly right in front of the door, unknowingly blocking it as he grimaced at the horrible weather.

A few minutes later, the door behind him opened and it sort of pushed him forward, Kyungsoo almost stumbled but he tried to keep his balance, not wanting to fall into the unshaded area. He turned around, and glared at the stranger who had opened the door. No apologies though, which irked Kyungsoo. The stranger ran out into the rain, not caring how heavy it was or how soaked he would get. But he didn’t go far before he turned back and ran towards Kyungsoo’s direction instead.

“Why are you still here?” the stranger asked. The rain had drenched him and he ruffled his hair to dry it, which caused droplets of water to splash on Kyungsoo’s face. Kyungsoo noticed, this person was rather good looking, and he couldn’t help but lost fury. He just stared at him, his eyes still wide and he was brought back to full conscience when the person he was staring out let out a chuckle.

“What?” a word which Kyungsoo could only utter as he wiped his face from the little droplets of rain from the stranger’s wet hair.

“Why are you still here? This building’s closing in 5 minutes. The library’s open for the whole night but it’s over there,” the latter said loudly while pointing at an adjacent building. The rain was getting more vicious, mercilessly pounding on the roofs and ground, drowning voices if people were to speak without the effort of being loud.

“The rain. I’m waiting for the rain to stop,” Kyungsoo replied. His eyes still fixed on the person in front of him. Dark eyebrows, double lids and heavy, dark circles under his eyes; his nose was rather odd looking, not that it was big or anything, just, plainly odd which Kyungsoo never had seen before so he couldn’t pin a similarity to anyone; then his lips, those full lips that were moving and saying something…

“….home?”

“Huh?” another chuckle from the other person, and Kyungsoo felt very embarrassed and self-conscious.

“Aren’t you going home? The weather forecast said the rain might stop around midnight.”

“Then I’m staying until midnight,” Kyungsoo didn’t mean what he said. It’ll be the death of him to stay until midnight. Who knows what danger lurks around campus when the Sun goes down. He said what he said because he knows weather forecasts are mostly mechanical BS and the rain will stop sooner or later. No. The rain will stop soon. It must stop soon.

“Hey, you need to go home. It’s dangerous to stay here. Just run under the rain,” such a silly grin plastered across the stranger’s face, and Kyungsoo freaked out.

“You’re the dangerous one. Go away,” Kyungsoo went defensive and walked a few feet away from him. But that didn’t stop the latter from going towards Kyungsoo, to bother him.

“I’m not dangerous. Trust me. I’m a student here.”

“Being a student here doesn’t mean you can’t be a ,” Kyungsoo shot back and the person was taken aback.

“I am NOT a !” the poor accused boy exclaimed because such an accusation is mortifying.

“Then, go away,” Kyungsoo was being childishly defensive but hey, every man needs to protect himself somehow.

“What if a real comes, huh? What if I leave, when I could have stayed, and the found you, huh? What if the you, huh? What if-“ Kyungsoo turned around quickly, his usual wide eyes (but wider) staring back at the other person’s own pair. The latter took a step back, his eyes were scaring him.

“So stay. Just, don’t come too close,” Kyungsoo managed to say out. He was feeling rather uneasy with all of the ‘what if-s’ that were laid out in front of him. Thinking about the horrifying possibilities was scary. The stranger simply nodded, taking two more steps back.

“My name’s Jongin by the way. I’m studying literature,” the stranger finally told his name.

“Hi.”

“What’s your name?”

“Do Kyungsoo.”

“Hi, Kyungsoo.”

“Hi, Jongin.”

The awkward air was suffocating if not for the constant beat of the rain each of them caught on their heads. It was calming for Jongin, everything just silencing the rest of the sounds and only the dense sound of pouring rain was heard. It was infuriating for Kyungsoo, everything being too loud to the point where he can’t even hear himself think. Total opposites stuck together by the downpour. Fortunately, the rain was starting to die down and coming to a light drizzle. Jongin had his right foot out, wanting to walk already but pulled back when he saw Kyungsoo still stuck at his spot.

“Not going?”

“Drizzle.”

“Better go now. It might come back. The angry version of rain, I mean,” Jongin smiled kindly but Kyungsoo quickly shook his head. Jongin shrugged and stayed. Luck was on Kyungsoo’s side because the rain had fully stopped right at sundown. Not that they could see the Sun setting, the dark clouds had covered all the beauty of that.

“Going now?” Jongin was now standing beside Kyungsoo.

“I guess,” so Kyungsoo walked and Jongin followed.

“Why are you following me?” Kyungsoo asked. Jongin denied it and told him that he was just using the way to his dorm. And Kyungsoo was not amused with his answer because it could mean this random stranger might be a con man. He walked faster, leaving Jongin behind. Paranoid Kyungsoo finally heaved a sigh of relief as he tapped his residential card at the entrance of the apartment but gasped so loud his lungs almost couldn’t take the sudden amount of air he inhaled when he saw Jongin again.

“Oh! You live here too?” but Jongin never got his answer for Kyungsoo had ran up the staircase and away.

 

 

“Awesome! The Sun is out. Time for laundry,” Kyungsoo inhaled the fresh morning air after he opened his dorm room window. The birds were chirping, the skies clear and blue, it was a perfect morning for Do Kyungsoo. So he took the laundry basket, which had a sole purpose of putting dirty clothes in but being boys, Kyungsoo and his roommate often leave clothes lying around right until laundry day; and only then would they pick up the dirty shirts, pants and boxers which were everywhere and dumped it in the basket.

“Hyung! Wake up!” Kyungsoo kicked the end of his roommate’s bed before going down to the laundry room. Kyungsoo has always thought that his roommate, Junmyeon was a great, responsible young man because the said young man was an active member in many clubs and societies. Kyungsoo never understood how he could do it, to deal with people and stuff. He gets dizzy just by being in a group discussion.

When Kyungsoo reached the laundry room in the basement, he saw a lone figure crouching down, putting clothes into the washing machine. It was still early morning so that explained why there was only him and the other person. So he turned to go to the other washing machine, while humming a tune. It was a lullaby which his mother had sung to him when he was a kid and it’s still embedded in his memory, a song which he learned to love through the years of growing up and remained in his head even though his mother was no longer alive.

“Hey, what song is that? Sounds nice,” a voice which was getting familiar to Kyungsoo’s ears spoke. He puts the laundry basket down and turned his head to the person.

“So you do live here…”

“I told you I’m not a ,” Jongin dug his hands into his pockets and shrugged. He looked dead tired and his lids were halfway closed, Kyungsoo pitied him for living such a tiring life.

“Sorry, for yesterday. The rain makes me kind of mean,” Kyungsoo apologised as he emptied the contents of his laundry basket into the washing machine. Jongin’s eyes never left Kyungsoo, even though he had no reason to keep his eyes on him. But there was something about this narrow-shouldered timid guy that attracted him.

“Nahh. It’s fine,” Jongin shrugged again. Kyungsoo stood up, groaning internally as his knees and back were starting to fail at his very young age. He glanced up and grinned as he noticed there was a small window up there which allowed a generous amount of sunlight to shine in. He asked Jongin if he wanted to hang out since there was nothing to do, and it was a sunny morning. Kyungsoo was in the mood for something nice and relaxing. Jongin just nodded with a small smile, his eyes still looking heavy and stained of sleepless nights before.

“Coffee?”

“Coffee,” all and nothing else that Jongin needed.

 

---

 

Summer loving Kyungsoo ordered two iced Americanos, making sure one has less syrup than the other, for the sleep-deprived Jongin, as the said man sat down at an empty table as he waited. And yet again, Jongin was inexplicably staring at Kyungsoo’s back figure. His mind keeps going back and forth in search for a reason why he just can’t take his eyes off of this guy. They had just met yesterday, under wet circumstances with Kyungsoo being sassy and defensive, while Jongin was supposed to have a bad impression on this guy and avoid him all together but Jongin was not a man who judges a book by its cover and Kyungsoo was a hard cover book, he figured.

You know, the pretty kind where you just keep caressing and taking time to marvel over it before actually opening to the first page. Yeah, Kyungsoo was that kind of book. Just that Jongin wouldn’t caress the man, which would be ual harassment. Jongin took his time admiring Do Kyungsoo. Especially his big, round eyes, incredibly nice lips, small shoulders and his utter presence. He’ll open this book soon.

“Here you go. Stay awake for the day. It’s a beautiful day,” Kyungsoo handed Jongin his drink before his own through the straw. Jongin took the drink and looked up at Kyungsoo, not saying anything but had his eyebrows raised, as if asking why he was still standing up.

“Want to sit outside?” Kyungsoo asked. As appealing as it sounds, of course not. Jongin was already getting comfortable, sitting in his place in this air-conditioned café and Kyungsoo just had to ask. But Jongin couldn’t say no so he forced himself to get up and followed Kyungsoo to the tables outside.

Cool. Warm. Warm. Okay, hot. The transition of heat that Jongin had to go through was preposterous.

“Isn’t it a nice day? Look, look. The sky is so blue. I wonder how many birds think that it’s beautiful like I do. And the clouds are so fluffy like cotton candy. Speaking of cotton candy, I haven’t eaten one for quite a while. Ahh…what a good day,” Kyungsoo was being rather talkative because he loves good weather. He doesn’t have to worry about the laundry taking forever to dry or mouldy smells, or sneezing. He could enjoy whatever he wanted to on such perfect weather.

Jongin was listening intently but all the while fanning himself with a limp serviette which he took from the cashier counter. Beads of sweat trickled down his neck and forehead, which made him feel sticky and utterly uncomfortable. He grunted a bit and Kyungsoo asked what was bothering him. The weather! Duhh! But Jongin didn’t answer and he just shook his head then wiped his sweat with his hands, too late of a realisation that he had a serviette in his hand when he wiped moist skin but no more heavy beads of sweat. Kyungsoo was taking too long to finish his drink that Jongin finally decided to say something.

“I wish it would rain right now. This heat is crazy.”

“No,” Kyungsoo replied meekly.

“What do you mean no?”

“I hate the rain,” Kyungsoo’s lips twitched in a way that made Jongin wince. For some weird reason, Jongin felt this weird shot of electricity along his spine which made him shudder. Then, a crooked smile formed on his lips.

“You shouldn’t hate the rain, Kyungsoo.”

 

 

Monday came. It was a rainy Monday to be exact and Jongin had woken up early to the constant pitter-patter of rain against his window. Jongin took his time, staring at the droplets of rain sliding down the glass window before getting off his bed to wash up. A pair of grey sweat pants and his favourite skull tee were what he chose to wear, a good day deserves a good outfit to wear. He then went upstairs to Kyungsoo’s dorm. He knew where Kyungsoo stayed because he had looked up the residential name list the night before, it was stalker-ish but he didn’t seem to think it anything wrong with wanting to find out where a friend is staying.

Jongin knocked once but no one answered. So he knocked again, and again, and finally the door opened after the fifth knock. Kyungsoo’s roommate, Junmyeon had opened the door. He had a towel around his waist and a hair towel on his left shoulder, by the looks of it; he had just taken a shower. His exposed skin was milky and soft, too fair for anyone’s liking to be very frank.

“Oh man, you need a tan real bad,” Jongin comment was uttered almost immediately as the fair skin came into view.

“Excuse me?”

“Is Do Kyung-“

“He’s hiding under his blanket,” Junmyeon carelessly answered without waiting for Jongin to finish his question.

“Oh?”

 Junmyeon opened the door wider and welcomed Jongin in before going back into the bathroom to finish his morning routine of making up or whatever.

“Don’t him!” Junmyeon shouted from the bathroom.

“Good Lord! What is it with you guys and ?!” Jongin exclaimed in exasperation and Kyungsoo pulled down his cover to peep. Jongin put up his right hand and slightly waved while mouthing a ‘hello’. He entered the room and walked towards Kyungsoo but the latter pulled back his blanket to cover his face again. Jongin rolled his eyes and sat on the floor, legs crossed. He bit his lower lip, arranging words to say in his head before actually saying it because he didn’t want to have this awkward Do Kyungsoo deny him if he said something stupid.

“First of all, I am not a and I’ve said this for the third time to you. Secondly, we have a long day ahead of us so get up. And thirdly, I want to show you how to un-hate the rain.” Jongin was wondering if he sounded weird because he has never heard of the word un-hate before, he was positive it doesn’t exist and he just made it up. But maybe the word does exist. He won’t know so he made a mental note to Google it later.

“I can’t un-hate rain,” Kyungsoo mumbled behind the covers.

Things can happen in mere minutes which exactly did. Kyungsoo insisted he felt safer in the comforts of his blanket but the persistent Jongin wanted him to go out and enjoy a cooling day instead of going with the gloomy mood. He pulled Kyungsoo by the arm and poor boy fell to the floor on his with a loud thud. The pain was evident as Kyungsoo grimaced but that didn’t stop Jongin from continuing his main agenda.

 

---

 

Later, Kyungsoo found himself sitting under a shaded balcony of the top level of their dormitory apartment with Jongin, hugging his knees together because it was the only way to keep himself slightly warm. He silently whined, keeping his head down and eyes closed because he didn’t like this, all of this. Suddenly, Jongin asked him to look at the puddle in front of them and stick his finger in.

“That’s unsanitary!” Kyungsoo made a face. He thought that Jongin must be some kind of germaphile or some sort. Jongin sighed in disappointment and shook his head slowly.

“You won’t die- say, are we the same age?”

“1993,” Kyungsoo simply replied, telling Jongin the year he was born. Jongin mouthed an ‘O’ because he just found out that Kyungsoo is a year older than him and all this while he dropped the honorifics, he was feeling guilty already.

“You won’t die, hyung,” Jongin then took Kyungsoo’s hand, smaller than his and Jongin was starting to feel giddy inside because of Kyungsoo’s soft skin…back to where we were, he took Kyungsoo’s hand, folded four fingers except the index finger and dipped it in the small, cold puddle of water which accumulated at the small gutter of the edges of the balcony.

“Ew,” Kyungsoo muttered, soft but audible to Jongin’s sensitive ears. The latter then let out a light chuckle before sighing, again. He turned his head to face Kyungsoo.

“Why do you hate the rain, hyung?”

“It reminds me of horrid things. And it gets really cold when it rains, my laundry won't dry, the air smells weird, I have to wear a hideous raincoat....I really hate the rain,” Kyungsoo scrunched his nose and he knew what was going to happen, not going to-

AH CHOO!

-be good. Kyungsoo rubbed his nose harshly and stood up, telling Jongin that he was done with rain, that he was going back to ‘warmy blankie’. No, he didn’t really say ‘warmy blankie’. He did go back, nonetheless, Jongin trailing behind him with heavy steps, dejected.

“Since you hate the rain so much, I bet you hate me too for loving it,” Jongin thought sadly as he trudged behind Kyungsoo. He was feeling down, not because of the rain, but because this person whom he was interested in hated the rain. However, he wanted Kyungsoo to be on his side, to love the rain, or at least hate it less. The young lad deserved more than hating on something because hatred really brings you down, making your heart heavy and frequently feels like it’s tugged by a thick rope, hatred makes you feel that way a lot. Jongin thought that Kyungsoo deserves a life of better preferences on weather.

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“Expect me by your door if it rains tomorrow,” Jongin grinned widely but Kyungsoo nonchalantly shrugged and closed (he would slammed the door, but he didn’t want to be THAT mean) the door to his face. Ouch! Rejection really hurts.

 

 

Tomorrow. Today was yesterday’s tomorrow and the Sun was up. No rain, no Jongin. Kyungsoo didn’t care if Jongin were to come or not, he really didn’t. He was starting to think that Jongin must be a friend with a shift, a friend which only becomes a friend when it rains, Kim Jongin. Maybe he is the rain! But Kyungsoo shrugged off the thought when he remembered the previous Laundry Day, when the weather was awesome and Jongin was with him, not at all was it his imagination the said man had sweated buckets while wishing for horrid rain.

It was one of those days when Kyungsoo felt like doing something unexpected. So he decided he’d go pay a visit to the library, because he had a sudden urge to read A Midsummer’s Dream and Kim Bowol’s poems. The library was his intended destination but of course, it being Kyungsoo’s Unexpected Day, he finally ended up in an ‘ancient’ comic bookstore, running his index finger against the endless dusty spines of the One Piece comic series on the shelves.

Suddenly, he felt this weird vibration on his thigh. Then again. And again.It kept buzzing and buzzing! Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in realisation as he shoved his hand into his pocket to retrieve his phone. An unknown number flashed on his screen but Kyungsoo hardly cared about who it was and immediately answered the call.

“Who is this?”

“Hyung.”

Kyungsoo’s mind processed the spoken voice and he sensed familiarity but he wasn’t sure because phone calls really messes up voices (like when you record your voice then replay it, it would sound totally different from what you usually hear of yourself, messed up).

“Hyung, it’s me. Jongin.”

“How did you get my number?”

“I asked your roommate.”

“Oh, well, good morning,” Kyungsoo greeted politely.

“Good morning, hyung. Where are you?”

“The ancient comic bookstore,” the adjective wasn’t necessary because there was only one comic bookstore that’s near the campus.

A few minutes later, Kyungsoo heard the faint bell ring from the front door as Jongin went in the shop. Patches of sweat around the chest was evident on his pale blue tee. His hair was sticking to his forehead and the side of his neck glistened with sweat when the bright sunlight from the window shone on him. Today must be a really hot day, or Jongin just has low, very low tolerance of heat. He flapped his tee by the collar, fanning himself in such a way as he walked towards Kyungsoo.

“I guess I can’t show you how amazing the rain is.”

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo was really fine. The rain was not amazing, is not amazing and will never be amazing. To him, that is.

“But really, hyung, why do you hate the rain so much? And you’re so afraid of getting …WERE YOU DURING A FATEFUL RAINFALL?!” Jongin gasped before exclaiming and Kyungsoo wished he was buried six feet underground by then. It was humiliating and Kyungsoo could only shout back a stern, simple-

“NO!”

“Then why?” Jongin really wanted to know why. Since Kyungsoo considered the possibility that Jongin might never stop until he gets the answer he wanted, Kyungsoo gave in and decided to tell him. He smiled softly, a small gesture to calm himself in fact, before curling his thin fingers around Jongin’s wrist and tugging on it to invite him for a seat on the floor. The floor was dusty but not too dirty. And Kyungsoo thought they really need to be seated as he might not be able to handle himself later.

“It gets really cold when it rains and I don’t like being cold, my fingers and toes feel numb. I was so cold once during a rainy day and sort of freaked out when my fingers turned bluish. I thought I was going to freeze to death. About the laundry not drying, I keep forgetting our dorm has a dryer,” Jongin snickered and Kyungsoo shot him a look that made Jongin put his hands up and gestured to ask Kyungsoo to continue.

“Also when it rains, the air smells weird. It smells of wet cement or moist dust or something similar. I can smell heavy pollution in the rain.”

“Now you’re sounding more like someone too professional to be a college student,” Jongin carelessly commented and Kyungsoo grunted in exasperation as he stood back up.

“What? What did I say? Okay okay, I’ll shut up. I’ll listen,” Jongin put his hands together in apology, pleading Kyungsoo to sit back down and continue.

“You know what? It’s nice to know you, Jongin. I don’t even know why I telling you all this,” Kyungsoo tried so hard to smile, to show that he was being nice and tolerant to the mere stranger who Jongin was to him but his effort failed when his muscle felt tensed and his lips just faltered into a thin line.

“Because I asked, hyung. Please?” Jongin was still sitting on the floor and Kyungsoo looked down to him, the creases on Jongin’s forehead all too clear for him to not ignore. An awkward silence filled the air but Jongin was willing to wait.

“My mother…” Kyungsoo started but he felt his knees were getting weak already and he mentally struggled to stand straight. He decided to sit back down seconds later. Jongin saw how Kyungsoo’s expression had changed, his face seemingly looking more blank by the second as if his soul is being out.

“Hyung, are you okay?” Jongin asked.

“My mother died when I was seven,”

Jongin wanted to say something, his lips slightly trembling as the words were pushing to be released but he managed to keep himself shut. Shut from saying anything that could destroy his only chance to finally open Do Kyungsoo and read him. He’s already contented with all that he saw of the cover. It was time to open this book.

“She had brain cancer. I saw her getting sicker each day. And her mind got really fu- I mean, messed up. I remember how she slapped me when I tried to hold her arm. Suddenly, she stopped seeing me as her son. Her brain was just-“ Kyungsoo couldn’t find the right word to say so he simply flailed his arms around to show how horrible it was.

“And one day, she was gone. Just like that. She went to sleep and didn’t wake up. It was raining that day and dad had told me that the rain took mom away to a more peaceful place. Childish. But I was seven you know. I believed him. So I hated the rain because it took my mom away. And I still hate it because whenever it rains, I am reminded of my mom. I don’t want to,” Kyungsoo’s voice had lowered to barely a whisper and Jongin could see the tears pooling around his eyes.

“But…why not?” and Jongin regretted asking because the moment those words entered Kyungsoo’s ears and registered into his brain, he bursted into loud sobs, hiding his face in his hands to muffle the embarrassing sounds he was making as a man.

“Oh God, hyung, why are you like this?” Jongin may had sounded like he was annoyed but he wasn’t. He was not annoyed at all but he was on tenterhooks. Jongin didn’t hesitate, not even a picosecond when he wrapped his arms around the trembling Kyungsoo and pulled him into a comforting embrace. He wanted to say something, yet again, he knew he was terrible with words. So this was all he could do. Hold Kyungsoo, in a way showing that it was okay to bawl his eyes out because he was there for him.

“All she said to me before she died was ‘get lost’. My mom, my real mom told me ‘GET LOST’!” Kyungsoo exclaimed against Jongin shoulder, his tears were making his shirt wet but neither of them cared.

“I promise you won’t hate the rain ever again, hyung,”

Kyungsoo sobbed louder because Jongin was vaguely mocking his mother’s death but Jongin had no idea and just patted his back.

“Hey! Stop that! Your mate here is scaring the kids. Get out of here!” the bookstore supervisor suddenly appeared and told them off. Kyungsoo harshly pushed Jongin away, wiped his tears hastily with his hands and rushed out of the comic bookstore while muttering endless ‘sorry’s.

“We’re sorry,” Jongin stood up and bowed to the supervisor before leaving too. He was a tad embarrassed with what had happened, especially when the supervisor dude said ‘mate’. Jongin grunted silently at the unsettling word because it reminded him of animals, mating. It was kind of disturbing. He shook the thought from his head as he quickened his pace to catch up on Kyungsoo who was now sitting under the bus stop.

Kyungsoo was staring at his fingers, nails cut too short because he’s terrible in nail care, and counting them. Ten, ten, ten. It’s not like he was going to grow a finger that moment but he kept counting and restarting just to get his mind occupied with something. He didn’t realised Jongin had came and sat beside him.

“What are you doing?” Jongin asked.

“Counting my fingers.”

“You have ten perfect fingers, hyung.”

“I have ten fingers Jongin. Ten fingers. They’re not perfect,” Kyungsoo replied coldly and Jongin was taken aback. He didn’t expect Kyungsoo to deny his small compliment, an effort to make Kyungsoo feel better.

“Isn’t society fudged up, you can’t even have an emotional outburst in a comic bookstore,” Jongin sighed in defeat. Kyungsoo managed to snort out a chuckle at Jongin’s spoken thought.

 

 

Another sunny day came which should make Kyungsoo as happy as a sandboy but he woke up feeling hot and sweaty, there was no happy sandboy for the day. Well guess what Kyungsoo? Your fabulous roommate Kim Junmyeon decided to turn off the AC when he went out three hours ago because he is one selfish but responsible man, who doesn’t want to waste electricity. Kyungsoo sat up and started cursing his balls out, took off his shirt before entering the bathroom to have a nice and cooling shower.

Showers are Kyungsoo’s favourite too because he likes the smell of his apple scented body wash and scrubbing in between his toes (don’t ask why, he just likes doing it). But today, all he wanted to do was to be inside a bath tub and sink himself in, not entirely but just his body because he doesn’t want to drown to death. Kyungsoo had never sighed so much in his life that practically every time he exhaled, it was a sigh. The sunny weather was too hot even for the sun loving man he was.

However, even after the ‘refreshing’ cold shower, Kyungsoo still felt lethargic and his summer assignment was left untouched that day. Just today, he reminded himself. He reached for his phone after taking a seat at his study table and scrolled and tapped aimlessly at applications in his phone.

“It doesn’t hurt to call,” Kyungsoo said to himself after staring at Jongin’s contact for the longest time before his screen timed out. He pressed the home key right after to get back to where he was and tapped the ‘call’ icon. Five heartbeats later, Jongin picked up.

“Yes?” Jongin was wide awake but still in bed. Not lying down but sitting with his legs covered by his blanket, back leaning against the headboard and shoulders slouching as his fingers flew across his laptop’s keyboard. AI-controlled Survivor, he was trying to put up against a horde of the Infected coming his way.

“Why do you love the rain so much?” the innocence in Kyungsoo’s voice was evident and he almost sounded like a lost child looking for an answer if not for his husky, grown voice.

“Are we really going to talk about this?” Jongin half-shouted at the phone because of the panic rising in him as his game level got progressively tenser. Kyungsoo didn’t catch on. Kyungsoo said yes after a prolonged ‘umm’ and Jongin said to call again in two minutes before abruptly ending the call. Kyungsoo blinked, inhaled, set an alarm for two minutes because he wants to be exact and put his head down, resting his forehead on his forearm as he napped the two minutes out.

Jongin moved, Jongin jumped, Jongin crouched, Jongin strafed at all directions but he had no fate to survive long in today’s game. He failed to reach for safety. Two minutes on the dot later, Jongin’s phone rang to the familiar tone of All American Rejects’ Gives You Hell and his hand reflexively swiped the screen to answer the call.

“I died.”

“What?”

“A woman zombie infected me. A FAT woman zombie,” Jongin emphasized on the word ‘fat’ because he was that angry.

“Jongin.”

“Hyung.”

“Jongin.”

“Hyung?”

Kyungsoo was trying to get answers but apparently Jongin had forgotten the question.

“Why do you love the rain so much?” Kyungsoo repeated his question. He heard the soothing sounds of Jongin breaths through the phone and he figured Jongin must have had the phone too close to his mouth.

“Oh. Well…Umm…The rain. Okay. It’s…”

“Anytime today would be good, Jongin,” and Kyungsoo could almost hear the crooked sheepish grin forming on Jongin’s full lips.

“The rain, especially the sounds it makes, I find it really calming, hyung. Everything is just one chaotic rumble. It’s wet and cold and really sweater weather. I love it. And my most favourite thing is when I stand under the rain, and the raindrops just hit my skin, that somehow makes me feel…alive,” Jongin let out a very, very contented sigh at the end because he could imagine how amazing the feeling was. The awkward silence which befell on them right after made Jongin uneasy.

“How does the rain make you feel alive?!” Kyungsoo snapped unexpectedly and Jongin realised the impact of his words.

“You’re so unrealistic, Jongin. Have a good, God damned day!”

---

 

Thankfully, Jongin had put his laptop aside. He fumbled to get out of bed, violently kicking the tangled blanket between his legs as he tried to release himself and bolted to Kyungsoo’s dorm room, not even minding to turn off the AC. A small space for a sarcastic infiltration; Jongin was a very responsible consumer.

“Hyung! I am terribly sorry!” Jongin screamed right after he opened the door to the room, finding the defeated shoulders of Kyungsoo at the table, furiously typing his assignment, typing his feelings away.

“Hyung,” Jongin placed a timid hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder just to be shrugged off angrily. Kyungsoo kept typing, glancing at his written notes at times. Jongin was too afraid to say anything so he sat at the edge of Kyungsoo’s bed, his knees together and sweaty palms rested on them. He waited. Waited for something to happen, anything, a word from Kyungsoo would be good. Even Kyungsoo shouting curse words would be good. Just anything at all would be good because the silence was full of fury and Jongin hated that. Kyungsoo heaved a sigh, Jongin just sat on the edge of the bed, forever staring at the ireful man. The edge of the bed feels more like the edge of a cliff for Jongin at that moment, the tip of Kyungsoo’s finger is just a millimetre away from pushing him down to the sea of emotional exile.

Suddenly there was a faint rumble of thunder and the room got darker by the second, thick clouds had covered the bright Sun which had shone gleefully just before. And with the coming shower, Jongin felt courage dispersing throughout his body.

“Hyung, I’m sorry. I really am. But just this once, I want you to trust me and come out so I can really show you why,” Jongin stood up from the edge of the bed then crouched down, resting his chin on the table as he fixed his gaze on Kyungsoo. The elder finally looked up from the LED screen and saw a smiling Jongin at the side of his table. Very inviting. Kyungsoo didn’t know what came into him then but he felt the buzz and he couldn’t help but give in. He nodded meekly and was practically dragged out of his room by the too excited Kim Jongin.

 

---

In less than five minutes, Kyungsoo and Jongin stood at the front entrance, ears clear to the harsh sounds of rain beating the earth senselessly.

“Stay here,” Jongin said, finally letting go of his tight grasp on Kyungsoo’s wrist. The merry grin plastered on his face never left as he jogged forward and went under the pouring rain.

“What are you doing?!” Kyungsoo raised his voice so Jongin could hear him over the rain.

“Life, hyung! This is why I love the rain!” Jongin shouted back as he blinked countless of times because the rain was starting to disrupt normality in opening the eyes, his merry grin getting sillier as the second ticked by because it didn’t die down, not even a bit. Jongin then spun on one of his feet like what ballet dancers do, to which Kyungsoo positively thought he did ballet because the spin was perfect and beautiful. Jongin leaned his head back after standing back on his two feet and let the rain hit his face, reached out his hands and using all deep literary words he had learn as a literature student to point out how the rain droplets slides off his skin effortlessly to Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo caught the shouted words but he didn’t understand most of it, all he knew was that the sight beheld in front of him was glorious, of a drenched and exceptionally delighted Jongin .

“I don’t get it!”

“You don’t have to! The rain is just water, hyung! It’s about letting go and let the rain wash all your shizz out. Momentarily, but long enough for me,” Jongin had stopped shouting when he took steps closer to Kyungsoo who still stood under the shaded entrance of their dormitory apartment. He suddenly sneezed and Kyungsoo instinctively reached out to pull him back.

Kyungsoo brought Jongin to his room to change into dry clothes. And along the way to his room, Jongin’s shoes made squelching sounds on the floor which made the young man snicker. Kyungsoo felt slightly irritated but he found himself mentally laughing his out (the squelching sounds were disgusting and it reminded him of stepping on fresh poop).

After Jongin had changed into fresh clothes, Kyungsoo got him to sit down on a chair to help him dry his hair.

“I still don’t get it,” he voiced when he stopped rubbing the towel on Jongin’s head. Jongin held his wrists then while looking up at him, hair still dripping and lips looking very supple which Kyungsoo just realised.

“I like to feel it hit me. That’s why I say it makes me feel alive. It makes me FEEL. Just like how I realised I have fallen in love with you, hyung. The realisation hit me, and I felt it.”

“What?” Kyungsoo widened his eyes wider than wide itself. Jongin’s supple lips just curved into a loving smile for the elder.

 

Since the fateful day of Jongin’s confession, Kyungsoo felt awkward having to see Jongin on a daily basis. He doesn’t have anything against gays but he never thought he was or have ever been gay, mainly because he had been dating girls all the while and when he registered the memories of getting dumped after three dates tops, girls just don’t dig him as much as Jongin does. The act of the  love struck Jongin coming to his room every day after classes weren’t helping his awkward heart either but this awkward heart of his didn’t have the courage or want to tell him to leave. Kyungsoo liked him staying, just the discomfort was killing him.

It was killing him to the verge of wanting to cover his face with a paper bag until he suffocates to death each time he catches Jongin’s gaze fall on him because he can’t bear to be looked at that way. Kyungsoo felt weird to discover his ‘new’ self because all this while he thought that he was as straight as a ruler until he was melted and bent by the fire in his heart from being loved (metaphorically stating that Kyungsoo is a plastic ruler and not wooden or metal) by the reckless, pluviophilic young man named Kim Jongin. That bent signifying he was homoual and not anymore heteroual.

 

---

 

Days passed by like storms for Kyungsoo because battling the demons of being a full time engineering student and the numerous awkward encounters with Jongin made him want to sink into bed every single night and disappear almost forever, almost because secretly he wanted to have Jongin. He felt warm, really warm for once. But the pain-in-the-derriere studies just had to ruin all the good feels.

The day of Kyungsoo’s mother’s death anniversary came up but he had an exam on the very same day, meaning he couldn’t visit her grave in the morning. It didn’t rain that day but it was gloomy as the clouds were seemingly trudging in the skies and covering every inch of empty spaces disabling the Sun from heating the world, which could be a good thing considering global warming is mental but it wasn’t a good thing, not for Kyungsoo that is. He wanted the clear skies.

“Oohh I hope it rains soon,” Jongin beamed as he craned his neck from the window and looked up at the grey sky

“Not today, Jongin. I want to visit my mom.”

“But you have a paper in the afternoon right?”

“I’ll go at night,” Kyungsoo replied as a matter of fact.

“That’s scary,” Jongin shuddered.

“My mom is not scary.”

“That’s not what I meant, hyung. Ah, nevermind. Can I follow?” Jongin wasn’t really sure why he asked. He was definitely not fond of visiting the cemetery at night. But Jongin was also a reasonable man so he thought of Kyungsoo, whom he definitely thought shouldn’t visit the cemetery alone at night because the possibility of the poor innocent and vulnerable Kyungsoo getting still lingered in his head.

And true to Jongin’s thoughts, Kyungsoo didn’t want to go alone either and he was glad when Jongin offered to come along. He simply nodded to answer Jongin’s question.

 

---

 

The three hours of agonising calculus did not end as fast as Kyungsoo hoped so by the time he left the exam hall he had the urge to cry because he felt stupid for struggling to answer the questions he had gone over 876346582 times before. He dragged himself to get out of the building unable to bear the choking surroundings of post-exam trauma. He turned to a corner heading towards the exit when he found Jongin sitting on a lone bench in the lobby.

“Finally! Let’s go, hyung,” Jongin got up immediately when his eyes caught sight of Kyungsoo’s figure.

They stopped by at a florist to get a bouquet of chrysanthemum because Kyungsoo said it was his mother’s favourite flowers, ‘they smell like tea and that’s very calming’ quoting his mother when she was fairly sane. Afterwards they took a bus to the cemetery ground. It was nothing fancy, no lighted candles or fresh flower petals or a scripted prayer or formal attire. Just Kyungsoo and Jongin in denim and tee, laying the bouquet of chrysanthemum in front the tombstone before saying silent prayers.

“I hope you’re happy in your new place and I hope when I go there, I am still your son,” Kyungsoo closed his eyes and prayed hard with his hands clenched together.

“Mrs. Do, if you are listening please make it rain to show that you are blessing my love for your son. May you rest in peace,” Jongin prayed silently.

Was Jongin praying for something impossible? Maybe, but he believed it wasn’t impossible and everything is possible with prayers.

And right then, just like a staged movie, drops of rains started to fall from the sky in a light drizzle. Jongin grinned when he felt a drop assaulted his skin that made him jolt a bit. His prayer had been heard and fulfilled. Jongin looked up and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to Kyungsoo’s mom.

Kyungsoo on the contrary, grunted and wanted to scream vulgarly so mother Earth knows she was doing a very fine job at pissing him off during an emotional moment, of course he couldn’t do so in front of his laid-to-rest mother. As much as he hated the rain, he was still a respectful young man. However, the unexpected downpour had Kyungsoo sort of screaming just one word.

“NO!!!”

He wanted to run for cover and if possible, to a shaman so he could stop the rain, but Jongin grabbed his arm and made him stay under the rain.

“Feel it. Feel the rain for once,” Jongin pleaded. Kyungsoo frowned and shook away the hand holding his forearm tightly but Jongin’s grasp was too strong. Jongin must have trained his hands for grabbing or some sort because he was strong and it would take a lot of strength to be released.

“Hyung, this is your mom,” Jongin uttered and Kyungsoo softened at the metaphorical logic.

“She’s okay with us,” Jongin grinned but this time, Kyungsoo saw it as a smirk that was a bit distorted, and way out of place.

“Us?” Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows.

“I sort of asked for the rain. That if she approves of us being a thing, let the rain fall to show it. And the- AH CHOO!”

“You’re so stupid, Jongin,” Kyungsoo stiffled a loud laugh because he doesn’t want to look dorky in front of Jongin, but all attempts failed because he sneezed in the midst of laughter. They decided to go under the shade when Kyungsoo sneezed a second time, and a third time, and a fourth time, and a-

“God, hyung! When will you stop sneezing?”

“Ugh..now,” Kyungsoo sniffed and rubbed his nose. Jongin then replied with the usual ‘bless you’.

The time crawled by slower when you’re not doing anything fun and waiting for the rain to stop was certainly no fun. Jongin fixed his eyes on Kyungsoo’s mother’s tombstone and wondered when he dies, will he be able to let the rain fall like she did or even better, be the rain and experience the feeling of hitting someone else’s skin. While Kyungsoo, plainly staring at Jongin and letting his sight fall on the curves and edges of his features and thinking that Jongin has got to be the most flawless man he has ever seen. But he took back the thought later when Jongin sneezed again and he saw snot coming out of his nose. Jongin chortled before sniffing back his snot, Kyungsoo feeling disgusted and all, still laughed at the so-called flawless man’s embarrassing snot scene.

 

 

Kyungsoo had to brave the harsh rain and turn a blind eye to all the weird looks they received from bus passengers because Jongin and he had to return to their dorm because it was too late. Though, Jongin being the one who loves the rain, felt a tad bit disappointed to leave. But so, staying at the cemetery during a rainy night was terrifying. They reached the dorm soaking wet and shivering due to sheer coldness.

“Go take a warm shower.”

“I want to shower with you,” Jongin teased with a smirk, much kinkier than ever.

“. Go Jongin,” Kyungsoo shooed him away. Jongin left with residual teasing of grabby hands and lip biting, Kyungsoo just laughed because he was just being absurdly playful. But minutes later, Kyungsoo was about to discard the soaked clothes plastered to his skin when he heard a knock on his door and opened it to see a dejected looking Jongin.

“There’s a girl in my room.”

“Ask her to leave or call the security.”

Jongin heaved a sigh and looked down.

“I can’t,”

“Why not?” Kyungsoo asked, frowning.

“My roommate, her,” Jongin continued with yet again, grabbing hands and lip biting but now he adds smooching lips and disturbing moans. Kyungsoo was nothing but horrified at what Jongin was doing in an effort to explain what the girl was doing in his dorm room. Jongin’s explanation stopped quite too late because Kyungsoo’s mind was already permanently tainted.

“Can I shower here? Can I borrow some clothes too? Just until they’re done smothering each other,” although Kyungsoo was fully appalled, he managed to nod and since Junmyeon was nowhere to be found (probably rutting a girl too, or a boy, Kyungsoo couldn’t care less about Junmyeon’s ual preferences), he guessed it was okay if Jongin wanted to crash in for the night too. He rummaged through his cupboard to find him a set of clean clothes and a pair of clean boxers which he had never worn, they were his emergency boxers. After showers, separately, Kyungsoo gasped when he realised Jongin was shirtless.

“Why aren’t you wearing a shirt? I gave you a shirt. Why aren’t you wearing it?”

“It’s hot,” Jongin simply answered and laid on Junmyeon’s bed, not caring to pull the comforter down but to lay on it with his hands behind his back and his legs crossed over the other. Kyungsoo was too tired to say anything further so he turned the lights off, climbed into his own bed and covered his bottom half with the blanket as he took his pants off. He always sleeps with boxers and boxers only, oh and a shirt, without pants because he feels uncomfortable with the piece of clothing while in slumber.

“Good night, Jongin,” but there was no answer. A few minutes later, he felt the blanket being lifted up and a weight sinking his bed beside him. He thought he was dreaming because he had read something about your mind being half conscious and you think that everything is happening for real but it’s just your conscious mind being in your unconscious body so they’re all just delusions.

“Hyung,” the voice was totally not a dream. Kyungsoo’s eyes shot open.

“I love you,” hoarse voice but it made the sentence all the more piercing than it could be. Kyungsoo turned his head to the side to see Jongin’s face inches too close because he could his breath against his lips. He was tilting at windmills because the imaginary issues of having to handle those three words made him face an endless war within his heart and mind. In the end, Kyungsoo sighed because Jongin must be drunk of acid rain. He now has evidence that being under the rain too much can make someone go cuckoo.

“What do you know about love, Jongin?” he hadn’t expected an answer but got one nonetheless.

“I know that love is keeping a promise. And I promise you'll never hate the rain ever again. Or at least, hate it less,” Jongin’s voice was hushed but his words were clear to Kyungsoo’s ears. Jongin smiled and even though the room was unlit, Kyungsoo could see him and his chest had ripped open, his heart (and breath) was officially taken by Jongin. Now, he doesn’t take it back because he felt it was okay to not to.

“You just had to try so hard to get to me,” Kyungsoo closed his eyes back to sleep.

“Because I love you.”

“You said that already.”

“I know. I love you.”

“Stop saying that.”

“Never. I love you.”

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo opened his eyes and sighed again because this was really disturbing his precious slumber term.

“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs,” Kyungsoo just stared at Jongin confusedly.

“Go sleep on Junmyeon hyung’s bed Jongin, who studies literature,” and so, Kyungsoo shooed him away from his bed. Jongin whined instead of leaving and wrapped his arms around the elder’s waist. He froze when he felt Jongin’s hand brushed against his thigh accidentally.

“You’re not wearing any pants,” Jongin chuckled.

Kyungsoo was thankful for the dark night because he wouldn’t want Jongin to see him turn crimson.

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo forced his eyes shut.

“I love you,” Jongin whispered, losing the valid reason to why he couldn’t stop saying those words to Kyungsoo tonight. It wasn’t like he won’t have tomorrow to say it again. So he figured, he should stop for now and shower Kyungsoo with the same words when they wake up in each other’s arms tomorrow. Jongin only smiled when he felt Kyungsoo moved his arm and rest a warm palm on his bare chest.

Jongin let his lips lingered on Kyungsoo’s forehead for a while before silently gulping, leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. That was the first of more kisses.

“I guess I’m in love with you too,” Kyungsoo thought but never uttered because he was really beat for the night. He felt Jongin’s warmth and it was the most blissful thing he has ever felt in his life. He still hates the rain but having Jongin let him hate it less made it okay, because Kyungsoo gets to have Jongin’s perfect warmth all to himself when it rains. And that was all he needed.

Do Kyungsoo who hates the rain is now in love with Kim Jongin the pluviophile.