The palm trees swayed in the wind.

Dark,

thick,

cotton-like

grey clouds rathered in the sky giving a sense of ominous rain would soon be fallen.

The sun hid well behind the clouds.

Together they created a beautifully melancholic scenery.

Sojung skipt her afternoon class.  

It looked like there would be a thunderstorm. She should really be heading home but she knew that Kris wouldn’t come home until six.

She headed to her second most favorite place in the whole world, the small, yet warm bookstore.

Droplets of rain started falling down from above and Sojung was a couple blocks from reaching her destination.

The rain felt refreshing on her skin.

She paced her steps faster as the rain got heavier.

She spotted Kai doing the same approaching her.

They pulled into the bookstore just in time. One more minute running in the rain and there was no doubt

that they would be completely drenched, soaking wet.

Sojung had to admit it, that was fun getting caught in the first fall rain.

"I wonder where is D.O oppa?" Sojung asked the question out loud to herself. The store was like normal, empty.

"I'll go in the back to see if there towels we can use," Sojung said and left Kai there.

Kai didn't mind getting little wet but he got a little too wet. He didnt complain though.

It rained on and on. Kai stared blankly outside the window.

 

D.O curled into the small coach in the back room, where Sojung found him sleeping, peaceful. Sojung searched around for towels.

The sudden noises woke D.O up, however he made no effort to change his position. He therefore, to the best of his ability opened his eyes half way and glanced at Sojung's back.

He knew Sojung was a bit if not very unhappy and unpleased finding out he left the store unattended. But he had a good reason for it, he really did. And he made sure to stand up for himself before Sojung could nag him.

"I knew you wouldn't go to class today," D.O murmured in a drowsy voice. "I had a feeling you would come here. Since you here already, I can relax and take my nap. It is not easy to balance between school and work you know?"

"And love," Sojung added.

"Yeah and relationship." He said no more and dozing off into dreamland.

Sojung spotted some clean towels in the counter and she took them.

 

She handed Kai a clean towel and kept one for herself. Kai took the towel and dried his blonde hair.

Sojung felt his intense gaze were staring at her. She looked up and he was staring at her like the way a person would stare in a staring contest.

Sojung noted that his hair was messy, but it made no hindrance against his handsome features face.

Although she felt tempted to lost herself into his eyes, while having a stare contest with him. She thought she would lose the contest. No, erase that thought.

She knew she would loss. So she rathered not try.

She blinked breaking her eyes contact with her.

She felt awkward.

She stuttered, "I'll be right back." She told the young gentleman, who name she recalled was Kai. And the number of occasions that they meet in the very place, was four.  

Four and on counting.

Kai stood there like before observing nothing in particular.

He spaced out.

Dark clouds are grey.

The sun is yellow.

The rainbow has seven colors. Red the topmost color, followed by orange, yellow, lime, violet and indigo.

Rainbow come after the rain.

Sojung eyes are brown.

Rain is like water, pure, clear and transparent.

Sojung was transparent also.

 

Sojung came back with a cup in each hand. The sweet and bitter of coffee beans float around.

"Coffee?" Sojung asked raising her voice. She held out the cups in from of them. "I hope you dont mind."

Kai grabbed his cup from Sojung's hand. "Thank you."

He sniffed in delight. They sniffed the scent in delight.

Sojung stared at him as he took a sip. She looked like she had something to say.

"Huh?" Kai questioned. "The coffee is great," he commented gestured at his cup and took another sip.

Sojung shook her head slowly. It was that.

That wasn't it. It was part of it. But. Not quite the reason why her eyes widen.

"What?" Kai asked encouragingly.

"Its just weird that-" she eyed at his coffee cup, "it's pink."

Kai eyes flinched, but with control his expression became more accepted. "Oh," he cooed, not surprising at the least.

The soft and relax manner his 'Oh,' was pronounced echoed in the back of her mind. She didn't quite get it.

"I'm," Kai began.

He paused as if he was having conflicted feelings whether he should continue.

"Actually, I'm colorblind."

He waited for the word 'its cool'. But it never arrived. Not that he was hoping to hear it, but it was more like he was expecting to her those two words.

That what made Sojung, Sojung.

He should've known.

Sojung remained wordless. Her expression didn't harden to show that she was surprised or pitied him. That did not happened. Her expression rather soften, for whatever reason he couldn't put his finger on it.

A noticeable relief exhale followed between Kai lips.

Long silence past.

Words remained unspoken.

Eyes blinked.

Breathe unbreathed.

 

Time slowed down. The clock rarely ticked.

Stillness and just barely hanging on.

 

Most people would ask him to describe his perspective being a colorblind person. But not Sojung.

She asked no further questions. A fragile smile painted on her lips as to sip her drink.

"You don't wonder?" Kai asked slowly as he trying to figure out her.

She continued searching for a good book to read in a rainy day mood. He followed behind, not that he needed to hear her reply, he wanted to hear her reply.

"Huh?" Sojung said without looking at him. It wasnt a question asking for clarification. She got his question. And of course she wondered.

She wondered was that the reason why he dyed his said blonde.

She wondered was that why he was unhappy.

She wondered was that why he was so closed up to himself, so unreachable and so reflective all the time.

She wondered if that was why he was always so black and white.

"My colorblindness, you're not curious about it?" Kai asked her, clarifying her.

This time she turned around and faced him. She gazed up at her face. Their eyes met.

"I'm curious," she admitted. Her eyelids fluttered twice, but still maintained direct contact with his eyes, "But I think I have a right to ask you things you don't want to talk about."

A short pause elapsed, just enough time for her to inhale before she proceed, "we all have secrets. I understand and respect your decision."

He understood those things that she was talking about. Things that were personal. Too personal. A secret. Many secrets.

"But I do want to talk about it, my colorblindness," Kai blurted out. His pupils dilated. What did he just say? His ears didn't quite followed him. He wanted to talk about his weakness? Since when.

Sojung searched through his eyes.

"I'll listen," Sojung promised softly as if she was giving him second chance to rethink his decision, "if you want to tell me then I will listen."

 

The rain clouds were scattering.

The palm trees still were swaying in the winds. But it was less violence, more bearable.

The sun stopped playing hide and seek behind the clouds.

Together they created a melancholic scenery, very... picturesque. Kai noted.  

Kai skipped this afternoon class.

 

Kai pointed at an object outside the glass window pane, Sojung eyes automatically followed his index finger.

"Can you see that rainbow?" Kai asked quietly.

Sojung replied and her tone was just as quiet as Kai was, "um," she nodded.

"I could distinguished the lower bottom colors. But I couldn't distinguish the upper ones."

Sojung took a moment to process his words and she started to wonder.

"Does that mean you can only see cold colors?"

Kai turned to Sojung and saw her tilted face looking at the distant rainbow, "Cold colours?"

Sojung nodded still gazing at the distant magical rainbow, "Cold colours are colors like blue, purple and green. Whereas warm colors are happier colors like yellow, red and pink."

Kai opened his mouth halfway and closed it.

Warm colors.

A creak noise was made and it started Sojung.

Cold colors.

Sojung turned her attention away from the window pane and noticed it was D.O who was responsible for the sudden noise.

Kai followed her eyes at met the older, maybe, from what Kai could assumed was no taller in height than Kai, himself.

Although the gentleman eyes was half open, Kai could made out that he had a dark shade pair of eyes, just as dark as his hair.

The gentleman yawned as he stretched his hands in the air and did a little yoga move.

"I see the rain stopped," the gentleman commented as he was observing the street views from the window pane, "that was a great nap. I'm totally rejuvenate. Do you know what time is it anyway? "

Speaking of time, Kai glanced at his watch.

"My art class should be starting soon," he told Sojung and she nodded.

"Bye," Sojung waved at his turned back. Kai left, hurriedly.  

 

In the short conversation they shared, the friend, whose named Kai became a less mysterious person to Sojung. But she still felt like his had more mysterious wonders in his sleeves. Not that she didn't want to get to know her new friend better. Please don't misunderstood Sojung.

She only knew that if he would make an effort to share her his stories, she would need to share him her secrets.

She believed in that system, that give and take system. You give some, you take some.

Afterall that only fair.

He showed her a part of him. Now it was her turn.

Except she was not ready.

Nor did she think she would ever be ready.

 

It was a while long after Kai left the store that D.O spoke up, "Is he you next victim?"

Sojung hummed, "huh?" And she lowered her book. D.O face was straight and tranquil.

"Or shall I refer to him as a patient?" D.O pondered whilst sipping her cup of coffee. He made a disgusting face and his tongue stuck up, "yuck, why so bitter? You should at least warned me!"

He glared at Sojung. His facial expression made her laugh.

"That's what you get for drinking other people drink without asking for their permission," Sojung blamed him in a friendly, yet sarcastic voice. She couldn't seem to stop smiling at him, who was wiping his tongue with his sleeve, as an attempt get rid of the bitterness.

"Oh he is, isn't he?" D.O mumbled something that Sojung couldn't quite hear. "I was your 4th victim," he told her back in his usual voice.

But this time, Sojung was able to hear him.

But to hear was one thing, to listen was another and to understand was a totally different topic.

Sojung's smile faded.

"It's not very nice you know," D.O began slowly, "it is not nice to fix people."

"You should, really should try to fix yourself first," said D.O gently.

No reply.

Just a blank expression on Sojung's face.

"You're a mess."

Sojung's heart stopped for a second. The words echoed in her mind. 'How did you know?' Her eyes seemed to say.

"What you're doing Sojung-ah, it is not nice. It's not nice to yourself treat other like that, it's not nice to treat yourself like that."