Day 10

Thunder roared and rain pelted the golden sands to an ugly felt brown. A flash of lightening struck, causing me to snap awake the next morning with a scare.

The rain continued to fall and the thunder became more ferocious as it liberated from the dreary grey vapor puffs hanging above, soaking the gorgeous greenery and sediments trailing across the island.

Clear droplets of water rolled down the palm leaves in perfect crystal beads, landing on plants and earth beneath them.

Despite the flashbacks and the unnerving roar of thunder, things felt slightly pastoral. I lay on my back against the hammock, listening to the gentle patter of rain as it landed against the leaves bonded overhead as a roof.

The bamboos stayed firm as the wind blew harshly and the leaves managed to successfully keep the water from leaking inside of my shelter. Daehyun sure knew what he was doing.

Amongst the sound of rain came the sound of rustling bushes until one of the banana leaves on my shelter had been pulled to a side, revealing a soaked boy and his pet dog.

I immediately sat up, alarmed as to why he even bothered making his way over here in this harsh weather.

“What are you two doing here?” I asked, flicking my gaze between the dog and the human.

“Thought we’d keep you company,” Daehyun replied, placing the leaf back in its place.

He ruffled his soaked brownish-blondish hair away from his eyes and made himself comfortable beside me, bringing the dog up onto his lap.

“You’re all wet now…” I said, pinching some of his floral blue shirt, which had been clinging onto his skin. His shirt buttons were unfastened, revealing his white wife-beater and golden chest.

His short sleeves clung to the contours of his muscular arms and his shorts were white, equally clinging to his thick thighs.

Not one section of his skin had been able to escape the vengeance of the rain as it plummeted heavily from the skies.

“How often does it rain like this?” I questioned, scratching Sandy behind the ears. The brunette looked up thoughtfully,

“Quite often in this season.”

He looked over at me and smiled, sparking a flame somewhere deep inside of my stomach. The way his lips curved unevenly and the way his eyes turned into puffy crescents always sent waves of warmth within me.

It’s strange how this male manages to sustain his incredible looks throughout 5 long years being on an island. His skin doesn’t need cream, his lips don’t need balm…

What kind of sorcery must this man be using? I would like to know.

Removing the eye contact, I awkwardly began looking around at the ceiling and then at the floor.

There’s not much to do or talk about, really.

“Do you like the rain, Youngjae?”

After a brief moment of thought, I nodded. Rain on the land is different to the rain at sea, which is more violent and merciless. Unlike on the land, it’s more prosperous and calming.

Silence eloped the two of us as we relaxed to the sound of the rain as it galloped and danced along the waxy surfaces of the tropical leaves.

“Daehyun?” I coyly spoke, looking up at the breath-taking boy.

“Mm?”

Holding down a smirk, I tagged him and hollered “Catch me if you can!” before dashing through the palm leaves of the shelter and heading towards the beach.

The island boy struggled to put Sandy down but joyously sprinted after me as soon as he got the chance.

Hopping through the tall plants and shrubs, water flicked and trickled down onto my skin, tickling my nerves more as I laughed and hopped through the sand on my bare feet.

Daehyun’s anklets clicked whilst he ran after me, careless if the rain lashed and blurred his vision.

Under a large roar of thunder and strike of lightening, the two of us found ourselves running along the shoreline, sinking our feet beneath the moist grains of sand and listening to the ferocious crash of the waves.

Eventually, the island boy caught up and wound me between his arms before the both of us buckled and landed breathless in shallow waters.

Sand mixed within my long strands of hair and water soaked my entire behind as I lay against my back, laughing breathlessly under Daehyun who was equally as stimulated.

He hovered above me with both hands on either side of my head as I lay there panting against his mouth, which were only a mere few centimeters away from mine.

“You’re it,” he whispered, before bouncing back up onto his feet and skipping deeper into the water.

Damn you and your incredible stamina, I thought, crawling back up onto my weak legs and wading in after him.

Despite the strong currents of the waves pulling me deeper out, Daehyun caught a strong hold around my wrist with one hand whilst using the other to tickle and splash me with water.

I cried out and lost my balance, plopping like a weightless pebble into the water whilst the other laughed and bellowed for his victory.

He’s such a kid.

Guess that makes two of us. 

"I surrender!" I wailed, crying tears of laughter when the slender fingers of the island boy hadn't left my sides.

He abnoxiously laughed and released my wrist, sending me a demonic smirk right afterwards. I guess he's really quite the playful type, especially after the sweet encounter with the dolphins.

The rain started to calm down a bit, leaving us there to simply stare at each other in some sort of ciphering faze. 

Daehyun's grin remained, but his expression seemed to stiffen in seriousness whilst he continued to study the paler features of my face. 

"I'm really glad you found my island, Youngjae." 

~*~