Danielle watched the raindrops fall against the window, pattering loudly against the glass without stopping. Really, how long had it been since it had stopped?

According to old reports and records, strange rain had begun to fall all over the world decades ago. After weeks of extensive investigation, scientists determined the causes were changes in ocean currents and atmospheric circulation, an increase in temperature, and, what was most discussed, an underwater volcano in the Pacific Ocean that erupted. Danielle knew all this thanks to the digital books they used at school, which contained various information about the case. Since then, the rain never stopped; it sometimes decreased, but it never ceased, falling every day and every night. It would take decades to restore, as much as possible, a portion of the normal meteorological activity.

A loud voice echoed through the Chemistry classroom, and Danielle knew whose it was.

“Hey, what happened to you? Why is the rest of your body dry, but your arm looks like you dunked it in a pool before coming?”

“Ah, while I was on the bus, with my arm out the window, one of those high drains dropped a large amount of rainwater, and it landed right on my arm,” Hanni explained, shrugging with her characteristic nonchalance. “But it doesn’t smell bad; don’t worry.”

All the students around backed away, some making jokes, others looking disgusted, and she simply watched the scene with a hint of unease. Being Danielle Marsh, someone who had been allergic to rain since she was young due to some of its components, and having to be careful not to let any raindrop touch her skin, it seemed a bit strange to her. In fact, it made her a little uneasy just to see it.

Danielle turned her gaze away and instead decided to focus on her notes when suddenly she felt something wet touch her arm. She noticed Hanni standing next to her, with a playful expression and eyes not even focused on her.

“Hey, Dan…”

“Don’t touch me!!”

Danielle quickly moved her arm away, trembling and swiftly wiping off the water Hanni had left on her arm, with concern because she knew that could trigger an allergic reaction. Hanni looked at her with a furrowed brow and a large, puzzled frown.

“Hey, what’s wrong? I just wanted to ask if you would lend me your Chemistry homework.”

“S-sorry, it’s just…” Danielle nervously ran a hand over her face. “Your arm is wet with rainwater, and I’m allergic.”

“Allergic to water?” Hanni asked, astonished.

“No, no, to rainwater,” Danielle corrected.

“Ah…” Hanni lowered her head and ran a hand through her shirt collar, probably embarrassed. “Sorry… I didn’t know, really.”

Danielle told her it was fine, that it was just a mistake, and in any case, she gave Hanni her homework so she could finish it. It seemed like the girl no longer even wanted to accept her notebook out of embarrassment, and in fact, Danielle found it surprising that she didn’t know about her unusual allergies since almost everyone in the classroom knew.

Classes went on as usual, nothing too interesting, and when it was time to leave, Danielle made sure her waterproof coat, boots, gloves, and mask were well-adjusted as she prepared to leave the school. Her parents had insisted on driving her to and from school by car, but their work schedules were so tight that it wasn’t possible, so they only did it a couple of times. The rest of the time, she had to take the bus; of course, with great care.

Outside, Busan was drenched alongside the rain, and the water seemed to transform the colors into pristine blues and grays. Walking along the edge of the sidewalk with her umbrella in one hand, she observed a rather interesting, even concerning sight in her opinion, and she stood still.

A few meters away, on a small exposed bench, sat Hanni, seemingly completely relaxed with her hands behind her head and her head tilted up, letting the rain drench her from head to toe. It almost looked like a clip from a fleeting, sublime music video. Danielle felt a tinge of curiosity, almost instinctively, and approached slowly, not needing to draw too much attention to herself.

“What are you doing there under the rain? Aren’t you afraid of getting sick?”

Hanni startled for a moment and, placing a hand on her chest, leaned back on the bench with half-closed eyes.

“I’ve been under the rain many times, and I haven’t gotten sick. Besides, I like the rain, and my house is covered with absorbent mats,” she responded serenely, looking upward. Danielle imagined Hanni was seeing a halo of crystals through the raindrops. “But now I know you can’t be out like I'm right now.” Hanni sat up straight and looked directly at Danielle. “I’m sorry about that, again; really…”

“It’s okay. You didn’t know,” Danielle said, ignoring the fact that she had to apply topical cream to the arm Hanni touched because within hours it began to itch, and small welts appeared.

“Can I ask what causes your allergy? Is it something in the rain or something like that?”

“It’s a mix of a few things. Pollen and nitrogen oxide or something like that and some chemical compounds in the rain.”

“How do you treat it?”

“Every time I have an outbreak, I take loratadine and apply some cream to soothe my physical reactions. That’s what I almost always do, unless it escalates, and I have to go to the hospital.”

Hanni simply said 'mmm,' as if to understand, and lowered her head for a few seconds before leaning back on the bench again, shaking off the raindrops like a dog.

“You sound like you’ve been dealing with it for a long time.”

Danielle remained silent. She really felt a tinge of interest in Hanni, but she didn’t know how to steer the conversation away from her own ailments. In reality, she had rarely spoken to Hanni, even though they had been in the same grade and class since she started at that school in her first year of high school, and she bid her farewell and resumed her journey home.

The next day, she was surprised when Hanni Pham approached her desk and offered her a bag with packets of loratadine and hydrocortisone: the topical cream she used.

“I got to thinking,” Hanni began, her eyes downcast, “that you might have had an allergic reaction because of me, and I took into account what you told me yesterday and bought this for you. I… hope it helps.”

Danielle took the small bag of medication, still with a hint of incredulity, which couldn’t have cost more than 15,000 won, and thanked Hanni, though she didn’t mention that she always carried her own remedies anyway. It would be irresponsible not to carry them.

That afternoon, the rain was pouring down, much stronger than the day before. In those cases, Danielle had to stay at school a little longer, at least an hour, to wait for it to subside, while watching the other students leave in their thick waterproof clothes, jumping over puddles that formed on the asphalt. Despite everything, they enjoyed the wonders that rain brought in short but beautiful moments, even if she didn’t see it that way.

She put on her headphones and relaxed on a small bench inside the school, leaning her head back, her hands inside her large pastel green coat, and managed to spot Hanni, waiting a few meters away for most of the younger students to pass. This time, she didn’t hold back her curiosity and, with a bit of shyness, approached her.

“You know? I… always have my own medications on hand too.”

Hanni turned to look at her, wondering if she was talking to her, and Danielle nodded. Hanni responded in return.

“But hey, isn’t it better to have more?” Hanni laughed, and fortunately, Danielle caught her joke, smiling. “I really don’t know much about medications, so I asked the pharmacist what’s best for someone who suffers from a rain allergy. She asked me for more details about the allergy, because all allergies are different, but I… honestly didn’t know what to tell her, so she recommended the most optimal ones. Please tell me if that’s the case…”

“Relax, okay? This is what I almost always use, so it’s fine,” Danielle reassured her, and Hanni let out a sigh of relief, perhaps a bit exaggerated, but Danielle wouldn’t judge her for it.

In the following days, the furtive smiles and knowing glances became more frequent. Sometimes, Hanni would see a girl watching the pattering of raindrops against the window, and other times, Danielle would see a girl under the rain, with her head turned up to the sky and her arms outstretched, as if she wanted the water to dissolve her and turn her into gas.

Sometimes, Danielle mustered the courage to gently tap Hanni’s wet foot with her own boot-clad foot, and other times, when Hanni stayed with her to wait for the rain to pass, she would ask:

“Why do you stay with me? Didn’t you like being under the rain?”

“I guess I also enjoy talking to you, and if the heavy rain gives me a few more minutes to be with you…” Hanni responded. Her voice turned into a murmur, though Danielle could hear her perfectly, and that’s why she couldn’t help but burst into a series of laughs. “I think you're nice,” she added, and it seemed like a crucial, definitive point. “Would you… like to give me your phone number? You know, so we can talk a little more.”

Danielle had discovered a couple of aspects of Hanni’s life she didn’t know: she loved playing the acoustic guitar and the ukulele, though she preferred the former, and she loved ice cream (very important: especially pistachio) and a strange mix of teen cliché movies from decades ago and psychological horror films. She also shared aspects of her own life, such as her dermatitis cases, her love for movies, or rather, documentaries, her attempts at skateboarding but failing due to the rain, among other things.

Conversations on KakaoTalk had become quite normal between them, at times when they were supposed to be asleep. Sometimes, the only thing that filled the silence was Hanni’s guitar, and Danielle relaxed with each note.

“You have your eyes closed,” Hanni pointed out, her voice slightly hoarse, during a video call they were having. “What do you imagine while I play?”

“I imagine… being under the rain,” Danielle replied. Her voice had become a cold vapor cloud. “Enjoying it, just like you, while the night falls, surrounded by the stars.”

Soft sounds were heard through the line, and Danielle remained quiet, waiting for Hanni’s response, which came soon.

“It’s a bit sad that you can’t enjoy life outside because of your allergies. I mean, really, I guess no one has enjoyed life the same way with all the rain outside, but for you, it’s worse…”

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” Danielle answered, a bit more seriously than usual. “Really, I’ve already felt it from many people; don’t do the same.”

Hanni didn’t make a sound until she let out a long and heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry.”

Danielle looked out her window and crawled to get closer to it, watching the rain in a calm state that she knew would soon turn stronger. Busan seemed like a city submerged by a kind of humid clarity that was hard to see, and she looked up at the sky. Only a few stars were visible, twinkling like tiny bulbs in a dark room.

But there was one star among them that shone the brightest. Danielle stared at it intently.

“I’ve also felt like I’m missing out on some things, but that doesn’t mean I stop admiring the beauty from a distance.” There was a hint of nostalgia in her voice, or maybe a lazy empathy for herself. “Han, in the sky, do you see a star that shines brighter than the rest?”

“Star?” Hanni asked. For a few seconds, the line remained silent until she spoke again. “Yep, there’s one, especially.”

“Let that be our star,” Danielle said, breaking the stillness in a way that felt special, as if by saying it, something was about to happen and thousands of winged stars would land on her chest. “And every night, it will accompany us when the rain is so strong that we can’t see the rest of the stars in the sky. It will feel like having you by my side; it will be great.”

“Dani, sometimes you’re so cheesy… but I love that part of you.” A warm laugh burst from Hanni’s throat without asking for permission, swept away by Danielle’s sweetest words. “Okay, let’s make that our star.”

Danielle smiled. She knew they hadn’t said it, but it was a promise.

The stars paved the way through the sky, one in which Danielle wandered with her phone in one hand and her heart in the other, feeling as if the rain no longer fell on her but that she was walking above it. Because with Hanni, it seemed like the rain didn’t exist, or at least her mind tried to ignore it.

“Look, that cloud looks like a churro.”

“I see it more like a dinosaur head.”

“What? A brontosaurus?”

“I think so.”

Both laughed, one smile following the other. They were like chords, played perfectly in harmony, that never separated.

Danielle could safely say that Hanni was no longer just a girl embarrassed by having touched her, previously under the rain, or a solitary silhouette sitting on a bench, fading into the water and mist, but her best friend: thousands of fireworks gathering to explode in one point in the sky and burst into sparks.

At night, Danielle dreamed of crossing the rain to reach Hanni, hiding among the raindrops to take off and see that beautiful star that always shone in her night sky with her. She imagined it would be the most beautiful feeling ever experienced.

And she couldn’t have felt better the time Hanni rested her head on her shoulder and said:

“You know, it’s been a while since we met, and… I’d like to go out with you,” Hanni said, and seeing Danielle’s furrowed brow, she explained, “Do you know those floating automatic cars you can rent for a few hours? Well… I’ve been thinking that I’ve saved enough money to rent one, and so, I don’t know, we could take a drive around, have ice cream, go to a drive-in movie, or… whatever you want, to spend some time together and not risk any allergies. What do you think? Are you free this Saturday night?”

Danielle’s eyes were fixed on Hanni, still not believing what she was saying. Had Hanni been saving up to rent one of those automatic cars and go out with her? Was Hanni really willing to do that for her? Just the idea touched her heart, and she wondered how she could say no to such a request.

“Let me ask my parents, but they’ll probably say yes.”

And as expected, her parents agreed she could go, as long as she stayed inside the car and didn’t expose herself to any water. Although they had only seen Hanni a few times, she had earned the trust of both parents, and since they knew how close the two were, despite the challenges, they probably didn’t have the heart to deny the bright-eyed Danielle.

Saturday arrived. It was five in the afternoon when Danielle was already dressed in a white blouse, jeans, and white sneakers matching her top, and as she styled her hair, she imagined how Hanni might be dressed, what kind of light makeup she might wear, and her heart skipped a beat at the very thought.

When there was a knock at her door, she hurried downstairs and opened it, finding those bright eyes and puffed cheeks that were irresistible to pinch: a childlike face, casual but comfortable clothing, and the rain behind her, like a carpet of crystals. When their eyes met, no further words were needed, especially when she saw the car parked in front of the sidewalk.

Through the windows, Busan sped by like light through Venetian blinds. The lights blended into each other, creating a colorful chaos of elevated restaurants and people chatting animatedly under roofs or with large waterproof clothing. It was a night of calm rain.

Hanni sat in the front, in the driver’s seat, even though she wasn’t driving, and occasionally brushed her hand against Danielle’s, who was in the passenger seat, maybe intentionally or not.

And that night was incredible.

After a long drive in the car, they arrived at a small drive-in movie theater, bought tickets and plenty of food. There were laughs, moments to open their eyes, secret whispers between the two, and raised eyebrows as if they were accomplices when Hanni bumped her shoulder against Danielle’s or when Danielle tugged on Hanni’s shirt. It was their moment, their intimate space, with dim lighting and occasional touches.

After making a few more purchases at a small nearby plaza that they decided to visit, they took the open road, a parallel line towards whatever the rest of the night held, to build memories. The rain had cleared up a bit more, revealing the natural glow of the sky, the moon, and the few stars that were there, and Hanni’s profile framed by the window.

At some point between nine and ten o’clock, Hanni decided to park on the side of the road, where all that was around was a healthy, well-groomed lawn, illuminating the softest fibers with moonlight. They stayed there for a while, enjoying the quiet surroundings and finishing the food they had bought. Hanni had her hands behind her head, her eyes closed, while Danielle took a final sip of her drink and set it aside, brushing her hair back to admire the view. She could feel her whole body relax in the calm.

“Amazing, isn’t it? I was going to bring my guitar, but my dad wanted to keep it for a while to play,” Hanni shared with a slight pout on her lips. Danielle watched her for a few seconds. “I’d like to stay here forever.”

“No, really, you wouldn’t,” Danielle replied with a laugh.

“With you here, yeah. The best moments happen when you’re by my side.”

That intimate confession stirred something in Danielle’s chest, and she had to look away from the soft twinkle in Hanni’s eyes, feeling embarrassed. Of course, it was nice to hear that, but… how could she?

However, when she felt Hanni take her arm, she looked at her. She observed her profile, illuminated by the light outside, and realized how beautiful she looked. Hanni was like the stars: nothing matched the beauty of her shine, and she was there to illuminate others, and that was just one of the things Danielle loved about her.

Hanni was her friend, her best friend, her savior, her star. There was no love quite like the one she had developed in a short time.

She wanted to get closer to her, care for her, take her dancing in the rain, under the stars, even if she couldn’t…

Suddenly, Danielle had an idea. She put on her thick, warm coat, her gloves, and her mask, which she had brought just in case, and opened the passenger door. Hanni grabbed her wrist tightly and turned to see her confused eyes.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!? Have you gone crazy!?”

“Yeah, crazy,” Danielle affirmed with a bright smile. “Crazy thanks to you.”

Hanni looked at her with a furrowed brow, and none of her shouts or warnings deterred Danielle as she stepped out of the car, covering herself as much as she could. She felt the impact of the raindrops on her head, but they didn’t wet her, and once she stopped in front of the car, she smiled, spinning around and waving her arms. She hadn’t realized how alive she was starting to feel.

“Look, Han, I’m outside!!” Danielle exclaimed excitedly, hopping slightly. Hanni’s wide-eyed gaze was fixed on her, as if she couldn’t believe what she was doing. “Come on, Han!! Come with me!!”

Hanni didn’t seem to react for a few seconds until she let out a laughter choked by a necessary sigh, slowly opening the driver’s door, and when she stepped out, the raindrops immediately began to wet her face and hair.

“I would tell you that you’re a big idiot, Dani, because if you have an allergic reaction, your parents will kill me for not taking care of you, but I can’t do that.”

That was enough for Danielle, and she took Hanni’s hand to pull her in. Their feet moved instinctively, as did Hanni’s, and soon they were joined in a small, clumsy, and fun dance. Nothing else mattered in that moment; the rest of the world had faded away, and they were just there, dancing in the rain.

In a twirl, Hanni stumbled and pulled Danielle down with her, causing her to stagger, and they both fell to the ground. Far from being upset, Danielle burst out laughing while covering her face with her arm, and Hanni looked at her, joining in her resounding laughter. Their shining star was present in the sky that night.

“I never thought you’d dare to… be like this,” Hanni said, referring to the rain. Her voice seemed muffled by the water.

“I felt like doing it with you,” Danielle replied. “I know I should be careful, but… with you, I don’t feel so trapped or incapable anymore, at least for once.”

Danielle slowly slid her gloved hand along Hanni’s arm, so there was no danger for her in that touch, and reached her wrist, taking a few moments to intertwine their fingers. It was the first time they had such intimate and close contact, and Danielle was afraid she had made her uncomfortable because Hanni didn’t react initially.

But her doubts vanished when Hanni smiled at her, as sweet as always, and only released their intertwined fingers for a moment to turn around and lean on her elbow, brushing her hand against Danielle’s cheeks. Danielle blushed slightly, hoping the rain would wash away any trace of her blush, take away the erratic beating of her heart that shattered the calm of that moment, and she couldn’t help but glance at Hanni’s lips.

Seconds seemed to stand still around them until Hanni slowly leaned in, gently removed Danielle’s mask, and kissed her, softly and gently, and the rest of the world seemed to shrink to their quick breaths and intertwined hands.

And if there was someone, or rather, something witnessing that unique experience that night, it was the star that shone in the sky. Their star.