A breeze swept up dust and leaves as the bell rang in the distance. Minah tried to pick up her pace, hurrying into the building being joined by some of the students who were late as well. Public transport had given her trouble that day with the weather starting to get a little unpredictable. Trying to retrieve some semblance of propriety, Minah headed towards the teacher’s lounge. A long lithe figure rushed past her, almost a flash of white making her blink when it turned around.

Jongin’s eyes gazed at her through round spectacles as he paused, pulling the door to the teacher’s lounge open and waiting for her to enter. Minah felt a twinge as she took a deep breath and walked into the room, heading straight for her seat. This was how she had first met Jongin back in college. In an Introduction to English Literature class where they were both late and he had held the door open for her while regarding her with his soft brown eyes through the spectacles he still wore every now and then.

Minah had found it hard to breathe and the same twinge pulled at her gut yet again as she took her coat off and picked up her things to head over to her classroom. Maybe there were going to be the side effects of working with Jongin. There would be nostalgia, but at the same time a twinge of pain. She sped up, now nearly breaking into a run as she hurried to her classroom, shuddering as a wind blew through the corridors.

She hoped that her class wouldn’t be in shambles when she reached it. On entering she could see the chaos of her students running around the classroom, but no major damage had occurred in her absence. A silence fell over the room as she entered with a sheepish smile, “I apologize for coming in late. I will ensure that this won’t happen again.” she said truthfully. If her students were to learn anything, it was to own up to their mistakes and she as a teacher would set an example for them. She set down to taking the roll call when there was a knock on the door making her look up to Soojung calling for her.

Excusing herself yet again, she stood up and headed for the door as Soojung beckoned her “Minah, could you please substitute for me today? My class has dance and I have a meeting with the Director.”

Minah frowned “Is no one else free during that slot?” making Soojung shake her head in response.

“Please, I have to hurry to the meeting now and you’re the only one free for the slot.” she begged as Minah sighed.

“Alright, just fill in the substitution sheet for me. The things I do for you.”

“Thank you! Enjoy with handsome!” Soojung grinned before hurrying away making Minah grimace before re-entering the classroom. This was almost like the time Dambi bailed on the experiment that she was supposed to conduct with Jongin and sent Minah as a substitute. It had been for one of the Psych department’s experiments which involved investing money as a team to determine risk taking factors and somehow she and Jongin had come out laughing after investing so poorly that they made more of a loss than any profit.

Minah knew the case wasn’t really similar now, but she couldn’t help but think about it. Maybe it was in the weather. The gloomy environment always made her prone to nostalgia.

She chose to focus on the class instead as their expectant eyes looked at her with rapt attention. Minah refused to think of anything else other than the task at hand and performing it to the best of her ability. When the bell signalled the end of her class, she greeted them before leaving for the teacher's lounge yet again. Heading straight for her seat, she sat down and gazed out of the window, thankful for the placement of her seat as her eyes followed the clouds that took over the skies.

“Looks like it’s going to rain.” she heard a familiar voice say as she turned around to see Soojung speaking to Jongin. She shrugged and turned back to gaze outside the window “I have to head back to the meeting, so Minah will be subbing for me when my class comes for dance.”

“Ah, I was planning on taking the class outside today,” Jongin said and Minah felt his eyes on her “oh, she handles the classes well.” she heard him say as Soojung laughed.

“She does, doesn’t she? I’ll head back now, I’ll see you later.”

Minah sighed, getting up to get herself a mug of coffee. She brushed past Jongin as she reached for the coffee pot that sat on a table constantly brewing a fresh pot. Pouring herself a cup and stirring in some sugar, she turned around and nearly bumped into Jongin who stood there, waiting with his own mug.

“I thought you didn’t like coffee?” she blurted out as he looked back at her before picking up the coffee pot and pouring himself a mug. Minah remembered the many arguments she had had with Jongin back in college over her caffeine addiction.

“I don’t mind it every now and then.” he replied as she shrugged and headed back to her seat by the window. She would need all her energy to keep up with the dance class she was certain would drain her emotionally.

Even when she stood in the classroom as Jongin taught, she was taken back to the time Jongin had taken a few sessions for the dance club back in college. He had dragged her along in his many attempts to teach her how to dance only to fail miserably as she stood in the corner and watched as he floundered around trying to help people with their steps. She could see not much had changed except for the space between them. Her eyes met Jongin’s as he smiled at her hesitantly before she looked away, watching the dark sky get darker.

There was a silence as she ushered Soojung’s class out of the classroom before heading back to the teacher’s lounge to her seat. She could hear the rain now pattering down on the window and she gazed out of it. Minah frowned before peering out and squinting to have a better look.

“He’s crazy.” she whispered, her breath fogging up the glass as she spotted Jongin standing out in the rain and looking up. Then, right then, she saw him move and what she saw had her entranced. Something about it made her stand up and rush out of the teachers’ lounge.

This was right back to college, Jongin loved dancing in the rain. He said it was the perfect time to reflect his pain. Every break up was followed by a dance in the rain by Jongin and Minah was always there to watch. She hurried up the stairs to the dance classroom and shoved the doors which led to a large terrace open as she watched Jongin’s mournful composition.

“Are you crazy?!” she yelled out into the rain making him freeze and turn around. The white shirt that had been dry and crisp in the morning now pressed against his skin as raindrops trickled down from his hair onto his face as he panted, trying to catch his breath “it’s a school Kim Jongin! This is not college, will you please behave that way?”

Their eyes met as he covered the distance between them and gathered her in his arms and the nostalgia hit Minah yet again. Every break up, every dance, every memory of college came back to her as Jongin held her against him. His freezing cold skin against her warmth, the wet clothing now starting to wet her dry clothing and his chattering teeth as he took a deep breath. Then the all too familiar words left his lips, the same words she heard every time he had gone through a tough time.

“It hurts.”

Because nostalgia and drama

I apologise for the slow updates. I've been having a hard time in college and it's my final year. Hopefully this shouldn't be a problem for too long

Thank you for reading :)