(The words in italic is a translation of I.O.I's song: Downpour)

[ When this rain falls on my head
I'll get all wet even my heart
Stay with me I still can't be
In the rain alone without you ]

 

 

Another day just passed by.

It's spring already, the flowers began to bloom beautifully outside, but it's raining today, so not much people going out on the street.

"Do you think they will still come?" Kwon Hyunbin asking the man who sit beside him, reading a magazine.

"Jisung-hyung said they are on the way." That man is Hwang Minhyun.

Near them, Kang Dongho sitting on the sofa, biting his lips, staring outside the window. "It's raining again."

Both Hyunbin and Minhyun also staring outside.

Minhyun let out a sigh and stares at the floor.

"I really hate the rain now." He mumbles those words before going back to read the magazine again.

Hyunbin doesn't say anything and just stares at the wall. He knows exactly the reason why these hyungs feels uneasy everytime rain is falling.

The sound of the door bell breaking the silence between them.

"I'll get it," Hyunbin stand up from his seat and walk approaching the door and open it.

"Hyunbinnie~" Yoon Jisung comes and quickly hugs him.

"Jisung-hyung," Hyunbin smiles, "ah, you guys come too."

"Yo, Hyunbin-ah," Ha Seungwoon greets Hyunbin, "Minhyun-ah," he waves his hand to Minhyun that already standing behind Hyunbin.

"Hi everyone!" Kim Jaehwan comes in behind Seungwoon.

"Welcome to our place," Dongho greets them with his warmest smile.

"Hyung," Lai Guan Lin is the latest one on the group that joins them.

"Guan Lin, you come here too?" Dongho embraces him as soon as Guan Lin enter the room.

"Yes. I think more people will come after this," Guan Lin replies with an awkward smile.

"It's alright." Minhyun smiles, "the more the merrier."

 

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Kim Jonghyun still on his room, wearing his usual outerwear. It has the sign 'Produce 101' embedded on the sweater.

He walks and see the scenery outside, the rain is pouring down again.

The blossom flowers are getting drenched in the rain.

"Minki," he said that name. "Minki is still outside."

Jonghyun quickly turns around and hurrily gets out from his room.

"Minhyunnie, where's the umbrella?" He asks while wearing his shoes.

"Jonghyunnie, where are you going?" Jisung who just get his drink asking as he see Jonghyun wearing his cap, ignoring the fact that his friends are visiting.

"I have to pick up Minki." He immediately takes an umbrella and gets out from the house.

Jisung stares at Minhyun, Minhyun just sigh.

 

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[ I'm still young, I'm still a bit scared
Though I know it'll stop soon
I'm looking for you ]

 

Jonghyun keeps on running. He's going to the subway, attempting to surprise Minki as soon as he get out from the train. He still feels guilty when he see Minki is struggling because of him.

All this fame, all this gifts that he received, it means nothing if he doesn't have Minki by his side.

Yeah, he needs Choi Minki in his life.

The same Choi Minki that he knew years ago, when they both joined the same agency.

Jonghyun was so happy when he met Minki.

Minki is the one that ease his loneliness.

They've been through a lot of things together, all the good and bad times became a great memories that they often talk whenever they missed those times.

Jonghyun stands near the subway ads.

He seems confused because the ads have changed, but it's alright, the most important thing is he already there just in time before Minki come.

"Jonghyun-hyung?" Someone notice him and approaching him.

"Ah, you really are Jonghyun-hyung!" It's Hong Eunki.

"Eunki?"

"Yes! Wow, I'm glad you still recognize me!" Eunki looks happy. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for Minki." Jonghyun replies with his usual smile.

"Oh. But Minki-hyung isn't here. There's only Eunki here." Eunki tries to make a joke about it, but Jonghyun just gives him a brief smile.

"Minki will come." Then he stares at Eunki, "how's your team going? Are you ready for the performance?"

"Huh?.. Um.. Yeah, of course we are ready!"

"I hope we get a lot of votes."

Eunki nods with an awkward smile.

"There you are," Minhyun and Jaehwan finally comes. "Come on, let's go home. It's dinner time already."

"But Minki...."

"By the time you run to this place, he's already come back home." Minhyun wraps his arms around Jonghyun. "He's waiting for you now, let's have a dinner together."

Jonghyun nods. "That boy, he always one step ahead of me."

Minhyun takes Jonghyun away, while Eunki stares at Jaehwan. Jaehwan just shruggs.

 

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[ Will it stop now? These raindrops? These tears?
I don't want to get wet with rain
And tremble with cold ]

 

"Why you guys are still sitting there? Let's have a practice," Jonghyun said to Guan Lin, Minhyun, Jisung, Hyunbin and Sungwoon who still watching tv on the living room.

"Guan Lin-ah, how's your rap-making? If you're slacking like this, we'll get left behind from another group." Jonghyun then stares at Hyunbin. "Hyunbinnie, you still have to practice your dance moves, right? Don't let the trainer scold you again."

"But hyung...."

"You know that this is so important to me. If I don't make it, then it's the end for me. Come on, let's practice!" Jonghyun claps his hand and going to the small room where they used to do the practice for their new song.

Hyunbin stares at Guan Lin, but Guan Lin just leave him and walks to the other room. Hyunbin sigh and follow Jonghyun to the practice room.

 

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[ Some day, the cold rain
Will become warm tears
And fall down, it's alright
It's just a passing downpour ]

 

It's been raining these past few days.
Today is raining too.

Jonghyun hugs the Tosunnie doll while staring at the window.

"Minki....," He mumbles that name, but then he smiles, "ah, I really miss to call you Rennie." He stares at the side of his bed. "Wait, I'm not against the rule if I call you Rennie, right? This won't be published, right?"

Minki laugh, "of course not. Sometimes you can be so stupid."

Jonghyun laughing too. "Don't be that stressed out, you should be yourself now. I really like to see you laughing like that."

Minki just smiles. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Of course I'm worried about you. You're one of the most important thing in my life."

 

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"I think we should take him there," Jisung said after he close the door to Jonghyun's room. He's about to call Jonghyun for dinner but he cancelled his action after seeing Jonghyun talks.

"I agree." Sungwoon said. "We can't just let him be like this forever."

"It won't be easy." Minhyun replies, leaning on the wall.

"How long are you gonna let this thing happened over and over again?" Jisung shakes Minhyun's shoulder. "You said you're his best friend and you let this kind of thing happened?"

Minhyun try to hold his tears, "it's just...... I can't stand if I have to lose him......."

Hyunbin pats Minhyun's shoulder. "Hyung, this is for the best."

Minhyun shed his tears and stares at Hyunbin, "but, what if he can't take it?"

"He must accept it," now Dongho is the one that talking. "Sooner or later this will happened, right?"

Jisung hugs Minhyun, "I'll be right by yourside. I'll help you with this."

"Thank you, hyung."

"We all will help you, Minhyun-ah, don't worry!" Sungwoon hugs Minhyun too.

"Thank you, guys." Minhyun tries hard to smile. He really glad that he have met these people, they all really nice and he feels grateful to have a friend like them.

 

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"Where do you want to take me?" Jonghyun seems confused. "Aren't we supposed to go to the studio and do the pre-recorded for rank announcement?" Jonghyun tidying up his blazer.

"We have to go here first." Dongho drives the car. Minhyun sits beside him. Jisung sit next to Jonghyun with Hyunbin.

"But we're gonna be late."

"No, just sits here and relax. We're not gonna be late for the recording." Jisung convinced Jonghyun.

"Are you sure?"

"100 percent sure!" Jisung raised his thumbs. "Trust me, okay? Now just enjoy the trip."

Hyunbin stares outside, Minhyun does the same. Both of them feels uneasy with this situation, but luckily they have Jisung who can melt this awkward situation.

 

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The weather changed drastically when they arrived at their destination.

It was a clear fine day this morning, but now the thick grey clouds are filling up the sky.

Jaehwan and Guan Lin already waiting on the gate. Jisung nods to them and they walked beside them.

"Why are we here?" Jonghyun still looks confused.

Around him is just trees and green grass, but as they stepped further, he can see the cemetery. 

Dongho, Jaehwan, Guan Lin and Hyunbin stops at one grave. It has a pinkish marble on its surface.

"Jonghyun," Minhyun said with a cracked voice, he wraps his arms around Jonghyun. Tears starts to falling from his eyes.

Jisung also wraps his arms around Jonghyun and Minhyun, droplets of tears falling from his eyes.

On the tombstone, the name Choi Minki engraved there.

"Minki already gone one year ago, don't you remember?" Minhyun said with a shaky voice.

"No........" Jonghyun stares at the tombstone. "Who is this? This is not Minki. It's impossible!"

"It's the fact, he died after that accident." Minhyun explain it to him.

"No!" Jonghyun drops on his knees, crying. "Minki...... Why did you leave me?!"

Jisung hugs Minhyun who can't stop the tears now.

"Hyung, Minki-hyung already at peace," Hyunbin trying to hold Jonghyun's shoulder.

Jonghyun touches the tombstone with a shaking hand, "Minki," he wipes the name on the tombstone, "Ren, I'm sorry....."

 

-----------------------------

 

That's right.

Minki already gone one year ago, when the car that they ride had an accident on a rainy night, causing Minki got badly injured on his head.

Jonghyun was saved that time, although he's been on a critical condition for a few weeks, but as soon as he regained his consciousness, he can't accept the fact that Minki is gone.

He keeps blaming himself over and over again, until suddenly he wakes up and his memory stopped at the time when they were still on Produce 101. Everyday, he lived his life as if he's still on that show.

He won't accept the reality that Minki already left him.

Everytime the rain is falling, he always go to the train station, because that's the last memories that he's willing to keep.

That's the moment when he pick Minki on the train station after checking on their supports.

That's the moment when he confessed his feeling to Minki under the rain, two days before the accident that changed their life.

Minhyun is the one that taking care of Jonghyun after that accident.

Jonghyun was really depressed, he screamed out hysterically when he saw the flower bouquet for Minki. He tried to kill himself once, but Minhyun managed to saved his life and the moment when Jonghyun woke up again, time is already stopped for Jonghyun.

Jonghyun keeps buying Minki's favorite stuff and keep those stuff on the cupboard. He still talk as if Minki is still alive and here with them.

All these times, Minhyun let Jonghyun did that, because he's afraid if Jonghyun knows that Minki already gone, he might ended up more depressed or even killed himself again.

But Jisung is right. He can't let Jonghyun be like this all the time.

Minhyun raised his head up a little bit.

The light downpour falls, just in time when his tears starts to falls once more. The rain really hides his tears now.

 

[ Let me just cry for a moment
As I lean on the rain
So you won't see our sad tears

Now goodbye ]

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