Before you headed over to Pledis that next day, the temperature dropped, and it began to rain.

You stuck your letter you wrote for the newspaper contest into an envelope and placed it into your satchel. That way when you had time to mail it out it would be ready. Woozi’s letter that you never returned also found a home in your bag. You had planned to throw it away but never got around to it. You unfolded Minghao’s umbrella and made your way to the school.

Minghao was in the midst of grabbing another bag from the back of the car when he felt the raindrops on his head come to an end. He turned around to see you standing there holding his umbrella over his head. The memory of you in Hoshi’s arms made him uncomfortable. Minghao grabbed hold of your hand and shoved the umbrella back towards you.

As soon as he let go and turned back around to close the car door you shifted the umbrella back over to him.

“I’m fine you know,” Minghao stated after the car drove off.

“Not really,” you replied, “You’re all wet.”

Minghao glanced at you and although he wanted to ignore you, he couldn’t help but reach over to flick a few water droplets off your shoulder. He took the umbrella out of your hand, “Come on, it’s cold,”

You walked with him over to the front of Pledis and opened the door. Minghao waited until you entered before he made his way inside.

You watched him close the umbrella and clip the folds into place.

“You should keep it. It’s your umbrella,” you advised, “Oh…and also,” Minghao watched you undrape his scarf from your neck and hand it to him, “Thanks for letting me use your scarf but I think it’s better that I give it back to you,”

Minghao ped his bag and placed his umbrella inside. He then took the scarf from you and opened it. You stood there surprised when he placed it back onto your neck, looping it once. “Did you forget that I ruined yours? It’s only right that I replace it.” Before you could even speak he continued, “I did some information sessions at Sejong University. I heard you use to attend there. It seems you have a pretty interesting reputation.”

Minghao let go of his scarf and took a step back.

You looked up at him, “What do you mean?”

“I was told by some of the students that at the beginning of the year there was a fire at Sejong’s garden,”

“You know about it too? Please don’t tell anyone…” you begged.

A chuckle from Minghao made you feel mortification seep into your veins and accumulate inside your soul.

“Was it really you though?” Minghao asked.

“It was an accident…and it wasn’t me, I mean…it was, but it wasn’t,”

“How did it happen?”

“Some idiot was smoking,” you complained with a frown.

“If it was someone else smoking, why was it blamed on you?”

Could Minghao stop rubbing salt into your wounds?? You sighed out of distress. This conversation needed to end. “Have a good evening,” you stated before turning to walk away.

“Don’t be too discouraged. Everybody makes mistakes,” Minghao encouraged from behind you. Minghao stood there wondering what other struggles you were dealing with. He had heard the whole ordeal from some students he met at Sejong. The only side he didn’t know was yours.

You swept the first floor of the west building dressed in your jacket, scarf, and satchel. You didn’t care to remove them. You were too bothered by Minghao’s discovery of your embarrassing past. All you could picture, was him surrounded by a crowd of students laughing about you. The imagination made you anxious. You stopped and stared out into the courtyard, witnessing the cold rain drench the dying plants outside.

“It’s too late rain. They’re already dead,” you nagged.

“Stop looking so sad,” Seungkwan counseled from down the hall. He made his way towards you and smiled.

You glanced at him, back at the courtyard and lied, “I’m not sad. I’m just enjoying the weather,”

“I guess that makes me the only sad one,”

“What?”

“Well I was hoping you would be sad with me, but I guess that’s not going to happen,”

“Why are you sad?” you asked.

“Because I have a test tomorrow,” Seungkwan his teeth, “I really don’t want to take it,”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to study. It’s a cold day today. Let’s go get some food,” Seungkwan suggested and grabbed your hand, “come on,”

“We’re not stealing it are we?” you asked as he hauled you into the cafeteria.

“You ask me that all the time. Of course not, I already told you it’s free,”

“I don’t believe you,”

“If we get in trouble, I’ll take the blame,” Seungkwan replied and dragged you over to a big freezer that sat beside trays of plates.

You sat at the edge of a long table across from Seungkwan. The cafeteria was silent and peaceful. The ceilings lights were shut off letting only the cool light from outside shine through, casting shadows across the tile floor. The sound of light thumping from the rain against the windows was soothing and way too perfect. You watched Seungkwan open one of the two heated hot pockets in front of him.  

The door to the cafeteria creaked open and you looked over in a panic.

“Why are you always in here,” Jun complained and afterwards gave you a small smile.

“Do