Rain was pouring outside as if it hasn’t poured for ten years. A young man sat at the table in 24-hour convenience store holding hands in his pockets, while watching narrow rivers of rain flow down the window. Everything was flowing down.

The guy took out his wallet – inside of it wasn’t much, maybe enough to buy some cheap meals. He wasn’t hungry today though, so he continued observing rain.

After few or more hours it stopped. The guy left the store.

~~~

It was sunny the next day. No cloud in the sky.

The young man’s head was empty. He came back to the same convenience store. Somehow it was calming and comfortable place.

After buying some cheap noodles, he sat at the same spot as the previous day. Even though it was cheap, food was good.

The guy stared in the empty bowl for a while. Not even a little stain was left. He really was hungry.

After whole day pasted, it started getting dark. The guy left the store with a frown and head hanging low.

~~~

Evening sky was colored with reds, oranges, some hints of bright yellow, and some purple. It was a beautiful sight.

The guy sat again at the convenience store table, legs too sore to drag himself to buy the same noodles as previous three days. He rested his head on the table and closed eyes, while listening to his own breathing, silent store’s music and puppy’s cute barks outside, in order to calm it down.

After an hour, or maybe less, or maybe more, there was a sound of something being put next to his head. The young man slowly opened his eyes.

He was met with a sight of bowl of noodles, the same as he ate last times.

Looking up, he was met with pair of warm brown eyes.

“You should eat, it’s not good to pass out in public” there was a warm, caring smile, too.

Did he pass out? It didn’t make difference anyway.

He took out his wallet trying to search enough to pay for the noodles.

“Don’t pay for it. It’s on me.” – The short guy, with warm eyes and smile, patted his shoulder and went back to stand behind the cashier.

The young man was confused and kind of caught off guard. Cashier’s action made him get out of trance he’s been for past few days.

Why would somebody buy him food?

He stood up, taking noodles with him and went to cashier.

The guy was noticeably taller than other one.

“Do you pity me?” – the short guy looked was now the one confused as he slightly furrowed his eyebrows, pursed his lips and asked:

“Why would I pity you? I’m only caring”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve been coming here for past five days, and all those days you looked either zoned out or very grim. Expect today you came looking very tired and, how it looked, passed out. My heart could not let me not to get food for a person in need.”

 The guy sighted, that cashier was really a good-hearted person.  He didn’t want to use his generousness, but also hunger was started to eat him from inside.

“Thank you.” – To this in response he got a brightest smile the young man has seen in a while. Encountering a nice person already made him feel better.

Back to his spot, the guy ate the noodles and fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already morning. There was a different cashier in the store.

The young man left the store.

~~~

There were heavy clouds in the sky in early evening when the guy entered the store. He took the bowl of noodles and when to the cashier where The Nice Cashier was standing.

“Hey, the same as always?” – the young man nodded in response and went to his spot at the table.

There was no appetite to eat, but there was a need not to starve.

Suddenly, somebody sat on a chair next to his.

“What’s your name?” – the cashier, who was the “somebody”, asked.

“Why so you need to know?” – another confusion caused by the same person.

“Because I think we’re familiar with each other.”

“How so?”

“Did you go to the Hwangwa University?”

“Yes” – the young man decided to not lie. Curiosity, how so they know each other, has risen.

“I went there too. I think we went in the same course.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Your cute ears – I remember them, but since you were with hoodie most of the time in store I wasn’t sure. Only when you passed out I saw them.”

Damn his ears. It was always the ears. But the guy said they’re cute. He hoped it wasn’t sarcasm and let this time comment pass,

“I’m Chanyeol. And you?”

“I’m Baekhyun. Nice to meet you again. We have few times encountered back then, but you probably don’t remember.” – Chanyeol only slowly blinked at that.

Few customers came and Baekhyun went back to do his job.

The taller one tried to remember him. But after all what happened – he couldn’t. His head became heavy again.

Trying to move his mind elsewhere, the guy looked at the sky.

It was raining lightly, but there was sunlight from far away which caused the rainbow to show up.

“So what are you doing here coming whole week, everyday?” – the cashier was back to the seat next to him.

Chanyeol didn’t want to worry him with his own burdens, but also it was already hard to keep it all to himself, for so long.

“I don’t have where to go else.” – Baekhyun blinked to that in surprise.

“What do you mean? How do you have nowhere to go?”

“I lost by flat, because of my roommate. The firm, where I have worked, went bankrupt. Because of that, I don’t have a good recommendation to get a new job. I come here, because it’s warm here, and it’s in the center of the city so it’s easy to go search for jobs from here.”

Smaller guy listened with a concern on his face.

“But you only slept only one time through whole night here. Where did you sleep other times?”

“Parks, usually. Or somewhere else more warm if I’m lucky.”

Baekhyun’s face gone down. It looked like all of troubles in the world was making him feel sad.

Chanyeol wasn’t in a mood to talk. He already said a lot. But seeing that face, made him feel guilty.

“Don’t make that worried face. I’m fine. There are a few places where I think I could get work, so I’m good.”

That worked a bit as cashier nodded in answer.

Another customer came and Baekhyun got back to work.

It was four in the morning. Chanyeol fell asleep in one hour after conversation with Baekhyun and woke up when it was three hours past midnight.

Lost in plans where to search job and counting how much money for food does he still have, he didn’t notice when the short cashier came to him. This time with his casual clothes, no uniform.

“Are you going to stay here?” – Baekhyun asked.

“Yeah. If it’s not a problem?” – only now Chanyeol though about if it was allowed to stay in stores for so long. He wasn’t kicked out yet, so maybe not.

“No. Did you have a shower past this week?”

That question was unexpected. The taller slightly furrowed his brows trying to remember.

“Yeah, once in the sauna place” – he realized it was embarrassing, not taking care of his hygiene. He was so occupied on running (sometimes literally, like that one day he came with sore legs) around searching for jobs, he forgot about it.

Chanyeol turned his eyes away.

“Come with me.” – Baekhyun’s voice was heard.

There was surprised for second time and confusion for third time caused by the same person.

“Why?” – He asked, seeing cashiers warm eyes full of concern, but also determination. Though, longer he looked into those eyes, uncertainty was starting to show up. “Is it pity this time?”

“I don’t know if this pity or not. I just know that it’s hard not to be worried watching you for a week and leaving you like this.” – Chanyeol wanted to interrupt, to say that he doesn’t need his pity, but Baekhyun continued: “I want to help you, but I know that you don’t want to be pitied. So I’m giving you an offer: I’ll let you live with me, until you get back on your feet. Until then, you search for the job, get some money. Then we will split the rent. After you have enough money you can do what you want.”

Chanyeol looked into his eyes all the time. There was no uncertainty left there.

The guy didn’t want to depend on anyone. He was sure he can do this by himself. But here, after a long time of failures, a person was offering him a something forth gold in his situation. A roof and help to get his life back together.

Maybe it was a sign for him, not to sink into disappointment in life and stand again, not let his hands down.

“Alright. I’ll try my best.” – he wasn’t lying. He wasn’t that cold-hearted to use a person, who gave him food and now offered a stay. He was going to pay Baekhyun back and this was a strong promise Chanyeol made to himself.

Baekhyun nodded in reassuring manner.

“Let’s go then.”