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Park Sooyoung is running late. She was going to join her colleagues at the door of the Art Centre as they were all supposed to enter on a joint invitation but that’s not going to happen now. She briefly wonders if her work card will be enough for the security to pull her through as press pass. Probably not. She’d hate to bother Baekhyun to come out and get her when he has work to do but it looks like she might not have a choice.

Sooyoung curses her own bad luck. She obviously didn’t want to be late. This is not a social event, after all, this is work. She’s supposed to be gathering materials for the next week’s segment on local cultural events because in a small radio station like theirs, everyone does everyone’s job. She was supposed to be helping Baekhyun, not leaving him with the mess of interviewing two hundred people by himself.

She took the coach back from her parents’ place around four pm, thinking that she’d have plenty of time to prepare for the evening. Gimhae is merely a throw of a stone away from Busan, after all. She’d normally stay until Sunday but knowing that she had a previous engagement, she instead went home on Friday after work to spend more time with them. The dinner with just the two of them was fine, since Sooyoung actually enjoys conversations with her mother and playing mah-jong with her father. It’s always her older sister’s visits that test her patience because her parents inexplicably turn into monsters and Sunmi’s bragging doesn’t help.

Her sister stopped by for lunch with her husband and son just after eleven and Sooyoung thinks that her facial muscles must have twisted and frozen with how much of a fake smile she was putting in order not to get provoked. Yes, Sunmi’s already got a promotion in her real job in Samsung. Yes, it’s lovely. Yes, Jaemin’s company is expanding and they will be buying a new house soon. Yes, little Minhyun is growing up so fast.

No, Sooyoung doesn’t have a boyfriend yet. No, she doesn’t know whom she’ll take for her cousin’s wedding next month. No, she’s not going to find a more serious workplace. No, she’s not moving out of her rented two room anytime soon.

The whole affair was already frustrating enough but then the coach to Busan just had to break down in the middle of the highway and they wasted another thirty minutes waiting for another mode of transport. By the time she arrived at her flat, nearly running from the subway, it was after six. She hopped into the shower and got prepared in record time, lamenting the fact that she normally doesn’t have that many opportunities to attend social events and she really wanted to look her best for this one. Instead, she had to quickly put her clothes on and merely refresh her make-up, rather than try out the new look she’d been preparing for the occasion.

It is six fifty three when she finally gets off the taxi in front of the Art Centre and walks up to the door with a poised step, so contrasting to her inner state. I didn’t even get to pull my hair up, she winces internally, smoothing it out nervously with her hand and hoping the wind didn’t make a bigger mess out of it.

‘I’m with Busan Far East,’ she says as confidently as she can, lifting her work pass up for the securing to see.

‘May I see the invitation, m’am?’

‘I don’t actually have it but my colleague is already inside-‘

‘I’m afraid I cannot let you enter without one. How about you call your colleague to come pick you up?’ The employee suggests but immediately turns away from her, ready to take care of other newcomers.

‘I really am with the press,’ Sooyoung tries one more time.

‘And I really am just doing my job,’ is the last remark before the man loses interest in her altogether.

Trying to carb her frustration, Sooyoung takes out her cell and calls Baekhyun but it goes straight into voicemail. She wants to be angry with him for not having waited but they did have a meeting place and time, and she was in the shower when he called. He cannot miss out on the time for interviews so she shouldn’t be surprised that he simply turned off his phone while working.

She sends him a message just in case, sighing deeply and approaching the guard again.

‘Sir, I really need to enter this event. My boss will kill me and my colleague is not picking up his phone,’ she says with as much politeness as she can though she’s always been a little hot headed. Today is not a good day.

‘As I’ve already said, we cannot accept any unauthorised guests.’

‘Please, I-‘

‘I’m going to have to ask you to leave.’ The man is clearly annoyed now.

‘Oh, come on. Please, check the list. I can show you my ID, my radio’s on the list.’

‘No unauthorised gue-’

‘Sooyoung-sshi?’

Sooyoung turns around at the voice. Yook Sungjae is probably the last person alive that she needs here to witness her humiliation – maybe save for her older sister.

‘Sungjae-sshi,’ she mumbles a greeting, resigned.

‘Is there a problem?’ He looks at her in worry. She sighs.

‘Only that my colleague is already inside with our invitations – though it is all my fault. But he’s not picking up his phone and I really need to enter or my boss will have my head on Monday. He’s normally a pleasant guy but he can be really strict about these things.’

Sungjae smiles lightly, pointing at his own invitation.

‘If that helps, we can enter together? I got a plus one but I didn’t bring anyone. You just have to get inside, am I right?’

‘Oh my god, yes.’ She looks at him in relief because in that moment he really seems to be her last lifeline. ‘As long as I’m in, I can easily find Baekhyun. Will it really be alright with you?’

‘Yes, of course. It’s the least I can do for you,’ he replies with a pained expression and Sooyoung averts her eyes, suddenly reminded on the events that took place on Wednesday night. The man clears his throat, trying to rid the situation of awkwardness. ‘Alright, then, let us go. I’m actually also here in official capacity and I’m already late.’

When the guard sees Sooyoung again, he frowns suspiciously.

‘Sir, are you sure..?’ He points to the woman and Sooyoung feels almost offended at the unspoken accusation of deceit but Sungjae only waves the question away.

‘It’s fine. We’re friends,’ he confirms and they finally enter, to Sooyoung’s great relief.

‘Thank you so much. I really need to run to find my partner now but I’ll find you to share a glass of wine later into the evening?’ It’s more of a hesitant question but the man accepts, nodding once before letting her go.

Sooyoung sighs again, this time in disappointment but she has no time to mentally beat herself over everything that’s already happened today. She’ll just have to compartmentalise this for later when she does have the time to scream into the pillow and then devour an entire bar of white chocolate.

Bae Joohyun tries to get through her official responsibilities with as much vigour as the achievements of the night deserve. There are the greetings, the introduction of the exhibition and then some handshakes and donation checks from representatives of their affiliated institutions. The only person Joohyun can really count on in this situation seems to be junior curator Ha who is in her top shape and up to the task, be it checking the lighting problems backstage or accepting all sort of documents and diplomas that her supervisor is mindlessly passing over to her. It would be a total chaos without her.

Junmyeon stands in the first row, clapping politely but seems overall emotionally unavailable and Joohyun has to wonder why he even thought it was a good idea to attend. The event has nothing to do with him or his department; he could have been easily excused and would have actually spared Joohyun the pain of explaining their situation. But instead he’s stubbornly standing there, the strained smile which Joohyun recognises as reserved for those whom he has little patience for still on his lips.

On top of all that, the only person who Joohyun thought would make the evening more pleasant seems to be otherwise occupied and not at all missing her presence. It’s a bitter feeling, Joohyun can’t deny. She did know in advance of the possibility but Seungwan bringing somebody with her to enjoy the exhibition bothers Joohyun more than she would think to admit to herself.

She still tries to make her rounds, watching over everything and everyone who might need her.

‘Why are you out here alone?’ She frowns when she notices her younger brother nursing a glass of wine in the farthest corner of the inner hall. ‘Are you hiding? I thought you knew some of the guests.’

Sehun sighs and downs the rest of his alcohol in one go.

‘Some of them I know too well,’ he mumbles, looking displeased. ‘What’s the acceptable time to bail, by the way?’

‘Seriously, you can’t leave me by myself.’ Joohyun winces at the words, grabbing him by the arm as if he were to flee in that precise second. ‘I’m sorry, Sehun, but I need you here.’

‘To use me as an emotional crutch?’ He guesses, giving her a judging side eye. Joohyun her lips nervously, having been caught red handed. ‘I suppose I can understand that. Both Junmyeon hyung and Seungwan came with their dates and now it’s rubbing you the wrong way, just for different reasons.’

‘What? No. Junmyeon came alone.’

‘Who’s that, then?’ Sehun points to the other side of the room and despite herself, she turns around to look.

‘That’s just Ha Yeonsu, one of the members of my team.’ She observes the two standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs to her and Sehun. Though that’s not a bad idea, she thinks in passing before immediately regretting conjuring the outrageous scenario of throwing Yeonsu to the wolves of Junmyeon’s grief. Being a rebound is not something she’d wish on anyone.

‘Maybe hyung is trying to move on,’ Sehun still says.

‘Let’s hope so,’ Joohyun mumbles under her breath before she notices Seungwan with her date and yet another woman strolling in their direction. Seungwan and the tall woman are deep in conversation while the date is tagging along, looking as spooked as she did before but this time carrying a glass of orange juice.

‘See? You’re a magnet for all the people I’m trying to avoid tonight.’ Sehun shakes his head but before he has a chance to make a move, Joohyun’s fingers dig into his forearm and he has no choice but to stand still.

‘You’re avoiding Seungwan?’ Joohyun asks lowly.

‘Not Seungwan,’ he sighs and then the two put on smiles at the newcomers who have just approached.

Seungwan seems to be relaxed and having fun so Joohyun cannot stay frustrated for long.

‘Thank you so much for inviting me again. Sejeong is really enjoying herself, too.’ Sejeong doesn’t look like she actually is but Joohyun doesn’t probe. ‘By the way, this is Park Sooyoung, one of my good friends and colleagues from BFR. She wants to ask you a couple of questions for her programme if you’re free.’

‘Oh, of course. Nice to meet you.’ They shake hands. ‘You probably already know my brother.’ She additionally points to Sehun in order not to leave him out.

‘Of course.’ Sooyoung’s smile is what can only be described as annoyingly knowing and Sehun looks beyond uncomfortable. He returns the greeting as shortly as he can and then pretends to be interested in the photograph hanging right next to them. Joohyun just sighs, mentally filing it under the tab of yet another thing she prefers to just let go.

‘I didn’t know you’d bring a date,’ Sehun observes when Sooyoung and Joohyun part ways with them to find a quieter place for conversation. Despite having worked with her almost daily, the man still has not managed to get much closer with the intern.

‘It’s not a date!’ Sejeong panics which has both friends looking at her strangely.

‘Ouch! Rejected again,’ Seungwan mock wails dramatically which has the younger woman panic even more.

‘Oh, no! It’s not like that-‘

‘Relax! I’m just joking with you,’ Seungwan laughs, putting her arm around the other and patting her for good measure. ‘Yeah, I ran into Sejeong today and figured that we could both use some entertainment so here we are.’ She looks at Sehun suspiciously. ‘Why are you here alone, though? Sooyoung rejected your invitation, didn’t she?’

The words are so abrupt that it’s now Sehun’s turn to become agitated.

‘What- How-?’ While his previous courting was not exactly related to this specific exhibition, he was indeed let down.

‘Quite frankly, Sehun, she eats men like you for breakfast. With the way she looked at you just now and how uncomfortable you look, that’s the most likely scenario. Are you gonna try again?’

‘Nah,’ he mutters, fearing that his face has now turned completely red. The last thing he wanted was to relive the humiliation. He didn’t even know that Park Sooyoung was supposed to be here tonight. ‘A no is a no, I suppose,’ he repeats the words that are still ringing in his ears until now.

‘Well, you can hang out with us. Or with Beekhyun sunbae and that other friend of yours, you know? I always forget his name, I feel so bad.’

‘Tao sunbaenim,’ Sejeong supplies in near whisper, looking like she immediately regrets the interruption but Seungwan only rubs her shoulder in thanks.

‘Right, Tao.’

‘We’re not friends,’ Sehun denies at once.

‘Really? I see you together a lot, though. Didn’t you go out for lunch with him the other day, too?’

‘For work,’ Sehun cuts the conversation short. He really does not want to talk about the other person he’s now avoiding.

‘Well, alright then.’ Seungwan shrugs and then points to the other room. ‘Let’s just go check out the food. I’m starving.’

‘Okay but I need to keep an eye on Junmyeon hyung,’ Sehun responds, following the women. Seungwan frowns.

‘Joohyun’s ex-husband? Why?’ She asks lowly, letting Sejeong walk ahead.

‘Well, my sister needs me to stay here and act as her emotional buffer in case there’s some tension along the way.’ There’s a moment of silence before he ends up adding, ‘Since you’re not up to the task tonight.’

‘Huh? Me?’ To Seungwan’s surprise, her friend nods.

‘It’s quite clear to me that she was counting on you to come alone and support her.’

‘What could I possibly do for her? I feel like an outsider while this is her scene. Did you see her up there? So poised and confident.’

Sehun looks at Seungwan for a moment, as if assessing how much he can say. Quite frankly, when he first thought of introducing them to one another, he didn’t really expect that they would hit it off to that extent.

‘It’s the first event she’s hosting without hyung. I think it must be quite jarring to find yourself suddenly standing all alone and awkward when others all came in pairs. What’s worse, hyung is here – and I don’t even know why. But he’s just making it all worse.’

‘What are you saying?’ Seungwan stops, turning to face Sehun. He sighs, looking around but the general buzz of conversation and plate clinking seems to be drowning their exchange.

‘She wanted you to be her date. That’s why she invited you.’ Seungwan frowns harder.

‘You’re wrong. I actually asked her about this and as always, she looked uncomfortable at the sole mention of being romantically associated with me. Plus, she said that she didn’t want others to know about her.’

‘Seungwan, you’re an idiot.’ Sehun looks at his friend pointedly, a little pity in his eyes. ‘Have you been out for so long that you forgot what it’s like to want something and then not being able to bring yourself to do it for fear of rejection? My sister talks about you all the time, to me at least. I’m not blaming you, of course, that’s not what I’m saying. She didn’t make it explicit enough so you had every right to bring a friend to spend time with. I’m just saying that she could use your support right now. And if Sejeong is not actually your date, then maybe have mercy on my sister and spell it out for her. Hang out as three for a while.’

Seungwan looks away for a moment, trying to process what’s been said. She takes a deep breath before she looks back at the man.

‘Okay. Okay, let’s say… I just read it all wrong and she really wanted me to come alone. I don’t think I have to tell you this but your sister’s situation is a precarious one. To my knowledge, she’s never been anything but friendly with me, not since we buried the initial hutches and all that. I also don’t think she sees me that way – I never got any vibe from her. If anything, she is desperate for companionship.’

She stops Sehun before he has a chance to interrupt. Her expression is sober.

‘I don’t mind being her friend but even if she did want to get together now, I don’t think I’d go along. She’s barely had the time to come to terms with her new situation and she’s still adjusting. No matter what she says, she’s not nearly ready to date anyone and I, of all people, have no interest in being anyone’s rebound or a dirty secret. Not after Bomi.’

Sehun winces, knowing that he the wrong cord.

‘Fair enough. Sorry.’ He nods. ‘Just… You might wanna pay attention. I still think that she’s already very attached to you, be it romantically or otherwise. Just… proceed with caution.’

Seungwan smiles.

‘You’re the one who dragged me right into the epicentre of your familial problems in the first place but thanks for the warning.’ Sehun has the decency to smile in embarrassment. ‘I’ll go find Joohyun. You’re right, I should be there for her tonight. But Sejeong is with me and I will not abandon her. I invited her here, after all.’

They exchange one last look and turn back to the buffet table where Sejeong still stands a few feet away, chewing her chicken slowly. Seungwan approaches her with a smile.

‘Sorry about that. So, what’s good here? I’m seriously hungry.’

‘Mister General Manager, huh?’ Park Sooyoung taps his shoulder from behind sometime after nine pm and Yook Sungjae turns around, startled. This seems to be my speciality, doesn’t it, the woman thinks to herself wryly. Making him completely uncomfortable.

‘Sooyoung-sshi, I- Yes. I work as a manager in one of the local branches,’ he confirms. The pained expression that he’s donning is becoming his permanent one when he sees Sooyoung. Awkward. Embarrassed. And all the shades in between. ‘I just came to deliver the donation, really.’

‘Your bank was quite generous this year,’ she prompts. ‘But it will be ten million won well spent. The local hospice can really use all the help.’

‘I sincerely hope that will be the case.’ He nods. She takes out her notepad.

‘Do you mind if I quote you on air later?’

‘No, I- I suppose not.’

‘Great, thank you.’

It’s another awkward ten seconds during which she notes it down before closing the pad. In reality, she has a great memory and she doesn’t really need to write such small, insignificant words to still recall them later. It’s more that she needs the moment to collect herself.

‘As for the conversations off the record… I think I owe you an apology.’ She tries not to look away at the man’s surprise. ‘I’m very sorry if I came off too strongly. I don’t really have a habit of holding back when I fancy somebody but I also do usually get the hint much, much earlier.’

‘It’s not like that-‘

‘I cannot help but cringe at my own behaviour. I don’t really know what’s got into me, I have no excuse…’

‘Would you like to step outside with me?’ Sungjae says instead and she hesitantly nods. They walk to one of the wide balconies of the exhibition centre. The night is still a little humid but more bearable than the lack of air flow during the day.

They stand next to each other for a moment or two, looking ahead. The building has a beautiful view on the river.

‘It’s hard to be alone, isn’t it?’ The man finally says. He sounds resigned. It’s Sooyoung’s turn to be stunned.

‘Yes… Yes, I suppose it is,’ she agrees slowly, thinking about all the familial questions she has had to endure just today and which continuously pile up in her heart.

‘Everyone asking why you’ve got divorced when you had everything you could have possibly needed in life. Demanding to know what you’re planning to do from now on. Insisting that your child needs a positive female influence. Always making you feel like you’re not good enough. Constantly being stuck between the iron and the hot place.’ Sungjae sighs.

Sooyoung looks up. She did not expect such confession.

‘It’s not that I don’t like you, Sooyoung-sshi. It’s actually that you’re too easy to like if I’m to be completely honest.’

‘Is it because of the…’

Daughter. Baby. Offspring. Sooyoung has never really been forced to think of little children as part of her immediate surroundings. Sure, she can be that cool aunt who brings gifts for little Minhyun from time to time and sneaks in treats when his parents say no. She supposes that she could have one of her own; one day maybe if she ever starts a family. She doesn’t hate them, really, she just hates how much her parents use the lack thereof in her life to invalidate her as a woman and a capable person.

Always asking why you’re still single. Friends trying to set you up but secretly thinking that there must be something wrong with you for not being able to attract a men at your age. Feeling everyone’s pity at familial gatherings and parental disappointment.

‘It’s one of the reasons, though a major one,’ he admits. ‘It will probably sound like a total cliché but with a tiny person depending on me, I am simply not at liberty to date just like that. It’s all so complicated… My ex-wife and the relationship I will always have with her because of Byulyi, for example. My priorities, too.’

‘You don’t really have to explain yourself to me, I understand.’ Sooyoung nods, feeling bitter. Not because of the man’s excuses but on the contrary – because of how true she knows they are.

‘It’s just much easier to stay friends and dance partners. I’d hate for you to feel awkward or resign from the class because of someone as insignificant as myself.’ He smiles wryly, looking away.  ‘So can we still be Wednesday evening friends? I really think it will be for the best,’ he adds, outstretching his hand for her to shake on it.

She accepts the handshake and smiles, though she is aware it cannot look completely sincere.

‘You’re right,’ she replies. ‘It’s probably for the best.’

A/N: Please, comment and upvote it you liked. Have a good day~ Stay safe!

*Title: Kim Hyun-shik - Like rain, like music