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'Where's Joohyun?' Yongsun is probably the fifth person today that Junmyeon has resorted to ask this question. It's unlike Joohyun not to be around, especially during the very few days before the opening of the new charity exhibition, yet nobody has been able to enlighten him about the woman's whereabouts.

Yongsun shrugs.

'She's taken a day off, to my knowledge.'

'Taken a day off?' Junmyeon echoes, as if not fully understanding the concept. Yongsun supposes that knowing her best friend, it does sound a bit unusual. She sends the man a long look as he frowns in surprise.

It’s not that Yongsun has ever disliked Joohyun's ex-husband. When she first met her friend, they'd already been promised. In the past, there was never a Joohyun without Junmyeon. They did everything today, went everywhere together – seemingly in perfect harmony, too. That's why it came as a bit of a shock even for Yongsun when Joohyun announced her intention to divorce, and more the reason behind it. In that moment, Yongsun realised just how little we truly know about the inner lives of those we claim are our closest. How hard it must have been to carry something like this for Joohyun, and for so long.

'Is she ill?' Junmyeon presses when nothing else comes out of Yongsun's mouth.

'I think she just needed a break. She said she had some plans for today but I don't know anything much about it.' The woman shrugs again, making herself more comfortable on the chair. Her husband is supposed to come by any minute now to pick her up for her last prenatal appointment.

In reality, Joohyun did share some of the details with her best friend but since the divorce, it kind of goes without saying that Junmyeon should be told as little as possible about things that Joohyun does without him. Yongsun pities him, of course. Who wouldn't? But she also can't help but feel happy for Joohyun. This must the first time that Yongsun has learnt anything about the Joohyun who makes her own decision and speaks her mind. She has never been as decisive about her own life as she is now.

It's interesting, seeing her best friend in this new light.

Junmyeon gives Yongsun another look as if he didn't believe her at all, but has no choice but to drop it. He sighs.

'Fine. But who's in charge for today then? There's some problem with catering, they ended up calling me since Joohyun wouldn't answer.'

'Probably Yeonsu. Joohyun has been giving her more responsibilities as of lately.'

'Thank you.' Before he leaves, his gaze rests at her belly. 'Is it even safe for you to still be here?'

She smiles.

'I'll be on leave starting next Monday,' she reassures and he only nods, exiting her space.

Yongsun observes through the glass walls of her office as Junmyeon approaches the cubicle occupied by junior curator Ha, leaning in and saying something. The woman stands up and gathering her folders, follows him out to the corridor. Yongsun also notices that more than one pair of eyes look up to the man as he passes by. Yongsun smiles again. Once the grievance period is over, there will be a long line of those willing to comfort him for sure.

Joohyun sits in her car, her hands still gripping the steering wheel. A few months ago, she would not have hesitated to open the door and enter the small restaurant situated on the other side of the street. But home no longer seems to mean what it once did. She hasn't been back since she announced to her parents that she was going to get a divorce. She told Sehun first and he was already surprised enough. As for her parents, they didn't take it well - and they didn't even know the real cause of her changed attitude. Nothing that she or Sehun could say in her defence would impact their opinion of her.

But Joohyun figures that she has to make an effort to reach out to them sooner or later. God only knows that her mother will not; she's always been proud and she's always worried, so her daughter's decision hurt her on a personal level. Now, as Joohyun looks through the window towards the row of neatly looking small food establishments, all she can remember is the first time she brought Junmyeon home and how smitten her mother was with him. How quickly he bonded with her step-dad and Sehun. How much effort he put into asking her parents for her hand.

When she left Daegu to attend the secondary academy in Busan, she was merely sixteen years old. She used to help out in the restaurant when she was younger for sure, but she doesn't remember any of that at all. All those memories have now been wiped out in favour of having Junmyeon sit there, being fed by her mother and laughing with her father. Every time she’d go back, her ex-husband would usually accompany her. But now, now it’s going to be different and Joohyun wonders if she will be able to era- no, not erase. There is no need to erase the past. Rather, like Seungwan said, there is a need to make new memories. Take familiar spaces she cannot discard and make room for other images, not solely associating them with Junmyeon.

Somehow, still staring at her family’s Chinese style restaurant, Joohyun wonders if there will ever be a place for another person when their eldest daughter decides to bring one home. If her family will allow it, especially when it’s a woman.

She takes a deep breath and finally exits the vehicle, automatically locking the door and jaywalking through the small street to get to her destination. She pushes the door open before she starts second guessing her entire trip to Daegu, done on a whim in the middle of a working week. She cannot even begin to move on without resolving this first.

Welcome, she hears the accented greeting from the backroom that is actually the restaurant’s kitchen but who emerges first is her mother, ready to take the order of whoever decided to have their lunch early. It’s barely ten o’clock.

When their eyes meet, her mother stills for a moment before her shoulders relax.

‘You’re home,’ she says, though her expression is pretty much unreadable. There is only one customer eating shengjian and seaweed juk in the corner.

‘I’m home,’ Joohyun confirms, finally approaching the counter where her mother is still standing.

‘Come on in, your father has missed you,’ her mother says again before she turns around and disappears in the inner part of the restaurant.

Joohyun sighs, steeling herself for any possible confrontations. She probably shouldn’t have stopped by as they are working but the truth is, there are not that many days when they don’t work. Her home is where Joohyun’s work ethic and dedication were instilled in her.

The man preparing meet in the corner is not her biological father but he might as well be. He’s been with her pretty much all her life and she doesn’t remember life without him. Her own father – her mother’s first husband – was not good to them, that’s all she knows. He died in a road accident. When Joohyun was nearly two, her mother married Wu Jing – Oh Kyung – and in the few years that followed, Sehun was born.

Joohyun has always been a daddy’s girl but even her father was not able to hide his consternation and probably also disappointment at his daughter’s life choices.

The man still brightens when he sees Joohyun, quickly wiping his wet hands into his apron and giving her a hug. Joohyun feels a little better after her mother’s cold shoulder. The woman sits at the table next to the oven, looking at both of them.

‘What brings you here?’ Her father asks, his accent still audible after more than thirty years in Korea. Joohyun shrugs.

‘Just came to see how my favourite people are doing.’ She smiles and it prompts him to laugh.

‘I should make you something to eat, then.’

‘No need, I had breakfast not too long ago. How about some tea?’ She doesn’t wait for the response and opens the lower cupboard where their herbal supplies have always been stored. Nothing has changed since then. Her parents observe in silence as she puts the water on and takes out a teapot to brew some essence.

‘Shixun was here around two weeks ago. Stayed overnight, too,’ her father says, a smile still on his face. Joohyun nods – she was aware of that. It had been her who asked her younger brother to come to Daegu and check up on her parents. Even though the two cities were merely an hour away by car, it was sometimes difficult to just drop things in Busan and come for a visit. Especially when one didn’t have a car, like Sehun.

‘Son-in-law also visited, last Saturday,’ her mother prompts out of nowhere and causes Joohyun to knock over one of the small cups standing in front of her. She barely salvages it with her quick reflexes.

So fast, huh. Not even beating around the bush.

‘Son-in law?’ Joohyun echoes casually though there is nothing casual about their exchange. ‘Didn’t know you had another daughter. Or was it Sehun who got married to a man?’

Nothing follows but Joohyun knows her mother isn’t happy. Joohyun inwardly grits her teeth. Junmyeon has no business visiting her family anymore, especially if it’s going to just give them all false hope.

‘How are you?’ Her father asks when she takes place at the table in between the two, each person slowly nursing their own cup of green tea. Joohyun knows that he’s still confused but he’s trying to get over the awkwardness and she appreciates that.

‘Good. Working on a new project currently, maybe you’d like to stop by for the opening or afterwards. It’s an exhibition of self-portraits by an up and coming French-Korean artist.’ Her father chuckles.

‘You know I don’t care that much for art. But perhaps your mother and I should stop by, take a look at your new flat. If you need some help or if anything is broken-‘

‘Tell me honestly, did you cheat on Junmyeon? Do you have another man?’ Her mother interrupts the pleasant chatter, shocking both of the remaining participants.

‘Mother!’ Joohyun cries out indignantly.

‘Or was it him? Did he cheat? He looks so devoted to you but it’s not impossible.’

‘Nobody cheated, mum,’ Joohyun replies, still taken aback.

‘I’ve been thinking and I just cannot understand. Even if he had cheated, he clearly wants to make amends. Can you not forgive him once and take him back?’ Her mother now almost demands, grabbing Joohyun’s wrist with urgency. ‘It’s not too late, honey. You can’t find a good man like him just anywhere.’

‘Mum.’ Joohyun takes a deep breath, trying to remain the calm one in the conversation. She should have known that her visit would turn out this way but it’s not like she could avoid her parents for the rest of her life. ‘I have already told you this. It’s nothing that he did. I asked for divorce and I do not regret it. It’s not a decision that I had taken rashly. I had thought of it for months.’

‘But why?’ Her mother is now on the verge of tears. Joohyun stands up, wrapping her arms around herself. Despite the high temperature outside, she suddenly feels cold chills - with heat, anxiety and guilt for dragging everyone through this.

‘I’m sorry, I cannot tell you. Not right now. I don’t think you’d understand, maybe ever. I love you so much… both of you,’ she adds, looking to her father who now seems sad. ‘But I cannot tell you.’

‘Who’s going to understand if not your parents?’ Her father quietly asks, trying to sooth the atmosphere. ‘We’re on your side.’

‘I just… I don’t know. I don’t know,’ she repeats, shaking her head. She herself is trying not to cry. ‘I’m sorry. But I just cannot tell you.’

‘It’s alright,’ her father reassures, standing up and embracing her. He looks at his wife melancholically over Joohyun’s shoulder. ‘Take your time, Zhuxian. If you’re sure of your decision then we are with you.’

Joohyun’s mother doesn’t say anything to that and Joohyun knows that she is not as willing to get past the issue. Joohyun wipes her eyes before she disentangles from the man’s embrace.

‘I know you’re disappointed, mum, I know you all love him. I also know that I have no right to ask him or you to stop seeing each other after he’s been part of our family for so long. But please… Please, understand this.  I am not getting back with Junmyeon, not now, and not ever. This is the last time I’m saying this, I cannot continue explaining myself anymore. No matter how many times he comes here to visit or help you or do whatever he’s always done around here, my relationship with him has ended.’

Her mother chokes out a sob at the words and Joohyun feels a tear running down her cheek. Not at the predicament. Rather, at the fact that this is technically the easiest part of her confession but her mother is already grieving this way.

‘I know you’re disappointed and I’m afraid that in the future, I might only disappoint you further. But I’m still the same person… I’m your daughter. Nothing has changed. This really isn’t easy for me but it’s the right thing to do.’

Her mother keeps sobbing and only shaking her head in denial. Joohyun wipes her eyes again, sighing.

‘Of course you are our daughter, Zhuxian. Your mother is not disappointed, she’s just very surprised,’ her father says but it doesn’t sound very sincere. ‘She’s very worried.’

‘I think I should go now. I never intended to make you upset but I can’t continue avoiding you, either. If you don’t accept the truth, there is nothing more that I can do.’

‘But you’ve just arrived…’ Her father opposes the idea, somewhat helplessly. Joohyun only shakes her head.

‘I’ll leave it up to you, mum. Call me when you’re ready to see me again.’

Joohyun leaves the shop, getting into her car but not driving away immediately. It takes her a moment of tears to come around and calm down. She thinks that she sees her father observe her from the window but he doesn’t approach her again.

For a Wednesday afternoon, Oh Sehun walks fast, with a purpose in his step. Deep in his own thoughts, he barely avoids door as it opens from his left. Park Chanyeol frowns, giving him a weird look.

'Dude, you alright?' Sehun waves him off dismissively.

'Have you seen Sooyoung?'

'Not today, no, but she should be readying herself in the booth by now. Her broadcast starts in a few minutes.'

'Thanks,' Sehun steps away immediately, changing direction and nearly running away in the direction he's just come from. He should have thought of that first.

Chanyeol looks at his friend's retreating back, still frowning.

'You sure you're alright?' He shouts after the younger but Sehun merely raises his hand one more time to appease the other, as he disappears around the corner.

Oh Sehun is most definitely not alright.

In fact, he's a mess right now, considering what happened last night (this morning?), and there is only one thing on his mind at the moment - to ask Park Sooyoung out. It’s been a long time coming and a running joke in his circle of friends but what must be done, must be done.

He is positively sprinting now, determined to catch the woman before the show starts and he chickens out or worse, has the time to overthink and talk himself out of it. He's been at work since morning and by now, he’s already started resembling a ticking bomb, more than anything.

He stumbles into the room, not even bothering to knock. Kim Jongdae and another man whom Sehun is not too familiar with are there, doing the sound check.

'Oh, hey. What's up?'

'Hey.' Sehun is breathless. 'Mind if I talk to Sooyoung for a moment?' Jongdae looks at his wrist watch pointedly.

'You have four minutes and thirty seconds before we seal the booth, I guess.' He shrugs. 'Go ahead if it's important.'

'Thanks.'

Sehun opens the door. Sooyoung lifts her head up from the script, trying to digest last minute comments thrown in by the writers. The two don't really spend that much time alone outside of their group interactions and Sehun is also not the one responsible for her scripts, so her smile is inviting albeit a little disoriented.

'What's going on?'

'Go out with me.' He doesn't even have a chance to close the door before he asks and it wouldn't have mattered, either. Somewhere in the background, Jongdae drops the pen he’s been twirling between the fingers of in his right hand and undoubtedly adjusts his headphones away from his ears to get the first scoop of the day since the mics are not yet on. One percent of Sehun's brain that is currently not occupied with the issue at hand can already imagine the delight with which Jongdae will share the news with others in their group chat. Or maybe privately, if he cares at all about Sehun not seeing their jeers.

He probably does not, though.

Sooyoung only blinks.

'No, sorry. Pass.' She replies dismissively, looking back at her papers. She doesn't look apologetic in the slightest.

Despite the fact that he has gone through all possible resolutions of this scenario in his head already, Sehun would lie if he said that he isn't a little taken aback by the categorical rejection.

'Wh- why not?' He asks weakly. 'What's wrong with me?'

'Nothing's wrong with you. I just don't fancy you.'

'W-Well, how about a friendly coffee first?'

Sooyoung sighs.

‘Sehun, you’re a sweet guy but a no is a no. It’s been cute and all, our friends teasing you about me and I’ve allowed it since I thought you needed it but we literally have nothing in common that we like, apart from .’

‘?’ Sehun asks again, confused at the words.

‘The same ,’ she corrects after a moment. Her voice is barely above whisper, no chance of others overhearing them but he does hear the innuendo. Sehun suddenly pales to the point when he feels like his head might explode from the lack of blood.

‘W-Wha-‘ He sputters but Sooyoung is not done with him.

‘The Chinese broadcast is down the hall, you know,' she looks at him pointedly. ‘I think you’ve mistaken the rooms.’ Sooyoung's expression is still the impersonation of innocent, but there is no doubt in the man’s mind now that she knows. She knows what’s happened. Maybe also what’s been happening.

'I-' He stammers, not finding any comeback and not strong enough to even feign the lack of comprehension. He blindly grips the edge of the table in front of him not to collapse right then and there.

'You don't like me, Sehun, and I also don't like you. However, I do like somebody else and I'm gonna ask him out when I see him tomorrow. I suggest you do the same. Go, face the music. Not like you can avoid it forever.’

Sehun doesn’t have anything more to say to that. He’d say that it was utterly humiliating in more ways than one, but considering he’d gathered witnesses, he should probably consider himself lucky that his being rejected is all his friends will learn about. He doesn’t care to reply and he exits the booth, not looking anyone in the eye. Jongdae pretends to busy himself with the board though they all know that with less than a minute till the beginning of the broadcast, there is nothing else to do but a countdown.

The stumbles out of the room as if in a daze, making his way back to the break room. He’d be damned if he actually followed through with Sooyoung’s suggestion. He wishes that he’d never got drunk that night – heck, that he’d never gone to that party in the first place. Perhaps it was time to start looking for another job. He’d miss his team terribly but Sehun doesn’t think that he can take any more of this. All of this.

As he enters, he sees Seungwan and the new girl Sejeong conversing about something quietly. Sehun only then remembers that he was supposed to invite his friend out for lunch to ease Sejeong into the atmosphere of their work place, since she seemed eager to get closer to Seungwan. All that escaped him, of course; he’s been too preoccupied with his own problems.

But he’s glad to see that the two women started to bond anyway, without his intervention.

‘Seungwan, Sejeong,’ he greets. Seungwan smiles, the other seems to tense up, nodding unsurely but avoiding looking in his general direction.

He now guesses that the meal between them will go much smoother without his presence. He supposes that he’s alright with that.

‘I was going to invite you both out for early dinner but I see that you have it all sorted out already,’ he speaks lightly, contrary to how he actually feels inside.

‘Oh, we’ve been just talking about Sejeong maybe assisting in the booth during my broadcast for a few days, provided that Minseok doesn’t mind having her around. I’m sorry, I’d love to have dinner with you both but I’ve already promised somebody I’d have a meal with them before my broadcast starts tonight.’

Seungwan looks genuinely apologetic and Sejeong only shakes her head frantically at the suggestion.

‘I wouldn’t dream of taking up your time outside of work,’ she whispers and great, Sehun wants to slap himself because he has now just made everything awkward for everyone.

‘How about tomorrow lunch? I’ll come earlier and we can eat somewhere nearby before I have to turn in.’ Seungwan doesn’t take no for an answer and after a moment of further opposition, Sejeong eventually agrees. She looks happy. ‘Sehun, you wanna join?’

The man already knows what he’s supposed to do in order not to make the younger woman uncomfortable.

‘I have plans already, can’t. Some other time, maybe.’

‘Yeah, Sehun has agreed to take the time out of his busy schedule and help me with some corrections for the Korean segment. The least I can do it treat him to a meal.’

Huang Zitao doesn’t play fair, but that much Sehun has already known. He can only grit his teeth in silence at the appearance, refusing to as much as turn around to acknowledge the newcomer.

‘Isn’t that right?’ He presses the wound further until Sehun has no choice but to grunt in a reluctant acceptance. It leaves him in a less than desirable position because now he will actually have to go out with Tao to corroborate his earlier rejection of Seungwan’s invitation.

‘Speaking of, can we talk outside?’ The other man switches to Chinese. He sometimes does that since he found out that Sehun is half Chinese. He is by no means fluent in the language but he can no longer pretend that he doesn’t understand anything at all.

‘Can’t,’ Sehun replies in Korean, aware that the two women are now watching their exchange. ‘I’m busy right now. Send me an email.’ There’s a snort following his words, but nothing else.

‘Well,’ Seungwan stands up, sensing the shift in the atmosphere and probably not wanting any part in it. ‘I better get going. I need to meet my… protégé for a meal and then I’ll be back for my show.’

‘I’ll walk you out,’ Sehun immediately decides. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask you something.’ In reality, he has nothing to ask his friend. He just doesn’t want to suffocate in the room with an uncomfortably looking intern and Huang Zitao, who seems ready to pounce at him.

As he passes, he catches Tao roll his eyes at him, his smile positively sardonic. Somehow, he knows that he merely put away a conversation that will catch up with him eventually, and soon if he’s unlucky.

Oh Sehun, a clown and a coward. Yikes.

A/N: I'm very thankful for the feature, you guys have given this story too much credit probably, based on the fact it's only 8 chapters long but I'll try my best to live up to your expectations. Welcome to new readers and a fair warning if you've never read any of my other wenrene stories, I do feature a lot of exovelvet in various interactions so if it's not something to your liking, I will take no offence if you click out. We like what we like, we can't help it. For the rest of the readers, please comment and upvote if you liked, and have a wonderful day.

*Title: Backstreet Boys - Downpour