rain after prayers

Between Truths
16
rain after prayers

 

‘No. Not now, please.’

Her mounting panic became as silent as the quietening engine. The many warning signs on her dashboard kept blinking red and orange at her. Unmoved. Her car slowing despite her ramming the gas pedal in the middle of the highway.  

‘Lord, please.’

Her heart whispered in prayers. It was ludicrous for her to have thought to be angry and disappointed in Him, not when she needed Him severely still. She thought that she had unshackled the anchor of misery when she had let her father go. But it was more like he had forgotten to close the gate behind him when he went away. It was left wide open, and the storm could not be kept out. Like that heavy rain that made her roof leak. Her heart felt as laden as the caved ceiling, her unshed tears as exhausting as the sight of the flooded hall on the second floor. But she pushed them away, along with her father’s now unsalvageable wood table he had laboured, out the front door. Like that fire scare chasing her out of bed in the wee hours of dawn, as it did their unsteady normalcy out of the window. Thick smokes so close they could choke her if she let them, for as far as her eyes could see in that dim light. She strangled her fear so they would not suffocate her mother and brother.

‘Think. Think.’

She signalled towards the shoulder, lanes away. It seemed so out of reach. Her eyes darted around. Cars flashed past with no thoughts for her. Except when she cut through them decidedly inconsiderate. They were angrily sounding their horns at having to brake so much then.

‘Just…to the side. Please, not in the middle of the road.’

The car rolled its final length. She checked on her mirrors as she inattentively pushed on the footbrake, changed the gear to ‘park’.

She made it to the shoulders. She should be glad for it. It was the least she had hoped for even with the slight jut of her rear end into the last lane. Yet, she could not brush the anxiousness away. They kept whirling around her, not quite a harmless breeze.  She should stand outside. It was what the highway code said. But she could not convince herself that it was safer than this. Her car rocked intensely every time a big truck passed. Even the slight shake of a zooming car froze her into fear. Was it because death had brushed her hand when it took something important away from her? Was that why she can’t keep it out of her mind?

‘This happens all the time. It’s nothing special.’

With shaky hands, she tried to start the car again. It struggled hopefully but stayed decidedly dead.

‘Try again. If it doesn’t start—’

The window on the passenger’s side thudded soundly. She whirled around, surprised. It quickly turned into a blanket of relief.

Jungkook.

He signed to her locked door, so she unlocked them for him.

“You, okay?” He popped his head in to ask the question. Concern. It was not on his face but it was in his every action. It was more than touching. It was comforting. He was always there to make things better. At this rate, she would start trusting for him to always be there whenever something happens.

She breathed to catch her runaway mind, “Yeah. My car suddenly stopped. I don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve tried starting it again, but it wouldn’t start.”

He nodded, “Do you have someone you can call?”

“No. No one,” she said.

He looked at her thoughtfully. She realised later that he meant a tow service or a workshop place she preferred to call. She was glad that she had not said more.

“Want me to have a look?”

“Yes. I’d appreciate that, thank you,” she said gratefully.

She checked her side mirror for the oncoming traffic. “Come out on this side. You’re much too out on that side,” he said.

“Right,” she said, crossing over the front seats, movements artless. He held the door wider for her, but he was not looking as she fumbled. Instead, his eyes were on the greying sky. Dahyun watched the dark clouds span the morning next to him for a moment.

“It’s going to rain,” she said.

“It’s always raining these days,” he said.

“Are you going to be late?” She asked, and he turned to look at her.

“Not to class. But it looks like it’s going to be a bad storm. We might be stuck in the downpour if we stay around for longer. We can go now if you don’t mind,” he said in an offer. She saw the bike behind him then.

“Oh, no. It’s fine. You can go ahead if you want.”

He pursed his lips, “I’m not leaving. We’ll just have to figure this out before that then.”

Not waiting to hear her reply, he squeezed between her and the door to enter the car. He leaned over to the driver’s seat easily to pop the front hood open while glancing over at the dashboard. The red indicators had meant nothing to her.

“What does it say?” She asked curiously.

“Only the battery sign is coming on. It might just be a battery issue. When was the last time you changed the battery?”

She never did, never had to do it herself.

“I don’t know,” there was a tinge of sadness she could not quite hide.

“It’s not your car?” She stood aside for him when he planted his foot outside the car.

“It’s mine,” she said. She should really start to figure out simple things like this herself.

He went around to the front, felt around for the lever underneath the hood, and had just gotten to lifting it up when fat droplets fell on her cheeks. She rushed to the backseat of the car where she knew the umbrella was. But they came too soon, too much. It was already pouring when she got to him.

“Sorry,” she told him. She stood behind him, holding the red umbrella above them.

“Stand closer. You’re getting wet,” he said, bent over the engine, deft fingers checking around. She stood over him. Closer. Like he told her to. He seemed so at ease in that rainstorm, lightning streaking the black sky bright ominously; so unafraid stranded along that dangerously fast traffic, engines thundering loudly next to him.

He had chosen to stay. Here with her. That thought washed the last of her worries, lulled her troubled mind to a drowsy sleep. So, when he straightened, she could not stop herself from leaning a little against his back. He was already close enough; it did not take much for her cheeks to press slightly on his steady shoulders. He was warm even with his black riding jacket. She basked in his heat, taking it without permission. She felt him freeze, but the scent of him was too heady. Earth, bergamot. ‘Maybe.’ It was messing with her head. She stopped herself from wrapping her arms around him. Only just. The hand on the umbrella was helping mostly.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

She felt the tension fall away from his muscles, and he let her stay like that. He really should not.

No, she should move. She did not. So, they stood like that even as the world was writhing chaos around them until a deafening thunder broke the spell. He turned then, took the umbrella from her.

“Wait in the car,” he told her.

“What about you?”

“I need to make a call first,” he held the passenger door open for her. He nudged his head at it.

She went in hesitantly. It did not seem fair that she was taking shelter while he did not. Not when she was the one supposed to be taking responsibility for this. But the door closed firmly next to her. It shook the car. She watched him make the call. The sound of the rain was muffled from inside, yet they were louder in her ears, the floor under her feet dry, yet her shoes and jeans felt wetter, her skin colder. She had an extra umbrella behind her, but she stayed seated on her seat.

Until some long minutes after, when she saw Jungkook’s expression brightened to a space behind her. She saw the black sedan with its orange blinkers on, parked properly behind hers from the mirrors.

Yugyeom.

She did not see his fogged-up face in the rain and darkness, but she recognised him from his height and the way he walked. His very telling car, and his friend too. She reached for the smaller black umbrella then, went out to greet him.

Yugyeom’s face settled into recognition, “What’s wrong with your car?” He asked her.

She looked over to Jungkook as she said, “He helped me look, said it’s the battery probably.”

Yugyeom turned to Jungkook questioningly, “Really?” Though his looks were more loaded than that.

“I checked and everything else seemed fine. Doesn’t seem like an engine or radiator problem. Her engine oil level is a little under but nothing serious. Water’s fine too,” he explained, his words were a little lost under the patter of the rain, “You said that you have the battery tester and the jump starter with you?” he reminded.

Yugyeom nodded.

“Yeah, I do. In the boot.”

Yugyeom walked over to his door to open the boot from inside, and Jungkook followed.

Jungkook paused in his track. Dahyun followed his gaze, and saw glimpses of the girl on the passenger seat every time the furious wiper pushed the gush of water away.

Dahyun recognised her.  It was the girl who had auditioned for a part in her play. She had not been the only one, but she had been the best out of a very few of them. Yein.

‘A small world.’

“You’re busy dating in the morning? Doesn’t seem like you,” she heard Jungkook say lightly to Yugyeom.

“Yeah? What about you?” Yugyeom grinned teasingly. Dahyun schooled her expressions, impassive, but her chest fluttered wilfully.

“It’s not like that.”

“It isn’t like that for me either,” Yugyeom said as he took the kit out of the trunk. Dahyun wondered if they had not said more because she was around to listen in to their conversations.  

“You rode?” Yugyeom indicated to the bike a little away from her car.

“Yeah, a company’s perk,” Jungkook explained as he set up the cables to the device.

“I’ll help start the car,” Dahyun offered. She perked up at not being entirely clueless. She had known that much about jump-starting cars, had seen it been done before.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s why he called me here,” Yugyeom told her. He went over to the driver’s side of her car; pressed himself against its body as he waited for the oncoming traffic to ease.

It took them one try to crank her car to a start. More than relief, she felt guilt. Yugyeom’s carefully pressed V-neck button-up was entirely soaked on its front, water coloured the navy a darker shade. She was indebted to them now. She was never good at paying back debts. It was why she always made sure never to accept much of anything. Kindness. Or help. She had none of those to give back.

“I got it from here,” she told them, “Thank you.”

“It’s better to get the battery changed. We don’t know if it’s going to die on you again. I’ll drive it to the nearest workshop. We can get the rest checked to be sure too,” Jungkook said.

“Your bike?” She reminded him.

“I’ll come get it later. Yugyeom will help me with that. Won’t you?” Jungkook turned to his friend.

“I will,” Yugyeom agreed, “But forget that. I’ll drive her car. You don’t have to leave your bike here.”

“You’re making her drive your car then?” Jungkook asked unsurely.

“Will that be a problem?” Yugyeom turned to Dahyun, “You’ve driven my car before, right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine as long as you’re fine with me driving your car.”

“What about her?” Jungkook nodded towards the girl in Yugyeom’s car.

Yugyeom looked over thoughtfully, “I’ll just tell her about the situation. I’m sure she’s fine with it.”

Dahyun waited with Jungkook who stayed close to his bike as Yugyeom went to talk to Yein from his side of the door. She saw he nodded visibly at them after.

“Your number? So, I can find you later,” she said to Jungkook. Their final conversation for the chapter, on that morning.

“I’ll find you,” he promised stiffly instead.

She nodded at his word. ‘Right. They weren’t close enough to exchange numbers. This is fine. This is perfect.’

“Thank you. Really,” she told him, and went over to Yugyeom who was holding his door open for her without waiting for Jungkook’s reply.

 

 
                    
 
A/N
Thank you for all the support lovelies! This comes a bit late. I have another chapter to upload sometime this week. I promise. So, stay lovely and stay safe until next time. ^^
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Tokwa2x
#1
Chapter 16: I've read the A/N.. (*´ω`*)..
Thanks for the shoutout.
Welcome back!! Bui bui bui bui!!! Worth the wait.
Tokwa2x
#2
Chapter 15: I changed phone so i came back late. Sorry. Thank god i still remember this story. Tho I don't mind rereading this but I'm kinda busy and just found some time to rest and check this site again. I actually picked up until where my last comment at. So i read the chapters again in one sitting. Anyways, mhm, this is getting deeper. I enjoyed this.
Hope you had a wonderful day everyday . Stay awesome. Stay healthy. (*˘︶˘*).。.:*♡
Hanyeon01Lover
#3
Chapter 6: Wow the chapter is amazing but i think dahyun isn't trying to show him that she really loves him so that why she used another name reffeeing ro him
Hanyeon01Lover
#4
Chapter 5: Thank you authornim for the update the chapter was good but what i didn't get is that yein called JK just because her mom fell and she didn't know what to do that a little selfish reason because we all know that you need to call ambulance but you could said that she called him for comfort
Tokwa2x
#5
Chapter 6: Done reading in one sitting. Just found this now and i got curious.. it’s been months tho but I’ll wait.
mateus_levi #6
Chapter 6: yes!!! progress!! i thought that confession was real for a moment lol jungkook is smarter than me. i’m feeling bad for him right now but hopefully it’ll all work out. congrats for another great chapter!
mateus_levi #7
Chapter 5: probably my favorite story in this website. I thought jungkook and dahyun would finally interact with how the start of the chapter went and boy I was not prepared to deal with all that happened after. I hope Jungkook can make it up to Yugyeom, even if I don't know if it's possible now that they're caught up in a lie... anyway, I'm excited to see what's gonna happen!
louieistrash #8
Chapter 5: Thank you so much for updating! I got really excited when I see that updated tag. I hope you can write more about the progress between Jungkook and Dahyun. Thank you!
mateus_levi #9
Chapter 4: always glad to see this updated!! this is very well written and I'm glad to see you back. nice to see jungkook making friends, and i'm giddy at him and dahyun maybe-finally-why-not getting to actually know more about each other with this new routine.
Hanyeon01Lover
#10
Chapter 4: Wow i'm really excited how will jungkook notice dahyun