Here's a small gift from me to you. Thank you.

 

"You ." Sakura yelled at the sulking duck beside her in front of her own PC. Their classes for the day ended early so they decided to pass time at a PC Bang near their university. 

 

"Give me a break. My head hurts." Yena groaned and buried her face in her palms. They just lost a hard-fought game because of a single mistake she committed and now her gaming buddy is clowning her for it.

 

"Excuses." Sakura spat and reached for the restart buttons on both of their PCs. 

 

"What the–" 

 

"I have to go. Chayeon's waiting for me." Sakura simply answered as she got up from her seat and slipped her bag on her shoulder.

 

"Then just go! I'm staying here." Yena leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, pouting.

 

"Suit yourself. But don't expect me to come save your when you can't get a ride home and be stranded here for the rest of the day. We've got early classes tomorrow, remember?"

 

The duck's face turned sour at the last sentence and glared at Sakura. "I really hate you sometimes."

 

The latter only laughed and walked ahead to the door. Yena followed not long after with shoulders still slumped. 

 

When they got out of the establishment, Yena noticed how dark the skies seemed to be despite still being in the middle of the afternoon. She couldn't help but groan when she noticed the rain clouds forming above their heads, close to pouring down any minute then.
 

 

"Oh come on."

 

"Haha! Good luck, duck. I'll see you tomorrow." Sakura chuckled while patting Yena's shoulder.

 

"Yeah, yeah. Go off." 

 

The two friends parted ways as Sakura crossed the street to go South where her meeting place with Chaeyeon is while Yena stayed in the same lane heading North.

 

 

Being in a foreign country, specifically the Philippines, as an international student, her means of travel to and fro the university is thru the Public Utility Vehicles or PUJs or – what the locals would like to call it – the Jeepney. 

 

She could have been provided with a car by her parents, but they thought otherwise and decided that she should learn independence the hard way as some sort of disciplinary action for her rebellious behavior in high school. She commutes every single day like every other citizen and charge into the battle of slipping herself in a tight and hot space inside the more often than not full vehicle. 

 

It took her quite some time to get used to it. Oftentimes before, she'd end up almost crying at the sidewalks because she couldn't get a ride home. Luckily for her, she found refuge in her fellow international students' company and had helped her cope up with the transportation problem. And within a year, she was able to get the hang of it and hadn't made herself a fool since then.

 

It's been three years now since the first time she had to experience all the troublesome everyday travel and has since been hating on how much more difficult it made her life become.

 

"You have got to be kidding me." Yena grumbled as another jeepney just went past her. It was overloading with passengers and had about five guys hanging on the rear looking like street monkeys hitching for a ride.

 

She checked the time on her watch. It was only 3PM. A little too early for people to be rushing home already. But with every droplet she felt fall on her umbrella, she figured they were all rushing to not get caught by the inconvenience of the incoming heavy rain.

 

The duck looked ahead of her and saw a few students also waiting for a vacant jeepney. If she stays where she is, it will take her forever to get home considering how many are ahead of her. So, she wisely thought of moving ahead of those people.

 

She passed two local girls, probably freshmen, sticking close under their shared umbrella. Then there's a fellow Korean girl who looked like she had been standing there since forever considering how she has been constantly hissing in her place and stomping her foot. 

 

Yena didn't mind what she noticed and nonchalantly stood a few meters ahead of the girl, hoping that the next coming jeepney would have a space left for her.

 

With each passing while, the rain did not show any signs of stopping. The two girls she passed earlier had already moved under a roof at a nearby open diner. The girl behind her has also started walking ahead and joined the other girls in the same place. Yena saw how the girl glanced at her with a smirk. A proud-looking one.
 

 

"Aish." 

 

 

If you think you're the only one dying to get home right away, you're wrong! Yena ranted in her head before walking towards the open diner.

 

 

Luckily for her, there was a vacant space ahead of the girls and that's where she stood. She looked back at the girl and found her frowning at her. Yena raised a brow and the girl just snubbed her away. 

 

Yena smirked and looked back on the streets, trying to see if there's any hope for her to get home before the clouds decide to pour its content all on them.

 

Unfortunately for her, the skies did as how it pleased. The rain fogged up the streets and lowered the temperature with the wind it brought. It didn't help that the streets started to flood and the passing cars had splashed them a share of the sidelane puddles.

 

Using her umbrella to block the sprinkling rain going to her face, she stood with her hand extended to the street every time a jeepney with her desired route comes her way. 

 

But none of it seemed to work in her favor.

 

In the end, she gave up frantically waving her arm and stayed put in her place.

 

She heard a snicker from somewhere and her head automatically turned to the snobbish girl. The girl immediately put up a poker face and avoided looking at the duck.

 

As the waiting became longer, Yena hummed a couple of songs to keep herself entertained. She once got too carried away by the tune in her head that she started to do little dance moves in her place. 

 

When she noticed how the girl was looking at her weirdly, she felt the embarrassment wash over and immediately stopped herself. She faked a cough and stood up properly.

 

Normally being quirky herself, it was difficult for Yena to stay put without doing anything weird. She unconciously shifted her gaze back to the girl. Because the latter wasn't looking her way, Yena took the opportunity to observe her intently.

 

 

Hmm, she's cute, the duck thought to herself. 

 

 

The longer she looked at the girl, the more she noticed the physical details about her. Other than her pretty face and attractive eyes, Yena could safely say that she closely resembled a hamster, like the pet she has at home despite her allergies. She stood a bit shorter than her too, making her look even more adorable.

 

If she were given the opportunity, she thought of adopting her and taking her home.

 

Suddenly, a vacant jeepney stopped right in front of them, interrupting her imaginations of playing around with her new pet. The girl ran up to it and Yena followed quickly, forgetting to open up her umbrella. She charged into the rain and settled inside with a huff and a breath of relief. 
 

 

 

Finally, she can go home.

 

 

Her joyous moment was cut short when the jeep started to move and the rain poured in through the open, showering almost everyone in the vehicle near the doorway.

 

Yena – although usually thought of dumb by her friends – opened her umbrella and used it as a shield against the rain. The other passengers were evidently relieved that someone was willing to sacrifice their own umbrella for everyone else's sake.

 

Yena was proud of herself, a grin almost slipping out if she hadn't bat an eye on the snobbish girl earlier. To her surprise, she was smiling at the duck.

 

In her most honest opinion, the girl wore the prettiest smile she has ever seen in the whole world.

 

She didn't mean to stare but it was already too late to even stop because the girl was already looking at her all funny. Yena felt her cheeks burn that, for the first time, she had to look away.

 

After paying for her fare, Yena felt the strain on her arm holding the umbrella. But with the hamster's gaze still fixed on her, she pretended to be tough and sat up straight, renewing her tight hold on the umbrella as she acted like the gatekeeper of the public transport vehicle. Her imagination got the best of her that she got too carried away by her role, even if the rain was no longer pouring hard. 

 

It was only until a fellow passenger had told her that it was already fine to keep her umbrella that Yena was able to rest. She wiped her sweat and sighed. 

 

Her eyes automatically fell on the girl in front of her. Not that she was assuming or anything, but somehow, she could see a proud look on the hamster's face. 

 

Yena didn't know how to react when she suddenly mouthed something at her and the hand on her lap subtly gestured a thumb's up.

 

 

"Thank you."

 

 

The moment made her feel like she was struck by lightning and the thunder rolled inside her heart. She instantly forgot how rude their first exchange of interaction was and all that is in her head was how soft she looked at her after her heroic deed(?).

 

They reached the last stop of the PUJ and Yena didn't want to get off yet, thinking that everything that happened would be left there. Which is true but she has no choice. 

 

Once the jeepney has parked properly, everyone immediately rushed to get out. Yena wanted to follow close to the girl but another passenger had rudely cut in between them and she staggered behind. She cursed under her brea