He had never been fond of the rain.

Nothing good ever came from the rain. The way his clothes clung to him and the way the sky darkened, he despised it all. So, when they announced the drought, he found it difficult to be upset about it.

He was sorry to his workers, but he had graced them with plenty and shared his food with them in return. He knew it wasn't enough, but he still could not bring himself to pray for rain. If it meant that he would never have to see or feel the rain again, he was fine with sharing his riches amongst the villagers.

"My Lord, would you like us to you to your fiancé?" The voice of his maid brought him out of his trance. Sehun had been absent mindedly staring at the scorching sun above him. He found himself doing this quite often. He found his thoughts to be clearer when he was able to look at the sky. Some had asked him if the answer lay in the clouds, and while he laughed at that, he almost agreed. To the young Lord of the Oh family, the calm sky calmed him and gave him rationality. This was just another reason as to why he despised the rain.

"Very well. Let us be on our way." He dusted off his fine silk garments and followed the maids out to where his guards were waiting for his arrival.

If it had been a normal summer afternoon, he would have taken his palanquin, but today was not like other days in many aspects, as Lord Sehun would later come to see. The drought was one of the main causes for this. His men were much too tired, and the sun was much too burning for him to request they hold up his palanquin and so for the last few days, he had travelled by foot, alongside his men.

Today he would be seeing his fiancé for the third time.

His fiancé was a bright young noblewoman who reminded him of the sun and everything that came with it. It was difficult not to notice her in a crowd as she had an aura that was simply irresistible. Many men in the area had courted her, as she was a prominent member of their village, but her parents had fallen for Lord Sehun's charm and status. The two were set to be married by their parents and he had no objections.

Lord Sehun was a gentle nobleman and was praised to be graceful to his servants. His eyes never bore too long on the courtesans and he never acted out of place. Those who worked under him could not ask for a better lord.

Unfortunately for him, his fiancé did not seem to fancy his company as much as he did hers. She remained quiet and only replied when asked a question. She smiled delicately and laughed when it was appropriate, but Sehun could not deny the women's charm. He prayed there would be a day where she would speak freely with him.

 

 

"Tell me, which flower amongst these are your favourite?" He asked his betrothed.

The two had been on a walk along the riverbank, that separated their two homes. The river had shown a significant decrease in water due to the drought, but it was still pleasant to walk along.

The elders had requested that the two meet weekly to grow more fond of each other, but Sehun was already fond of the lady that walked next to him.

"I find all flowers to be beautiful, my lord." She had replied before giving him a light laugh.

Her answers to his previous questions and the questions to follow were all of similar context. She would laugh and never offer him a straight answer. When he asked her for her favourite bird, she replied that she loved all of them dearly and when he asked of her favourite food, she said she enjoyed all types of food.

It seemed to him that she liked everything, but him.

He did not let her refusal to open up to him defeat him.

"Tell me, are you enjoying yourself right now?" He dared to ask.

As usual, she smiled, "Yes, of course my Lord."

Despite being able to say he loved her; he could not help but frown at the way her eyes never fully smiled at him. It seemed all her smiles were gentle as if she were to smile at a fellow villager and not to her future husband.

He continued to ask questions in hopes that she would answer one of them.

As they continued their walk, they reached a patch of land in which a young man had been working alone. He felt the women slow down her steps and he looked at her in confusion and curiosity. He followed her eyes and saw that the young man on the fields had caught her attention.

It was unfortunate, to see such a sight. The man was clearly exhausted from the heat of the sun and Sehun felt guilty for not wishing the rain to grace their lands.

Unbeknownst to the lady, they had grown to a gradual stop, as she continued to observe the farmer, and Sehun continued to observe her face.

She seemed to be staring sadly at the man and downturned into what he could only describe as a frown. Just as he had suspected, she was a kind and warm noblewoman and held each villager dearly.

When the farmer seemed to finally notice their presence, he bowed to the couple as Sehun nodded back. This brought her out of thought, and she nodded at Sehun to continue their walk. Her gentle smile had returned, and they were about to continue their walk, when he heard his men gasp from behind him.

"He must had passed out from the heat." He heard one of them mutter in pity.

"Go help the man." Lord Sehun had told his men to bring the farmer back to his feet and with a stiff nod, his men quickly ran over to the man.

His betrothed looked at him in shock and Sehun gave her a warm smile in response and lead her to the fields. This was one of the rare moments in which she did not bear a polite smile.

Upon helping the man up to his feet, Sehun had offered him some water, while his lady stood in silence.

"Thank you, my Lord, I am forever grateful for the kindness you have shown."

Sehun had shook away his praise and they continued their walk back to her home. Their walk back was quieter as she seemed less inclined to answer and Sehun did not want to oppose. He assumed the walk had made her tired.

They bid their farewells and Sehun had set off to return to his home as well. He had hoped she had enjoyed their time together just as much as he did.

Seeing her put a smile to his face and he thought of her on his walk home. As he passed the field once again, he noticed the farmer from before had been joined by a few other men. They seemed to be harvesting what they could during this season.

He had just crossed the bridge which would lead him home, when he could not rid the thought of her sad eyes as she stared at the field. That lingering stare had him occupied his entire walk. He looked up at the sky once again, asking for an answer.

What must he do to get her off his mind?

As if it were magic, a thought occurred in his mind.

He would go and greet her with whatever crops grew on the field. He was sure this would relieve him of his worries.

He let his men know that he would travel alone as they were already tired enough. The sun had been particularly hot today and he planned to see her without too much commotion. He reassured them once more and told them he would be heading home shortly and went on his way to make his bride-to-be smile.

 

 

He up at the sky once again once he reached the farm. He hadn't noticed how dark the sky had gotten. He would have to hurry to not be rude to his fiancé. The last thing he would want is to show up at an ungodly hour, unannounced and unwelcome.

When he grew closer to the fields, he noticed the young man who had fainted was no longer working and he felt relieved. It was not uncommon for the men to be overworked and he was glad he wasn't still tending the fields.

He carefully approached one of the men working and offered to buy a large quantity of whatever they were harvesting. When he had reached the field, he had noticed the crops as corn. Sehun chuckled as he now realized what his fiancé was staring so intently at. Corn! She must enjoy them.

The young Lord offered the workers of the field a hefty sum for a small sack of corn. There were not too plenty due to the drought, but it was enough to surprise his beloved.

Before he turned to leave the fields, he could not help but wonder of the condition of the man from earlier and so he approached a farmer and asked him of his whereabouts.

"The young man? Oh, he will be back on the fields soon. He is currently resting in the hut along the river." He pointed to the opposite path of the river in which led to his fiancé's home.

It was already growing late, but he felt it to be right to make sure he was okay. As he began to walk the river and towards the hut, he heard whispers and cries coming from the hut.

He quickened his steps in worry.

The crying had gotten louder as he grew closer and he was able to see the occupants from a few steps away. The curtain had a slight gap, and he was able to peek.

There was a woman crying in a man's arms, as the man reassured her.

They must be lovers, he concluded. There was no doubt about it. The way the man held her so tenderly in his arms, the way the lady cried with no restraint. It was clear that they had loved each other tremendously.

He took a step closer, before realizing he was most likely intruding on their intimate moment and Sehun was about to turn around when he heard the woman's voice.

"My love, I do not wish to be separated from you. Once I am wed, I will not be able to come to you. The young Lord is kind, but he is not you." She wept and Sehun's breathing had stopped. He could not bring himself to turn away now.

He could recognize that voice. The young Lord she was referring to was none other than himself. The woman in this farm boy’s arms was his betrothed and the man that held her was who he recognized as the boy from the fields.

It was not the corn in which she had stared sadly at, but the boy tending the fields. The sack of corn in his hands fell to the ground as the shock overcame him.

Her eyes lingered due to worry, but what he had mistaken as her genuine worry for the villagers, was the look of worry for a loved one.

The sound of the corn falling caused panic to erupt in the hut as the farmer hushed the fiancé of the young Lord. This was enough to make Sehun turn away and run towards the opposite end of the river.

"Who's out there?" The farmer demanded in fear, but Sehun had already been on his way.

 

 

He ran as far as his legs could take him, forgetting about the bag of corn that lay sprawled at the entrance of the hut. He ran by the river and further into the forest. The river in his village separated his house and the house of his betrothed with a bridge and he ran past that very bridge that would have led him home.

He was in no condition to enter his home and he had no desire to do so. He continued to run until he had reached a part where villagers rarely met. He had explored this area a few times as a child, but never after that.

His parents had warned him of the dangers, as many had fallen into the river at this very spot.

There were legends that those who failed to succeed in their love would be guaranteed to succeed in their next life if they were to fall into this river. There were a number of people who had passed away believing in this myth and even at a young age he found the story to be nonsense, but his current mind could not help but wonder. Would love truly to be waiting for him at the bottom of the river?

His running was brought to a stop as he felt the sky crack from above him, then he felt the wetness fall on him.

Rain.

He let out a bitter laugh. Could his day get any worse?

He had already witnessed his beloved in the arms of another man and now the rain, in which he detested was falling uncontrollably. The rain in which would make the ground slippery. The rain that prevented him from looking up at the sky for answers.

From the village far behind him, Sehun could hear the cheers of the villagers as the rain had finally ended their drought. The cheers and shouts that they were saved, made Sehun even more miserable. It felt as though they were mocking him. Their laughter felt ten folds louder and he could not rid the image of his beloved crying in the arms of another man.

He let the rain hit him and the tears fall out of his eyes. The rain was heavy, and it soaked his robes, it met the tears that left his eyes and guided it down his face. After a few more moments, the cheers from the villagers died down, but the rain did not.

He looked at the sky in anger as the rain continued to pour. The rain prevented him from looking at the sky for long, but he could see it seemed it had no intention of stopping anytime soon. He was all alone until he heard her.

"Are you lost?" Came a small voice.

Sehun turned away from the sky and at the small girl who looked at him in worry. She was dressed in clothing that showed she held some status, but her dress was not brightly colored like that of his fiancé and showed signs of wear at the bottom as it had been dirtied by the rainwater.

It was not common to see such a young lady walking around alone, let alone around these parts of the village, but his mind did not wander to that. He minds was empty other than the thoughts of the hut occupants.

When she saw his face, she expressed her shock. She let out a little gasp and she wiped the rain away from her face, trying to see him better.

His face was full of distress and he could not stop the tears that continued to fall.

"Yes, I am lost." he replied honestly.

He was indeed lost. He learned his love was in love with another. The way home seemed far and the way to his heart felt further. He had no idea where to go from here. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had no purpose.

The rain continued to fall as the two stared at each other. The way his expensive silk clung to his body, the way he could taste the rain and tears on his lips, the image of his betrothed in the arms of another, he despised it all.

Most of all, he despised the rain that could not conceal the tears that he shed and the look of concern on this young woman's face that resulted from it.

He despises the rain and everything that comes with it.