Byun Baekhyun.

It was a chilly fall day when he met her.

Baekhyun left the dorm to go to the convenience store so he could buy snacks for the rest of the members after losing a bet. EXO only just debuted and they were just a name in the industry. Nothing too big, but definitely not considered a “failure” in the industry. The group of men still needed to conceal our identities in public because every once in a while they would be recognized by the public and under SM’s strict rules, needed to be careful of our identities. So Baekhyun decided to wear a large gray hoodie and sweats with a black mask covering half of his face before stepping foot outside. 
 

When he left, the clouds were only slightly gloomy and he took the hint to hurry shopping. It wasn’t even ten minutes when the soft pattering of rain could be heard from inside the convenience store.  Muttering curses under his breath when leaving the store. Flinging the bag over his shoulder, he began to run back to the dorm to avoid getting too soaked by the rain. Mother Nature, however, had different plans for the poor male. Maybe it was her way of guiding him to meet her. The sprinkling rain transformed into heavy drops that were like acid to his skin. And it left him with no choice but to take cover at a coffee shop on the way home. The rain was incessant. Snapping and crackling. The fall sky was a widow’s sky, bedarkened and weeping. 
 

The rain was something Baekhyun always despised. It reminded him of an immense amount of loneliness. Maybe it was because his parents always worked to provide an easy life for the male, he ended up always alone. And somehow the sound of rain only heightened these feelings. Maybe it was because every movie he watched as a child depicted the rain to be that way. Like in Lilo and Stitch, seeing Stitch in the rain made anyone pity the loneliness on his face. 
 

“Looking for shelter from the rain?” A soft voice spoke to the soaked male and as a response, he quickly averted his attention from the rain to the girl in front of him. The first sight of her took his breath away. She had long locks with a soft brown that resembled the color of coffee beans. Her skin was milky with features that complimented each other well. A smile was playing on her cherry red lips as she held a mug carefully with her slender fingers. It was bright and genuine, radiating innocence and kindness. If it wasn’t for her uniform, Baekhyun was sure he would think that she was a model.
 

He nodded carefully, still in awe of her beauty as she leaned down and placed the mug on the table in front of him. The aroma from the steam radiating off the drink infiltrated his nose almost immediately. It was sweet and chocolatey. Without a doubt in mind, he knew it was hot chocolate.

“It’s hot chocolate,” the girl confirmed, “It’s on the house since this is my last shift here.” The jingles of the door averted her attention from him to whoever walked in and immediately, her smile grew even wider than it was before. She gave the unfamiliar male one more glance, digging into her pockets to place a handkerchief next to the mug. “ Warm up and stay safe out there.” 
 

And with that, she walked away. His eyes naturally followed her, watching as she walked up to the person who just walked in. Baekhyun watched as he placed a jacket around her shoulders, exchanging a few words to each other before they walked out of the store, hand in hand. And his eyes never left the fleeting image of her back until she was finally out of his sight. 
 

Her boyfriend. Of course she has one, it would be impossible with looks like hers. 

Looking around the store, he noticed there was little to no one inside. He slipped one loop of his mask off his ear, revealing his face as his svelte fingers wrapped around the warmth of the mug. Bringing the hot mug to his lips and tilting the cup ever so slightly, allowing the hot liquid to come into contact with his soft lips and tongue. It was the perfect temperature, a temperature that wasn’t too cold and one that wasn’t too hot to the point where it would scald a tongue. The warm liquid flowed down his throat, filling him with a warmth that he wasn’t quite familiar with. And just for a brief moment during the rainfall, he felt warmth replace the loneliness of the gloomy rain.

-

It’s been four years since Baekhyun has seen that girl. Not once during those years did he forget her face. Oftentimes, especially during those rainy fall days, he would think about her that day. It was a little foolish for him to reminisce over a girl who only took up five minutes of my time, but that rainy day made it