Kim Myungsoo loves the rain.

He likes listening to the soft and steady rhythm of the droplets making contact with a hard surface. He likes the unique sound made when cars drive by. He likes the way the streets can somehow be quieter and emptier. Most of all, he likes the feeling of calming and peace that it never fails to bring upon him.

It is easy to sneak around in public when it is raining—people are busy shielding themselves from the downpour and the dull overcast skies have a way of numbing one’s mind.

On this particular day, Myungsoo is on his own. He is bundled in a thick hooded coat and a scarf that covers the bottom half of his face, hiding under the cover of a plain black umbrella. He strolls for no other reason than to breathe in the unique scent of petrichor if even for a few minutes.

From a distance he spots a young brunette girl sitting on a park bench, getting completely rained on but not even flinching. The scene both disturbs him and interests him, but he is cautious of approaching the figure on account of his cover being blown. Still, the curiosity wins him over and before he can stop himself his feet bring him over to the girl.

He is only a few meters away when he recognizes the drooping head to be f(x)’s vitamin Luna. But at this moment, she looks nothing like the girl he is used to seeing tear up the stage with her powerful voice. She is drenched to the bone, with her hair clinging in a sopping mess on her shoulders. The cheery chocolate eyes that he is accustomed to seeing seem so much duller, and they are fixated to the ground in such a manner that he has to double check to make sure there is not actually something there. Her jeans and sweater are barely enough to protect her from the harsh weather, but she doesn’t seem to notice.

Myungsoo is not particularly close to Luna. He sees her on occasion, usually in the company of Sungjong, and he knows even Sunggyu and Woohyun have a special feeling of protectiveness over her after spending many days at the radio station together. He doesn’t feel particularly keen on checking up on her, but he knows that any other one of s would do so in a heartbeat, so he decides to put aside his own feelings and walks right up to her.

He doesn’t stop until he’s standing right in front of her, close enough so that she is safely under his umbrella, and she seems to jump a bit before looking up at him, surprise clearly evident on her face.

She opens to speak, but is unable to and just bows in greeting instead.

“Luna-sshi. You didn’t hear me approaching?” Myungsoo asks. He takes this moment to observe her closely and frowns slightly when he sees that her eyes have the certain redness that crying brings and that her slightly puffier cheeks further confirm it.

“No, sorry. I was a bit distracted.” She laughs but he hears no humor in her tone and his frown deepens.

“Where is your dorm? I’ll walk you home.” He offers. Myungsoo is not really one for comforting, and although he is curious as to why one of the happiest girls he knows is crying by herself in the rain, he knows it is not his place to ask nor does he have the credentials to try and sympathize with her. The best thing he can do is to take her back to her home where her members can take care of her.

“Oh, thank you, but I think I would like to sit here for a little bit longer.” She smiles a broken smile and for some reason it hits him in the heart, however softly. Because this is the girl whose smile can light up a room and seeing it so devoid of life makes him wonder if it’s always just an act.

He tries to make eye contact with her, to stare her down—because he knows his eyes have power, but she is evasive.  Without a second thought he takes the damp seat next to her, keeping the umbrella between them although it really wasn’t helping her anymore.

They sit in silence for the longest time, and after what feels like ten minutes, Myungsoo closes his eyes and leans back to get comfortable.

“Thank you, L-sshi, but you don’t have to stay here with me.” She says with that same smile and this time it makes him a little angry.

“I know,” He says. “and you can call me Myungsoo.” He observes her from the corner of his eyes as she tests his name on her own lips.

“Myungsoo-sshi.” She repeats.

He nods. “Are you cold?”

“Very,” Her smile this time is close to real and if he weren’t so observant he would have completely believed it. “But I like this. Is that weird? I like this feeling where my whole body is so cold that the rain almost feels warm.”

He doesn’t know what to say so he doesn’t say anything at all and simply shoves his free hand in his pocket, revering in his own warmth.

They fall into another deep silence and somehow, in the company of this broken girl, he feels at peace.

“Myungsoo-sshi?”

He is startled when she speaks but doesn’t show it. “Yes, Luna-sshi?”

“Do you ever feel bad for yourself?”

It’s a simple question and he responds with a simple “Yes.” It is inevitable, in an industry where they were always being criticized and compared. Even within their own groups they are put up against each other. It didn’t matter who or what or when, no one is ever perfect and so no one can ever avoid those feelings of inferiority, however slight.

“Do you ever get tired of feeling bad for yourself?” She sounds almost desperate, and something about this cheerless girl is heartbreaking. He can only imagine how much harder it is on females in the industry.

“Of course.” He turns to face her and she’s leaned back, facing the sky.

“Because I’m tired. I’m so tired.”

They fall quiet once again and he just stares at her.

What could he say? Everyone has their own way of coping and letting off steam. If this is her way, who is he to judge?

There is something strange and ethereal about the way her wet hair stuck flat against her head and the faraway look in her eyes. She looks something like a disaster. A beautiful disaster. Seeing her pitiful appearance helps him realize why Sungjong and his hyungs are so enamored with her. She has that kind of face—that kind of aura you want protect.

If she notices him staring, she doesn’t seem to mind so he doesn’t look away.

It comes out of his mouth quite abruptly, surprising even himself. “You have very efficient waterproof makeup.”

She turns to blink at him, eyes wide and speechless and he simply strengthens his gaze.

And then there’s this sound—this light, twinkling laughter. He doesn’t know why it sounds like heaven to him. He doesn’t understand why his body is suddenly warmer, or why his heart feels more relaxed, but it is and it does.

Luna has a smile on her face—a real smile, however small. He feels good knowing that he is the cause of it.

“I suppose I do.”

They sit in silence for a little longer, simply taking in each other’s company before the sky begins to darken.

She stands up and looks at him gratefully and he wordlessly follows the suit. She leads the way and he follows along beside her. She seems to have sorted out her feelings well, and some of her usual spark is back.

“Do you need to dry off before you go in?”

“It’s okay, they’ll understand.” She says as she wrings out her hair and clothes. “Thank you,” She begins. “For being there.”

She sounds genuinely grateful and it doesn’t sound like anything grand, but Myungsoo knows it is to her so he smiles at her for the first time that day and watches her enter the building and elevator until she is completely out of sight.

When he gets back to the Infinite dorm an hour later he realizes that he could have called Sungjong so he could help her instead, but right after that thought occurs he realizes that he is glad that it was him that found her and not Sungjong or Sunggyu or Woohyun. What Luna needed at that time, he thinks, was someone like him and nobody else.

It was weeks later and the sky was crying once again. There was an outdoor concert scheduled today and though many wanted to have it postponed to a later date, it had been planned so many months in advance that it was hardly an option.

It is a few hours before the concert and s together are discussing how to modify their choreography as to keep everyone safe during the performance later in case the weather persisted, but his mind is elsewhere as he spots that same girl entering the backstage area with the rest of f(x).

Sungjong walks over to greet her with a one-armed hug, but Myungsoo doesn’t budge, choosing to observe from afar.

She seems to be back to normal now, if normal meant her usual cheery persona, and she is all smiles and greetings as soon as she steps into the room.

He watches as she takes a look out at the dull gray sky and smiles that real, perfect smile and without realizing it he smiles too. He didn’t know when she started having such a big effect on him or when her happiness became his happiness, but she does and it is.

Sungyeol nudges him from the side and leans in to whisper. “What’s got you so distracted? We actually have to pay attention this time because it’s important.”

At that moment her eyes meet his and he doesn’t know if it’s his imagination, but her smile seems to brighten so he follows the suit. “Nothing. I’m listening.”

“Your mind is always somewhere else.” Sungyeol teases as he slings an arm around his shoulder.

When it’s dark later that day and the formerly empty rows of seats are filled to the brim with rain poncho-clad fans, he watches from the sidelines as she lights up the stage with her voice and her presence. It’s still raining but it doesn’t faze her as she struts up and down every inch of the stage, attending to all the fans. Her hair is doing that thing where it plasters against her face again but it only accentuates her appeal.

Amber and Sulli are out there too, the only others of the five f(x) members that aren’t hiding under the overhang from the rain.

Myungsoo sees her having fun and it is then that he realizes he doesn’t need to keep worrying about her, though he doesn’t know when he started to. She’s a strong girl no doubt; she can take care of herself. Her members probably understand her more than anybody else, and from her words it seems like they knew she was out in the rain that one day.

He doesn’t need to keep worrying about her, yes, but that doesn’t mean he wants to stop.

It’s weird because he likes this feeling. He likes that random things remind him of her now, and that all it takes to make him a little happier is her smile.

He’s unsure of what this feeling is exactly, though. He knows it’s definitely not yet love and he knows it’s a little more than a crush, but calling it anything might ruin it so he doesn’t.

Hours later, he sees her sitting out on the stage after the concert, legs swinging to and fro as she leans back on her hands and faces the night. The area is clear save for a couple of staff members sweeping up the remaining confetti. She is sans umbrella once again, but this time it is only sprinkling.

s will be looking for him soon, but that doesn’t stop him from walking out and sitting beside her, holding his umbrella between them to shield her from the rain.

Her eyes are closed but as soon as the light drizzle of rain stops hitting her face and a warm presence sits beside her, she can feel that it’s him so she lets a little smile spread across her face.

“Myungsoo-sshi.”

Myungsoo wonders if she was expecting him, but that just makes him all the more happy to be there.

“You don’t have to cover me, I quite like the rain.” Luna opens her eyes to look at him and laughs and he is amazed by how different she is from the last time they met, but decides that he likes both sides of her a good amount.

“Luna-sshi, I heard from Sungjong that you got sick last time.” He states offhandedly. He scoots a little closer to make sure she is fully covered with the umbrella.

“Just a little bit,” She grins while emphasizing ‘a little’ with her thumb and forefinger.

He stares her down with a joking grimace and he’s suddenly reminded of her when her hair was still blonde, sticking a merong out at him teasingly during an Elite photo shoot. They were strangers then.

Her grin grows wider and her eyes curve into a matching smile. “Okay, so I was bedridden for a day or three, but I’m alright now. And this sprinkling can hardly hurt me.”

Myungsoo only stares at her for a few more seconds before facing the empty sea of chairs in front of them, hand not budging.

“Do you like the rain, Myungsoo-sshi?” She asks curiously.

He nods. “But I prefer not to get myself sick.” He teases her and smiles when she pouts childishly at him.

“I love it. Especially when I’m here.” Luna says, and he guesses she means on stage. “I think I have the most fun when we’re performing in the rain. It makes me feel free. Invincible, almost.”

“It makes our performance a lot more difficult.” Myungsoo tells her. He doesn’t think he’s ever wanted to tell a girl so much about himself. Speak when asked to speak is his usual motto. “We have to do that knee slide—it’s the key point of that dance so it’s not something we can skip.”

Luna frowns and lightly places her hand on his knee. He knows she only has innocent intentions but he can’t stop the quickening of his heart.

“Does it hurt?” She lightly pats it before withdrawing her hand and looking up at him in concern.

He shrugs in response and also to calm himself down. “The floor was just a little more slippery so I took in a little more damage, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.”

Luna makes an ‘ooh’ sound and gives him a teasing smile. “Myungsoo-sshi is cool.” She says with a laugh.

He can feel his ego swelling and an unwitting smile appears on his face but he just chuckles in response.

Her smile seems permanently plastered on her face as she leans back into her original position. “I think Myungsoo-sshi is the only person who’s ever seen me at my worst.” He is slightly surprised at this statement and she notices. “I don’t even like letting the members know when I’m tired or upset, they all have their own problems to deal with. Stressing them out more with mine isn’t worth it.”

Her words stir up a mix of emotions in him. On one hand, he feels bad because he doesn’t want her to feel like her problems would be a burden on anyone. On the other hand, he feels excited because he is the one she is confiding in now, which means she trusts him and maybe even has the same strange feeling that he does towards her.

“I’m sure your members only want to make sure you are well.” He says. “You’re worth more than a couple hours of relaxation.”

Her laughter echoes through the emptiness. “Thanks, but you can’t tell me you don’t hide your feelings as well.”

“Not all the time.”

“Not all the time is still sometimes.” She nudges him with her shoulder gently. He notices that she is always affectionate with the people she talks to. He lightly nudges her back and she does the same until they are just swaying back and forth together like children. “So what kind of problems does somebody as handsome as Myungsoo-sshi have to deal with?” She teases.

Myungsoo is both flattered and slightly offended. “I’ve got my own problems too.” He proclaims with a serious expression that quickly melts away and is replaced with a sly smile. “So you think I’m handsome?”

She wrinkles her nose, squinting at him from the corner of her eyes and gives him a harder shove, effectively stopping their rocking. “Please, is that a real question? If you were part of SM, the SuJu-oppas would be all over you.”

He bursts out into laughter at the comment and has to bury his face in his hand to stifle it down.

Luna nudges him again, laughing at his hunched body. “It wasn’t a joke. They would. Haven’t you seen how they’re slowly taking in all the EXO members? The SHINee-oppas have been long gone already.”

He nods with remnants of laughter and with his face still in his hands, he peeks at her from the side. He wonders how many of her oppas are just as smitten with her as he feels he is now and mentally marks them as competition. He couldn't blame them if they were though. She is adorable but beautiful and can be y if needed, amazingly talented and passionate, kind and easy to talk to, and fun and charming on top of that. He would be more surprised if none of her oppas were secretly harboring some feelings towards her.

He faintly registers Sunggyu’s voice yelling his name from a distance and looks around. The stage is still empty.

“I guess you guys are leaving soon.” She says. He hopes he isn’t imagining the hint of disappointment in her voice.

He nods his head and stands up reluctantly, stretching slightly. She stands up also to send him off. They look at each other at a loss for what to say.

“…I’ll see you soon, Luna-sshi.” Myungsoo says finally, with a smile.

“Sunyoung.” She corrects him. “You can call me Sunyoung.”

He chuckles a bit and takes her hand softly, gently opening up her clenched fist. She’s staring up at him with wide-eyes and his smile deepens. He places his umbrella in her hand and closes her fingers under his own. His hand lingers for a few seconds before he drops it to his side.

“Sunyoung-sshi. You can call me oppa.” He feels hot under his coat and hopes his ear and cheeks are maintaining their usual tone.

“Myungsoo-oppa,” Luna says with a grin. “then just Sunyoung is fine.”

“Sunyoung, then.” Myungsoo repeats. He raises his hand to pat her head affectionately, but ends up caressing her face instead. His fingers lightly brush from the crown of her head and past her rosy cheeks. He mindlessly pushes her hair behind her ear before continuing down to the side of her jaw before he realizes what he is doing and freezes. He’s positive his face is tinged red now, and so is hers as she blinks up at him, shocked. “Sorry.” He mumbles, quickly withdrawing his hand and shoving it in his pocket. He mentally orders it to stay there.

“It’s okay.” She looks down, slightly shy before meeting his eyes again with a pretty smile. “Take care.”

He nods again and begins to walk away, but not before taking one last glance at the petite brunette, who is once again sitting on the stage and swinging her legs, but this time a large black umbrella is shielding her from the rain.

If nothing else, at least she knows he’s interested now.

A/N: Hello readers! I think I got a little carried away with this one. Sorry for the abrupt ending, but I couldn't continue it without dragging it for another like, 5 pages. I probably could've written a full story for this pair, omg. I didn't think they'd be so fun to write about. Since I only had one interaction to base them off of, this was a nice challenge and completely different from the LunJi story, hehe. I hope you all enjoyed it anyway! I absolutely adore Myungsoo and his personality is so unique. I'm thinking L.Joe will be the next on my list. Thanks for reading! Please continue to suggest pairings. I never would've written this pairing if it wasn't for you all, but I enjoyed it. :P

Image taken from forever-2508 tumblr.