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RAIN

RAIN

for:

- A_MooNStar-

Baekhyun x  Lee Jieun (IU)

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The cold breeze brushed the strand of her gray hair. Playing with it as she pays no heed on the teasing. Her eyes fixated on the scenery presented to her as she leans to the back of the white Rotan chair. It was a lovely afternoon in despite the light shower from the sky. The weather is pleasant – not too hot and either is cold. Just perfect, is all she could thought.

Light peeked from in between of the fluffy pink colored clouds, making her narrowed her eyes automatically when she looked up at the sky. The wrinkles on the edge of her eyes become more prominent. Her lips turned upwards slightly along with one hand in a slow, frail movement tried to block the sunlight. She’s not like whose she was years ago, the sunlight is hurting her already old eyes.

If she doesn’t know better, she would mistook the sound of raindrops as the annoying ticking sound of the old clock on her living room. But again the sounds of rain is always different for her and far too familiar – always in different rhythm, but intriguing as always.

Drip-drip, drip, drip

The water doesn’t reach her as she view the entire scenery unfold on the house porch. She holds her breath for a while before her frail fingers absent mindedly touched the ring adorned her finger. Brushing the metal with the tips of her fingers as she watched each drop of water makes a contact with the green leaves.

It’s raining heavily. The other side of the sidewalk is barely visible within the layers of raindrops, coming endlessly from the gray colored sky. An hour passed but it seems the sun is still far too shy to come out, even if it shows a tiny bit of light. But it doesn’t stop the rain. A girl who stares at the sky could just breathed a sigh.

She cannot contain it – the disappointment is looming over her. She cannot choose whether the feeling come from the fact she just received another bad outcome from her math test, or because of the stupidity that she forgot to bring her umbrella with her. The weather she should’ve known is rather humid these days, thus the chance of raining is not a small deal at all. But Jieun cannot really find an excuse why amongst these days she forgot to bring that damned umbrella of hers.

Jieun scratched the back of her head. Thinking that moping around won’t solve any of her problems. She heaved another sigh as she stepped out from the edge of the sidewalk, choosing to get away from the spot since the wind brings some of the raindrops to her face. Which is truly not enlightening. Walk with heavy step, she sat on the cold metal bench under the shade of the bus stop. It’s uncomfortable, but Jieun supposed it couldn’t get worse.

It won’t get worse than she has red mark on her test today. Or the fact she’s still shivering because she had to run through the rain. Oh, nothing’s better than the traffic jam that might the reason she’s stuck here without any bus passing by. Jieun knows blaming to others won’t help, but she’s freezing here. That’s all she could thought.

Shuddered a bit, Jieun started rummaging through the stuff inside her bag. She absentmindedly bit her lower lip as she hoped she didn’t leave her phone or either is her earphones. The girl managed to find her phone in between papers, her wallets and some brooches she wasn’t sure where she got them. As she keeps looking for a sign of her earphones, from the edge of her eyes, she saw a figure sitting next to her and some people is also took a place under the shade.

One thing Jieun hate herself the most is the fact she has to be so clumsy. Not only once she broke a plate or some random thing at her school. She’s a trouble-prone, even if Jieuninsisted there’s someone else who’s clumsier than her. But since the said individual is one of the popular – and pompous, she might add – kid, no one has the tact to title him ‘clumsy’. And Jieun seriously doesn’t know why she must think of this when it’s clear all it done is pissing her further than before. Eyeing the innocent earphone that’s now laying oh-so I-don’t-do-anything-wrong, on the pavement, Jieun could not hold her sigh anymore. She let it far too obvious, buts she doesn’t care less.

Her fingers brushed the strand of her hair aside as she crouched down. With her other hand, she tried to pick that shameless earphone on the ground, in between her feet and a stranger’s. However before her finger could just take that thing, someone beat her on doing so. Jieun feels her breath stopped for a second, mind blank in that very brief moment.

She would like to snap at the person – whoever he or she might be. But when she cocked her head to the angle she could look up, Jieun really-really hold it this time. Instead of a sigh, she’s now holding a gasp that threatening to escape her lips. Her surprised eyes met the warm and welcoming set of black eyes.

Jieun’s a trouble prone alright, but this is too much. “Here, it’s yours right?” soft spoken yet there’s a tinge of mischievousness on the edges. She would like to vent up her feelings on something – anything. Because right now she is presented on the most difficult, unfortunate, trouble she might encountered when those eyes ‘stabbed’ her delicately on the core.

“Here, it’s yours right?” his voice’s smooth. One thing he loves from himself. He’s not always the best thing around, he knows. But Baekhyun, full of enthusiasm and ambition – or sometimes others dubbed with ‘greedy’ – manages to find at least few things he should’ve been proud of himself.

Baekhyun is not the most wonderful person, he knows that. He also believe no one has it. However the moment his eyes caught the brown curious eyes of this girl. World stopped for a while. For a second Baekhyun believes everything around him – them – is never be in the existence. Breathing seems hard to do and his the beating of his heart increased dramatically. Oh, boy how clear this is. Baekhyun gulped silently.

He’s more than certain. This is what they say about love at the first sight. Thoughts wiring on his head, making a small headache but also pleasant weirdly enough. However his daydream doesn’t last very long when a voice he would love more than his own enters his hearing system.

“Yes, it’s mine” she confirmed. Baekhyun thanks to what forces that managed to make him to just smile – albeit half-awkwardly – and put the earphones to her palm. The tip of his fingers brushed the milky skin of the girl’s hand. Something lurched inside of him. Baekhyun supposed this is what people says about having butterflies inside of your stomach. It feels weird to just put it simply. But when Baekhyun saw the girl smiling, he thought maybe having some kind of insects inside of him wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

He doesn’t want to be a stalker, which would wound his pride or chances – if he does have any. But now the small crowd under the shade is way thinner – oh, wait. Scratch that, the last person left, leaving him with the girl next to him. Baekhyun is not in any way is a stalker. However it’s far too obvious and the fact Baekhyun keeps staring at her oh-not-so discreetly makes it almost impossible for Baekhyun not to feel the anxiousness in the girl’s mind. She keeps raising her hand repeatedly, looking at her wrist watch for the umpteenth times.

Baekhyun’s finger tapped his black umbrella on his side, still dripping water. He swears the idea wasn’t something he would usually think of. It was way too instinctively, there are too much risk at stake. Okay he dramatized it too much, but that’s beyond that point.

He cursed himself when the deed is done. “Do you want to go to another bus stop? I can take you there” Baekhyun swears he’s being possessed, but the questioned look at the girl’s face might stop the idea to just wails around for being so stupid.

“Won’t it be bother for you?” she asked slowly. The girl seems to be afraid he might be someone’s bad or has some kind of intentions behind his words. Okay, maybe there is, but Baekhyun suppose it wasn’t some bad wolf intention or whatnot.

So he smiled at her and patted his umbrella. “I have an umbrella, big enough to share. Beside you looked so troubled” he manages to say.

Baekhyun regretted saying those words immediately. Having a feeling he just stamped with a ‘typical-stalker’ title or something similar to worse. But he couldn’t help the bubbly feelings inside of him and Baekhyun used all his self-restraint not to smile so creepily like a certain towering best friend of his. Because for now all his thought focused on the petite girl with shy look he shared his umbrella with.

“Byun Baekhyun” the name rolls from far too easily. Jieun groans inwardly as she covers her face with both of her hands. What she was thinking when she boldly agrees with the boy’s offer? Did that makes her somewhat a lowly person? And why she’s overwork herself for someone she knows only for what? Two hours? Less than that? Only shared couple of sentences?

Jieun messed her hair, groaning again but far more loudly this time. Making some of the café’s costumer watching her weirdly. But Jieun couldn’t care less when right now her face is start heating up. Baekhyun – the guy seems to be fairly nice.

Thump, thump

Her fingers curled when she feels her heartbeat increased. Yes, she would’ve be lying if she said she’s not attracted with the stranger. However doesn’t it make her no better than those stereotypical girls in her school who do nothing but tries to get the popular boys noticed them with skimpy outfits? Jieun of course wears quite warm clothes today considering the weather is not making a high improvement.

Slowly – with a rather uneasy look on her face – she raised her head. Looking up to see her surroundings. Today as per usual of a raining day, the café is filled with people looking for something to warm them up or simply to find a shelter to stay until the rain stopped. Although Jieun begs differ. Today’s rain wasn’t particularly heavy, instead as she looked outside through the glass window, the rain wasn’t blocking any view. It’s more like a thin layer of soft raindrops. It’s showering from brighter sky than yesterday, Jieun silently noted.

Jieun’s eyes bulged when she saw something. Or more like someone. Oh, she might’ve been daydreaming because she saw the familiar black colored umbrella with the boy who walked with her the other day. The same jacket, the same uniform underneath. But because of the extensive similarities, the girl is assured on something.

Hitting her cheeks hard enough to wake her up, Jieun closes her eyes. Hands still slapping the reddened cheeks. “You’re only seeing things” she told herself. “Keep your senses together Lee Jieun!” she half shouted at herself. In her mind she repeats it until the thought of that smile, that eyes, oh-that wonderful voice is million miles away. But trying might be a keyword.

The girl tried to calm her breathing and heartbeat. Finding herself more in composure than before, she opened her eyes. Jieun heaved a sigh when her fingers curled on the cup of warm tea on her table. But before she feels the warmth she expected to receive, instead she found herself chokes on her own breath. Pathetic, yes. But it seems trouble’s not ending yet. ‘Yet’ for some reason makes her body feels another kind warmth. Jieun tried to brush the thought off her mind, but no, she can’t. Not when currently all her being is magically pulled by another existence. Jieun is more than tensed. If she was playing RPG game then all her option would be the same. Either ‘I don’t know’ or ‘What to do’? And none of them will help her situation.

The situation? Let’s just say Lee Jieun wasn’t exactly daydreaming when she saw Byun Baekhyun on the road. And no, she’s not daydreaming either when the said boy is now ordering for something on the counter few tables away. Jieun couldn’t contain the anxiousness. She never been familiar with this foreign feelings inside her. She wasn’t sure if she should be happy, worried, or simply crazy because of it.

In the end Jieun could only lower her head, tried to make zero eye contact with Baekhyun. We’re just strangers who happened know each other’s name. No more than that. She told herself repeatedly to prevent the thought of Baekhyun come here and then sit after greet-

“Jieun-sshi? Is that you?” Right, right on the spot. It happened and Jieun flinched hard when she heard the wooden chair in front of her making a creaked sound as Baekhyun adjusted the chair so he can sit comfortably there. Jieun shyly – or cowardly as she dubbed – lifted her gaze at the smiling Byun Baekhyun. Steaming cup of coffee set on her table. Their table, Jieun gulped. “The other places is taken. I hope you don’t mind”

Is that expectation on his tone? Jieun looks at his eyes before dismissing the thought to Antarctica. “Sure, I don’t mind” she said with a simple nod of her head. Another dazzling smile and the foreign yet pleasant warm come from her chest. Baekhyun thanked her before drinking his choice of drink.

“This is great!” he exclaimed in a loud voice. Jieun half-startled by his sudden comment. She doesn’t say anything when the boy started to chuckle. And when she looked at him, having her composure back, Baekhyun laughed at her. Laughed so hard, yet Jieun doesn’t find anything particularly funny enough. “You’re so cute” Baekhyun said but before he could laugh more, Jieun hit his hand that rested on top of the table.

Baekhyun cringed but when he saw Jieun not-so discreetly pouted, he couldn’t help but to cough some laugh that left inside of him. The girl realized that Baekhyun never means to laugh at her, at least not in a bad way. Before she knows it, she already giggling, somehow encouraging the other to start laughing again. It may looks weird but it seems they just found some sort of inside joke. The problem – or not – might be the fact Jieun doesn’t entirely sure is it is an inside joke or for some other reasons, because clearly Baekhyun cannot laugh because he thinks himself is cute while coughing his own laughs.

Some teasing, some words turned into a more decent conversation. Jieun glad it turned that way, at least the other people won’t look at them weirdly. She somehow managed to relate herself with the boy with an amazing ease. They shared some trivial matters or something completely different from one another. Being a rather popular self for his mischief is Baekhyun while Jieun practically is never the one who’s purposely seeking problem. But both of them are part of their respective school’s choir. Or the fact they’re in the same grade.

Accompanied by her warm tea, Jieun truly enjoys the exchange of words. It’s pleasant for having a conversation like this. They were in the middle of Baekhyun’s story about the sport his in when for some sort of reason, both of them looked towards the glass window.

“It’s been raining a lot lately” he commented and of course as one of the rainy weather victim, Jieun agrees. She still saw the same layers of water, but now it’s almost not visible. “I wish we could spend time together you know” Baekhyun’s sudden confession surprised Jieun. Like an instant, her mind is blank because of thoughts overload. Somehow she opened . But before she could say anything Baekhyun beats her.

His eyes literally shinning when she saw him back. The boy’s smile is addicting, she knows that. “Let’s go to the amusement park this weekend” he suggested rather impatiently. “We could go to the attractions together. I still a chicken on roller coasters, so I thought I can conquer it now, but I don’t want to go alone” he started babbling non important things.

Jieun never the one who spend her time ‘playing around’ or more likely choose to lay down and sleep like log in the weekend. She never been asked on this kind of activity. The girl thought she can turn down the offer saying she’s busy or something – something being a coward is acceptable too. But she doesn’t know whether because in between she’s too flustered, Baekhyun is a telepathist or perhaps she really does want it, she had accepted the offer, again.

“Sure, no problem” Jieun wants to laugh at her tone. It was too calm for someone who’s hyperventilate like herself at the moment albeit not too apparent. However when Baekhyun grins and said “Great!” and scribble something on the white tissue, handing the number-written piece of tissue, left with somewhat rather questionable yet cliché words “It’s a date”, Jieun feels like she doesn’t mind.

Right, doesn’t mind at all. Because when Baekhyun’s out of earshot or any kind of range to witness how red her face is, Jieun muffled a glee. She’s excited – overly, and it feels good-weird. Nervous, but happy. Jieun smiles herself when her fingers brushed the numbers written on the white tissue. It seems like weekend sounds less boring, and she cannot deny this huge anticipation she has for the due day.

He managed not to screw everything up. He never thought they would meet each other again. So much like a drama his junior tends to watch on his free time. Baekhyun is never been a fan of a drama but right now he wished he could be one of those dandy, cool guys on the TV not some awkward teenager waiting for his very, very first date. He never initiated this meeting as a date. He thought at least he could think it is, Jieun wasn’t supposed to know. But it’s a spilled milk, so Baekhyun should just it until the end, being awkward and all.

The day is bright in contrast of few days ago where it has been raining. Clouds floating by, giving a natural shading so the people under won’t get burn. Soft wind brushed his skin. It’s a good day, as if the sky’s listening to him.

“Baekhyun!”

Hearing his name being called, Baekhyun turned around abruptly, only regretting it afterwards. If not the fact he’s born with quite reflex, he might stumbled on his feet, face-kissed ground and embarrassed himself in front of Jieun who’s heading towards him. “I’m sorry for being late” hearing this Baekhyun furiously shook his head.

“It’s fine” he assured her quickly. “Let’s get going or we won’t able to ride all of them!” he exclaimed while pulling Jieun by the wrist and gets embarrassed later for doing it.

Contradict with Jieun’s small frame and gentle presence, she actually quite outspoken and up to any kind of rides the amusement park presents to them. Jieun even demanded to ride the dreadful – for Baekhyun is – rollercoaster. But the boy is lying if he ever say he’s not enjoying every moment of nervousness and excitement combined.

He finds it very comforting that Lee Jieun – the girl who manages to steal his heart in a heartbeat – wasn’t entirely different than him. Yes, they have some identical preferences but that doesn’t make their day boring – full of yes and not no. Just take the rollercoaster incident as prove, and a vomiting Byun Baekhyun also. But a minute later after emptying his stomach – and worries Jieun greatly, they hit another ride with a smile plastered on their face.

However their fun wasn’t last as long as they hoped it would be. It seems the reason for the dry weather that came in the middle of the day is to all water around. Baekhyun supposed if he wasn’t in so much fun he could tell that rain will come and ruin their beautiful and carefree day – date, as he dubbed. In short span of time, people scrambled to find a shelter. Some more reckless kids insist on playing but Baekhyun thought the idea of running in the rain is too childish for his taste.

So here they are, under the shade in front of a gift shop, plastic bags on their hands. Leaned forward, Baekhyun looked his surroundings. He noticed the rain gets heavier by minutes as it was getting harder to see through the curtain of raindrops. “It would take some time before rain stops” he heard Jieun says in a comforting tone. He turned his head towards the girl who stands next to him.

“You’re right” he responded before he choked his own breath when Jieun moved forward, their shoulders brushed slightly, sending shivers down Baekhyun’s spine. And he was sure it has nothing to do with the cold wind. “What are you doing?”

Baekhyun watched the girl put both of her hands under the rain, collecting water in her palms. Just when he was about to ask once more, water sprayed on his face. His eyes squinted his eyes when he feels droplets of water on his cheeks. A chiming laugh could be heard, but he kept a straight face.

Jieun’s laughs stopped. Did I go too far? She asked herself, unsure of Baekhyun’s lack of enthusiasm on her little stunt. The girl started to feel nervous. She’s afraid the boy in front of her, face wet thanks to the rain water she had splashed on his face, is now angry at her. Maybe he wasn’t as playful as he seems. Or maybe she’s too childish to comprehend. Either way now guilt and regret started creeping at her.

However it doesn’t last very long as she was distracted enough for Baekhyun to collect some water in his palm and splashed the water on Jieun’s face – an act of small revenge. The girl gaped at him in disbelieve when Baekhyun’s obnoxious laugh filled the air against the rain sound. Blinking her eyes multiple of time, there’s one thing that flashed in her mind.

It’s so on

They spent the last hour of their date spraying water at each other. Laughing so hard they might forget that they were trapped in a heavy rain. But Jieun doesn’t mind even if her very first date doesn’t come along like all manhwashe had read in the free time. She’s supposed this is what she’ll like to have and it’s right. Just there, spending time having fun. Playing, teasing and caring throughout the day. And when she saw the happy look on his face and how their laughs mixed, she believes both of them will meet again, far more frequently.

Their first date is one thing, their first kiss is another. But she remembered vaguely how their first kiss went. Jieun’s believe it was their third date as the second wasn’t ‘date’ enough as her friends put it. They were on the amusement park – again, but with a different objective. One said that amusement park is better visited at night when children at home and the sun is not blazing. Although in this time of the year, sunlight or rather the warmth is seek by people.

It’s raining again – a light shower. She could see the droplets of water on the glass. Making a pattern before sliding down and meet the ground far below from where it was before.The lights from the other rides and from the road peeking through the glass of the Ferris wheel’s cubical.

But it’s not like she use the time to admire it more. Not when Byun Baekhyun – a certain boy she started to fell in love, kissed her. Jieun, although hardly remembered the detail of that sign of affection could only remember few things. Happiness, comfort and security.

She loves how warm it is even when there were rain outside. It wasn’t full of lust. Just love, if Jieun put it in a very cheesy way. Gentle and… polite, she could say as inside her mind the thought of ‘will he be okay?’, ‘will he mind it?’ keeps pounding inside. She still remembers the smile of Baekhyun’s face. Happy and relieved because she had accepted him. Jieun thinks the same as she looks her blissful expression from the boy’s shining eyes.

Maybe he’s childish after all. ‘Would you like to go to the amusement park, again?’, ‘How about zoo?’, ‘I heard this new anime convention, want to come?’ sometimes Baekhyun cannot believe how unromantic these places yet he still points them out when choosing place to date. He wants to punch himself or at least slap himself. He had repeatedly tried to remind himself that parks, movies or nice restaurants do exist and some doesn’t need a lot of money.

But still in the end they ended up playing on the arcade, competing against each other in a playful manner. “This is fun!” the words that came from Jieun might be the only factor that managed to stop Baekhyun from apologizing for being so ignorant. Beside the girl proven to be very competitive when she wants to, so the game wasn’t one sided at all and very much enjoyable.

That however doesn’t stop him for doing something equally childish as whining for being lost at Cooking Mama. “What’s this?” staring at those confused eyes, Baekhyun felt like he was being woke up from some kind of daydream. His eyes caught the green neon colored plastic ring on her palm. Baekhyun’s breath caught in the middle of his throat.

“Umm…” he didn’t manage to utter a word, his eyes traveled back and forth from Jieun’s face, the plastic ring and the box that spits eggs when coins entered its system. “It’s for you, but you don’t have to keep it if you want!” Baekhyun added quickly as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

He was scratching the back of his head, feeling the hair between his fingers when he heard a light giggle. “Eh, what’s wrong-“

Baekhyun stopped on his track when his eyes slightly widened when Jieun flashed him her hand, with the hideous colored ring embraced her point finger. “This is still bigger but it’ll fit!” the girl said with a smile on her face. “I will keep it”

The sounds of the rain is still easily heard on the porch. Her old, tired eyes gaze at the worn looking ring on her ring finger. Although her hair is now has few strand colored gray and her eyes weren’t as brown as it used to, the shine of them hasn’t left. She continued to stare before taking a sharp breath.

“It’s cold outside, why don’t you come in” a voice woken her from her own thought. She turned around and smile spread on her face when the woman saw a figure step out from the door with a slight curve on his lips that never fail to makes her feel better. “Ah, I don’t know you still keep it, Jieun” he commented as he noticed the green neon colored plastic ring that now fitted Jieun’s finger like it was supposed to be there.

Jieun gave a tiny laugh. “You sounded like you’re disappointed”

Baekhyun, even after years had passed is still easily flustered. “I’m not” he exclaimed. “It’s just even until now, I always thought it was silly for me to even give you that” he admitted although it was not a secret as Jieun managed to see right through him.

Giving a second look towards the woman, Baekhyun breathed out a sharp sigh although he smiled later nonetheless, finding the same fluttering feeling inside his chest will always be the same since the very first day. “Just go in when you feel cold outside” he reminded lastly which Jieun answered with a sharp nod.

Closing the porch door behind him, the warmth of the heater greeted him. The man shuddered a bit as the last bit of coldness left his skin. His hands brushed the side of his arms as he walked further inside. He stopped only when his eyes caught the cork board on the wall. Baekhyun let a small smile formed on his face when memories flood his mind when he stares at those Polaroid photos on them.

Their date, their graduation, a birthday which Baekhyun forgot whom – Jieun or his, first meeting Jieun’s parents, engagement, marriage, all turned into a blur. He finally grasp his mind again when the sound of rain woken him up. Baekhyun’s head lifted as he looked from the window. Rain is still pouring when his wife’s eyes is still glued at the scenery – looking at them tirelessly.

He shook his head a second later. “No, that isn’t right” he said to no one with a crooked smile. It’s not Lee Jieun or him who’s looking at the woman who’s watching the rain. Taking one look outside, one particular meeting in the past surfacing in his mind, Baekhyun chuckled a little.

Because rain has watched us since the very beginning.

~~//~~

Sorry for being my tardy self yet once more, and if it's a bit confusing. I hope you'll like this story, A_MooNStar! Just a random fact, IU and Baekhyun is the very first couple including EXO that I know. Wish this fulfilled your expectation!

Comments and feedbacks = support! <3

Sincerely, RedPenguin