Rain.

It was raining.

'It all started in the rain.'  he thought

“We were just 17 then. Guess we’ve really come a long way.” He chuckled

Flashback…

“Dubu…” she called trying to pull him back to reality

“Dubu..” she tried again. To no avail, her best friend was still staring out the window daydreaming of who knows what, maybe chicken again.

“Yah, Lee Jinki, I swear if you do not snap out of it I will ask everyone not to give you chicken for a week!”

That seemed to catch his attention as he quickly looked at his best friend. His face, panic stricken, he pleaded, “You wouldn’t do that to me would you?” his voice slightly faltering.

“For chicken, you’d surely give up anything would you?” she laughed as she turned around, packing up her stuff and neatly stowing some papers in a folder. “Anyway, we have to go home Dubu.”

He noticed a tinge of annoyance in her voice and realized that he had spaced out when they were supposed to work and immediately felt a pang of guilt for making her do the report by herself. By the time he gathered all his things, she was already downstairs. He ran down the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and found her approaching the gate. For a short girl with short legs, Kim Taeyeon could walk fast. 

“Taengoo! Taengoo, wait!” he shouted, running after her. 

The moment his concentration on his running was transferred to getting her attention, he tripped. Big time. She saw what happened and immediately laughed that adorable ahjumma laugh of hers.

'At least she stopped and laughed'  he smiled to himself, ignoring the throbbing pain he felt in his knees. 

“Yah, be more careful Jinki” she laughed. She tried not to but it just wasn’t possible.

“We both know that careful isn’t in my dictionary” he chuckled as she helped her up. “Anyway, sorry about the report. How 'bout I buy you ice cream before I take you home as an apologu for letting you do all the work?”

“Hmm… you better know a good ice cream parlor. Oh, and, I’ll have 2 scoops not just one.” she teased, playfully nudging him. 

“You’re lucky I love you” he mumbled

“Did you say something?” she said as she eyed him

“I said fine, Taengoo. I said you’re lucky you’re my best friend.”

She looked away as he shifted his gaze from her face to the floor.

He had always been in love with her.

He was disappointed that he couldn’t tell her how he felt. But who could blame him? He’s been her best friend, her confidante, since they were kids, he didn’t, no, he couldn’t take a chance like that. He knew it’d be awkward if she didn’t feel the same way and he knew it would just hurt them both if it didn't end well.

She had always been in love with him.

She always tried to hide her feelings from him, only admiring him-- no, loving him from a safe distance. She thought it would be too cliché if it were to happen, two best friends falling for each other. Textbook story, but no one really knew how much she wanted it to happen. She was scared that he just thought of her as a sister or just a best friend. That would hurt too much.

They left all their stuff in their lockers and even left their backpacks, seeing as there was no homework to be done for the next day. When they walked past the gates, they were hit with cold dry air and the sky was dark and gloomy. The weather seemed to match what they were feeling inside. They walked in silence for a good 3 minutes. Until it happened.

It rained.

It wasn't supposed to rain. The weather forecast that morning said it would be cloudy at most. They were pretty far from any place they could run for cover so Jinki took off his jacket and placed it over the both of them, a flimsy attempt to shelter them from the rain, until she playfully shoved him and shouted,

“Don’t bother Jinki! Enjoy the rain for once!”

He never really liked rain. It was always so cold and damp after it rained. And somehow it always reminded him of sad days. But seeing her laugh and smile like that erased all those negative connotations that came with the rain. He thought that maybe the rain could actually be fun. He put his jacket back on and chased her around, playing tag like they were kids again, not even noticing that they had already passed a waiting shed where they could take cover.

She danced and sang happily under the rain. She loved the rain.  She looked back at Jinki and grabbed his hands. They spun around till they got dizzy. She got dizzy quickly and she had to hold on to him for support. They were both laughing heartily when he said it.

“Be mine forever” he whispered. He thought she wouldn’t hear it because of the rain and the laughing but she did. They both stopped laughing.

“Sorry, uhh, I didn’t hear you” she shifted her gaze to the concrete suddenly and his jaw tightened for a moment. It was now or never. She was still in his arms anyway, she couldn’t escape anymore. He cupped her cheeks and started.

“I said, be mine forever. Taengoo, I don’t know when exactly I started falling for you, but the important thing is, I did. You’re the only girl who has stuck beside all this time. Through all my stupidity, you were there. “ he was blabbering like an idiot. He was talking nonsense and he was pretty sure he’d be rejected because of what he was doing. “Taengoo, you have no idea how painful it was when you’d call me and tell me you were nervous for your date or when you didn’t know what you’d wear. I wished that you were nervous because it was me you were going on a date with and that it was me you wanted to look cute for. I-“

She broke his speech with a kiss. It was extremely gentle, delicate even. Like a feather brushed his lips. She felt the same. At that moment, he felt relieved. His heart was still pounding, it was pounding as if it was two hearts. It was her heart that made it beat faster and louder and he realized it soon enough.

End Flashback

He loves the rain now.

The rain has been there during the most important events in their life. Although their first anniversary didn’t go as planned because of the rain, it didn’t ruin the day. It turned out better than what he actually planned.

It’s going to rain any time now. He told her it’d be a bad idea for a garden wedding in September, but she brushed it off as if she didn’t know there was a big possibility it would rain. He sent an email to the guests a week ago to wear something they wouldn’t mind getting wet but it had to be formal, thankfully, the guests had complied, even though some attires were a bit casual. He’d have to make sure to put those slightly casually dressed people near the back so Taeyeon wouldn’t notice.

He was right. She knows she should have listened, but she wanted the wedding to be on the same day they confessed to each other. It was raining now, she looked at Jinki expecting him to give her that I-told-you-so look, but he just smiled. To her surprise, no one moved an inch. It seemed like the guests didn't mind going on with the ceremony in the rain.

After reading their vows, he knew that this kiss would prove that she would be his and that he would be hers forever. Their kiss wasn’t as dramatic as those in movies but it felt as if it was the sweetest. He decided that they’d have their first dance under the rain, it felt that it would be the only right way to have their first dance. He invited his 4 best friends, Jonghyun, Key, Minho and Taemin to help him sing her favorite song.

After the first verse, Jinki held out his hand to Taeyeon and they danced under the rain like they did 9 years ago when they were just 17. He sang to her as if he was having a concert just for her. They were in their own world, dancing like children playing in the rain. They knew that it wasn’t how newlyweds usually had their first dance but it only felt right, just like the first time they fell in love, dancing in the rain.