She buried her face deeper into the muffler, her big grey umbrella keeping her dry as she paced to the café, eager for a warm drink. Passersby shot her curious looks, but she was beyond caring. Yes, she knew it was only drizzling, but it’s not any of their business if she wanted to carry an umbrella that appeared to be large enough for two, right? So what if she hadn’t gotten around to replacing the umbrella she used to share with another person? She scowled at the ground; she really didn’t need a reminder of her failed relationship on an already miserable day like this, when her professor had returned her thesis paper again, with angry red comments scrawled in the margin.

     The break up happened on a day exactly like this one; a slight drizzle in the background when she caught the jerk making out with a skimpily dressed girl. She had sent a forceful slap to his face before walking away with her head held high, refusing to let anyone see the tears that were swimming in her eyes. They only fell when the rain got heavy enough for a convincing camouflage.

     As she stood in the queue, tapping her foot impatiently against the concrete sidewalk in time with the rhythm of the falling rain, a person seated on the wooden benches under a big umbrella like the one she was carrying caught her eye. The rhythm of her tapping was interrupted as she focused on trying to remember his name.

     Oh, him, her senior from the same faculty who played the guitar in a band during the school spirit week concert and the vice-chairman of the student council. Jung Jinyoung. He appeared to be drinking a Green Tea Frappuccino, with another exact same cup placed beside his bag. Ah, he must be waiting for a friend, she thought, but at that moment, Jung Jinyoung finished his drink and the full cup went into the bin together with the empty cup. Her brows creased.

     “Next please!” She didn’t have time to ponder about his weird--- and not to mention, wasteful ---behavior when it was finally her turn to place an order. She was disappointed when her usual Green Tea Frappuccino didn’t have the calming effect she longed for; the rain still felt mercilessly cold.

Did it rain today?

Yes, yes it did.

But the ice cold rain was only coming down in torrents on her and her alone.

      “Hey, you!” A low voice called out and she turned in the midst of pulling up the hood on her jacket, mentally cursing the person who had called her to stop when it was already drizzling; it made her nervous that she didn’t have an umbrella.

     Jung Jinyoung stood a couple of feet away, waving with a cup in his hand while the other clutched the smooth wooden handle of a large grey umbrella. The one that she used to have. Her eyes were wide with confusion as he nodded at her again and the confusion turned to suspicion when he ran over with a sigh. She took a wary step back when he sheltered her with the umbrella; the proximity of this person that she barely knew unsettled her.

     “You’re Professor Kim’s student also right? I’m your senior, Jung Jinyoung.” There was an awkward silence after she nodded at him.

     “If there’s nothing you need, I’ll be on my way……”

     “Wait! Um, you’re going to the café right? I always see you there and you always order the same thing. Green Tea Frappe right? You can have this one,” he said, offering the cup that he held. She had always thought this senior of hers to be a little bit quirky, but his actions today totally tipped him into the freaking weird end. Is he some kind of stalker and kidnapper? As if he could read her mind, his eyes lit up with amusement and his tone turned teasing.

     “Don’t worry, I didn’t spike this drink! Just that I got stood up by a friend after I got the drink for the person and I don’t want to waste the drink.” She scoffed at his words and before she could stop herself, she blurted out what had appeared in her head.

     “Says the guy who always dumps a full cup of Green Tea Frappe as if he has a lot of money to throw around!” She clapped a hand to a second too late, but he didn’t seem to mind; instead, he was laughing abashedly at her little jibe. All she noticed in that moment, was how his eyes folded into nice crescents with laughter.

Did it rain today?

Yes, yes it did.

But the rain will wash away all her pain, along with the words she carved into the sand.

     “You never did tell me why you always buy two cups of Green Tea Frappes.”

     She nudged Jinyoung lightly as they sat on the same wooden benches outside the same café, drinking the same Green Tea Frappuccino as they had three months ago. It still surprised her that she was somehow friends with Jung Jinyoung after he offered her the drink that day. Admittedly, he was the most interesting person she knew.

     Stubborn, straightforward, sarcastic but always generous to his friends and always willing to provide a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Being part of student council also meant he was often the brain behind random projects to bring up the school spirit, projects which ranged from interestingly cool to absolutely weird. He had his fair share of good traits and flaws but mostly, she liked how he always exuded this happy aura that made it difficult to not want to be close to him.

     When he heard her words, his face fell ever so slightly, sadness tinting his usually bright eyes. Immediately, she regretted asking him. She was just about to tell him to ignore her when he spoke.

     “Huh. Guess I really didn’t mention it to you. I used to have a girlfriend, someone whom I thought I would end up marrying. She was everything I wanted in a girl, in my girl. We used to come here every alternate Friday to have Green Tea Frappes and it sort of became my habit to buy two cups. Then she went to the States with her family and three months ago, I received a wedding invitation from her. I still buy two Frappes, because, well, old habits die hard.”

     Jinyoung turned to her with a sad smile and she hated how the smile didn’t reach his eyes; it wasn’t the smile her Jinyoung would wear. She was just about to scoot over to put an arm around him when the first raindrops fell. She squealed in surprise, which earned a peal of bright laughter from him and he pulled her up from the bench, the two of them running to get shelter.

     What surprised her was how she no longer felt anxious about staying dry; she was laughing with him as they danced around in the drizzle, her hand wrapped snugly in his.

Did it rain today?

Yes, yes it did.

But she learned to enjoy the soft patter of drops on her face, learned to dance in the rain.

     Jinyoung twined his fingers with hers as they sat under a large blue umbrella, a light mist of rain falling around them. Their relationship somehow developed naturally and although she thought she would never find someone again, he barged into her life and changed it completely. Every time he looks at her with those intense eyes, her heart would beat doubly fast, even after being with him for more than a year.

     As she took a sip out of the Green Tea Frappuccino that she held in her free hand, he leaned over to press his lips to her cheek. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of red and she elbowed him in the ribs. He laughed at her reaction; he thought she looked extremely adorable when she was flustered. Smiling indulgently, she shook her head at him before leaning her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. He had kicked his habit of buying two Frappes, because unlike his previous girlfriend, she preferred to share a cup with him.

Did it rain today?

Yes, yes it did.

But she leans against his shoulder to admire the rainbow after the rain.