Tiffany’s nap was interrupted by the chill of the hospital. She wanted to take a bit more rest as she tried relaxing herself more on TaeYeon’s shoulders, but it did not help at all. Something cold was hitting her skin. She kept wondering what was bothering her until she finally decided to open her eyes. Slightly annoyed, she looked at what was on TaeYeon’s neck and found a familiar chain beaming back at her. She thought it could not be possible that the necklace she gave to Eunji would somehow end up with him, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. She rubbed her eyes to make sure her eyes weren’t playing games with her and checked if he was still asleep. She carefully pulled the chain out of his shirt.

      “Oh!” she gasped with her whole body jerking in shock as a familiar key came to view. It was the key necklace—the one she had kept in her possession for fifteen years. How did it get to his possession? She was fond of Eunji and TaeYeon’s close relationship, but did Eunji really give it to him without knowing him as her father? What was she thinking giving her dead father’s precious necklace to a man she just met a month ago? She doesn’t even recall ever telling Eunji that she was currently dating him.

      “Has she figured it all out by herself?” she wondered since it would only be the explanation. Eunji would not be the type of girl to just give something like that away. Surely she must have found something out.

      Tiffany tiredly sighed realizing how time was flying by so quickly with the truth resurfacing faster than she expected. There is no point to hold it all back as the days pass. No matter how nervous she was, the outcome was all in the hands of Forever. So with full determination, she firmly made up her mind to finally tell TaeYeon everything after SeoHyun gives birth. She also sent a text to Eunji saying that she’ll be saying something once she gets home. It’s time to reveal everything.

***

      There was definitely something off with Key the moment Eunji saw him pass through the school halls without greeting anybody that came his way. He took routes that avoided as much people as possible. He didn’t even eat lunch with the group that day. Eunji and Taemin tried to look for him but he was nowhere to be found. He was so distant. Eunji was starting to feel extremely worried.

      It was 4 pm, the school just ended. She stepped outside of the school building and covered herself with her notebooks to protect herself from the on-going storm. Then she remembered she had an umbrella. She took out the green umbrella given by Key and opened it. Even if it provided her enough protection from the rain to get to her home, she wasn’t satisfied. Something was missing. Key was missing. She was now used to having Key around that going home without him just didn’t feel right.

      Suddenly, her phone vibrated continuously and she saw that her mother had sent her a number of text messages.

      “—Eunji sorry for not coming back in the morning😦 Do not assume anything bad about your mom sleeping in another man’s apartment ok? NOTHING HAPPENED, BABY. blame it all on the storm~!!

      —wchich reminds me… be careful on your way home, okay? Don’t go near the big roads. The storm seems really scary today D:

      —If your wondering where I am, I am in the hospital right now since morning since SeoHyun is in labor. Yay the baby will finally come outttt!!! Wohooo Im excitedd❤❤

      —so I think I’ll be back around the evening ^^

      —Tell me what u wna eats I’ll orderrr

            Eunji chuckled at her mom’s text messages until she received one last message.

      —Also, we need to talk.

      dried at the tone of that message. Was she in trouble for something? Her day was already so bad with Key avoiding her and everyone, now she has to deal with this? Anyway, she’ll worry about that later. She has to find Key.

      A girl passed by in the corner of her eye and she stopped her. “Sulli,” Eunji asked, “Have you seen Key by any chance?” Sulli was one of Key’s close friends. Before Key hung out with Eunji’s friends, he also had one his own group friends. Sulli was one of them.

      “Yeah,” Sulli nodded. “He said he was going to the park.”

      “The park? What’s he doing there?” Eunji asked.

      “I don’t know,” Sulli shrugged. “He’s been too quiet today.”

      “Oh…” Eunji sulked. “Thanks anyway Sulli,” Eunji smiled. “I’ll go now.”

      As soon as she took a step, Sulli gently grabbed her wrist. “Be careful Eunji,” she said. “I think he’s a bit shaken up by something but I can’t tell what it is.

      “You can tell?” Eunji asked. “I thought I was the only one who noticed…”

      “Anyone can tell he’s troubled,” Sulli sighed. “Just take care of him if you find him, okay? I think you’re the only one who can get through his thoughts.”

      “What do you mean by that?” Eunji softly asked as she stared at Sulli’s compassionate expressions.

      Sulli tapped Eunji’s back and giggled, “Key likes you. Don’t you know that already? I thought you already knew that by now.” She flashed one last smile and ran to the car that was waiting for her. Eunji just stood there, processing Sulli’s words.

She knew what she had to do now.

      The park was a little bit far from the school grounds. It had to take walking on slippery roads and a thick fog that hovered around just to reach it. Despite the storm, Eunji was desperate. Even if Key might have already left for home, she figured she’d check the park first since Sulli told her he might be there. It was hard to get there, but with the help of Key’s green umbrella, she managed.

      There was no one to be seen in the small play ground in the park. It looked completely abandoned. What did she expect? It’s not like anyone would be hanging around outside when the storm is pouring on.

      She started to head for home when a creaking sound startled her. Her whole body turned around 180 degrees and her eyes squinted. In the blur of it all was Key sitting quietly in the swing. She approached him and found him all soaked up in his uniform.

      “K-Key?” Eunji called while trying to keep the falling water from blocking her vision. Key looked up.

      “Yah, what are you doing here alone all soaked up, huh?” Eunji softly asked but Key didn’t answer.

      “It’s not like you’re emo or anything, are you?” Eunji chuckled but Key turned his head back to being downcast. Eunji’s little jokes always put a smile on Key, but now, he was ignoring it. There was obviously something wrong.

      “Yah…” Eunji whimpered as she closed the umbrella and let herself be soaked under the rain with him. She sat on the empty swing beside Key and looked at him. She has never seen Key this down. “What’s wrong Key?” she asked, worry clearly heard in her voice. Key didn’t move or say anything.

      “Key… come on, don’t do this. I’m worried about you. What’s wrong? You were fine just last night…” Eunji deeply sighed.

      Key stayed silent and Eunji waited. She didn’t care about the rain falling on her skin. She didn’t care about the cold breeze hitting in their direction. She didn’t care about anything at all other than Key. If it would take Key thirty minutes or maybe even hours to say anything, she will wait for him.

      “Am I being too dramatic?” Key spoke after 15 minutes. Eunji turned her attention to him.

      “Dramatic?” Eunji wondered. “Yes,” she nodded rather bluntly.

      “I’m just confused. I’ve never felt this before,” Key sighed.

      “Felt what? The rain?” Eunji said as she let raindrops fall on her hands.

      “No… us”

      Eunji blinked. “Us?”

      “I just… sorry, I need to clear my thoughts…” Key said as he stood up.

      “Where are you going?” Eunji asked.

      “Go home Eunji… I have to go somewhere else. Let’s see each other tomorrow,” Key said, trying to put up a smile. Eunji became even more flustered. Key turned and headed for the taxi stand.

      Eunji quickly ran in front of him and spread out her arms to block him. “Yah, I’m not letting you go anywhere before I know what’s with you today.”

      “Eunji…” Key gently let down Eunji’s arms and sighed. He walked towards the taxi stand and started looking for any taxi to pass by. However, Eunji could not take this anymore. She harshly grabbed Key’s hand and dragged him back to the playground.

      “Key, just tell me please,” Eunji said tightly gripping his arms. “What’s wrong with you today? I think I might go crazy not knowing what’s bringing you down.”

      “I… I just can’t take seeing you. I might go crazy.”

      “Why?” Eunji asked.

      “Last night… The feelings going through me were so new. Being with you just… It just makes it worse not knowing how you feel.”

      “So you’re going to avoid me because I haven’t told you how I feel?” Eunji pouted.

      “It’s not that… It’s just that I’m scared.”

      “Of what?”

      “That if we do start a thing, what if… what if it doesn’t work out at all?”

      “We haven’t even jumped to it and you still don’t know how I feel. And now you’re getting all depressed just because of that? Come on Key, you’re stronger than that,” Eunji chuckled as she softly punched Key’s arm; her eye-smile showing. “If you want things to work, don’t you just need to believe that it will?”

      “I’m serious, Eunji,” Key sighed. “I feel like I might hurt you in some way. I’m just… I’m scared of this first love.” The more he looked at her cheerful eyes, the more he wanted to give in—drop all of his stress down.

      “First love… I don’t even know what that’s supposed to be like,” Eunji said. “But don’t you want to find it out with me? C’mon, help me clear out my thoughts and go on that slide,”

      “I… huh?” Key thought she was asking for them to officially start a relationship, but her last sentence caught him off guard. He turned his head to the yellow metal slide and it looked too dirty due to the rain. Eunji cannot expect him to literally go down on that slide, right?

      “What? Why?”

      “Go on that slide, and I’ll tell you how I feel.”

***

      Key climbed up on the ladder and stood high above Eunji who looked way too excited for his fall. He took a glance at the yellow wet slope and hesitated to go down. No way was he sliding his on that. He couldn’t resist Eunji’s eye-smile though. He had to go down on that somehow. He stepped on the slide sideways and skidded his way down smoothly. He tripped on the edge and was taken a bit off balance. When he finally stopped and stood straight in front of Eunji, Eunji smiled. Eunji opened the green umbrella and it protected the both of them from the rain.

      “What?” Key asked confused as to why Eunji was grinning so much.

      With a hand behind her back, Eunji lifted her heel and her face leveled with Key, softly kissing him on his lips. She’s never done anything like this before, though through her confidence, it looked as if she’s experienced. She looked calm and steady, but in reality, her heart pounded so loudly and she was trembling with excitement. She didn’t know why she took the courage to do this. She even thought this idea wouldn’t really work out. Now that it has worked, she had nothing to worry about. If you believe that it will work out, chances are, it will.

      As Eunji withdrew from their kiss, she blushed madly, but it was not visible because of the dark skies and the green shade from the umbrella.

      “I’m telling you I want you,” Eunji hummed Key’s song with her eye-smile. “I’m telling you that I love you.” Key stood there, paralyzed, blinking constantly trying to soak in what just happened.

      “Now go,” Eunji said, ruffling Key’s hair. “Go and clear out your thoughts, too, as you wished.”

      Key just gulped and nervously nodded. He ran to the taxi stand just when a taxi passed by and giddily waved goodbye to Eunji. Eunji giggled and touched her lips. Even she couldn’t believe they just kissed.

      She started to head for home, holding firmly her green umbrella. She was still somewhat out of her own reality and she couldn’t stop smiling. She turned her head to see off the taxi that Key road and stared at it as it went farther away.

      “Aigoo… that guy. He’s suddenly overthinking things,” Eunji giggled.

      Before the taxi completely disappeared in the fog, her smile turned upside down. Just a few miles away, she clearly heard and saw two cars colliding together. The loud crash definitely wasn’t thunder. She knew she was not mistaken. Her eyes did not fool her. Subconsciously, she started walking towards the crash. Her pace went faster and faster until she was finally running. She ran for what seemed like an hour of slow torture until she reached the crowd of people surrounding the area. She pushed through the crowd with her hands still gripping tightly on the umbrella