Taekwoon groaned, shaking off as much water from his hair as he could. He was drenched to the bone, caught in a sudden summer storm, tired and ready for a nap. He should have known something bad was going to happen again, why didn't he bring an umbrella with him?

The morning had been a mess; he woke up late, called his supervisor in a frenzy of apologies and promises, skipped breakfast, and then his car wouldn't start. He called his boss again, who was luckily nice enough to give him a break, but warned him if it happened again, he would be written up. He apologized again.

It wasn't that it was a Monday or that the week had been long as it was, but there was just something . . . He couldn't place his finger on it.

Elbows propped on the wooden table behind him, Taekwoon leaned his head back and closed his eyes. At least it wasn't overly-humid.

Maybe he'd just been too busy lately. It wasn't like he ever had anything to do aside from talk to friends or write a little, and he mostly worked anyway, but his mom told him he needed a vacation of some sort. Where would he even go? He didn't feel worn out or in need of a reprieve . . .

He shivered. Wet socks were the worst.

When he walked into his apartment that night, sneezing and shivering, everything just felt wrong. An itch under his skin tossed his head from left to right, trying to figure out what it was; if anything was out of place, or maybe he was sensing danger.

"Hello?" he called out. No answer, but since he lived alone, what else was he expecting?

He shook his head; just his imagination.

After a shower where the water turned too cold too fast, Taekwoon decided he was sick of sneezing. How did he get sick just from a summer shower? He rolled his eyes.

His keys weren't in immediate reach of course, they probably grew legs and ran off somewhere, and he spent fifteen minutes looking for them. All his furniture was really asking to be turned over.

He glanced up into the night sky, shaking his hair from his face, and wondered why it was that the stars looked different too. They just seemed mildly out of place and he wanted to reach up and rearrange them to align properly.

He sneezed again, groaning to himself.

The convenience store wasn't too far and there weren't too many people in line. He decided since he was having such a weird day, he'd treat himself to a few snacks and a canned coffee.

While standing in line, he opened the coffee and took a drink . . . Only for some of it to spill onto his shirt. He looked down at the new stain and sighed; what else was he expecting?

The line moved slowly for just a few people ahead of him and he pulled out his phone. One message.

From: Wonshik
I hope you didn't forget your umbrella today.

Taekwoon stared at the message.

When the person behind him urged him forward, he snapped from his daze, muttering an apology. He blinked a few times, finally putting his things on the counter, and the clerk narrowed her eyes at him when she realized the coffee was already open. He didn't meet her glare.

Instead, he stood in a daze, moving on autopilot, as if somehow, the entire world shifted around him.

After being ushered away from the counter by the annoyed old man behind him, he drifted to the door. His foot caught on something and he looked down; untied shoes. Outside the convenience store, he paused to tie them, sure they'd just come back undone in a few seconds anyway.

As he wandered back home, his blood glided through his veins, smooth and warm, and his heart beat just a little faster.

He unlocked his door and then looked one more time at the sky. The stars were still a glittering mess of diamonds.

Oh, so it's like that . . .

He pulled out his phone when he got in, took off his shoes that were inevitably untied again, and placed his keys somewhere they'd certainly wander off from.

"Hello?" answered the warm voice on the other line.

Taekwoon breathed out, the smallest of smiles playing on his lips.

have u guys seen ravi's Beautiful Liar teaser lmao tbh