“Sometimes friendship begins with something as small as waiting for someone in the rain.”
The last bell rang.
A second later…
Thunder echoed outside.
The classroom windows rattled.
Then—
Rain.
Heavy rain.
Students crowded around the windows.
“…There goes my walk home.”
Heosok sighed dramatically.
Jiwoo smiled.
“I like rain.”
Jisoo looked at her.
“Because you’re not the one carrying the umbrella.”
“…Correct.”
A few minutes later…
The six of them stood beneath the school entrance.
The rain poured so hard that the streets looked like rivers.
Heosok opened his backpack.
“…I forgot my umbrella.”
Jisoo folded her arms.
“You forget everything.”
“I remembered my lunch.”
“You dropped your lunch.”
“…It still counts.”
Jiwoo burst into laughter.
Yongi quietly opened his umbrella.
Without saying anything…
He held it over Jeheon.
Jeheon looked surprised.
“You’ll get wet.”
Yongi shrugged.
“So will you.”
Jeheon smiled.
“…Thank you.”
It was such a small gesture.
Yet…
It felt strangely warm.
Jiwoo suddenly looked around.
“…Wait.”
“Where’s Zaizai?”
Everyone stopped.
She wasn’t beside them anymore.
Jiwoo frowned.
“She was just here.”
Without another word…
She ran back into the school.
Jeheon watched her disappear into the hallway.
“…I’ll go too.”
Before anyone could answer…
He followed.
Inside the nearly empty corridor…
The lights had already been switched off in several classrooms.
The rain echoed against the windows.
Jeheon slowed his steps.
Then…
He heard voices.
“…Sorry.”
Zaizai’s voice.
“I didn’t want to worry everyone.”
Jiwoo looked at her sister.
“You don’t have to apologize.”
“I just…”
Zaizai smiled gently.
“…Couldn’t find my umbrella.”
Jiwoo stared at her.
Then laughed.
“We came all the way back…”
“…for an umbrella?”
Zaizai looked embarrassed.
“…Maybe.”
Jiwoo sighed dramatically.
“I thought you were kidnapped.”
“I don’t think kidnappers wait politely in classrooms.”
Jeheon couldn’t help smiling.
Jiwoo noticed him standing by the door.
“Oh.”
“There you are.”
Jeheon scratched the back of his neck.
“…I came to help.”
Zaizai looked at him.
“…Thank you.”
He simply nodded.
“No problem.”
Outside…
The others were still waiting.
Heosok looked at the three of them.
“There you are!”
“I was about to organize a rescue team.”
Jisoo replied,
“You would’ve gotten lost.”
“I would’ve found myself eventually.”
“No.”
“We would’ve had to rescue you too.”
Everyone laughed.
There weren’t enough umbrellas.
After several minutes of arguing…
They finally decided.
Heosok and Jisoo shared one.
Which immediately became a competition.
“You’re stealing all the space.”
“I’m avoiding your elbows.”
“My elbows have done nothing.”
“They’re planning something.”
Jiwoo laughed so hard she nearly dropped her umbrella.
Yongi quietly shared his with Jeheon.
Neither of them spoke.
They didn’t need to.
A comfortable silence had started growing between them.
Jiwoo naturally walked beside Zaizai.
Holding the umbrella a little more over her sister than herself.
Jeheon noticed.
Just for a moment.
Zaizai noticed too.
She quietly moved the umbrella back toward Jiwoo.
Neither of them mentioned it.
Halfway home…
The rain became even heavier.
Heosok suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked at him.
He pointed toward a tiny convenience store.
“They sell hot chocolate.”
Jiwoo’s eyes lit up.
“…You’re a genius.”
“I know.”
Jisoo smiled.
“I’ll admit it.”
“That was actually a good idea.”
Heosok placed a hand over his heart.
“I’ll remember this compliment forever.”
A few minutes later…
Six paper cups of hot chocolate warmed cold hands.
The rain continued outside.
But nobody seemed to mind anymore.
They laughed.
Talked.
Teased each other.
As if the rain had given them an excuse to stay together just a little longer.
Jeheon quietly looked around the small shop.
The warmth.
The laughter.
The steam rising from the cups.
He smiled.
Not because something extraordinary had happened.
But because…
For the first time in a long time…
Going home didn’t feel lonely anymore.