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It’s raining hard. Yoohyeon can hear it even from inside — it’s coming down steadily everywhere, from the metal awning over the front courtyard to the pitifully-kept flowerbeds ringing the grounds.
“Man,” she says, standing to put Romeo and Juliet into her bag. “It really is pouring out there.”
Yubin chuckles quietly, eyes flitting up to Yoohyeon’s for a second. “Mm.”
Yoohyeon isn’t sure what their vibe is. Friendly, probably. They were assigned desk partners at the beginning of term, back when spring was just beginning to rear its head after a freezing winter. Before that — Yoohyeon had always thought Yubin was cool, she supposes. Vaguely intimidating. The kind of person who’s usually quiet, but when they talk, leaves you feeling a little stunned.
Just like last week. For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, / And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss, Yoohyeon had read out loud in class. Ms. Kim had swept the room for a volunteer before landing on Yubin, who nodded. “Juliet’s saying that in a religious context, touching palms with someone is like a kiss.” She paused. “She’s also kind of shutting Romeo down because he just apologized for touching her hand and basically offered to kiss her — he said his lips are ‘two blushing pilgrims, ready’ to ‘smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss’.”
Who even says that? Yoohyeon had texted Siyeon, who had been cutting class at the time. u love it tho, Siyeon had replied. It was, regrettably, true.
Yoohyeon leads them out to the front courtyard now. It’s pretty empty; it’s almost two hours past school’s end on a Thursday, and Nayeon’s party is tonight.
Yoohyeon takes a deep breath (why is she taking a deep breath?) and moves to take her umbrella out of her bag. “Well,” she says, and the air feels a bit — full. “I’m gonna head home, then.”
“Ah, you have an umbrella,” Yubin’s mouth quirks. “That’s good.”
Yoohyeon sputters. “Yeah, I do.”
“What should I do, then?” Yubin is still standing there with that little curl in her mouth. What the fuck. The rain patters insistently on the awning above their heads.
Yoohyeon is finding words extremely difficult at the moment. “What?”
“I didn’t bring mine.” Yubin looks amused. Her eyebrows are raised slightly, like she’s waiting. Or waiting to find out if she should.
“Oh…” Yoohyeon says, trying to come up with a response. “I…”
Yubin smirks, a bit teasingly. “Don’t worry, I’m not asking for your umbrella.” She pulls the hood of her jacket over her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.” And she turns and starts heading off, just like that.
“Bye,” Yoohyeon says, a little in awe, the words feeling like a sudden, shallow exhale. She must be glazed over from their study session. “Wait, Lee Yubin!” Yoohyeon says, almost shouts, surprising herself. Maybe too loudly for the measly distance Yubin has travelled in the past two and a half seconds.
Yubin’s really not that far away. She turns, and then she’s just standing there in the rain, not immediately in front of Yoohyeon but still kind of close, just looking at her. Raindrops dot her jacket, rest on her eyelashes.
God, this is so dramatic, Yoohyeon thinks. “Um,” she says, wincing internally at what she’s about to say. “Let’s… walk together?” She presses the button on her umbrella and it explodes open, like a parachute. Yubin’s eyes flicker towards it. It’s yellow and patterned with different whimsically-drawn dogs. Yoohyeon feels faintly embarrassed.
“What?” Yubin says, cloyingly, now.
Yoohyeon scrunches up her nose. “Don’t make me say it again.”
Yubin’s smile widens. “Okay. Thank you.” She walks the three-ish steps back to Yoohyeon. When Yubin reaches her suddenly Yoohyeon is aware of how little space there is when two people are facing each other under an umbrella. She feels strangely fluttery, but when she looks up, Yubin is just looking back at her with those big, calm eyes.
“Should we go?” Yubin says. Still smiling softly. Yoohyeon doesn’t know how she does it.
“Yeah,” Yoohyeon manages. She shifts her bag from her right shoulder to her left so Yubin has more space. Yubin adjusts too.
“Ready?” Yoohyeon says.
“Ah, wait,” Yubin says, and Yoohyeon turns to look at her. “I’ll have a problem.” She smiles again, satisfied like a cat, and Yoohyeon can’t help but let herself get caught up in it, just a little.
“Yeah?”
“Every time it rains… I’ll think of you.”
Yoohyeon almost drops her umbrella when she shrieks, and it’s Yubin who catches it and saves them both from being knocked in the head. Yoohyeon doesn’t remember the last time she’s laughed like that, sudden and bright, the sound crackling up out of her like fireworks. She swats at Yubin’s arm, but only half-heartedly. “Oh my God!”
“I’m seeerious,” Yubin grins. “Classical conditioning.”
Yoohyeon rolls her eyes. “Okay, K-drama.”
Yubin only hums as they set off, falling into step with each other.
“Hey,” Yoohyeon glances sideways at Yubin as they walk. Yubin looks up; the mist in the air seems to soften her face even more. Yoohyeon smiles and gathers up all her courage. “Wanna go to a party tonight?”