A Rainy Morning and a Warm Bowl of Udon
Dark clouds gathered in an instant, swallowing the sky whole. Soon, the rain began to pour down without mercy, as if the heavens themselves had been punctured. The light from the streetlamps blurred into the raindrops, and puddles formed rapidly on the ground. Over the desolate streets, only the sound of water rushing through the gutters could be heard.
Seo Ihyeon rested her chin on her hand at the counter, staring blankly outside. The stark white fluorescent light of the store stood in sharp contrast to the deep darkness beyond the glass.
"It’s raining quite hard..."
Her mood turned gloomy. She had never been a fan of rain to begin with. She detested everything about it—the way clothes clung damply to her skin, the wet shoes, and the way her hair plastered itself against her cheeks. Moreover, on nights when it rained, the already quiet graveyard shift became even more deserted. She liked the silence, but lately, she found herself strangely averse to the loneliness.
"What’s wrong with me lately?"
Ihyeon let out a soft sigh. Rain streaked down the windowpane in long, jagged lines. Whenever she watched the raindrops, a certain face inevitably came to mind. Broad shoulders, short hair, and a stoic gaze. Even the simple, quiet way he would finish his meals.
"...Ah, here we go again."
Embarrassed, Ihyeon shook her head vigorously. No matter how hard she tried, the same person kept appearing in her thoughts. Yoon Taegon. The man who lived next door. The man who had offered to make her breakfast. The man who, in reality, prepared it for her every single morning.
"I’ll be able to see him again when I get home, right?"
As that thought crossed her mind, her heart felt like it might take flight. Startled by the smile that bloomed on her face, she quickly covered her mouth with the back of her hand.
"No, that’s not it. We’re just meal buddies. Nothing more, nothing less."
She repeated it to herself several times, but the tips of her ears were already burning red.
Before she knew it, it was time to clock out.
— *Jingle, jingle.*
As the door opened with the chime of the bell, the damp air from outside rushed in. The scent of rainwater invaded the convenience store. Minji stepped inside, folding her dripping umbrella. Her wet hair was plastered to her forehead, looking a mess. As she shook the umbrella roughly, droplets sprayed in every direction.
"Ugh, seriously, the rain is no joke right now. It’s a total waterfall out there."
Minji grumbled as she stowed her umbrella. Her shoulders and sneakers were already soaked through.
"They said it would start in the afternoon, so what is this since this morning?"
Minji pulled on her vest and stepped behind the counter.
"You're right. It really is raining a lot."
At Ihyeon’s reply, Minji’s hands froze. She stopped zipping up her vest and stared intently at Ihyeon.
"...What was that?"
Minji’s eyes went wide as she leaned in close.
"Pardon?"
"Did you just talk to me?"
"Pardon? Oh... yes. Because it’s raining so much..."
"No, that’s not what I meant."
Minji took a step closer, scrutinizing Ihyeon’s face. Flustered, Ihyeon took a step back.
"Why, why are you doing that?"
"Are you... did something good happen to you?"
"What? Where did that come from..."
As Ihyeon blinked, Minji crossed her arms and tilted her head.
"I mean, usually, you barely listen when I talk to you."
"That’s not tr—"
"Yes, it is! Don't you remember how you reacted when I bought my bag the other day?"
"..."
"You just said one word, 'Yes,' and left without even looking back."
Ihyeon’s expression stiffened. 'Did I really do that...?' Even as she searched her memory, it was all a blur.
"But today, when I was whining about the rain, you actually chimed in. How long has it been since that happened?"
Minji counted on her fingers for emphasis.
"I’ve been working here for three months, and this is the first time we’ve had a proper conversation, you know that?"
Ihyeon’s face began to flush.
"Th-that was just..."
"Be honest. Did you win the lottery? Or did you get a boyfriend?"
"N-no, I did not!"
Ihyeon jumped in surprise and waved her hands frantically. Her voice was higher than usual.
"It’s really not like that. I-I’m exactly the same as always!"
"If you’re the same as always, why are you overreacting so much?"
Minji scanned Ihyeon with a meaningful look. Ihyeon avoided her gaze and hurriedly took off her vest. Perhaps because she was flustered, the zipper caught, and her fingertips trembled.
"L-let’s just do the shift change, quickly."
"Oh, wait. We haven't done the handover—"
"I checked the three milk cartons nearing their expiration date, and I already finished clearing out the expired goods. I cleaned up and changed the trash bags, so please check them!"
Ihyeon rattled off the handover tasks breathlessly. Minji stood there, mouth agape.
"You..."
"Th-then, I’ll be going!"
Before she could hear a response, Ihyeon grabbed her bag and headed for the door. As she exited the store, Minji’s shout followed her.
"Hey, Seo Ihyeon! Seriously, what is it!"
Her face burned at Minji’s question. 'Someone else noticed... was it that obvious?'
As soon as she opened the door, the damp air hit her. Only then did reality sink in.
— *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*
A torrential downpour, truly like a waterfall, was falling. If she took even one step out from under the eaves, she would be soaked to the bone in an instant. Ihyeon hesitated at the sound of the rain hammering against the asphalt.
'Oh, right. My umbrella...'
Realizing her mistake, she rummaged through her bag. Wallet, phone, earphones, lip balm. No umbrella. 'It was sunny when I came to work yesterday, so I didn't even check the forecast...'
Ihyeon looked up at the sky from the edge of the eaves. Dark clouds covered the sky densely. There wasn't even a hint of it stopping.
'What do I do... should I just run for it?'
But if she ran through this rain, her shoes would definitely get soaked through. The thought of catching a cold and having to take time off work, which would immediately cut into her income, kept her feet rooted to the spot. Ihyeon sighed and crouched down under the eaves. The splashing rainwater flowed right up to the tips of her shoes.
'If I wait, will it let up a bit?'
Just as she was staring helplessly at the rain,
"Ihyeon-ssi!"
At the sudden voice, Ihyeon’s shoulders flinched.
"Over here, over here!"
As she turned her head toward the sound, she saw a familiar silhouette. A man was sitting in a chair under a convenience store parasol. Dressed in a black windbreaker and sweatpants, he was holding two umbrellas in one hand. Unlike his relaxed expression, the wet hem of his pants suggested how much rain he had endured to get here.
Ihyeon rubbed her eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"T-Taegon-ssi? How... what are you doing here?"
Taegon stood up and approached Ihyeon, following the edge of the parasol. "I woke up and saw it was raining, so I came by just in case."
His words were tinged with tenderness. Ihyeon stared at him blankly.
'Did he run out in the middle of the night just because he was worried I wouldn't have an umbrella?'
Her mind a jumble, she blinked and asked, "But why were you waiting outside? You could have come inside the store."
Taegon glanced into the convenience store and said, "I saw that you were in the middle of a shift change."
"Pardon?"
"I thought it would be over soon, so I just waited outside."
Taegon said it as if it were nothing. Her heart swelled at his consideration, waiting for her even while getting soaked in the rain.
"Still, you should have come in... what if you caught a cold?"
"It’s fine. I was here."
Taegon tapped the parasol. Rainwater trickled down it. "It would be awkward if some man just barged in, wouldn't it? You might have been misunderstood by your colleague."
"..."
Ihyeon’s mouth fell open slightly. 'He even thought of things like that...' She remembered Minji questioning her about whether she had a boyfriend. If Taegon had actually waited inside, it was obvious how Minji would have reacted. Just that thought made Ihyeon’s face turn bright red.
"Here."
Taegon held out an umbrella. A transparent plastic umbrella. It was a new one, with the sticker still on the handle. He must have bought it in a hurry on his way. Ihyeon carefully held out both hands. The moment she took the umbrella, Taegon’s fingers brushed against her fingertips.
Cold hands wet from the rain, and warm hands still holding the indoor heat. It was a brief touch, but a spark of electricity passed between them.
"Th-thank you."
"It-it’s nothing. Let’s go."
Taegon hurriedly opened his black long umbrella. It looked a bit small to cover his broad shoulders. Ihyeon also hurriedly opened her transparent umbrella. Rainwater streamed down the clear surface.
The two walked side by side, leaving the convenience store and heading toward the main road. The sound of rain drumming densely on the umbrellas filled the air. The light from the streetlamps reflected in long, shimmering streaks on the wet asphalt.
The dawn, soaked in rain, was cold, but just the fact that they were walking together made it strangely warm. Ihyeon glanced up at Taegon from under her umbrella. Every time a raindrop hit the surface, his face blurred and sharpened in turns.
Taegon kept his eyes forward, but he was subtly tilting his umbrella toward Ihyeon. Because he tilted it so she wouldn't get wet, his shoulder on the other side was already soaked through.
Startled, Ihyeon called out to him.
"Taegon-ssi, your umbrella is tilted. You’re going to get your shoulder all wet."
"Ah."
Taegon straightened the umbrella as if nothing had happened. "It’s because of the wind."
There was no wind. Ihyeon knew that, but she didn't point it out. Instead, she tilted her own umbrella slightly toward Taegon. Whether he noticed or not, Taegon just continued to walk in silence.
They passed through the alley and crossed the traffic light. The rain was still falling steadily, but their pace was relaxed. Usually, she would have hurried home, but today, she wanted to keep walking for a little longer.
'...I shouldn't be thinking things like this.'
Ihyeon bowed her head and bit her lip.
Then, Taegon spoke first.
"Ihyeon-ssi."
"Y-yes?"
"Since it’s raining today, I prepared some warm udon."
Walking while looking straight ahead, he calmly delivered the menu.
"Udon?"
As she looked up, Taegon’s profile was reflected in her eyes.
"Yes. It’s cold on a rainy day, so wouldn't a warm broth be better?"
His tone was the same as always, but she could feel his heart, worrying about her well-being. A person who comes to pick her up because it’s raining and even prepares warm udon because it’s cold. All of these actions were for her.
Ihyeon felt a lump in her throat.
"I’d love that."
"That’s a relief. But I boiled the noodles in advance, so they might be a bit soggy."
"It’s fine. Soggy noodles soak up the broth, so they’ll be even tastier."
"Isn't that a bit of a stretch? If they’re soggy, they don't taste good."
"No, I actually like soggy noodles?"
At the sight of Ihyeon desperately shaking her head, Taegon burst into a soft laugh.
"You’re the first person I’ve met who likes soggy noodles."
"If it’s something you made, Taegon-ssi, anything is fine."
Ihyeon realized what she had said only after the words had left her lips.
'Ah.'
Her face burned instantly.
"Ah, so what I mean is—"
"I understand."
Taegon’s voice was low. "Hearing you say that makes it worth making."
"..."
Ihyeon bowed her head low. 'What did I just say!!!! Saying that anything is fine if he made it. It’s not like I’m confessing—' She tried to hide her face behind the plastic umbrella, but it was useless. Even through the transparent material, her flushed face was clearly visible.
When they arrived in front of the villa, a faint porch light illuminated the two. Taegon shook off his umbrella and said, "Wash up, and come to my place in thirty minutes."
"Yes!"
Ihyeon ran up the stairs as she answered. Her steps were incredibly light. As she excitedly climbed two steps at a time, she turned around without thinking and made eye contact with Taegon, who was looking up at her from below.
"Ah."
Flustered, Ihyeon quickly turned her head and ran toward her home. Her face felt like it was on fire.