Ominous Rain
In the world of that erotic game, there were days when Ayoung felt particularly under the weather, as if she were coming down with something, even five minutes before the rain began.
“…Cough, cough.”
That was why, the moment she dragged herself out of bed, Ayoung slipped a digital thermometer under her arm. The reading that came back was…
[36.8°C]
Perfectly normal.
She tilted her head slightly, smoothing down her tousled hair, and thought to herself.
Ah. So it’s one of those days.
She wasn’t sick, nothing hurt, yet her body felt heavy and a vague sense of dread clung to her—like something unfortunate was bound to happen.
Ayoung had days like this.
“…I shouldn’t go anywhere today.”
On days like these, she moved even more cautiously than usual and avoided leaving the house whenever possible. Too often, her gloomy premonitions proved correct, and she ended up tangled in some miserable accident.
Besides, it was the weekend. There was no reason to head to the Training Center, and nothing else that required her to go out.
She had half-risen from the bed, ready to crawl back under the covers and sleep in, when—
Trring—
A notification lit up her phone screen with a familiar name.
She shot upright and snatched the phone.
“…Hajun.”
Just seeing her boyfriend’s name was enough to lift the heaviness that had settled over her heart.
While she was still tapping her feet, trying to decide how to reply, another message arrived.
“…Why today, of all days?”
On any other day she would have answered at once, bubbling with excitement as she got ready to go out. But the sluggish weight in her limbs forced her to hesitate.
Whenever she went outside on days like this, something always went wrong…
What should she do?
She wrestled with the thought for only a moment. The answer had already been decided.
Her reply was bright, but a soft sigh escaped her lips.
“Haa…”
She hurried toward the bathroom to get ready. On the way, she bumped her knee against a half-open drawer.
Thud—
“Ow! …That hurt.”
Was the universe warning her to stay home today?
She rubbed her knee and wiped away the tears that had welled up, yet… even so, she wanted to go. More than anything.
After all, this wasn’t their usual routine of heading to the Training Center together. This was a proper movie-theater date—something new and thrilling.
Imagining that hopeful future, Ayoung forced her heavy body upright and staggered into the shower. Afraid she might slip on the wet tiles, she sat down and let the showerhead rinse her while she stayed seated.
‘…What should I wear?’
Despite the disastrous start to her day, her mind was already filled with thoughts of the date with Hajun.
Was it going to rain?
Instead of her usual white shirt and black skirt, Ayoung had chosen a soft pink cardigan and an ivory pleated skirt. She stepped outside and looked up at the gloomy sky.
It wasn’t pouring yet, but tiny droplets began to tap against her pale skin.
…The forecast had said it would be clear, not a single drop of rain. How wrong it had been.
Ayoung considered running back for an umbrella, but the thought of being late made her hesitate.
What should she do?
After a brief moment of indecision, she decided to head straight to their meeting spot. If it started raining harder, she could always buy an umbrella at a convenience store along the way.
More than anything, she wanted to see Hajun. So she kept walking.
She regretted that decision within five minutes.
Thudududuk—
She had heard that Korea’s weather had started to resemble Southeast Asian summers, but she hadn’t expected a sudden downpour like this.
Ayoung dashed into the nearest building for shelter, yet her clothes were already soaked through. The soft pink cardigan she had chosen so carefully hung heavy with rainwater.
“…Aah.”
A small sigh slipped out. Maybe she really shouldn’t have gone out today.
Just as that thought began to fill her mind, her phone buzzed with a new message.
Heartened by the message, she hesitated for a second before replying. She snapped a quick photo of her rain-dampened self and sent it along.
The moment she hit send—
His gentle reply brought an involuntary smile to her face.
Yeah… it would be okay.
She stood there, gazing blankly at the falling rain. It really was coming down hard…
People hurried past with umbrellas, their figures blurred by the downpour. The lights on the distant electronic billboards looked hazy through the streaks of water.
When would Hajun get here? She hoped he’d arrive soon…
Like a puppy waiting for its owner, Ayoung craned her neck, searching for him.
As if answering her silent wish, a figure appeared in the distance, running toward her.
He wore simple black cargo pants and a white long-sleeve shirt, but his tall frame made even that outfit look striking.
Splash, splash—
Hajun crossed the puddles that had formed on the street and reached her, immediately apologizing, still catching his breath.
“Haa… Ayoung, I’m sorry. The forecast said no rain, so I asked you out to the movies…”
Seeing him apologize without even steadying his breathing, Ayoung waved her hands and shook her head.
“…It’s fine. I wanted to see a movie with you today, too.”
She naturally reached out and took his arm. Hajun blinked, then scratched the back of his neck and offered a compliment.
“…Your outfit’s really pretty.”
“Ah… yeah.”
She had been worried that her damp clothes might look strange, but his words eased her mind.
“…You look cool too, Hajun.”
“Nah… I just threw on whatever I usually wear.”
Even as he said that, she noticed the watch on his wrist—something he didn’t normally wear. He had clearly put in some effort.
Smiling softly, Ayoung tugged his arm toward her.
“…Shall we go?”
“Ah, yeah.”
Though the rain signaled the coming of summer, it wasn’t enough to block their path.
“Ayoung.”
Hajun glanced around, then gently pulled her closer, draping an arm over her shoulders. Feeling his warmth, Ayoung prayed.
Please, just for today, let her gloomy premonition be wrong. Let it be a happy day.
Meanwhile, Harin—who had downed an entire bottle of cola in a fit of rage the night before—woke up clutching her bloated stomach.
“S-Sara… water… I need water…”
Sara stared at her in disbelief before fetching a glass of cold water from the purifier.
“Seriously, why the hell did you chug cola like that all of a sudden?”
Even while grumbling, Sara was worried. She brushed Harin’s hair away from the glass as she handed it over.
Harin lapped at the water like a cat, then flopped back onto the sofa.
“Ah… I’m dying…”
After taking only a few sips, she carried the glass to the sink and dumped the rest. Sara returned to the vanity.
“How long are you planning to lie there?”
Harin ignored the scolding and simply wiggled her dainty feet, showing no intention of moving.
Unable to watch any longer, Sara applied her makeup with one hand while reaching over with the other to smack Harin’s backside.
“Get up, you little punk.”
Smack—
The sharp slap made Harin yelp and leap off the sofa.
“Kyaaaaah!! Have you lost your mind?!”
It seemed the blow had landed somewhere far more sensitive than just her rear.
Sara grinned wickedly.
“Heh heh, you look skinny but you’ve got some bounce to you.”
“Y-You—!”
“Hey, don’t bite me!”
The two of them broke into a full-blown catfight. As expected, the victor was Sara, who had built up her stamina through tennis and modeling work.
“Don’t mess with me.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Harin lay pinned beneath Sara, averting her eyes. Sara, savoring her victory, wrapped an arm around her and spoke.
“You said you wanted to go see a movie yesterday.”
Harin recalled their conversation from the night before.
“You mean Love is Like Soap Bubbles?”
Sara nodded.
“Yeah… people say it’s really good right now.”
‘A love that felt eternal, only to end in emptiness.’
Harin tilted her head, remembering the reviews she had read. A quick search on her phone showed high ratings—it did look interesting.
The only problem was…
The weather outside looked a little gloomy.
“Ugh… I don’t want to go out in the rain.”
Harin tried to protest, but Sara’s dead-serious reply shut her down.
“Do you actually want to die?”
Harin whimpered and tucked her tail between her legs. As always, Sara’s fists were faster than words.