When We're Together [양정완]

10.

"It doesn't seem like the rain will stop any time soon," Aera remarked as she stared out the window from the couch.

"I'll figure something out," Jungwon said as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "In the meantime, what should we do? Study?"

The girl elbowed him and groaned. "We studied enough already. How about we play a game?"

"What game?"

Aera pulled out two game controllers and handed one to the boy who was sitting on the couch with an arm propped on the side. She turned on the TV and pointed at the screen. "LET'S RACE!"

She excitedly sat cross legged on the couch beside the boy and grabbed a blanket. "Let's make a bet," the boy raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"A bet?" He nodded in response. "Depends what the bet is."

"If you win, I'll buy you snacks on Monday, but if I win, you have to buy me snacks. Got it?" He held out his hand with his pinky sticking out. The girl thought for a moment then nodded. "Deal." She said as the two pinky promised.

Aera clicked through a few options before the round finally started. The two were neck in neck when the first lap finished. Suddenly, the girl's cart skidded off the map and she groaned. As she caught up the the boy's cart, he gained a power up, cutting her streak off.

Finally the two were in 1st and 2nd place with only a few turns left until the finish line. Just as Aera was a second away from crossing the line, a shell came from behind and stalled her, causing the boy to win first place.

"WOOO" he shouted with a dimpled smile as he threw his hands up in the air. "I'm excited for those snacks," he smirked at the girl who had slid off the couch in a melodramatic frustration.

"Yeah yeah, no need to rub it in," she said as she punched his leg. She turned to the window, pouting, but noticed that it was completely dark outside.

"Hey, wait, what time is it?" she turned to the boy as he tapped his phone screen. "8:48"

"Huh? How did it get so late?" Aera stood and picked up her phone from the couch. She pursed her lips in thought before she motioned to the boy to follow her.

The confused male stood up and followed like a lost cat in her unfamiliar (and surprisingly large) apartment. They made their way down stairs and the girl told him to wait for a second while she talked to her parents.

A few moments later she emerged from their bedroom.
"You can stay the night if you want." she said as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.

The boy gave her a blank stare, blinking a couple times to process what she had said. He scratched behind his ear and slowly pulled out his phone to text his parents.

Jungwon:
It's still raining

Mom:
Fine, you can stay at their house as long as you don't bother them

The boy blinked at the screen. How had she known what he was about to ask? His thoughts were interrupted by Aera's voice.

"Do you want to go to the roof?"

He furrowed his brows as he stared at her, confused. "In this weather?"

She nodded and grabbed the boy's wrist. "Come on, let me show you." The male hesitated but eventually gave in and let her pull him along.

He watched from behind as she excitedly skipped to the door and called to her parents, "We're going to the roof." Before opening the door and pulling him outside.

Jungwon felt the corners of his lips curling upward. She's cute when she's excited, he thought.

Aera pulled the boy up a white stair case and finally opened a heavy metal door leading to the roof.

The door opened to reveal a small covered area with fairy lights and flowers decorating it. There were even couches and blankets under the awning. The rain pelted down around them as the girl, who was still holding the boy's wrist, happily pulled him onto the couch.

"See?" she smiled as she sat on her knees, leaning over the back of the couch to face the rain. "Isn't it calming?"

The male turned to face the rain. "I guess so."