When We're Together [양정완]

11.

The two sat in a calm silence as the sound of the rain drowned out any other sounds of the night. The male's gaze unconsciously shifted to the girl beside him.

Chae Aera was so focused on the beauty of the rainy night sky that she didn't notice the boy beside her focusing on her.

Her eyes were glittering with the reflection of the droplets falling from the sky and her innocent smile reminded the boy of a bunny. He felt like he never wanted to see her cry again, and he would do anything to make sure she didn't.

"Aera?" the boy rested his head on his arms, which were placed on the back of the couch.

The girl hummed, telling him to go on.

"What happened the day we first met?"

The girl remained smiling, but he could tell something had shifted slightly in her eyes. The two listened to the drum of the rain, and the boy worried he might have upset her, but she finally spoke.

"I got rejected."

The smile on her face faltered ever so slightly as she said those words. She shifted her body to place her chin on her arms, still facing the rain. She expected the boy to laugh or try to comfort her, but instead he stayed quiet.

Usually, Chae Aera hated silence. She was the type to keep rambling on and on just to keep the conversation alive, but at this moment she sat silently. She admired the rain as it fell down, forming a transparent wall of water before her.

Something felt different in this silence. It wasn't awkward and she didn't try to fill it with anything. She felt calm with the boy she had only met a month ago by her side.

The girl closed her eyes, taking in the smell of the rainy night. Just before she drifted off into a light sleep, she secretly thanked her heartbreak. If it hadn't been for the rejection, she would never have met the boy beside her, the boy who made her feel at ease.

Yang Jungwon watched as the girl before him closed her eyes. The rain was still as heavy as ever.

~~~

The next time Aera opened her eyes, she was in her bedroom. The blinds on her window were open and the sun was shining brightly onto her bed. She thought back to what had happened last night while she sat and began stretching.

The girl furrowed her brows as she remembered the scene of her and her classmate, Yang Jungwon, on the rooftop. She remembered that she had been tired and was going to rest there for a moment, but she didn't remember anything after. She blinked a few times. If she had fallen asleep on the roof, how had she somehow made it to her bedroom?

She shrugged it off. She supposed she must have gotten up and come down but been too tired to recall doing so.

The girl swung her legs to the side of the bed and stood, but just at that moment, a head peaked out of the door, scaring her. She let out a short scream before realizing she recognized the face. Chae Haru, her brother.

"Oh my god, you scared me, Haru."

"Really? Nice."

"Oh, shut up." Aera swiftly grabbed one of the many plushies on her bed and threw it at the boy, but he blocked it with the door.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed." The girl rolled her eyes at her middle school sibling.

"What do you want, Ru."

"Mom said to tell you breakfast will be ready soon."

Aera yawned and rolled her eyes as her brother made a face at her before walking away, not even bothering to shut the door. "Haru, stop leaving my door open," she called after the boy who was clearly not listening.