As they stop in the middle of it all and let go of each other's hands, Kazuha immediately comments, "Wow that was a long walk."
Chaewon chuckles at the other's sarcasm. "I've always loved showering in the rain." She marvels at the motion of the raindrops.
"Why?" Kazuha asked. She asked it cutely, which made the Korean's smile a bit wider than before.
Chaewon faced Kazuha, preparing herself for what she's about to say. "Once the cold raindrops start to touch my skin, my whole body tries to normalize my temperature..."
She takes Kazuha's left hand and places it on top of her chest, above her heart. "Being in the rain makes me breathe more and my heart pump faster. It reminds me that I'm alive and I have something inside of me still living even if I don't feel like it." For a few seconds, Kazuha tries to match up with Chaewon's breathing as they get themselves drunk in the moment.
However, Kazuha's expression does not align with her body. She's amazed but she's vibrating, which wakes up something within Chaewon. "You're shivering."
"Well, you did say it's cold." Kazuha jokes back. They both giggle at their situation.
"Let's get back now." The slightly taller girl heads them back beneath the shed.
Chaewon took her large towel from her convertible and immediately wrapped it on Kazuha's back. They both took a seat on the bench.
"You're prepared. Did you expect me here?" Kazuha says as she greeted Chaewon back. Compared to earlier, their remarks were toss around with more ease and took as a sign of a budding friendship.
"Last thing I'd do." Chaewon snarks and they both laugh at just that.
The Korean then proceeds to explain herself. "I always have this big towel in my car, so whenever I feel like going here, and doing exactly what we did a few minutes ago." She realized that Kazuha looks at her with such adoration (or, maybe Kazuha really listens to anyone as if they to hold the cure for cancer). Chaewon does not pay too much attention and finishes what she was saying. "I like it big because it hugs me and keep me warm well."
At that, the Japanese thought of wrapping the blanket on Chaewon alone, shy that she was taking more of the blanket to her. "Oh, no. It's fine then. I—"
"It's okay. I don't mind sharing." She was quick to stop Kazuha. Silence then fills the atmosphere, while the both simply smile at the moment.
"What about you, what brings you here?" Chaewon is now the one who starts the conversation again.
"Momo." It was a short and bittersweet response from the other.
"Momo?" The Korean was confused as to what a Momo or who Momo could be.
Suddenly, as playful as destiny could be, she receives a notification in their group chat. It was the one with Sakura, Garam, Yunjin and Eunchae.
Garam (9:41am): Hey, remember the workmate I told you guys about?
Sakura (9:45am): You mean, the one you've been head over heels for, when she had a girlfriend all this time?
Garam (9:48am): You didn't have to word it that way. Miyawaki Sakura, who doesn't have anything better to do than to bicker with me.
Sakura (9:48am): Excuse me. I am a working woman!
Yunjin: (9:49am): Anyway, so what's up, Garam?
Garam (9:49am): Well, she's single now!
Eunchae: (9:50am): Wow... good for you, unnie?
Chaewon decided to turn her phone on silent mode. She could deal with that later. Right now, she has Kazuha to keep her company.
"You know her?" The Japanese pulls her back to their conversation before it was distracted by her friends.
"Familiar." Chaewon responds, short but enough for the other to continue.
"Wow, small world." Kazuha simply says.
Huh.
Kazuha continues sharing. "Well, she broke up with me."
"A breakup?" Now Chaewon's confused. Romantic relationships are new to her.
"Yes... have you never been in love?" Kazuha cautiously asks.
The receiving end suddenly felt defensive. "I had a crush on Park Seo-Joon before!"
"Celebrities don't count." The other rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.
"Well, that's the closest I'll ever get." Chaewon replies with a shy smile.
Suddenly, Kazuha thought it was only right to sympathize with her company. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? I've been hearing that a lot from you today." The Korean left out a few chuckles to lighten up the atmosphere.
"I'm sorry that you don't know what it feels like to be romantically in love."
"Oh," Chaewon starts, unsure as to where this is going. "—uhh, it's fine. It's not really on top of my list... But, a penny for your thoughts?" She simply brings the conversation back to Kazuha's misery.
Kazuha sighs before venting. "Momo broke up with me after 5 years. 5 years— all the holidays, intimate moments, words exchanged,"
It was the worst timing, really. A notification rang on Kazuha's phone, which the receiver felt the urgency at. "Sorry, I've got to go."
Chaewon could not comprehend what was happening before her. The downpour have turned into a drizzle, and her newfound company whom she had conversation for a while now, suddenly needs to leave.
At the heat of the moment, the Korean thinks of something impulsively. "Kazuha." Chaewon calls out which the bearer of the name turns her head— stopping midway as she opened her driver's seat. Kazuha looks up with a slight smile.
"Earlier, you said it's a small world we live in." Chaewon gently readies the both of them for what she's about to say. Kazuha just hums in reply. "I'd like to see you again."
For a few seconds, Kazuha smiles but then her eyebrows frown— a sudden thought came into mind. "I wouldn't want that."
"Huh, why is that so?" Chaewon confusedly ask, the bit of hope within her shattered.
The black-haired woman takes a deep breath as she composes her thoughts. Kazuha didn't know how to put it into words. "Because then I'd get know you more and sooner or later, I'll be hurting you, unconsciously and unintentionally."
It took a while before Chaewon comes up with a decision. She ponders, even chuckles internally for the situation they've put themselves in until finally, she has a decision. "If that's the case, by then, I hope you find me worth risking it all for."
Kazuha was shocked at Chaewon's reply, but instead, she settles for a hopeful smile. Chaewon was dumbfounded at what just happened. Her friends will definitely hear about it... or not, because they'll probably just be teasing her. Nonetheless, Kazuha was a great start for a healing, which she believes, awaits her.
YOU ARE READING
Hello, Stranger / Summerz
Fanfiction#3 summerz Chaewon's not been having it. She doesn't know if it's her lack of emotions or the everything going on her life has just been overwhelming. She takes a breather in her safe haven- until someone turns it into hell. a SHORT STORY// summerz...
