The Sound of Rain ^Minsung^

I'm here to study. Obviously

Jisung stared at his mangled pillow and tried fluffing it up. "I'm sorry, I got a little carried away," he whispered.

Beth laughed through the phone. "Did you punch your pillow a hundred times from joy?"

"How did you know that?"

"You've had a habit of swinging your hands a lot when you're really happy since you were young. Now I only heard you say you had a new friend, tell me all about it!"

Jisung fell back onto his bed, letting his free arm fall off to the side as he laid like a starfish. "Well I have a friend, that says enough, doesn't it?"

"No, I need details. If you don't share any, I will cancel this week's dinner."

Jisung gasped. "You wouldn't."

"I would. I'm listening."

"Okay, you got me." His face was already starting to hurt from smiling so much. "I took him to Mort's Book Cafe first, we had some croissants and other things, some coffee. I showed him the Square, all the best places you and I like. We only went into one shop, didn't buy anything."

"Oh, did you take him to Central Park? I'm sure he'd love it there."

"I did. We talked there for a while. Then we had lunch and took the scenic route home. That was about it."

Beth laughed a little. "Deary, it's five o'clock. 'That was it' can't cover six and a half hours of time spent together."

Jisung blushed. "Wait, I was with Minho for that long?"

"Yes! That's quite a good date, if you ask me."

"It wasn't a date."

"I sort of think it was."

"Well we're friends now. And that's probably all we'll ever be. But I'm okay with that. If I dropped him just because he doesn't want to date me, I'd be an asshole."

"That's true. Oh, I'm so proud of you for going out of your way to make a friend, Jisung. You are amazing."

Shy embarrassment crawled up his chest, but he smiled. "Aw Beth, you're going to make me blush."

"Well I am proud of you. And who knows? Maybe something will bloom between you two eventually."

Jisung's mood dropped slightly. "I don't know. And I don't know if I would want that to happen. He'll be going back to Korea eventually. Getting close to him will only make it hurt when he leaves."

Beth was quiet for a moment. "I understand, deary. But if you don't accept this friendship with Minho, you will hurt regardless and regret will be added on top of it. Take the time to get to know him while he's here. You can't enjoy summer if you're worried about the gloom of winter ahead."

As always, her words made him feel better instantly. "You're the most wise and the most beautiful person to ever walk this Earth."

"Are you trying to flatter me so that I make your favorite rolls for this week's dinner?"

Jisung was caught. "Maybe?"

Beth laughed. "I'll have rolls hot and ready for you. Now, I have a few more things to do. Enjoy the rest of your day off, I have some work for you to do tomorrow."

After the phone call with Beth, Jisung laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a drawn out time, his mind circling through the day over and over again. His never-ending smile was beginning to make him feel silly, but he didn't really care.

For the longest time his mother encouraged him to put himself out there and make friends. In elementary school he barely had the courage to speak to anyone aside from one nice kid he never learned the name of.