Echoes of the Rain

I can hear it from here

We finished up in class and left for the bookstore together. As we walked, Jiho broke the silence.

"Is something going on with Yohan?" he asked, catching me off guard.

"No," I replied, "why are you asking?"

Jiho seemed to consider his words. "It's just that... Yohan is a nice guy, you know. He's always making new friends. It's easy for him to connect with people."

I frowned slightly, confused. "Why are you telling me this?"

Before he could answer, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and answered, "Yes, Mom." His expression softened, calm and focused. "I'm on my way to the library... Ah, yes. Okay." He ended the call and turned back to me.

"Yuri, I have to go handle some business today," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'll come by after I'm finished."

"Okay, you can go," I replied, watching him leave.

As Jiho walked away, I continued to the bookstore alone.

Jiho didn't come by, but he texted me, "Sorry, I don't think I can come today. Sorry for the inconvenience."

I replied simply, "Ok."

After finishing my shift, I remembered Yohan mentioning something about a "contract," so I decided to head over to the music store. As I reached the entrance, Yohan was already there, waiting.

"Yuri! Here, take this and come with me," he said, handing me a can of juice. Without much choice, I followed him to the piano room. As he started playing, I noticed how pale and tired he looked, his face clearly showing signs of being unwell. I couldn't help myself-I reached out and placed my hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

Yohan, surprised, quickly put his hand over mine. "I'm fine," he insisted with a faint smile.

"Oh, sorry... sorry," I muttered, pulling my hand back quickly. I hadn't meant to do that-it was unintentional, an instinctive reaction to seeing him so unwell. I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I realized how forward it might have seemed.

Yohan looked down at my feet and said, "Yuri, your shoes..."

I shrugged, "Yeah, they're torn, but I can manage for another week."

"Are you serious? After this, let's go to the shoe store and buy you a new pair," Yohan insisted.

"I already told you I can manage. I didn't say I'm not going to buy them, okay?" I replied, a bit irritated.

"Okay, ma'am," he laughed, as if I'd just cracked a joke.

I tried to change the subject. "How are you feeling now? Did you take your medicine?"

Yohan's smile softened. "You're the first person to ask me that, you know?"

There was something so familiar about that smile. I'd seen it before, back when I thought I could still feel carefree. It brought back a vague warmth that I hadn't felt in a long time.

"And yes, I took my medicine," he said, watching me closely. His face seemed to glow, radiating a brightness I'd never really noticed before. I felt my cheeks grow warmer, and I quickly turned my head down, hoping he wouldn't notice.

Yohan leaned closer, his eyes gleaming. "Yuri, what happened? Are you alright?"

I stammered, "Wha... What happened? I'm fine."

"But your face," he continued.

I blinked, confused. "What about my face?"

Yohan grinned. "It's red... you look like a tomato."

I gasped, "To... tomato?"

He bent closer, leaning over me with a playful grin, his hand resting on the piano behind me. "Do you know when that happens?"

I instinctively leaned back, feeling a rush of something I couldn't quite name. "Wh... When?"

"When your heart beats fast enough that you can hear it," he whispered. "Can you hear it?"

"Hear what?" I asked, my voice a bit unsteady.

"Your heartbeat," he murmured, leaning in even closer.

"No... no, I can't," I insisted, feeling my pulse quicken.

"Liar," he teased.

"I'm not lying," I protested, even as my face flushed further.

Yohan chuckled softly. "But I can hear it from here."

"You're lying," I accused, trying to sound confident, but I knew my voice wavered.

"I think you caught... my cold," he said with a laugh, his voice light and teasing.

"Haha," he laughed, and the sound seemed to fill the room, melting away some of the tension between us.

I quickly grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, and turned to leave, trying to escape the embarrassment that felt like it was burning a hole through me. Yohan called out, still chuckling, "Yuri, stop, stop...!"

I ignored him, keeping my head down and walking faster. I could feel his eyes on my back, his laughter trailing behind me like an echo. My cheeks were still warm, and I couldn't bring myself to face him-not after what he'd just said.

"Come on, Yuri!" he called again, his voice a mix of amusement and concern. "Don't go like this."

But I kept walking, determined to get away, my heart still pounding from his teasing words. I didn't know if I was more embarrassed by what he'd said or by how much of it was true.

As I came out of the building, I glanced back and saw Yohan running toward me. I quickly flagged down a taxi, climbed in, and shut the door just as he reached the side of the car. I could see him through the window, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement, but before he could say anything, the taxi pulled away.

My heart was still pounding wildly in my chest, and I pressed my hand against it as if that could calm the fluttering inside me. I kept replaying his words over and over in my head, feeling both flustered and confused. I barely noticed when the taxi reached my house, and I stepped out, still lost in my thoughts.

Then I saw my landlord standing by the gate, and the sight of him brought me crashing back to reality.

"Isn't it a bit late to be out, miss?" he sneered, crossing his arms. "Do you know what kind of dangers lurk around here at night? Today's girls... so reckless."

"What do you want? I already paid you the rent this month," I snapped, trying to keep my voice steady.

He smirked, enjoying the power he held. "Calm down, young lady. I came to inform you that I'm raising your rent by 2,000 starting next month."

"2,000? Are you serious? Why?" I felt the panic rising in my chest.

"I already told you, there's another tenant interested in this place, willing to pay more. But I'm being generous, only increasing it by 2,000," he replied with a smug look. "And you dare speak rudely to me? What a shameless girl."

"How am I supposed to afford that?" I muttered, more to myself than to him, trying to calculate how I'd manage with this unexpected expense.

"That's not my concern," he said coldly, turning his back to me. "Think about it," he added as he walked away.

I watched him leave, my mind spinning. The rain was still lightly falling, mirroring the sinking feeling in my heart.