Zero Encounters

Thunder and Rain

        After Yeonwoo had joined his family the following Spring, he noticed her growing with anxiety whenever there was rain. Two weeks of continuous heavy downfall hit Seoul, causing most of the streets to flood with water. Kangho finished school and listened to his friends discussing what their after school plans should be. The options were endless, but they decided their local arcade would be the best choice. His friends expected him to follow, but the look in Yeonwoo's eyes that morning worried him, causing him to decline. They thought it was unlike him to miss out and he revealed his concerns with Yeonwoo by herself. They teased him relentlessly for caring about a girl and thought he developed feelings, but he denied it and clarified it was more of a sibling like bond. He never minded the teasing he received from friends since he told them about her as that was what grade schoolers did.

He hurried home, completely soaked from head to toe. A flash of lightning brightened the once gloomy sky and thunder accompanied it moments later. He slammed the metal gate behind him and rushed inside.

"Yeonwoo?" He called out to her and kicked off his shoes. He went into the bathroom to dry himself off and wandered the house. "Yeonwoo? Where are you? I'm home!" He knocked on her door before letting himself in. They had cleared their storage room about a month ago so that she could have her own space. The room was barren and cramped, but Yeonwoo liked it either way. Minwook offered to take her shopping so she could pick out some belongings to feel at home, but she showed no interest in personalizing her room. Where is she? He thought as he glanced at her floor mattress folded neatly in the corner along with her blanket. He circled back into the living room again and then, the kitchen. He noticed his room door was left ajar and he remembered he had shut it tightly before leaving the house. "Yeonwoo?" He pushed the door open and heard whimpering from underneath his bed as the thunder boomed. He made out the clothes she had worn that morning and crouched down. She was hunched over with her arms over her head, trembling with fear. "A-Are you okay?" He held out his hand and helped her out from underneath the bed. The thunder clapped again and she jumped into his arms. "You're scared of thunder...? Is that why you don't like the rain?" He stroked her head, "It's okay, I'm here." He looked into her frightened eyes and covered her ears. She blinked away her tears desperately and he helped dry them with his sleeve. "Let's go watch some TV until Dad is back. He said he's going to bring some stew home tonight, right?" He took her by the hand, but she refused to leave. He pulled the blanket off his bed and wrapped it tightly around her. Hand in hand, he walked her to the living room and turned the TV up to the cartoon they'd watch together after school. He threw the cushions down from the couch and began to build them a little fort. He grabbed a few snacks and turned off all the lights. He stayed quiet, but made sure she knew he wasn't going to leave her. He scooted over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He gently patted her arm to soothe her like how his father used to whenever he was afraid. "Don't worry, you're okay."

Kangho's efforts gradually made an impact on Yeonwoo to which his father often praised him for. Her heart opened to Kangho the most and she soon began to be more vocal with her needs. His father was overwhelmed with pride knowing how thoughtful and kind his son was to Yeonwoo. He could see over time, the two were innocently crushing on each other and often teased Yeonwoo about it because he knew his son was too dense to realize the joke. However, once they grew in age, Kangho had more of a reaction to the teasing than Yeonwoo ever did.

By the time the two hit their teenage years, the childlike innocence gradually grew awkward. Puberty caused a bit of a rift in the little family with the two changing mentally and physically. Kangho had to accept the fact that those were the most uncomfortable years together and knew that Yeonwoo had it a lot worse with two men in the house. Luckily, her teacher helped guide her through her changes by being the only other female in her life.

Before their eyes, Yeonwoo had become a young lady and his father never saw it coming, but the two soon grew to be shy around each other and naturally distanced themselves. Yeonwoo focused more on school at home and training while Kangho had more commitments with school as he was getting close to being a high schooler. Although at the time they looked like they were going separate ways, the love they had for each other remained unchanging.

A few years later, Seoul was overdue for rain, but thanks to the prolonged drought it seemed unlikely. Kangho had just finished his first semester of high school and decided to join his friends with some after school soccer. The sun shone brightly with not a single cloud in the sky. The cool breeze and warm air made it the perfect weather to play outside.

In between passes, the boys talked about their plans for the coming break, they agreed to meet up at least once a week to play soccer so they can try out for the team next year. Although Kangho had already joined the wrestling team, volleyball team and basketball team that year, he was keen to join his friends. He became a hot commodity amongst the male seniors for his athleticism and with that, his popularity soared within the year. His maturing looks also strengthened his fan club among his female peers.

Kangho scored his team's second goal and they all ran to celebrate their leading point against the losers. The stakes were high when it came to who would pay for tteotbokki afterwards. They prepared for the last match of the day, veins pumping with adrenaline as they faced off, but the sudden downpour made them run for their belongings instead. Thunder roared and the rain didn't seem like it was letting up as they stood underneath the bleachers for shelter.

Before they could think of what to do, Kangho had already sprinted down the street. His soaked clothes and school bag weighed him down as he tried to race up the hill to his house. He caught his breath at the end of his block and made his last ditch effort to his gate. He slammed it open and stumbled inside, trying to get his key to turn quicker. He managed to get it right the second time and found Yeonwoo once again, frozen in spot, balled up against the wall by the hallway. She had her hands over her ears and her face buried in her knees. He dug his hand into his backpack and took his headphones out. He played the first song on his phone and cranked up the volume before placing it on her head. She only snapped out of it when she felt his cold hand against her cheek. She looked over at him, tears brimming her eyes.

"W-Welcome home." She mumbled between deep breaths. He sat down next to her with a sigh and laid sprawled on the floor. The exhaustion finally caught up to him and he could only laugh away the burning in his chest. She noticed the trail of puddles he left and pushed herself to fetch him a towel. She placed it over his head and he sat up leaning his head towards her. She dried him off and he kept pointing to the areas she missed. His father had just returned home, thinking he would receive the warmest welcome as he had prepared for a special dinner, but the scene he saw before his eyes only made him smile. Kangho flicked water at her from his sleeve and she dried his head more aggressively which made him laugh. His father knew that laugh too well and knew it would only happen at home.

"I'm back~" His father announced and Kangho turned his head. Yeonwoo looked up and read his father's lips. "I brought chicken!" He grinned and proceeded to take a step, but before they could warn him, his sock soaked up the remaining water. "Aish." He made a face and immediately took off his sock. His reaction made the two burst out in laughter and it was the very first time, Kangho saw her forget about the thunder.

"Keep these on until I tell you not to." He said slowly so she could read his lips. She nodded and he went to change out of his clothes.

Thank you, Kangho.