WHEN IT RAINS

𝟮𝟬﹕notice

the lounge was quieter now, with the rain still drumming steadily against the windows. y/n stood there for a moment longer, taesan's words replaying in her head. "guess you'll have to wait and see."

she let out a small huff, tucking the umbrella under her arm as she left the lounge. the cool air outside greeted her, the rain falling in heavy sheets. her footsteps splashed against puddles as she made her way to her next destination, but her mind wasn't on the weather or even on where she was going.

taesan.

was he really just teasing me this whole time?

she pushed the thought aside as she rounded a corner and stopped under the awning of a café. it was one of her usual spots, a place she liked to visit sometimes to get a good drink.

as she stepped inside, shaking off the rain, the familiar blend of conversation and the smell of coffee engulfed her. she ordered her usual drink and found a seat by the window, her gaze drifting to the rain-soaked street outside.

pulling the umbrella onto the table, she stared at it for a moment, her fingers tracing the handle absentmindedly.

"you're cute when you're determined."

the words echoed in her mind, and she felt her cheeks warm again. she groaned softly, burying her face in her hands. "why am i even thinking about this?" she muttered to herself.

"thinking about what?"

her head snapped up, and there he was. taesan, standing on the other side of the table with a coffee in hand and that same infuriating smirk.

"do you always sneak up on people like that?" she asked, trying to sound annoyed but failing to hide her surprise.

"only when they look like they're overthinking," he said, sliding into the seat across from her without asking. "so? what's got you so distracted?"

y/n narrowed her eyes at him. "nothing. why are you here??"

"because you're here," he admitted, taking a sip of his coffee. "i  saw you come in here and figured i'd join you."

"why?"

"because it's fun watching you," he said, echoing his words from earlier.

y/n rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "you're impossible."

"so i've been told."

they fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, the sound of rain filling the space between them. y/n watched him out of the corner of her eye, noticing how relaxed he seemed, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

"you know," taesan said after a while, "you're a lot more interesting than i thought you'd be."

"is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"depends. are you going to take it as one?"

y/n shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips despite herself. "you're really something else."

"and yet, you're still sitting here," he pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

she opened her mouth to respond but stopped when she caught the faintest trace of s in softness in his expression. it felt oddly intimate to her, this whole interaction and she just didn't know how to act properly.

maybe he wasn't just playing around after all.

"taesan," she said quietly, leaning forward slightly. "why did you start writing the notes? you could've just told me straight up in class."

"maybe i wanted to see if you'd notice," he spoke lowly and softly

"notice what?"

"me."

y/n blinked, her heart skipping at his honesty. she didn't know what to say, her mind suddenly blank.

taesan stood, breaking the moment. "anyway, enjoy your coffee," he said, his smirk returning as he turned to leave.

y/n watched him go, her thoughts swirling.

notice me.

the words stayed with her long after he was gone.