When Petals Fall

Raindrops and Reflections

The clear sky, so bright and welcoming just moments before, darkened suddenly. The air grew still, and a faint rumble of thunder reverberated through the park. Wooyoung and San, having been strolling leisurely under the spring sun, exchanged glances when the first raindrop hit the ground, followed quickly by a cascade of others.

"Oh, come on," Wooyoung muttered, lifting a hand to shield his face as the downpour intensified.

San, already adjusting to the unpredictability of spring weather, looked up at the thickening clouds with a small smile. "Guess we should've seen that coming."

Before Wooyoung could reply, San spotted a nearby café with an overhanging awning. "Let's take cover there," he suggested, already moving toward it.

Wooyoung nodded, eager to escape the rain, and they hurried toward the shelter, both trying to avoid getting too soaked by the sheets of water coming down. They reached the awning just as the rain turned into a downpour, the air now filled with the steady rhythm of water pelting the ground.

The café's awning wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them dry, for the moment. They stood side by side, watching the rain hit the pavement in a steady stream, the world outside the awning beginning to blur under the weight of the storm.

The street, usually so busy, had emptied. Only a few people had the same idea of taking cover, and even they seemed to vanish quickly, leaving the two of them in a quiet bubble of their own. The rain outside seemed to erase everything else. It was just Wooyoung and San, standing close, yet not quite touching.

The tension between them, still present since their reunion earlier, felt more noticeable now. Their shared history had been a comfortable one once, but the space between them had grown over the years. Now, standing together like this, the old closeness was tinged with something new—something unspoken.

Wooyoung fidgeted, adjusting his jacket, feeling the weight of the silence. He wasn't sure what to say to break it, or if he even should. The light from the café spilled out over them, casting long, soft shadows on the wet pavement. The world outside had disappeared, but the intimacy of the moment was undeniable.

"Should've checked the weather," Wooyoung muttered, his voice breaking the stillness. He glanced at San, but his gaze drifted quickly to the street, as if distracted by the rain.

San let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, well. It is spring, after all."

Another quiet stretch of time passed, neither of them quite knowing how to fill it. The rhythmic sound of the rain became the only backdrop to their thoughts.

After a few moments, Wooyoung pulled a denim jacket from his bag and looked at San. "You're probably cold," he said, a little awkwardly, offering it toward him.

San blinked in surprise, his gaze flicking from the jacket to Wooyoung and back again. His hands hovered for a moment, uncertain. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Wooyoung replied quickly, trying to make the gesture seem casual. "It's just a jacket."

San hesitated, his fingers brushing lightly against Wooyoung's as he took the jacket. There was a moment of contact—fleeting but enough to make Wooyoung's pulse quicken, an unfamiliar warmth blooming in his chest.

"Thanks," San said softly, pulling the jacket on. It was a little too big for him, the sleeves falling over his hands as he adjusted it around his shoulders.

Wooyoung nodded, his heart skipping a beat as he watched San wrap himself in the jacket, the fabric swamping his frame in a way that made him look even more delicate. He fought to suppress the inexplicable fluttering feeling in his stomach. The simple act of offering a jacket, something so innocent, now seemed more loaded than it had any right to be.

They stood in silence again, the only sound being the steady patter of rain around them. Wooyoung could feel the tension hanging in the air between them, as if the space between them was shrinking without either of them acknowledging it.

San was staring out at the rain, his expression soft. His gaze moved to Wooyoung, meeting his eyes briefly before drifting away again. There was something unspoken in the look he gave—something that made Wooyoung's heart twist in a way he couldn't understand.

"I never thought I'd be standing here with you again," Wooyoung blurted out before he could stop himself, the words tumbling from his mouth. His voice sounded softer than he intended, a little vulnerable. "It's like we never drifted apart, but at the same time... we did."

San was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the ground as he processed Wooyoung's words. He took a deep breath, as though preparing himself to say something important, before meeting Wooyoung's gaze again. His voice was quieter than usual, almost reflective. "I thought so too," he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "But... I'm glad we're here now."

Wooyoung felt a sudden pang in his chest at San's words, something pulling at him. There was a warmth in his chest now, more than the rain or the jacket could explain. A realization, subtle but growing, was beginning to take root in his mind.

San's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before turning back to the street outside, the rain lightening in intensity. The sound of the downpour was tapering off, the storm moving away just as quickly as it had arrived.

"Looks like it's clearing up," Wooyoung commented, trying to distract himself from the stir of emotions he couldn't quite place.

San nodded, the soft smile still on his lips. "Yeah, I think it is."