Rain splatters off the plastic roof, splashes the cement, echoes in the air, a scent of freshness. Dong Kyung sighs, downtrodden at the prospect of walking home in the rain. Myeol Mang turns, asks, "Do you want to run?"
What?
Gently scoops out her hand from her pocket, firmly grips her hand. Starts running, pulls gently for her to follow.
They run up some cement steps, heavy rain splashes down all around, their clothes drenched, hair drenched.
She yells, "Hey! Can you not stop rain?"
He says, "I can."
Reaching the top of the stairs, asks,
"Then why are you running?"
Amused, he says, "It's fun."
"What?"
Still holding her hand, she is bent over, out of breath, "Hey! Wait a moment! Wait a moment! Let go, let go! Seriously, what is this? I'm all drenched! If this was going to happen anyway, I should have just walked instead. Then I would've had less of a hard time."
Bending over, concerned, asks, "Are you still having a hard time?"
Breathing deeply, she says, "I'm okay now. I feel like I can finally live now."
Meeting her eyes, smiles, says, "See. Rain is not a big deal, right? It's not a big deal even if you're the only person who doesn't have an umbrella. You can just get drenched. If you get drenched and run, you'll reach home soon."
He nods up the hill, where a few blocks away is her apartment. She stares into his eyes, touched by his words, feels her heart flutter, decides to request her wish…