Love Before Graduation

I was midway when dark clouds started gathering in the sky, they had covered the last visible rays of the sun. The wind had become quite strong, I still thought of driving fast and accelerated the scooter, but the first drop of water falling from the sky fell on my face, cold and strong, and then What...

the rain started pouring with its full speed in no time.

"Of course. Just perfect." I muttered under my breath, glaring at the sky as if it had personally conspired against me.

Didn't that TV astrologer say my day would be great? Auspicious even? What a joke.

First, the mess at school, then this rain. My uniform was already almost wet and I was getting angry at the thought of driving the scooty ahead in this torrential rain.

I was still thinking whether to move ahead or not when another gust of wind came and cold rain water fell on me with great force.

"Enough is enough!"

I quickly looked around to find a place where I could escape from this rain, and at a distance I saw a small bus stop.

It was a bit filmy, but it was there. Thinking just this,

"Thank god."

I quickly parked my scooter there and then ran towards the bus stop. The rain was getting heavy, and the drops of water were making a loud noise in the air as they hit the roof of the bus stop. I folded up the sleeves of my shirt as I walked down the bus stop and removed more water from my skirt. I was shivering a little, but I was also enjoying it.

As soon as I looked to the side, my breath stopped.

A boy was standing near the bus stop, leaning against the wall of the bus stop. He had a phone in one hand, and the other in his pocket. His uniform was wet and was slightly sticking to his body due to being wet. His loose blue tie was hanging around his neck. His hair was also wet, and a few drops of water were dripping from them. He was using the phone very comfortably, as if he was not affected by such heavy rain..

Arin.

My pulse skipped.

Was this the only place I could find to escape the rain after leaving the whole world behind?

For a moment I thought whether I should stay there or run away

I decided—no, I convinced myself—that slipping away was the best option.

I just have to go slowly so he doesn't notice.

Thinking this, I slowly took a step forward, but before I could take the second step, I felt someone holding my bag from behind.

Shit

"Planning to get sick by soaking in the rain?" His voice came from behind, low and steady. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

I froze. Caught. Damn it.

Umm... No, ah, Actually ... I was watching the rain like this... yes, I was watching the rain," I said nervously, moving my fingers, but my voice did not support me.

Without saying anything, he pulled me back and made me stand comfortably beside him.

Standing like this beside him felt like a trophy to me, and then he himself had made me stand here.

"Then stay here." His tone left no room for argument.

I swallowed, nodding. "Alright... thank you."

His eyes flicked toward me. "Thank you? For what?"

I hesitated. Why was I thanking him? For stopping me? For noticing me? For making my heart race like this?

I looked at him and panicked a little, I quickly looked away from him and started looking at the rain. The wind was blowing very cold, my mild thrill made my hair stand on end, but it felt good to have Arin standing besidese to me. My heart was beating so fast that I could hear his voice in my ears.

He looked at me and laughed.

Maybe he laughed seeing my movement.

Not a Simple simle, but a real laugh. A deep, genuine sound that sent a ripple through the air, warm and unguarded.

I looked up, stunned.

He always wears a mask of being tough, but at this moment he looked completely different, a real laugh.

A genuine smile bloomed on his lips, his eyes looked lovely, as if the burden he had kept in his heart for a while had become lighter.

For a second, I forgot about everything else.

So it's like that when he is not trying to be tough? When he wasn't Arin, the person everyone saw, but just... Arin?

I wanted to remember this moment forever.