Chapter 2 – The Boy in the Rain

The bus came to a screeching halt at the corner of a narrow street, its headlights glinting off puddles that reflected the dim city lights. Jungkook stepped down carefully, tugging his hood over his head as the rain poured heavier.

The world smelled of wet asphalt and rusted railings. He adjusted the strap of his satchel and was about to hurry toward his apartment building when something—or rather, someone—caught his eye.

There, just a few steps away from the bus stop, a boy stood soaking in the rain as though it were the gentlest embrace. His dark hair clung to his forehead, raindrops sliding down sharp cheekbones, his shirt plastered against a lean frame. And yet, instead of shivering or seeking shelter, he was smiling—genuine, wide, like a child tasting freedom.

Jungkook froze.

It wasn’t the kind of smile you saw every day. It wasn’t polite or practiced. It was… luminous, almost unreal. For a second, the rain didn’t matter. For a second, Jungkook forgot to breathe.

The boy turned slightly—and their eyes met.

Caught staring, Jungkook stiffened, his ears burning. He quickly looked away, pretending to fumble with his bag strap. But when he glanced back, the boy was still smiling, now softer, almost amused.

“Do I look that strange?” the boy’s voice came light, playful, and carried easily through the rain.

Jungkook blinked. “H-Huh?”

“You’ve been staring,” the boy teased, tilting his head, droplets spilling off his hair. “Is it because I’m standing in the rain?”

Jungkook swallowed, searching for words. “A little, yeah. Most people… run for cover.”

The boy chuckled, his laughter low and warm, blending with the patter of rain. “Maybe I like the rain too much. It feels new to me.”

“New?” Jungkook tilted his head.

The boy nodded, his eyes gleaming despite the grayness around them. “I just moved here this morning. Everything feels… different. Even the rain tastes different.”

Jungkook’s curiosity slipped past his usual shyness. “So you’re new to the city?”

“Mm,” the boy hummed, fishing a damp slip of paper from his pocket. “Though right now, I’m mostly new to being lost. I’ve been trying to find my apartment for the past twenty minutes.”

Jungkook stepped closer, peering at the paper. His eyes widened. “Wait… this address—” he blinked, almost laughing in disbelief. “That’s my building.”

The boy’s lips parted in surprise before curving into that radiant smile again. “Really? Then I guess we’re neighbors.”

For reasons Jungkook couldn’t explain, his chest felt warmer despite the chill.

The boy tucked the paper back into his pocket, water dripping from his sleeves. He looked completely drenched, and Jungkook couldn’t stop staring. Something about the sight was oddly fragile—like sunlight trapped in rain.

“You’ll get sick if you keep standing here like this,” Jungkook finally said, his voice softer. Without thinking, he reached into his bag and pulled out his folded umbrella. He hesitated, then stepped closer and opened it above them both.

The boy blinked at the sudden shield of fabric over his head, then at Jungkook. His eyes crinkled. “Are you… offering to share?”

Jungkook shifted awkwardly, gripping the umbrella handle tightly. “I mean, unless you prefer to keep getting drenched.”

The boy’s laughter bubbled out again, light and melodic. “You’re kinder than you look.”

“Excuse me?” Jungkook raised an eyebrow, though the corners of his lips threatened a smile.

The boy only grinned wider. “I’m Taehyung,” he said, extending his wet hand.

Jungkook hesitated, then clasped it. The coldness of Taehyung’s skin sent a shiver up his arm, but there was warmth in the way Taehyung’s grip lingered.

“Jungkook,” he said quietly.

And so, with the umbrella barely wide enough for two, they began the walk home side by side—two strangers bound by rain, laughter, and a strange feeling that neither quite had the words for yet.

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