# Chapter 64
Just then, a raindrop suddenly fell on my forehead. Wondering if it was dew falling from the tip of a leaf, I looked up, but it had indeed fallen from the sky, not from a leaf.
The sky was still clear. Nevertheless, small raindrops began tapping against my face. It seemed to be a sunshower.
“It’s so clear, yet it’s raining…”
“I know. It’ll probably stop soon, but let’s go inside quickly just in case.”
I didn’t think it would pour down right away either. But still, it would be better to go inside quickly, just in case.
Other people walking in the park also seemed surprised by the sudden rain, but no one was running or hurrying to take shelter.
They seemed to know it would stop soon. But contrary to expectations, dark clouds suddenly began filling the sky, and the raindrops grew heavier.
“Should we run a bit?”
Woosang asked me as he began walking faster. I matched his pace and gradually picked up speed.
Fortunately, we were able to reach home before getting completely soaked by the rain. The air had already turned sticky, making us uncomfortable despite not being wet.
“Do you want to shower?”
“You go first.”
Though Woosang seemed to feel just as unpleasant and urged me to shower, I passed the turn to him and lightly wiped my body with a towel.
I approached the window and looked outside. Dark clouds had already gathered and were pouring heavy raindrops.
People who had been out on the streets lost their composure and ran around looking for shelter. Watching them from a distance somehow made my damp body feel even worse.
Summer rain wasn’t particularly welcome. I never used to care about it before, but now it was different.
I had things I wanted to do, things I needed to do. A clear sky was more suitable for those times.
Before I knew it, Woosang came out of the bathroom and approached me. Though it must have been difficult for him to shower properly with his injured arm, he still smelled nice.
“It’s raining hard.”
“Yeah. Did it usually rain a lot during this season?”
I asked, having no memories of it.
“Yes. It would sometimes pour like this for a week or two in summer. Though not always…”
“I see.”
He raised his hand and gently stroked the back of my neck. From his warm touch, I realized my body had gone cold.
“Are you cold?”
“No.”
Perhaps because I was receiving his warmth, I didn’t feel cold. But to Woosang, my body must have felt quite cold.
Just then, Woosang’s face was faintly reflected in the window. His expression resembled the one I was wearing.
“You’re quite wet.”
“Yes.”
I blinked, still looking at his reflection in the window. The air felt like it might shatter at any moment, and I took a deep breath.
My mouth felt parched.
***
“The rain keeps coming.”
“I know.”
The day we had planned to go to the swimming pool with the three of us arrived, but the rain hadn’t stopped. It would seem to pause briefly, only to pour down again half a day later. Eventually, we gave up on going out and looked for things we could enjoy at home.
We listened to Bel’s complaints and did some cooking. But perhaps disheartened by the cancellation of the promised vacation, Bel seemed strangely low on energy.
They said that after this period, clear skies would continue for a while, but I couldn’t be sure if there would be time until then.
Soon, the two of them would begin their practice. And I would leave before their performance started.
As we sat across from each other at the dining table, passing time with small talk, Bel suddenly made a suggestion.
“Should we watch a movie?”
“A movie… not a bad idea.”
“How about you, Teo?”
“Yeah. Sounds good.”
In truth, I had hardly ever watched movies, so I couldn’t imagine what it would be like. But I agreed immediately, not wanting to arouse Bel’s suspicion by pretending not to know.
Before long, the two of them started preparing various things, leaving me seated.
“I’ll get the movie ready, and you make some tea. Teo… just sit there.”
“Alright.”
Since there didn’t seem to be much for me to do, I sat on the sofa as she said and waited for the two of them.
Woosang boiled water, and Bel operated the TV with a remote control, searching for a movie.
As I quietly observed them, I examined the sofa I was sitting on. It wasn’t very spacious, so it seemed the three of us would have to sit close together.
Woosang brought coffee and cookies and placed them on the table.
“Alright, Teo, sit in the middle.”
“Oh, okay.”
Bel gently nudged me to the side, and the two of them sat on either side of me. Since I rarely sat like this, it felt a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It almost felt like someone was gently embracing me.
“What movie is it?”
“Just watch.”
Bel played the movie with the remote. Without further explanation, she simply pointed at the screen.
The movie was black and white, without color. The monochromatic screen made me think it was an old film, but the setting didn’t seem that dated.
“The background is Berlin? There must be plenty of others, why this one…”
“Knowing the place makes it more interesting.”
Knowing makes it more… That could be true. Even Woosang, who initially complained slightly, soon quietly watched the screen.
The content of the movie wasn’t heavy. It portrayed the worst things that could happen in daily life, but to us, watching from a distance, they were things we could laugh off.
Like an ATM not returning a card, or being 10 cents short when trying to buy coffee—such trivial matters.
Woosang and Bel explained the parts I didn’t understand, and after hearing their explanations, the movie seemed even better.
‘If someone looked into my life, would it be similar to this movie?’
What’s tragic for me might be trivial to someone else. Thinking like that made the content of the movie feel a bit closer to me.
It didn’t seem like much time had passed, but the movie was already rushing toward its end. At first, I wasn’t very interested, but judging by the various emotions I felt by the end, I seemed to have enjoyed it.
Just as a small excitement began to swirl in my mind, Bel asked:
“How was it? Was it good?”
“Yeah. It was fun.”
“Really?”
Woosang asked, as if my answer was somewhat unexpected.
“Yes. It was enjoyable. Enough to make me want to watch other movies.”
“……”
Without saying anything in response, Woosang rested his head on my shoulder. As I stayed still so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, Bel, who had been watching, also leaned against me.
Suddenly, everything around became quiet. The screen had been off for a long time, and they remained silent. The only sound in the room was the pouring rain.
In this calm atmosphere, it felt like I didn’t need to do anything.
‘It would be nice if this tranquility lasted longer.’
I thought selfishly.
“When the rain stops, let’s go somewhere with a view of the sea instead of the swimming pool.”
“…Okay.”
Woosang agreed to Bel’s suggestion. I thought he would decline, but the words from his mouth were simply light.
The sea. I hadn’t been to the sea many times in my life. The first city I lived in after coming to France was located in the southeast. So I could have seen the sea with just a few steps.
But in nearly 20 years of living, I had never once walked around the area. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.
I closed my eyes and tried to recall the sea. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.
“Teo, have you been to the sea often?”
“No. I prefer mountains, so I haven’t gone often.”
I told a lie that Woosang could understand. Without saying much, he responded with “I see.”
“Then, before summer ends, we definitely have to go. So you can learn to like the sea too.”
It was a good thought. Various thoughts intertwined, making my body feel heavy. I couldn’t distinguish whether it was entirely my own weight or the weight of the people leaning against me.
But it was okay. It would be okay.
***
When I opened my eyes, I was on the bed. Since I had no memory of entering the room, I was startled and looked around, only to meet eyes with Woosang sitting beside me.
I nearly let out a loud sound in surprise. Holding my breath as much as possible, I whispered:
“…How long have you been awake?”
“I just woke up too. I need to leave soon. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept well, but…”
Though I left the rest unsaid, he seemed to understand and silently smiled.
“Yesterday, the three of us fell asleep on the table after drinking wine. You have no idea how heavy you were when I had to move you…”
It was a bit unfair for him to say this since he was the one who forced me to drink when I didn’t want to.
But seeing his excited expression, I couldn’t say anything. He stared at me intently before getting up from the bed and preparing to go out.
I knew there were still a few days left until practice started, so I was curious why he was preparing to go out without telling me anything.
“Are you going to practice? Weren’t there still some days left?”
“Yes. Practice is later. Today, I have a brief meeting before that.”
I see. Watching him prepare made me feel like I should get ready too. But Woosang gestured for me to lie back down as I was getting up.
“Sleep more. It’s only 5 AM.”
5 AM? I was sure it was around 1 AM when I last checked the clock last night. It was astonishing how he could be so composed.
In contrast, my head felt like it was splitting in two. Still, I felt I should see him off.
“You’re up, so I’ll get up too.”
As I tried to force myself up, he came over and pressed down on my shoulder.
“Sleep more. I’ll be back soon.”
With his strangely firm attitude, I hesitated but eventually nodded. Only then did Woosang seem satisfied and headed out of the room with a pleased expression.
“See you later.”
“Yes.”
Soon after, I heard Bel’s voice outside the door. It seemed they had already arranged to go out together.
After listening to their conversation for a while, I sensed their voices gradually fading.
As the surroundings grew quiet, for some reason, my mind felt increasingly clear.
I couldn’t tell if it was because of the alcohol or because I was anxious about Woosang not being by my side.
After lying absentmindedly on the bed for a while, I got up before long. I opened the closed curtains and looked outside.
Since it was still dawn, the light wasn’t intense, but compared to the rainy days we’d had recently, it looked considerably better.
So, I felt I should go out.
Just as Woosang had started his work, I wanted to organize things that needed to be organized.
‘Now is appropriate.’
It was very clear what I needed to do for our perfect vacation. That fact made me happy.
