Chapter 5 — Names in the Rain

Taehyung’s POV

The rain was falling hard, splashing against the streets and making everything wet and shiny. This was not the quiet drizzle from before—it was a big, loud rainstorm that made people hurry with umbrellas and slip on the sidewalks.

I stood just outside the café, my hood pulled low to keep the cold water off my face. I hugged my sketchbook tight to my chest, but my eyes kept searching the door. Would he come today? The quiet boy in the black hoodie.

I wasn’t sure if he would. But a small part of me hoped he’d show up, even in this soggy weather.

Suddenly, the door opened, and my heart jumped.

He was there.

His hoodie was soaked, and his hair stuck to his forehead. His eyes scanned the café quickly until they landed on me.

I beamed a big, bright, boxy smile—my favorite kind—the one that shows all my teeth and crinkles my eyes. It was hard to hide how happy I was to see him again.

He looked surprised for a moment, then returned a small, shy smile. It wasn’t wide, but soft and sweet—he's looking like a little cute bunny. It made my chest warm.

I stepped inside, holding the door open for him. “Hey!” I said, my voice was cozy despite the rain outside.

He shook off the water and said softly, “Hey.”

I motioned to our usual spot by the window. On the way, I pulled something out from behind my back—a small paper cup covered in drawings: rain clouds, smiley faces, and a tiny figure wearing a hoodie that looked a lot like him.

His eyes got wide. “You… drew this?”

I nodded, feeling a little shy. “Yeah. Thought you might like it.”

He turned the cup slowly in his hands, tracing the doodles gently. “It’s really good,” he whispered, looking at me like it was a secret.

I grinned. “Just like you.”

He snorted softly, trying not to smile, but his lips curved up in his cute bunny like smile. It made my heart flutter.

We sat down, the rain tapping rhythmically on the window. The sound was comforting, like it made the café our little private space.

I took a deep breath, then asked, “I guess… it’s time. What’s your name?”

He looked down for a moment, playing with the cup’s rim. Then he looked up, eyes bright but gentle. “Jungkook.”

“Jungkook,” I murmured, tasting the name in my mouth. It felt right, soft and real.

He raised an eyebrow with a shy smile. “Your turn.”

I smiled wide, letting my boxy smile shine. “Taehyung. But you can call me Tae, or Tae-Tae if you want—that’s what my friends call me.”

Jungkook’s smile got a little bigger, his bunny-like lips curling up gently. “Tae-Tae,” he repeated like it was a sweet melody.

I laughed softly. “Yeah, it suits me.”

The rain kept falling outside, but inside the café, everything felt warm and light.

Because I couldn’t resist, I challenged, “Now that we know names… want to try rock-paper-scissors?”

Jungkook’s eyes twinkled with a shy smile as he nodded.

We played right then, laughing loudly when I won on a lucky guess. “Victory for Tae-Tae!” I cheered, throwing my hands up with my big smile lighting up the whole room.

Jungkook shook his head, smiling like he was already planning his comeback.

The storm outside didn’t matter anymore. It felt like two strangers had started something real and special, rain or not.

Before we left, Jungkook pulled out his phone and hesitated for a moment. Then he looked at me with a small, hopeful smile.

“Hey… Tae… do you want my number?”

My heart raced.

“Yeah,” I said quickly, “I want that.”

He smiled again—soft and shy, that bunny smile—and I typed my number into his phone.

The rain faded into a soft patter, and suddenly, it felt lighter.

That night, scrolling through my phone, I stared at the name Jungkook lighting up the screen. I didn’t know what this was yet, but I wanted to find out.

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