1 PROLOGUE.
THUNDER RUMBLED loudly as the skies poured down, making the fifteen year old Jumin Yoon doubt if the rain was going to stop anytime soon as he waited for his ride to arrive at the bus stop a few steps ahead from his school.
He hoped the driver wouldn't take much longer, for standing alone in this pouring rain― after school, at that ― had simply tired him. why did it have to rain now of all days? when he had PE classes and was looking forward to going home more than anything.
" ah shi― fucking hell ― ! " a string of curses passionately spoken caught his attention. Turning, Jumin found a girl kneeling to pick the papers she'd dropped on the step right below the bus stop. She picked them all hastily before running into the shelter, taking a seat on the bench across from him.
Judging by the way she leaned back to catch her breath, she must've ran towards the stop― not that he could blame her. He eyed the girl curiously, the white shirt of her uniform stuck closely to her skin, drenched from head to toe.
She must be from that other school in front of his own― Jumin concluded― seeing the tie and the emblem on her shirt. And he must have stared at her for too long, for when he raised his eyes to meet hers, she was looking at him with an unimpressed look on her face.
" see something you like, mr. fancypants ? " she remarked, arranging the papers that had fallen from her file earlier back to their place. Jumin looked amused by the peculiar nickname she'd given him, despite not even knowing who he was.
It wasn't as if he was interested, or anything. but Jihyun had already left and there was no way of knowing when the driver would arrive, so it wouldn't hurt to kill time, would it?
" you have quite a vulgar vocabulary, for a person your age. " he commented, choosing to ignore her previous remark. she laughed― it was a carefree, tinkling sound― pouting as she quipped back, " why, do they not teaching you curse words in your fancy school? "
However, where she had been expecting the man to be offended, somewhat, he simply looked intrigued. " do they teach it at your school, then? i'm not sure about mine, so i will have to ask the authority in charge of our curriculum if they offer it. "
the girl― out of all things―did not expect that reply. and it wasn't even as if he were playing ! because the curious, innocent look on his face suggested that he was hundred percent serious.
She stared at him dumbfounded, before cracking into a peal of uncontrollable laughter, wheezing out words like "oh dude!" and "i'm so sorry for messing with you!" between breaths.
Jumin was not sure if he said something so funny, but the fact that she found him hilarious made him feel oddly pleased with himself, for some reason. he watched her out of the corner of his eye, a faint, shy smile on his usually monotonous face.
" what is your name ? " he asked, and wiping a tear out of the corner of her eye, she replied. " Ophelia, and i'm not gonna shake hands. my hands are all wet ! " she dismissed his hand which was outstretched in front of him formally, which he withdrew at an instant at her remark.
" Han Jumin. " he replied, just as a bus arrived at the stop. " well, this is my cue, " Ophelia, rose from her seat to pick her bag and head over to the bus. and right before she was about to enter, she turned to give Jumin a languid smile over her shoulder, catching him off guard.
" see you later, Yoon Jumin. "
Jumin found himself watching her with a stunned look, nodding at her words as she climbed inside. not long after, his driver arrived as well.
Sitting in the backseat of the limousine, he found himself replaying the entire exchange in his head―inevitably causing his boyish features to tinge a bright shade of pink.
Years passed, and unlike what she'd promised, Ophelia never met Jumin again. school ended, then college, Jumin came across many new people, but the snippy ―but cheerful ― girl from the bus stop remained in the back of Jumin's mind. Like a faded, but sweet memory. Imprinted in neat cursive of the older pages of his diary.
