The sun has just set as Dahee and Jisung pull over at a 7-Eleven near their campus. With a shiver running down her spine, she stuffs her hands in the pockets of the jacket he lent her and tries to ignore the chilling gush of wind that hits her when she opens the freezer. The beverage section is colder than she remembers. She hastily grabs a couple of strawberry milk boxes before rushing back to the cashier to pay.
"That's a lot of food," she says to Jisung and eyes the snacks he is cradling in his arms as she places the drinks on the counter. "You think we can finish that?"
"You underestimate our stomachs." He replies jokingly and mirrors her actions.
"I pay for the drinks, you pay for the snacks." She says before he can even take out his wallet. He looks like he wants to disagree, but he nods without a word and presses his lips into a thin line.
The cashier gives them their receipts before they exit the store and stand motionless beside his car. She thinks he is thinking the same thing: where to go to now? Prior to driving to 7-Eleven, they didn't discuss anything about where they will go after buying snacks; going back to the diner isn't in the options.
She lifts her head and an idea suddenly comes to mind seeing the big, black gates across the street. He is a bit hesitant when she suggests they go to the rooftop of the campus building, but he is persuaded by her assurance and follows her. There isn't an opening anywhere, and she looks at him with an expression he instantly reads.
"No..." He trails off and she just grins.
He is shaky as she sits on his back and tries to grab onto the wall, but almost falls. She gets off him and dusts the dirt off her palms and watches as he walks over to the gate on the left of the main one. It opens at the gentle push of his forefinger, and her mouth falls agape.
"Maybe they forgot to lock it." He mutters and she is still quite shocked as they enter the premises. She pulls out her phone and turns the flashlight on to illuminate their way. "But are you really sure we're allowed to go up there?
"I've been up there more than twice after school hours before, we'll be fine." She says dismissively and leads him to the end of hallway where the stairs that lead to the top of the building is.
He is the one to pull open the heavy door and holds it until she steps in. Her left foot trips on her right, which makes her stumble, but he catches her before she loses her balance and face-plants onto the floor.
"Did you just," he pauses and grins down at her, "fall for me?"
She rolls her eyes and gets out of his hold, but there is a smile threatening to appear on her lips as she mutters, "You're so annoying."
"But you like me anyway." He retorts, which she doesn't reply to.
The two trudge up the stairs, and she is already breathless after the tenth step. He notices and slows down to match her pace (she swoons at this, but it is covered up by her exhaustion). A thin layer of sweat is coating her forehead by the time they reach the top. It doesn't stay for long though; the cold breeze of the night dries it all up.
Goosebumps litter her skin as she shivers from the chilly breeze of the night and sits cross-legged on the asphalt near the ledge. He copies her hesitantly. The university building is nothing like a skyscraper, but six floors is still tall enough to make someone anxious.
"Here." She passes him a strawberry milk box and pulls another one out of the plastic bag for herself, swiftly poking the straw into the designated hole. He is wearing only a t-shirt and she notices he has goosebumps on his arms like she does. "Aren't you cold?"
He hums, "With you around, I feel warmer than the sun."
"Flirt." She mutters and looks away, acting as if that pickup line didn't cause the butterflies in her stomach to flutter. It is only a feathery sensation though, one she barely feels but notices. These─the butterflies and the heart-flutterings─are still new to her, but at the same time it feels like it isn't. She doesn't know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.
"It's your birthday on Sunday," he suddenly brings up. "Got any plans?"
"I just want a simple celebration," she says with a shrug. "Maybe we can just eat out for lunch or dinner with Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, and... maybe Donghyuck? Eh, probably not, we still haven't talked since."
He purses his lips and abruptly changes the topic, "Do you think there are living beings like us on other planets?"
"I think so," she says and looks up at the dark heavens where twinkling stars are scattered around the moon. "Earth can't possibly be the only planet that's inhabited by living beings. There must be others─maybe not humans, but other creatures─that live on Mars or, like, Saturn. Maybe a population just like ours, or just a few. It's fascinating to think about the idea of other beings who live in another world just like us."
"In my world, you're the only one." He says and, even though she expected a pickup line, her heart still skips a beat.
"Really?"
"Really."
She looks away from the night sky and into his eyes that are like a force that keeps pulling her in. She notices the proximity of their faces and how she is a couple of inches away from touching those lips of his she has already tasted more than once before. She wants to kiss him, but she is hesitant to, feeling anxious even though she shouldn't be.
But it's about time for her to stop being so scared of everything. She isn't a little kid anymore, she's an adult now. And adults aren't supposed to be scared of anything, right? So, with a little ounce of boldness in her, she pulls him in for a kiss like she wants to. Unlike the first time, it isn't awkward anymore. Instead, it is a kiss that makes her feel like fireworks are igniting inside of her now that the rhythm of their lips are in perfect sync.
"I love you," he whispers against her mouth and pulls away when he realizes what he just blurted out. "Sorry. I know we agreed to take it slow, but I just felt the need to tell you."
"Don't apologize for what you feel." She tells him and their faces stay close as they get lost in each other's eyes, too into the moment to notice the raindrops that are starting to fall; it is already pouring when they do. She stands up in a haste but gets pulled back before she can take another step forward. "What are you doing? We're gonna get soaked!"
"It's fine," he grins and kisses her again. "Isn't this so romantic? Kissing in the rain, just like in the movies."
Her heart melts at the way he is looking at her with so much admiration and love. His stare prompts her professor's words to echo in her head: You wouldn't want to regret wasting your youth when you grow older, would you? In this moment, she decides she will waste her youth on loving him─even though she is still uncertain.
