SUNGHOON | Cloudburst ✓

twenty-six

A month had passed and while Park Dongchul, the CEO of BORDER, was still searching for his son, the weather in Tokyo wasn't getting any better. However, you could say that the relationship between Haneul and Sunghoon had flourished within that span of time.

Both youths kept themselves busy with their passions, with Haneul committing herself to performing arts while Sunghoon found love in journalism. He figured he could run his own magazine catered solely for art, a platform for lost souls like him to express themselves on.

Despite the exhaustion that came along in working towards their future, Sunghoon and Haneul always found their way back to each other at the end of the day. Often cruising around Tokyo's streets under the pouring rain or just cozying up to each other's warmth at home.

"Seriously? You want to watch Tokyo Revengers? Do you enjoy watching me weep over sad animes?! I haven't recovered from Banana Fish yet!" Haneul bickered with Sunghoon.

"I'm certainly not going to watch The Fear Street Trilogy with you! It looks scary!" Sunghoon argued back before snatching away the bowl of popcorn away from Haneul.

"Aw, is my Sunshine Boy afraid of horror movies?" Haneul cooed teasingly before putting on the said movie. "Haneul please!" Sunghoon pleaded but was only dragged back to the sofa-bed.

Laughing at Sunghoon's defeated state, Haneul switched off the living room lights which only made Sunghoon whine even more. Fortunately for him, Mrs. Sim had bought fairy lights that she believed complimented her living room's decorum.

"I hate you for this," Sunghoon huffed before grumpily facing away from the TV and was rather watching the rain pour heavily outside. Clearly, light drizzles and acid rain no longer existed.

"Oh come on, horror movies are fun to watch!" Haneul tried convincing Sunghoon, only to laugh at how insane she was for being a horror-fanatic. Finally succumbing to her plea, Sunghoon slowly faced the TV with a regretful expression.

"Attaboy!" Haneul cheered while Sunghoon had scooted closer to the brunette (according to him, it was for safety purposes).

While Haneul paid attention to the movie, it took Sunghoon no less than 10 minutes in before diverting his attention to Haneul instead. You could say that everything from their shared blanket to the way Haneul mindlessly played with his hands made Sunghoon's heart flutter.

"Stop staring at me and watch this girl get chased around by her bestie," Haneul suddenly said before smugly looking at Sunghoon.

"I'll watch if you tell me why you came home with a busted lip and a bruised cheek. I'm not taking your 'rehearsal accident' as an explanation," Sunghoon said quietly as he stared at Haneul.

"What if it was-"

"Cut the bullshit Haneul," Sunghoon sighed in frustration upon the stubborn girl's reply. If Haneul were to be frank with everyone, the bullying and harassment never stopped.

Her only coping mechanism was being with Sunghoon for he accepted regardless of how much she weighed. Unfortunately, hiding her torment was impossible with the likes of Sunghoon's sharp eyes.

"They always do this, it's not the first time. Ever since we moved to Tokyo, some students hated how I looked— if you can't tell, I'm chubby," Haneul spoke quickly as she tried to hold back on her tears.

"I never stopped them, I never retaliated. I hated how I looked too and being around the likes of Jake and Jay in school fuelled everyone's hatred towards me," Haneul ended before smiling weakly at Sunghoon.

Though she tried to conceal her hurt, the anger and hurt in her heart reflected on Tokyo's current downpour. This time, the rain was heavier and the wind blew stronger. Sunghoon knew better than to express how upset and disgusted he was by the environment Haneul was in, he knew he had no control over her situation.

"What does it matter in being heavier or lighter than everybody else? Or more attractive than others? None of that matters if you have an ugly heart," Sunghoon thought aloud while caressing Haneul's hand gently.

Looking up from their hands, Sunghoon gazed into her deep-set orbs in which he found utterly mesmerising. His eyes traced over every feature and detail on her face, finding himself falling slightly harder than he intended to.

"Luckily for you Haneul, you've been blessed with beauty on the inside and out,"