Rain | k.ms

vii: present day

"Thank you, I'm sorry, I love you." My phone rings. Turning my head slightly to the side, I tilt my phone a little.

The notification reads: Message from Soo Mi. I tap into my messages, reading over Soo Mi's message. She texted me asking if I wanted to eat lunch with her, and I respond, agreeing.

After sending my response, I return to my laptop, continuing my work. 

...

"Darn it!" I yell, making the other customers in the restaurant glare at me. I bow my head, embarrassed. "I'm sorry." I apologize. That's the third time I suddenly bursted out yelling in the last twenty minutes, and of course, no one appreciates it. I'm actually surprised that I haven't been kicked out yet.

I turn my attention back to my phone, and continue playing the game that had caused my earlier sudden outburst. It's a racing game called Cookie Run, and it's seriously addicting. After dying, again, I clamp down on my cheek to restrain myself from cursing. Tucking my phone away, I take a sip from my nearly finished glass of water, and lean back in my chair, feeling bored and impatient.

Impatiently, I pull my phone out of my bag again. "Geez, why isn't she here yet?" I complain. Two twenty nine pm. I read the time. Soo Mi and I decided to meet up at a restaurant for lunch, and I've been waiting for her for the past twenty minutes. I dial Soo Mi's number on my phone, and press call.

The ring tone rings once, twice, three times, and eventually goes straight to voicemail. "I'm sorry but the number you are trying to reach is not available at the moment. If you wish to leave a voicemail, press one. If you want to try re—" I press hang up, feeling resentful and sick. Why isn't Soo Mi here? I wonder.

Did I accidentally mistake her message? Did she say to meet at one? At three? Tomorrow? I check my phone again, hoping that she didn't just decide to stand me up. A thought suddenly occurs to me, and I shake my head, trying to convince myself otherwise. Soo Mi wouldn't stand me up for Minseok.

I nod vigorously. "Of course she wouldn't." I laugh, my laugh sounding awkward and unsure. "I'm her best friend!" People turn to look at me again. This time instead of glares, I'm faced with pitiful knowing glances. Glances that clearly read oh gosh, I'm sorry, but you just got stood up. I look away. Soo Mi wouldn't do that to me, right?

...

Turning my wrist over, I check the time. It's nine forty eight pm and the subway still isn't here. I sigh despondently. Why does it seem as if everything is taking its sweet time today?

Beep. Beep. Beep. My phone vibrates in my pocket. Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I accept the call.

"Hey, Sonagi." Minseok's voice chimes into my ear from the phone.

I hold the phone away from my ear a little, my ears tingling with Minseok's voice. I sigh heavily, clenching down on the inside of my jaw. No. "What's up, Minseok?"

"I wanted to ask," he begins, "if Soo Mi's with you right now."

At Minseok's question, I feel my shoulders drop. What had I been expecting? I shake my head at myself, wanting to laugh at my ridiculous and non-sensible expectations. "No, she's not." I answer, starting to feel semi dejected and bitter.

Minseom sighs his breath heavy and frustrated. "All right, thanks anyway." He says. "Well... can you call me if—"

"—she asked me out for lunch." I interject.

"Huh?"

"Soo Mi, that is. She asked me if I wanted to-"

Ring ring ring ring! I hear Minseok's phone ring on the other side, signaling that another call is intercepting ours.

I wait, expecting to hear silence, expecting for Minseok to hang up on me, but to my surprise, he doesn't.

Then I hear the other end speak. "Is this Kim Minseok?" They ask.

"Minseok—err—should I hang up or d..." I start, but stop when Soo Mi's name is mentioned.

"Are you Kim Soo Mi's guardian?"

"Yes. I am her guardian, I am her husband." Minseok replies, the last part of his sentence said with pride and confidence. "Who are you that you require this information?"

"I'm Soo Mi's sunbae at work, my name is Choi Min Ho." The voice introduces himself. Then he continues, "T–there was an um..." Choi Min Ho's voice trails off. "A fi–fire at xxx company." He informs.

I hear Minseok draw in a sharp breath, and I do, too. "Condition of workers?" He asks.

"Approximately thir-thirty s-six are injured, five are yet to be found, and eleven are d-dead. T–two of the eleven are y–yet to identified." Choi Min Ho informs, stuttering.

"Okay, um, condition of Kim Soo Mi?"

I bite on my lip, hoping that Soo Mi's okay.

For a painfully long second, dead silence fills the space and air around me, as no one says a word. Wondering if I've missed hearing something, I pull my phone closer to my ear. I'm about to speak but halt when I remember that I'm not the only person on the line. It would be so awkward if the Choi Min Ho person hears me.

I hear Choi Min Ho shakily take a deep breath, as if unwilling and reluctant to answer Minseok. "D–dead."

A/N: yeah, so first, sorry for not updating for a while T^T. Also you might've noticed, but I changed Soo Mi's surname from Yoon to Kim. (If you go back to chapter i, I changed it there too) I'm so stupid, I literally just realized that if she's married to Minseok then she'd probably take his surname. Let's just say that Yoon was her surname... Anyway, so sorry for the mistake, and thanks for reading ^^