It rained.
The rain that had been falling since morning grew heavier as the afternoon wore on. The sound of the rain hitting the glass seemed deliberately louder. The café was almost empty. Occasionally, people came in with folded umbrellas, dripping water from their shoulders.
The gray mat on the floor quickly became soaked. I grabbed a rag and wiped it several times. Still, my heart felt heavy and sagging like a wet mat.
The door opened. He came in without even folding his umbrella. His black hood was soaking wet. Water dripped down, but he didn't care. He came straight to the counter and met my eyes. Normally, he would have pulled his hat down further or looked away without saying a word, but today he looked straight at me.
The sound of the rain muffled his voice a little, but I heard him clearly.
“Today… I’ll have something warm.”
I instinctively pressed the button. The sound of the espresso being extracted, the steam bursting like a spray, and the rain mixed together to create a strange rhythm. Just as I was about to hand him the cup, he added.
“And… can I just sit here today?”
I paused. Not at the counter, but at the customer seating area. I dreaded staying in the same space for too long. But I nodded involuntarily. He sat down on a stool in front of the counter instead of the window. It was an unfamiliar sight. He, who always kept his distance, was right in front of me today.
I handed over the mug with a firm grip. Hot steam rose. His fingertips wrapped around the cup.
“You don’t use labels?”
His gaze turned to the cup holder. I grabbed my pen. After thinking about what to write,
I just wrote one word.rain.
He read the words and laughed.
“That’s right. It’s raining today.”
That smile strangely shook me. It was a little wetter than usual, and therefore seemed a little more honest. I tried to avert my gaze, but he kept making eye contact, as if telling me not to avoid it today.
“Why did you pretend not to know?”
His voice cut quietly through. It was an unavoidable question. For a moment, I gasped. I pretended to clean the cup, but my hands were shaking.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I forced a smile and answered, but my voice was too weak.
Jeongguk didn't avoid eye contact.
"You know. We danced together. We practiced until our soles wore out, just to stand on the same stage. I remember it all. Why do you act like you don't exist?"
His words were louder than the rain outside. Memories I'd long pushed aside were forcibly brought back to me. The mirror in the practice room, the laughter mixed with tears, and even the moment I finally turned my back. I gripped the counter with both hands. My shoulders trembled involuntarily.
“Stop it.”
It was a short but firm voice.
"I came here because I wanted to forget everything. I can't bring it up again."
Jeongguk's gaze wavered. But he shook his head.
"You're the only one who forgot. I haven't forgotten. No, I haven't forgotten."
My breath caught in my throat. The moment I'd long feared was becoming a reality before my eyes. I wanted to run away. But my feet were stuck, unable to move. Jungkook took a step closer. Droplets of water fell from his rain-soaked hood to the floor. The sound was particularly clear.
"Even after you disappeared, I kept dancing. Even when being on stage felt like hell, I always thought of you afterward. I still do..."
His voice paused for a moment, then took a breath and resumed.
“…I dream of being on the same stage as you.”
The moment I heard those words, I felt my eyes getting hot and wet.
The memories I had been forcibly swallowing, the dreams I had built with him, came crashing down all at once.
The rain fell harder and harder.
The cafe was quiet, but my heart was pounding wildly.
I lowered my head. No words came out. Jeongguk's gaze was still fixed on my face.
And at that moment, I realized.
No matter how much I ignore him, my memories of him will never be erased.