Kim Woon-hak at 11 o'clock at night
3
Late in the afternoon, after class, I was sitting by the window of a cafe, my laptop open for a group project.
Because the weather was cloudy, the outside of the window was a soft gray, and the raindrops falling on the glass created a subtle rhythm.
I had to do my homework, but I couldn't concentrate, so I picked up my phone out of habit.
On my Instagram feed, a few comments left on my live story caught my eye.
bearwith_u
I'd like to listen to it with the sound of rain today. I think it would go well with DJ's voice.
Those words lingered in my mind.
Suddenly, I remembered the tumbler of Unhak I saw on the bench in the library.
The expression on his face as he playfully winked at the teddy bear sticker strangely overlapped.
김운학
“Sister, you were here.”
When I raised my head, Kim Woon-hak opened the cafe door and came in, shaking off his umbrella and approaching me.
I thought we ran into each other too often to be a coincidence.
He sat down across from me and put down his iced latte in a cup.
김운학
“After the break, you just sat there?”
“Yeah, I’m going to do some homework.”
김운학
“Looking at the weather seems more fun than doing homework, doesn’t it?”
Unhak raised his eyebrows playfully.
That remark made me laugh without realizing it. Sitting across from Unhak, even if the conversation wasn't long, the atmosphere quickly became comfortable.
Unhak began to speak while swirling the straw in his drink.
김운학
"But what do you do when you're alone? Do you listen to music?"
“Sometimes, I just quietly listen to the radio.”
김운학
“Radio?”
He tilted his head for a moment, as if interested.
김운학
“Who listens to the radio these days? Or do you do it yourself or something?”
“No way, why am I doing radio?”
I quickly laughed it off.
But the look in his eyes was subtle, as if he knew something.
Unhak said with a nonchalant smile.
김운학
"I just thought your voice would be perfect for listening to at night. I told you before, didn't I? You sound like a real DJ."
I paused for a moment. I didn't expect radio talk to flow so naturally.
Was he joking, or was he just guessing? I felt breathless and looked out the window for a moment.
김운학
“Anyway, it’s raining really hard today.”
Unhak said as he put away his umbrella.
김운학
"What are you doing on a day like this, Sister? I think listening to music while drinking some warm tea would be a good idea."
Those words strangely reminded me of my room.
At 11 o'clock at night, a picture of me sitting in front of a microphone holding a coffee cup flashed before my eyes.
We parted ways in front of the cafe before the rain stopped.
On the way home, I thought, ‘I should turn on the live broadcast today.’
My heart suddenly fluttered. I sat down in front of the microphone and offered a small greeting.
“It’s a rainy night today. The title is ‘Where the Rain Stops.’”
As always, the 🧸 emoticon was posted first in the comments section.
bearwith_u
I was at a cafe today, and the rain was really nice. Were you watching somewhere, DJ?
I took a beat late and laughed, catching my breath.
‘Cafe?’ Was the timing a coincidence? Or… a hint closer to something else?
“If anyone saw the rain today, I hope the memory lasts a long time.”
I said that quietly. And Unhak's smile kept coming to my mind.