Imagine Sharing an Umbrella with Namjoon

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"Oh, no..." Your voice comes out in a sigh as you gaze out at the raging storm outside. You forgot your umbrella at home. A howling wind screams, whipping the trees to and fro. A loud peal of thunder crashes, making you flinch. You sit on a nearby bench and consider waiting out the storm.

"Damn..." you mutter, clutching your phone in your hand. You look around, hoping that someone would come walking by and notice you. But that doesn't seem likely. Today was an early release day, and everyone left as quickly as they could. The lights above your head flicker. You get to your feet, your mind set on wandering through the building until you find someone or the storm passes—whichever happens first.

As you walk, the storm seems to intensify, shaking the very foundations of the building under your feet. Anxiety twists in your belly, wrapping its cold claws around your heart. You take a deep breath and start to sing.

"And I will call upon Your name/And keep my eyes above the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours and You are mine." Your voice is shaky, and anxiety has not loosened its hold, so you attempt to sing louder. "So I will call upon Your name/And keep my eyes above the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours and You are mine."

You keep singing, as loudly as possible. The wind howls, as if challenging you.

"Wow, I thought I was the only one stuck here."

The voice reaches your ears just as the wind quiets down in between screams. Your head snaps up and you see a boy you don't recognize leaning against the wall, smiling at you. Your face flushes.

"I-I didn't realize anyone else was here," you murmur, biting your lip.

"Yeah," the boy grins. "I'm kinda glad I was tricked into doing paperwork for my club. I would've missed the show, otherwise."

He walks passed you and whistles as he peers out the window. "It's coming down pretty hard. We'd better hurry before the roads get flooded." The boy takes his umbrella out of his backpack and opens the door. A gust of frigid wind blows in, chilling you to the bone. He looks at you, as if waiting for you to move. You shake your head. "What's wrong?" he asks, shutting the door.

"I forgot my umbrella this morning." You feel a mirthless smile cross your face. "I'm stuck here until it passes."

The boy smiles. "No, we can share my umbrella. I'll just walk you home."

"No," you protest, shaking your head. "I couldn't have you go out of your way for me like that, especially in this storm."

The boy sighs. "Well, its either I walk you home, or we both wait out the storm. I'm not going to leave you here by yourself." He makes himself comfortable on the bench, a small smile on his lips. It's almost as if he expects to get his way.

You frown, studying him. His expression is earnest and open. Lightning cracks the sky, illuminating your faces.

"Alright, fine," you relent. "Let's hurry."

The boy grins and steps out into the storm first, holding the umbrella to cover you both. He huddles closer to you as the wind shrieks, pushing against you as you walk. You cry out as another gale almost lifts you off your feet as you attempt to keep moving forward.

Hey!" The boy shouts to be heard over the storm. "Hold onto me! Tight!"

You grip the boy's hand, ducking your head against the rain. You shrink back as lightning strikes nearby. You can feel your chest start to tighten, your breathing coming out in shorter, quicker gasps.

You close your eyes and try to ground yourself, keep your cool. You try to count your breaths.
Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4... Hold... exhale 1, 2, 3, 4.

You run through the technique a few times, but your mind is racing and it's hard to focus. Your grip on the boy's hand turns vice-like.

"Hey, are you okay?" The boy's voice is low and calm, not even an ounce of worry or panic affecting his pitch.

You look up at him, fully aware that your vision is blurring. You open your mouth to speak—to sing, when you feel everything collapse. You let out a broken sob. You cover your face with your hands and do everything you can to keep the sobs back. You try so hard, your body starts to tremble.

"Whoa..." The boy looks down at you. He hesitates for a moment. "Please don't cry. It's alright. You're okay... I'll get you home, I promise." He wraps his arms tightly around you. He holds the umbrella over you, letting his back get wet.

Your breath comes out in ragged hiccups against his chest.

Then, you hear something. Something low and quiet. The boy is singing. He looks down at you, and holds his note. When it dies down, he speaks. "Do you want to sing together? Or I can sing and you can join in whenever you're ready."

The boy slowly begins walking, his voice being swallowed up by the cries of the storm. But he keeps singing. You focus on him, on his voice, and the soulful expressions his face makes.

Before you know it, you're singing along; doing your best to harmonize with him. He grins at you and nods encouragingly.

You sing your way through the heart of the storm, your voice growing stronger as time passes. You can feel a lightness in your chest.

The boy squeezes your hand, his grin stretching a mile wide. "Look," he murmurs, pointing at the sky. "Seems like the storm's passing."

After a few more songs, you finally make it home. You feel relief flood your chest when you see your mailbox in the distance. "There it is!"

The boy quickens his pace, not letting go of your hand. "C'mon! Let's get you home!" He runs with you, puddles splashing your ankles.

You run home, unable to keep a smile from your face. You stop at your porch, both you and the boy grinning and out of breath.

"We made it!" the boy pants, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

You beam up at him. "We made it! Thank you!" You throw your arms around him with such a force that you're almost knocked off balance.

The boy laughs, putting one hand on the back of your head, the other securely holding your back. "Told you I'd get you home safe," he murmurs.

He hands you his umbrella. "Just in case it rains again."

You shake your head. "No, no! That's really sweet, but I couldn't—"

The boy presses the umbrella into your hand and smiles. "Please, take it. I have my hoodie, see?" He slips on the hood of his jacket and tugs on the drawstrings.

You bite your lip. "Thank you, again."

The boy nods and takes a step down from your porch. "It was no trouble at all. I enjoyed it." He walks down your sidewalk, his hands in his pockets.

He raises his hand in farewell, then turns around once he's a good distance down the road. "Hey!" he yells, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Can we walk home together tomorrow?"

"Yes!" you shout, grinning.

A storm brought you together. Fate works in mysterious ways, huh?

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