You’re baffled. You grew up in this small coastal town — sure, you abandoned your roots as a country bumpkin a while ago to chase the tantalizing glamor of a college degree and a fancy job in Seoul, but you never remember it raining this much. The sky screams like the gods have it out for you, droplets lashing against the walls from outside as thunder and lighting ravage the earth.

The power is out, too… but, at least you were with Jooha when it happened. When he learned that you had returned home for your spring break, you two reconnected instantly, having grown up side-by-side. Nothing had changed in terms of your friendship, even if a lot had happened for the both of you in the meantime. At first, it surprised you that he’s still here in this town. He’s grown — and been through his own share of troubles, too, even if he keeps characteristically quiet about them. You’ve even learned that he has a boyfriend by the name of Kang Doosik that he’s been living with for a while, who’s currently away on an errand in the city. At his core. he’s still the same sweet kid you used to play with on the beach.

Now, you’re sitting on the floor of his blacked-out living room, having been interrupted from your catching up by the dying breath of a vanquished electrical grid. It’s not long before he returns, a small candle in his hands — the decorative kind — and a similarly small frown on his face that’s illuminated by the meek light coming from between his hands. He obviously wasn’t prepared for this. Who could’ve been?

“Sorry,” he begins, approaching. His expression is stiff and soft all at once, and the light is stifled, whispering between his palms. “This was all I could find.”