Just as Garam turned away, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through—
and within moments, the rain began to pour.
Students scattered everywhere, running for shelter.
Some held their jackets above their heads, some used their bags, and others simply covered their heads with their hands as they ran.
Kaven, Terry, and Ben, who were standing near the main building, rushed inside and called out—
"Garam! Come in, quick!"
But Garam didn't move.
He stood there, lost in something distant.
The rain… it reminded him of something.
"Hey, come on, man!" Terry shouted, running back.
He grabbed Garam's wrist and pulled him in as the downpour grew heavier.
It was only ten in the morning, yet the sky was dark and heavy—
as if night had arrived early.
Lightning cracked across the clouds, roaring like the sky itself was breaking apart.
Inside the classroom, laughter replaced the thunder.
"Man, this weather is perfect for tea and snacks!" someone said.
"Yeah, right. But instead, we'll get chemistry class."
"Oh, shut up! Don't jinx it again!"
"Yeah, can't you let us breathe in peace?"
Everyone laughed.
Except Garam.
He sat quietly, staring out the window.
The rain that others found comforting—felt suffocating to him.
It pressed against his chest, filling him with memories he didn't want to remember.
"Hey, where's the volleyball?"
"You didn't leave it outside, did you? Mr. Cho gonna kill us if it's gone."
"I think it's in the room. Someone go check."
The rain grew even stronger. The windows rattled, shut tight to keep the water out.
"I'll go check," Garam said softly, and left the room.
He stepped into the dark storage room and looked around.
Then suddenly—everything went black.
The power was out.
He felt the darkness crawl over him. His chest tightened again.
Trying to breathe, he walked toward the window and pushed it open—
letting a faint gray light slip in.
And through the rain, he saw him.
Gyu.
Standing outside, eyes closed, letting the raindrops fall over his face—
as if he belonged to them.
Garam froze. Watching.
For Gyu, rain was something sacred.
It was like his first love—gentle, painful, and irreplaceable.
This rain had once given him everything he'd longed for:
a home, warmth, Garam… even Hana and Yujin, who became like parents to him.
A small smile touched his lips as he remembered those days.
But slowly, that smile faded.
Because this same rain also reminded him of everything he'd lost.
The night his life changed.
The people he ran from.
The things he could never forget.
He remembered being just seven—
a trembling boy in torn, dirty clothes, hiding in the dark.
He pressed his hands to his head as the memories came flooding back.
He had been forced to hide.
Forced to become someone else.
His mother—the only person who ever called him by his real name—was taken from him in a single night.
After that, his life turned into a nightmare.
When he finally escaped and met Garam and the others,
he didn't even know what love was.
But in that very love,
even his name—the only thing truly his—was taken away.
No one called him by it anymore.
He couldn't even remember the last time someone had.
And then, Garam's words echoed in his mind—
"What do you even have that's yours? Not even your name belongs to you."
The words broke something inside him.
His knees gave way.
He collapsed to the ground.
Garam, who had been watching from the window, ran outside through the storm.
He reached Gyu, lifted him up, and carried him straight to the nurse's office.
"What happened, Garam? Is he okay?"
Kaven, Terry, and Ben rushed in, worried.
"I don't know," Garam said, placing Gyu on the bed.
The nurse checked him quickly.
"Why isn't he waking up?" Garam asked.
"Does he live with anyone?" the nurse asked.
Silence.
"It looks like he's just exhausted," she finally said.
"Maybe he hasn't eaten properly. He got drenched too. He'll wake up soon."
"He'll be fine, right?" Garam's voice was tight.
"Yes. But he might catch a fever," she said. "He needs to change his wet clothes. Does he have spares?"
Garam went quiet. He didn't know.
"I have some," Kaven said, walking in. "He can wear mine."
Garam glared at him, but before he could say anything, Terry interrupted,
"Why yours? You're too tall. Ben's will fit better."
Ben nodded. "Yeah, I'll handle it."
"Alright," the nurse said. "Change him into dry clothes."
Ben hesitated. "Uh, we should do it?"
"Unless you want me to," the nurse said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh—no, no. We'll do it!"
Kaven took a step forward, but Terry stopped him. "I'll do it."
Garam turned and quietly left the room.
The rain that once suffocated him… didn't anymore.
He placed a hand over his chest.
"How much longer do I have to hate you, just to stay away from you?"
The nurse returned later. "Who does he live with?" she asked.
"We're not sure," Ben said softly.
"He lives alone," Kaven said. "I know his house."
"I've informed his parents, but they're out of the country," the nurse said.
"For now, take him home. Make sure he eats properly."
The four nodded.
"Don't worry, ma'am," Kaven said. "He's my friend. I won't leave him alone."
He lifted Gyu onto his back and walked out.
Garam stared blankly—his heart heavy, his chest tight.
That suffocating feeling returned.
The memories. The rain.
And the pain that never truly left.