The story drifts backward in time — to that very day when the monsoon first arrived.

  The day when, beneath a curtain of rain, Rayn Taqeesh and Yuqeen Aev Hanabirah crossed paths for the very first time.

  The sky was draped in endless rain. On rooftops, roads, and leaves, the soft patter of droplets had been echoing for a long while. The fragrance of wet earth spread through the air.

  Everything was blurred behind a curtain of rain, and in the shifting light and shadow, the world seemed like a dream.

  It was the very first rainfall of the monsoon.

  Rayn was still inside the school, quietly watching the downpour. Classes had ended long ago, and everyone had already gone home.

  The entire building was empty — no footsteps in the corridor, no voices in the hall. In that silent school, he was the only one left.

  When the rain eased for a moment, Rayn opened his umbrella and started toward home.

  But as he walked along the street, he felt it in his bones — the heavy downpour would soon return.

  Crossing the bridge, he suddenly stopped. There, by the railing, in the shifting glow of passing headlights, stood a girl — Yuqeen Aev Hanabirah.

  She was soaked to the skin — her hair, her uniform, even the corners of her eyes were heavy with water.

  Head bowed, standing in the rain, she looked as though her heart had sunk into some quiet, unfathomable sorrow.

  Her soaked clothes clung to her skin, but what felt heavier wasn’t the fabric — it was the unspoken emotions quietly pooling inside him.

  And then, the rain began pouring down harder. Raindrops striking the iron railing created a long, metallic echo, and the damp air made his body shiver slightly.

  Rayn slowly stepped closer and spoke in a gentle voice:— “What are you doing here, Hanabirah?”

  That was the very first thing he ever said to her. Yuqeen had been so lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t even noticed when Rayn had come to stand beside her.

  All she could do was look up at him in quiet surprise. Rayn understood that now wasn’t the time to press her with questions.

  So he spoke softly instead:— “I don’t know why you’re standing here. But in this heavy rain, at this hour, being alone on a bridge isn’t safe.”

  He reached into his bag, pulled out another umbrella, and casually held it out toward her:— “I know you’re already drenched. But still… take this, and go home. Don’t stay here.”

  The umbrella handle was cold; when Yuqeen wrapped her fingers around it, it felt like someone had suddenly lifted a shelter in the middle of the rain.

  Without another word, Rayn slowly walked away. Yuqeen stood there, umbrella in hand — silent, bewildered, and strangely still. Her eyes remained fixed only on the path where Rayn had disappeared.

  After Rayn walked away, the sound of the rain grew louder — as if everything around him had abruptly become hollow and empty.

  The next morning. Haarun and Rayn walked side by side through the school gates.

  Passing down the corridor, they entered their classroom — only to see Mayya already seated on the front seat.

  The moment Haarun stepped inside, Mayya quickly lowered her head. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

  Haarun, too, for no real reason, turned his gaze elsewhere. Strangely enough, neither of them seemed able to meet each other’s eyes today.

  Seeing this, Rayn asked in a calm tone:— “So… did something happen between you two yesterday?”

  Haarun replied in his usual cool, straightforward voice:— “No. Nothing like that happened.”

  Rayn shook his head with a faint smile and gently said:— “Brother, I don’t know what really went down. But I’ll just say this — talk to her. Talking solves everything.”

  After a pause, he added:— “See, when you talk, decisions come. But when you stay silent, all you get is distance.”

  Hearing Rayn’s words, Haarun remained still for a moment, then a small smile tugged at his lips.

  He understood exactly what Rayn was trying to say.

  Just then, the door swung open, and Yuqeen walked in. Her eyes instantly found Rayn.

  As she entered, a few boys gathered their courage and started asking her out — some jokingly, others with serious faces.

  Without even glancing at them, Yuqeen replied in a firm, straightforward voice:— “Sorry. I’m not interested.”

  Then she walked straight to her seat and sat down, as if the noise and chatter around her were utterly insignificant.

  After school.

  Haarun and Mayya had already left. Rayn was still sitting in class. He noticed Yuqeen was late today as well, just like him.

  One by one, the students filed out of the room until only the two of them remained. Once everyone was gone, Yuqeen took Rayn’s umbrella out of her bag.

  Slowly, she walked over to where Rayn sat in the back and held it out to him, her voice calm and cool:— “Thanks for yesterday. Here… this is your umbrella.”

  Rayn accepted it and replied clamp and bluntly:— “From now on, don’t just stand around in the rain like that.”

  Yuqeen answered quietly:— “Alright.”

  Rayn slipped the umbrella into his bag, stood up, and made it clear with his demeanor that he had no intention of saying anything more.

  He walked ahead, Yuqeen following a short distance behind.

  They went down the same road together. Even without looking back, Rayn could feel her presence trailing him.

  It almost seemed like she was following him — so he quickened his pace. Suddenly, a loud car horn blared from behind.

  Rayn spun around. Yuqeen was walking with her head down, lost in thought, completely unaware of the speeding car rushing toward her. Rayn loud and quickly shouted:— “Hanabirah, move!”

  He yelled again and again, but Yuqeen was so deep in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear a thing.

  In the end, Rayn sprinted forward, leapt, and pulled her aside — both of them crashing to the ground as the car sped past, barely missing them.

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  The car horn blasted so close to his ear that, for a split second, it felt like every other sound in the world just shut off.

  The instant of impact sent the cold of the ground rushing straight up through his body.

  The sudden shock left Yuqeen frozen. She looked up — and her eyes widened.

  Rayn sat on the ground, grimacing in pain. In saving her, his leg had been struck by the car. Blood trickled from the wound.

  Panicked, Yuqeen rushed to him, repeating over and over:— “Sorry, sorry… I’m so sorry!”

  She quickly pulled a handkerchief from her bag and tied it around his leg, Yuqeen’s fingers were trembling. As she tried to tie the cloth, the knot kept slipping — her hands just wouldn’t listen.

  Then Yuqeen helped him up, letting him lean on her shoulder as she hurried him to the doctor.

  That night.

  The two of them are sitting in a taxi, Rayn’s leg was in a cast. The doctor assured them it was just a small fracture.

  Rayn said nothing. There was no anger on his face, no accusation — almost as if he didn’t blame Yuqeen at all.

  But Yuqeen sat with her head lowered in shame. Because of her carelessness, this had happened.

  When they finally reached Rayn’s apartment, he pointed ahead and said:— “This is where I live.”

  Yuqeen looked surprised at the building. She walked him to the door, only to be even more astonished when she saw it. Rayn clamly explained:— “This apartment is mine.”

  Yuqeen replied in shock:— “And the one right next to it… is mine.”

  Only then did Rayn realize she hadn’t been following him. Yet one thing still puzzled him — why would a Royal girl be living in an apartment at all?

  Without saying anything more, Rayn pulled his arm off her shoulder and stepped inside. Yuqeen hurried to say:— “Let me at least walk you inside.”

  Rayn’s gentle answer was curt:— “No, thanks.”

  He went in, and Yuqeen slipped into her own apartment next door.

  A little while later, Rayn’s doorbell rang. When he opened it, Yuqeen was standing there, food in hand. In a calm voice, she said:— “You probably can’t cook right now. So I brought this for you.”

  Rayn took the food and thanked her. Yuqeen gave a faint smile:— “No need to thank me.”

  With that, she returned to her apartment. It was the dead of night. Rayn awoke and slowly rose from his bed, placing his feet on the floor.

  First, he set down one foot, then carefully lowered the fractured one, standing upright as if no injury had ever touched it.

  He removed the cast and began dressing, as though preparing to go somewhere. The room was so quiet that even the ticking of the wall clock sounded unnaturally loud.

  There was no pain beneath the bandage — what lingered instead was a muted tension, as if his body itself was smirking at the lie.

  Once dressed, he whispered to himself:— “I was lucky back then. Hanabirah saw that my leg was hurt… but she had no idea that the entire car wheel had rolled over it.”

  Rayn slowly made his way toward the balcony. Again, he whispered:— “If I had been an ordinary person… my leg might not have survived. Or maybe even my life wouldn’t have.”

  With that, he leapt into the night from the balcony, vanishing in an instant. Before the cold air could even touch his skin, he vanished into the darkness — like the city itself was too small to hold him.

  The next morning, Rayn’s doorbell rang.

  When he opened the door, he saw Yuqeen standing there again, holding food in her hands — just like the night before.

  Rayn remained calm and detached, as though the plastered leg had already become part of his new normal. In a gentle voice, Yuqeen said:— “Good morning. How’s your leg now?”

  Keeping his face stern, Rayn replied in a cold tone:— “Is that the only reason you came?”

  Yuqeen paused briefly, then answered in a cool tone:— “No. Today’s Sunday. Your leg won’t heal so quickly. So, just like last night, I brought you food again.”

  Rayn took the food from her hands and said curtly:— “Alright. You can leave now.”

  He was about to close the door. But before it could shut completely, Yuqeen spoke up:— “I have a question.”

  Rayn stopped. A faint seriousness clouded his eyes:— “What kind of question?”

  Lowering her gaze, Yuqeen softly said:— “You live right next to my apartment. Then why haven’t we met even once before?”

  Rayn let out a long sigh:— “I just moved here two days ago.”

  After a brief silence, Rayn himself asked:— “I want to ask you something too. Why would someone from the Royal family live in an apartment?”

  This time Yuqeen grew serious. Her voice grew heavier:— “That’s part of my personal life. I can’t give you that answer.”

  With those words, Yuqeen slowly turned away and walked back toward her own apartment.

  Afternoon

  The doorbell rang at Rayn’s place once again. When he opened the door, he found Yuqeen standing there — once more — with food in her hands.

  In a calm voice, Rayn joked lightly:— “Since when did you start working as a food delivery girl?”

  Yuqeen immediately gave him a serious look, though hidden within her sternness was a certain cuteness:— “I’m not doing food delivery. It’s just… because of me, you suffered such an injury.

  So I decided that until your leg fully recovers, I’ll cook for you.You can think of this as my way of saying sorry.”

  Rayn chuckled softly and shook his head:— “You don’t need to do all that for me. Besides, I’ve already made myself food today.”

  Then, with a faint smile, he added:— “But if you want, you can sit and eat with me. That way, your food won’t go to waste.”

  Yuqeen thought for a moment, then answered plainly:— “Alright.”

  Rayn’s eyes widened in surprise:— “Wait! I just said that and you agreed so easily?”

  He paused, then stammered a little:— “I mean… you’re okay with entering a guy’s apartment alone? Don’t you feel scared?”

  In a cool, steady voice, Yuqeen replied:— “If the reason to be afraid is you, then I don’t have any reason to be scared. Your leg’s already broken.

  If I had to break it again, it wouldn’t take much effort. Besides, I’m sure your apartment has something I could use to crack your head open.”

  Feigning a terrified face, Rayn exclaimed:— “Oh no! Turns out you’re a full-on female mafia!”

  Then, calming himself, he stepped aside at the door and said gently:— “Come on in, without any worries.”

  Both of them stepped inside. Rayn walked slowly with the support of crutches — careful not to let Yuqeen suspect anything.

  Once inside, they sat at the dining table. Yuqeen quickly noticed that Rayn’s cooking wasn’t quite right.

  A faint raw smell rose from the rice, and the lentils tasted overly salty the moment they touched her tongue.

  The rice was half-cooked, the lentils were far too salty, and the curry had a strange color.

  After taking a spoonful of lentils, Yuqeen frowned slightly and said:— “Looks like you don’t know how to cook at all. Do you eat this kind of food every day?”

  Rayn gave a small smile and replied:— “Yeah, you’re right. I can’t cook. But not every day. Honestly, ever since I moved in here, I’ve been eating this half-cooked mess.”

  With a sigh, Yuqeen gently said:— “Alright then, I’ll teach you how to cook.”

  Rayn raised an eyebrow:— “Why would you teach me how to cook?”

  Yuqeen replied in a calm voice:— “You put yourself at risk to save me. So you can consider this as my way of saying, " And if you keep eating food like this, it won’t take long before you get sick.”

  Rayn chuckled lightly and said:— “Your ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ are very different. Alright then, does that mean you’ll have to come to my apartment every day?”

  Yuqeen thought for a moment, then gave a faint smile:— “Hmm… I guess I will. Do you have a problem with that?”

  Rayn closed his eyes and shook his head:— “No, I don’t.”

  From that day on, Yuqeen started coming to Rayn’s apartment almost every day to cook.

  To keep things simple, they shared the expenses, though Rayn deliberately paid a little extra for his share.

  In just two weeks, Rayn noticed that his leg had almost completely healed. Because of the heavy rain, the school announced a week-long holiday.

  Early in the morning, Rayn’s doorbell rang. When he opened the door, Yuqeen was standing there.

  In a straightforward tone, Rayn said:— “Doesn’t this trouble you?”

  Frowning, Yuqeen asked:— “Trouble me? How?”

  With a serious voice, Rayn replied:— “I mean, you stand at my door almost every day. Doesn’t it bother you?”

  Calmly, Yuqeen answered:— “No, it doesn’t bother me.”

  The two of them walked inside. As they walked, Rayn said:— “But it bothers me. You do so much for me, yet I leave you standing outside.”

  With a soft smile, Yuqeen replied:— “You don’t need to think about that. I can wait outside.”

  Suddenly, Rayn stopped and turned back to look at her:— “There’s a way. That way you won’t have to wait outside, and I won’t have to open the door every day.”

  Curious, Yuqeen asked:— “What way?”

  With a faint smile, Rayn smiled lightly and said:— “Opening the door every day feels like a hassle for me. So if you want, there’s an extra duplicate key in the kitchen. You can take it and come in whenever you like.”

  For a moment, Yuqeen was stunned. Her eyes showed disbelief:— “On what trust are you giving me your apartment key?” Her voice carried hesitation.

  Rayn understood why she said that, but he pretended as if he didn’t. Feigning confusion, he asked:— “Why? Can’t I trust you? Are you going to steal something from my apartment?”

  Hearing this, Yuqeen’s cheeks turned red. She hurried to reply:— “No, no! What are you even saying?”

  In a calm voice, Rayn said:— “Then it’s settled. From today, one key will be with you.”

  After a pause, Yuqeen softly asked:— “But what should I think of this key?”

  Rayn answered plainly:— “Why? As a friend.”

  Surprised, Yuqeen asked:— “As a friend?”

  With a firm tone, Rayn repeated:— “Yes. We’ve known each other for almost two weeks now. Can’t we be friends?”

  Lowering her head, with a shy tone, Yuqeen said:— “No… it’s not like that… Of course, we can be friends.”

  With a smile, Rayn said:— “Then it’s decided. From today, we’re friends. So, are you going to stand, or will you come in?”

  Saying this, Rayn walked inside. Without a word, Yuqeen quietly followed him.

  Once inside, Rayn thought to himself:— “This girl is really strange. It’s hard to figure out what she’s hiding inside.”

  Then, with an unusual smile on his lips, he thought:— “But nothing is impossible for me.”

  From that day on, Yuqeen began coming to Rayn’s apartment naturally, without saying a word.

  Rayn's apartment's non-canon structure: