Rain hammered against the streets as they left a late-night meeting. Mi-Ho offered his umbrella, but Hana shook her head, stepping into the downpour.
"I used to dream of nights like this," she admitted, hair plastered against her face. "Where I wasn't trapped, where the rain felt like freedom."
Mi-Ho watched her, breath caught. "You are free now."
She turned, tears mixing with the rain. "And terrified. Because freedom means I can finally choose… and I don't know if I'm brave enough."
He stepped forward, umbrella forgotten, his voice rough. "Then let me be brave for you. Hana… I don't want to protect you anymore. I want to love you."
Her heart stuttered. The storm raged, but for Hana, this was the moment the world finally went still.