The Unexpected Meeting

Rain.

Raindrops fell from the sky and touched her slender fingers. The familiar scent of rain lingered in every corner of the quiet schoolyard that late afternoon. A faint, beautiful smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“I don’t hate the rain, but I do hate that I forgot my umbrella! I even checked the weather report this morning—why did I ignore it?”

She wanted to curse the rain, but stopped herself. Rain was a blessing—her mother always said so.

“Hi, my name is Ailine Su. Today I got a C in math and now I’m stranded at the school gate because of the rain! Ugh… Isn’t that like getting bad luck twice in a row?”

The high school girl let out another long sigh. She kept rubbing her cold hands together, trying to warm them up. Why did she also forget her jacket? Did that mean her misfortune had increased to three?

“Ailine, why haven’t you gone home yet? Is your driver late?” asked her classmate, Anne Alviane.

“He can’t pick me up. The car tire blew out and he’s still at the repair shop. I also told him not to worry about picking me up,” Ailine replied.

“That’s awful. Do you want me to take you home? My driver won’t mind.”

“No need, but thank you for offering. I’ll take the bus. It’s already late, and your house is in the opposite direction of mine. And it’s far. I’ll be fine going home alone.”

“Are you sure?” Anne still sounded worried about the only daughter of a wealthy conglomerate.

Ailine nodded firmly. “Go on, get in the car. Your driver is already waiting with the umbrella.”

Anne hesitated, but eventually gave in. “Alright then, I’ll go first. See you tomorrow.”

“See you. Be careful on the way.”

One by one, her friends disappeared from sight, leaving the school empty and quiet.

Ailine checked her watch. Five o’clock. She needed to cross the street quickly and get to the bus stop—she couldn’t miss the bus home.

Forget the rain. The moment she lifted her bag over her head, she rushed out, ignoring the cold drops soaking her sleeves and shoes. Even her books would probably get wet.

But suddenly…

Huh?

Her bag definitely didn’t protect this much area.

Warmth?

Someone was shielding her.

Ailine turned to the side.

Ah… Owen Young. The student from Class A, known throughout the school for his academic achievements.

And Owen was… the boy she secretly liked.

Eh?

“What are you waiting for? Let’s get to the bus stop,” Owen said.

Still confused, Ailine followed his pace. She wasn’t fully protected—her skirt and sleeves were damp—but her head and face stayed dry under Owen’s large jacket.

At the bus stop, she wiped her wet arms and quietly watched Owen shaking the rain off his jacket.

Owen Young—same grade, different class. And someone who almost never talked to her.

Had he ever spoken to her before? She tried to recall.

Ah…

Did saying “hi” count as a conversation?

Owen was tall, smart, and handsome—just like everyone at school said. No wonder he had many admirers. Including her… since the first day she saw him during the entrance ceremony.

“Why are you staring?” Owen asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Startled, Ailine quickly looked away. How embarrassing—getting caught daydreaming about him. Her feelings were way too obvious.

“N-no…” she replied awkwardly. His gentle voice only made her heart race faster.

“Hmm… is that so?”

“Y-yeah…”

Silence fell between them. Why was it suddenly so awkward? She wanted to talk, but if she let her heart speak, she might embarrass herself beyond repair.

It would be mortifying if Owen found out she was one of his secret admirers.

But it was too quiet.

Evening was coming. The bus hadn’t arrived. Someone, please rescue her from this awkwardness!

She had barely talked to Owen before. She didn’t really know him. She didn’t even know how to start a conversation. Anne was right—she wasn’t sociable at all.

And confessing? Impossible. She preferred to keep her feelings hidden.

“What should I do to break this silence?” Ailine panicked internally. She glanced at Owen again. “Why is he drenched while I’m barely wet? Did he get soaked protecting me? … No, no, I’m imagining things!”

She took out her handkerchief and handed it to him.

Owen smiled as he accepted it. “Thanks.”

Oh God… was he even human? Why was he so stunning? No, no—stop staring!

She was pretty sure she didn’t blink for ten straight seconds. Warmth bloomed in her chest, lingering between them despite the chilly rain.

“S-sure… and thank you for helping me cross earlier,” she said.

Owen smiled again, making her heart thump uncontrollably.

Don’t let him hear it!

“The bus is coming,” Owen said, pointing at Bus 01 toward District F. “That’s your bus, right?”

Ailine nodded and climbed aboard when the bus stopped. Their routes were different.

Before the doors closed, she turned back to bid him goodbye, like normal classmates.

“Ailine…”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go on a date.”

“W–what?”

Before she could respond, the bus pulled away—leaving Owen smiling softly and waving at her.

---

Normal time.

“Miss Ailine… wake up! It’s time to resume filming!” Emma, her assistant, called out.

“Mmh? Ah… right.”

Ailine opened her eyes and sat up, fixing her makeup. Nothing too complicated—her next scene used the same outfit.

“Miss Ailine, you look really pale. Are you okay?” Emma asked, worried.

This was Ailine Su, the superstar of Country Z. The award-winning actress who dominated the film industry for ten years.

“I’m fine. Just a bit nauseous. Don’t worry—I took a nap earlier and even had a dream. Doesn’t that mean I slept well?”

“Was it a good dream?”

“Hm…” Ailine thought for a moment. Maybe it had been good—before it ended. “A nightmare,” she replied quietly.

“Oh… that’s unfortunate.”

Ailine smiled faintly and headed back to the set.

Her high school love had ended abruptly, not even lasting a full year. What should’ve been a sweet memory only reopened old wounds.

---

“Ailine, you look pale,” the director commented.

“Just tired. I’m fine. Should I touch up my makeup first?”

“No, the lighting can handle it. Let’s get this scene done so you can rest. You really need it.”

“Director, I said I’m fine.”

He ignored her insistence—not out of disrespect, but because she was the nation’s treasure. Ailine must not get hurt.

Without further delay—

“Three… two… one… Action!”

Ailine delivered her lines flawlessly, repeating only once or twice for the tougher shots. She truly earned her reputation as a superstar.

But more than that—she wanted to finish quickly. She had worked nonstop for a month. Her breaths were getting shallow. Sleep was scarce. Meals irregular. Sometimes only once a day.

“Okay! Great work, everyone!”

Relief washed over her. Finally, the last scene.

Thank goodness… Now she could rest.

But then—

Why was the world spinning so fast?

Her stomach twisted. Nausea surged.

Darkness swallowed her.

Ailine Su collapsed.

Screams erupted, but the voices drifted away like echoes as consciousness faded.

“CALL AN AMBULANCE!”

---

Centra Medica Hospital

Ailine was rushed to the ER. But the ER was packed—multiple car accident victims had arrived at the same time. Doctors were overwhelmed.

Fortunately, one doctor stepped in to help—even though he was actually a general surgeon who should’ve been off duty by now.

He assessed Ailine swiftly, instructing the nurses to prepare oxygen and an IV.

“What’s her blood pressure? Temperature?” the surgeon asked.

“90 over 70. Temperature is 39.5 degrees Celsius,” a nurse replied.

The surgeon exchanged quick medical notes with the staff regarding her condition.

Even though she had arrived unconscious, Ailine was drifting back into awareness. Sounds seeped into her ears.

A voice.

Familiar.

Her first instinct told her so.

Her blurry vision caught the silhouette of someone she knew—someone her heart remembered too clearly.

Slowly… slowly… the image sharpened.

Glasses. Mask. But unmistakable.

“This must be a dream. Why is he here? Owen Young... My ex-boyfriend…”