CH 5 PETRICHOR AND SWEET TEA

After school, Tesa no longer cared about the stares of people watching her walk alone. As soon as the bell rang, she rushed out with quick steps. The school she once took pride in now felt terrifying. Every student looked at her with suspicion, as if she were the mastermind behind all the strange incidents that happened to the finalists of Miss Endfield last year.

But one thing Tesa still held firmly her economic principle. Okay, her legs were still a bit sore, but much better than in the morning. Besides, this time she could walk at a relaxed pace without hurrying. However, after taking just a few steps past the school gate, a strange feeling crept into her heart. It felt like someone was following her.

"Hey, why are you following me, Gin?" Tesa asked as she turned around.

Behind her, Gin walked casually, one hand in his pocket while the other held an umbrella.

"I'm not following you. It just so happens we're going the same way," Gin replied in a flat tone. "And I told you, there's something I like about today."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

Gin simply gave a mysterious smile while looking up at the sky. "The rain."

Tesa followed his gaze and saw a cluster of dark clouds hanging in the distance. She frowned. "That looks far away."

"Ten kilometers to the east," Gin said, his tone like a weather expert. "The wind is blowing at 33 knots from east to west. In about ten minutes, those clouds will be here."

Tesa looked at him skeptically. "You act like you know everything."

"No. I just felt the warm wind carrying moisture earlier. That's a sign it's going to rain."

Tesa raised an eyebrow. "How can you feel that?"

Gin didn't answer immediately. He simply extended his umbrella to her.

"This is for you."

Tesa was even more confused. "What about you?"

Gin just smiled, still with his usual calm expression.

And just as Gin had predicted, exactly ten minutes later, the rain poured heavily. Tesa stared in awe at the strange boy beside her, standing under the downpour without any attempt to avoid it. Gin closed his eyes as if savoring every drop of water that drenched him.

"I really don't get you, Gin."

Gin opened one eye. "What don't you get?"

"If you like the rain so much, why did you bring an umbrella in the first place?"

Gin chuckled. "Like I said, it's for you."

"Why?"

"I knew your boyfriend wouldn't be coming today because I broke his leg yesterday. I figured you'd be walking home again, so I brought an umbrella when I realized it was going to rain this afternoon. Sorry for making your boyfriend suffer and, in the end, making you suffer too," Gin said, still keeping his eyes closed as he walked alongside Tesa, enjoying the rain.

Seriously, this guy was full of mysteries. Yesterday, Gin seemed like a heartless person, but today, he left Tesa speechless. He could predict the rain and even prepare an umbrella just for her. Tesa was at a loss for words, as if her tongue had turned stiff. She stared deeply at the man standing in the rain beside her. She wasn't even surprised that Gin didn't stumble while walking with his eyes closed. He could ride a motorcycle with his eyes closed, what was walking compared to that?

Tesa let out a long sigh. "I just don't understand you, I swear."

But even though she was annoyed, deep inside, a strange feeling lingered. Somehow, Tesa knew that Gin wasn't a bad person. He was weird, mysterious, and did whatever he wanted, but he was also the one who handed her an umbrella and walked her home.

"Why do you like the rain?"

"Because in the rain, I can feel everything around me that I can't see. I can feel the beauty of the sky behind those dark clouds. I can feel the clouds releasing their water onto the earth. I can sense the movement of roots and the creatures beneath the ground. They're grateful for this gift from the sky because water is their source of life," Gin said, still keeping his eyes closed, walking and enjoying the misty embrace of the rain.

They continued walking in silence. Gin enjoyed the rain, while Tesa shielded herself with the umbrella. After an hour of walking, the rain finally stopped. Gin's soaked body shivered from the cold. They had reached Tesa's house.

"Thanks for the umbrella." Tesa extended it back to him.

Gin rubbed his wet neck. "Okay, I'm heading off. It's freezing."

Suddenly, without thinking, Tesa spoke. "Uh, wait."

Gin stopped and looked at her with half-closed eyes, as if sleepy.

"Don't you want to come in for a bit?"

Gin raised an eyebrow. "Looking like this?"

Tesa scratched her head awkwardly. "If you want, I have my dad's clothes. You're about the same size."

Gin stared at her for a long time, as if weighing something in his mind.

"Come in for some tea," Tesa added quickly, trying to cover up her nervousness.

Gin gave a small smile. "Alright, why not?"

And finally, for the first time, a boy other than her father stepped into Tesa's house.

Once inside, Tesa hurriedly grabbed a towel and a set of her father's clothes, handing them to Gin. While Gin changed in the bathroom, Tesa prepared warm tea in the kitchen.

When Gin came out, he was wearing her father's oversized clothes.

"Looks too big on you," Tesa commented, holding back a laugh.

Gin glanced at the mirror and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Feels warmer."

Tesa could only stare as Gin added sugar to his tea.

One spoon… two spoons… three spoons… ten spoons?!

"Are you serious, Gin?" Tesa frowned, staring at the tea that now looked more like thick syrup than regular tea.

Gin stirred it slowly, then blew on the steam before taking a sip. "Hmm… not sweet enough," he muttered, as if tasting an unfinished masterpiece.

Without hesitation, he added another spoonful of sugar, making it eleven.

Tesa was dumbfounded. "Are you sure that's still tea?"

Gin looked at her with an innocent expression. "Of course. As long as there's still tea in it, it's tea."

Tesa could only shake her head. In her entire life, she had never seen anyone treat tea like cake batter.

After a few sips, Gin looked much better. He leaned back against the couch, exhaling with satisfaction. "Ahhh, now this is life."

Tesa watched him with a mix of amazement and confusion. Gin was truly unpredictable. Sometimes indifferent, sometimes overly considerate, sometimes pretending to be smart, and now… a sugar addict.

"You really like sweet things, huh?" Tesa asked, her face puzzled.

"If life is bitter, we need to sweeten everything that enters our mouths," Gin replied.

"So your life is bitter?" Tesa looked at him with sympathy. Was his life really so bitter that he needed so much sweetness?

"Not really. I just like sweet things," Gin answered casually.

What was with this guy? He could play with people's emotions so easily. One moment, Tesa felt sorry for him; the next, she was annoyed and utterly confused.

"If you like sweet things so much, then why did you enjoy getting soaked in the rain?" Tesa finally asked.

Gin chuckled. "Rain is sweet too."

Tesa gave him a suspicious look. "Rain is just plain water. It has no taste."

"That depends on how you experience it," Gin said calmly. "Have you ever heard of petrichor?"

Tesa frowned, trying to remember. "I think I've heard of it… but I forgot what it means."

Gin took another sip of his tea before answering, "It's the scent of earth after rain. That unique aroma that comes when dry soil gets wet, releasing certain compounds from the bacteria within it. It's my favorite scent."

Tesa raised an eyebrow. "So you don't just love rain, you also love the smell of dirt?"

Gin chuckled. "You could say that."