“Uh… the rain is really coming down hard.”
The team leader finally gathered himself and spoke in confusion.
Hyunwoo nodded faintly in agreement.
“At this level… it might be difficult for you to return.”
“Haa….”
This wasn’t just heavy rain—it was a full-on deluge.
When they had arrived earlier, there had only been a few drops.
But within a few hours, everything had changed completely.
Come to think of it, he vaguely remembered hearing that this summer’s rainfall would be unusually heavy.
He hadn’t thought it would be enough to flood the city, but the situation was proving him wrong.
“We still have to go back eventually… so we’ll try leaving for now.”
“Ah, please be careful.
If it seems impossible, you can return here.
We have a company dormitory—you can stay until the rain stops.”
“Thank you for the offer.”
“I mean it sincerely, so don’t hesitate.
Please take care.”
The team leader looked anxiously between the storm outside and Hyunwoo.
With a heavy heart, Hyunwoo said goodbye and turned away.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Seunghyuk’s complexion was just as pale as Hyunwoo’s.
Tension wrapped around both of them as they opened the umbrella and stepped outside.
“Ugh…!”
“Hyung, come closer.”
The rain was so strong it felt like the umbrella would snap at any moment.
Hyunwoo, barely able to control his body, practically leaned into Seunghyuk’s chest as they struggled forward.
Every step was a battle.
“Huff… huff….”
“Hyung, are you okay?”
“Yeah… what about you?”
“I’m fine too.”
Even though the distance to the car in the parking lot wasn’t far, the two of them looked like a disaster.
Their clothes were drenched, dripping water everywhere.
The umbrella may as well not have existed.
“God… why is it raining like this….”
Hyunwoo muttered in shock.
The thought of driving through this back to Seoul made his vision darken.
The rain pounding the windshield would make it impossible to see anything.
“Should we just try going?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Okay.”
“…….”
Seunghyuk nodded and started the engine.
Hyunwoo noticed only then that he had taken the driver’s seat again.
He had planned to drive on the way back, but…
Maybe it was better this way.
Seunghyuk handled driving better than him—Hyunwoo often let Junghoon drive when he felt tired.
Once the car started moving, Seunghyuk turned the wipers to maximum.
Even so, the rain was so heavy that the view outside barely existed.
Seunghyuk kept the speed as low as possible.
Slow, but steady.
At this pace, even if they were late, they could still make it to the office today.
If needed, they could go straight home afterward.
The company would understand, given the weather.
“Uh… why is the car acting like this?”
But then, while they were driving, the speed dropped further… and then the car stopped completely.
Both of them stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Fortunately, Seunghyuk quickly reacted and steered the slowing car toward the shoulder, parking it safely.
Right after that, the engine died.
He tried restarting it several times, but it only sputtered weakly—never fully turning on.
“…The battery dies now? Seriously?”
Hyunwoo said blankly.
Seunghyuk, equally baffled, looked at him.
“What should we do?”
“We could try calling the insurance company…”
“But will anyone even come in rain like this?”
“…….”
The situation was bad.
They needed either repairs or towing.
Normally, roadside service would come, but in this weather, nothing was guaranteed.
“…I’ll try calling first.”
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Hyunwoo dialed the number.
The lines were overloaded—probably because so many people were having issues due to the sudden storm.
We cannot guarantee arrival, but we will register your request.
“…All right.”
Even the operator couldn’t give a clear answer.
There was nothing to do except wait.
“…….”
“…….”
Silence filled the car.
Hyunwoo frowned deeply, overwhelmed with worry.
How could things line up like this?
It was too perfectly inconvenient.
It felt like someone was manipulating the situation—like something was forcing him and Seunghyuk to be alone together.
Ridiculous… but the feeling lingered.
“Hyung, your phone…”
“Oh.”
Bzzz.
Seunghyuk’s voice broke the silence, and Hyunwoo finally noticed his phone vibrating.
He picked up quickly.
“Yes, hello.”
“Yes.”
Road access is restricted.
We won’t be able to reach you until the rain stops.
“What? Is there no one else who can come from a different direction?”
The location is too remote… and there are many emergency calls right now.
“I see…”
“Yes… understood.”
Hyunwoo hung up, completely numb.
The rain covering the windshield made his stomach churn.
“…What now?”
“…….”
Seunghyuk had heard everything.
He asked quietly.
Hyunwoo lowered his head.
“…Shouldn’t we at least get out of the rain?
It feels dangerous to stay here.”
“…Yeah.”
He finally nodded.
Sitting on the shoulder in a storm this severe really was dangerous.
They needed shelter.
He regretted not staying at the dorm when the team leader offered.
But they were too far now to go back.
“Damn it…”
Even getting out of the car was difficult—the rain and wind made it impossible to see.
Hyunwoo cursed under his breath as he squeezed himself under the umbrella.
Once again, he and Seunghyuk had to walk while practically glued together.
“Hyung, look.”
“Huh…?”
Just as Hyunwoo wondered what to do, Seunghyuk spotted something.
Hyunwoo followed his gaze—and his face went pale.
Ahead of them, an old inn flickered with a dim signboard light.
“…….”
“…….”
They froze.
Then silently, they began walking toward it.
They had no choice.
After much difficulty, they reached the building.
The wooden door creaked loudly as Hyunwoo opened it and stepped inside.
“Welcome.
Oh my, you two are soaked to the bone.”
“…Hello.”
A middle-aged woman greeted them with startled concern.
She fussed over them.
“The rain outside is unbelievable, isn’t it?
What on earth is going on…”
“Yes… exactly.”
Hyunwoo sighed.
His clothes were soaked through—shaking off the water did nothing.
It would be better to wring them out by hand.
“Do you have any rooms available?”
“Hold on, dear.”
“Yes.”
While the woman checked, Hyunwoo glanced around the lobby.
Before transmigrating into this novel, he had stayed in old inns like this during solo travels as a college student.
It felt nostalgic… strangely distant now that he had grown too accustomed to the pampered lifestyle of a chaebol heir.
He let out a small, bittersweet smile.
“All right, since there are two of you, one room should be enough, right?”
“No.
Please give us two rooms.”
“…Pardon?”
“Two rooms, please.”
“…….”
Hyunwoo emphasized it firmly.
Even if the situation pushed them into this, he had no intention of sharing a room with Seunghyuk.
Even if the relationship between Hyunjin and Seunghyuk had twisted from how it was before the regression, his own heart had not changed.
He was not meant to end up with the protagonist.
No matter what happened in the future, that truth would not change.
If a new “main character’s lover” would replace Hyunjin—that person would not be him.
He was the villain.
He could never take Hyunjin’s place.
“Oh… but there’s a problem.”
“…What?”
The troubled expression on the innkeeper’s face made Hyunwoo uneasy.
He had a bad feeling.
And of course—
“I should have plenty of rooms at this time of year… but with this sudden weather, we got a flood of guests.
Only one room is left.”
“…Is that true?”
“Of course it’s true.
Why would I lie about that?
If you slept one per room, I’d be making more money.”
“…….”
She lifted the only remaining key.
The metal jingled loudly in the quiet lobby.
Hyunwoo stared at it blankly.