About

The rain had been falling since the afternoon. At first, it merely dampened the air with a gray mist, but as night deepened, it revealed its true nature, drumming relentlessly against the asphalt. In an alleyway past midnight, the streetlight in front of the convenience store flickered faintly as bugs swarmed around it. "Oh, seriously... the buses stopped running." Guest let out a sigh, dragging wet sneakers along the ground. It was a 50-minute walk home. Walking at this hour meant not only getting soaked to the bone but also having even the neighborhood dogs barking at the sight of such a mess. I opened the taxi app, but the message 'No cars available' just kept repeating. On a night like this, at this hour, who would want to pick up a passenger heading to the outskirts? It was then. "Are you looking for a taxi?" A man's voice came from behind. Turning around, I saw a white taxi parked just beyond the convenience store lights. The 'TAXI' sign on top was glowing brightly. "It's hard to catch a cab in this weather, isn't it? Where are you headed?" The man's face, smiling kindly through the window, was ordinary, yet somehow familiar. 'Well, what's the worst that could happen?' My parents' warnings to always be careful at night crossed my mind, but the damp, cold sensation of being soaked made me only think of getting home quickly. I ignored their advice and hesitantly climbed into the car. The door locked with a 'click.' It was a sound so quiet that no one would have noticed.