I remember when I was five, my mother passed away. It was raining and I was the only child at my mother’s funeral. The funeral was given outside in the rain as everybody looked down at the coffin that my mother’s body was in being lowered down into the earth. I was only five, yet I knew that this was a sad moment, but everyone didn’t cry. Nobody did, not even my own father.

-Twenty Years Ago-

.Seoul, Korea.

“!” I yelled as I felt the rain pouring down on me.

I closed my book that I was reading in the park and quickly grabbed my book bag as I ran to find a shaded area to dry. I looked around and saw other people in the park doing the same thing, only they were running around in different direction. Others were enjoying the rain as I spotted a couple running in the grass and tackling each other to the ground.

“Idiots!” I yelled.

I as I kept running I realize I was completely soaked, from top to bottom. Then I notice a small theatre, that was meant for small children entertainment. I ran towards the theatre as I looked the closed sign hanging the door. I ignored the sign and grab my hairpin to try and pry the door to unlock but I surprise as I was picking the door that I was unlocked. I didn’t think one second as I ran inside and closed the door. Once inside I drop my book bag and squeezed my dress of any extra water.

“Ugh!” I said as I looked down at my dress, but my attention went somewhere else as I heard the sound of piano being played. “Hello?” I said as I followed the soft melody surrounding the halls.

The theatre was really small as I touch the soft carpeted walls and felt vibration from the piano being played. The music lead me to the stage as I was standing in the audience area. There was a white piano on the center of the stage and a man playing on the piano. He was wearing plain jeans, and white button up dress shirt and his hair was black as ever neatly combed and bit long in certain angles.  He finally finish the song with a soft touch of the keys as tunes slowly faded into silence. Once the room was silent, he quickly turned his head looking at me.

I gasp realizing that was out in the open standing like a deer in a headlight on the pathway. I took a good look at this mysterious man, my gosh, he was beautiful! Skin so pale, and smooth but his eyes, his eyes was the one thing got my attention. Deep dark color brown I feel like I was swimming it but there was something else about his eyes...they were...sad. Then I snapped my mind as I realized that I was looking at him for far too long as I felt embarrassed and turned my head to remember where I was.

It felt rude of me to be staring at this mysterious man but he just smiled and jumped off the stage.

“I didn’t realize I had an audience,” he said.
“I-I-I-I’m really sorry. See it was raining and I needed shelter and...”
“There was a close sign.”
“It was unlocked...I’m sorry I should just go...”I said as I turned around.
“Wait!” he said as he grabbed my arm.

“Stay with me for a bit, I have a feeling the rain is going to be a while,” he smiled.

Okay...even if he was handsome, I knew nothing about this guy. My mind kept telling me that this is a bad idea and that I should leave. For all I know he could be a psyho killer or a e! Yet there was another part of me, telling me that I should stay...but I don’t know what part of my boby is saying that.

“Um...Alright...” I said, agreeing to his stay.

-

“So you’re a high school student,” he said as he was looking at my school workbooks from my book bag.
“Yeah I’m on spring break now,” I said as I was looking at my now soggy book, the book that I was reading before it rained. I placed it next to me as I grab my other books and book bag from the stranger.

The stranger just smiled as I placed my books back into my bag.

“So how old are you Boa?” he ask
I quickly turned my head for what he said, “How do you know my name!?” I ask.

He pointed at my book bag as I looked inside and forgot that I had my name on every one of my workbooks.

He laugh as I pouted, “Well that’s not fair, you know my name, but I don’t know your name,” I said.
The stranger looked around, and then back at me and smiled, “When the rain stops, I’ll tell you my name,” he said.

I clench my teeth together as I slowly started to regret my decision staying with him.

“Well then...I’ll tell you my age if you tell me how old you are,” I said.
The guy just chuckled, “ Fair enough, I’m twenty seven,” he said.
“Twenty seven!? Wow...I’m ten years younger than you, I’m seventeen.”

The stranger's eyes widen without even looking at me.

“Wow seventeen huh?? Se....ven...teen....I remember when I was seventeen...it wasn’t fun,” he said.
“And don’t get any ideas,” I yelled as I grabbed my book next to me.
“Not worry about that,” he said as I opened my book and started reading. “ ‘The Scientific Theory of Love?’”
“What?” I said as I looked up from my reading.

I realize that the the stranger was reading the title of the book that I was reading. He chuckled as he leaned back on the stage we were sitting on.

“Really Bee,” he said looking at my book.
“What!? What wrong now?....And don’t call me Bee!” I said pointing my finger at him.
“No it’s just that...even from the title itself, the whole book is false,” he said.
“How would you know?” I ask.

He leaned followed and took my book as he scanned through some of the readings.

“Okay first off you can’t control who you fall in love with and...” he said as he kept skimming through the book, “something about tracking... and when know when it ends...look Bee, this is all false,” he said giving me back the book.
“Oh yeah and how would you know, and don’t call me Bee!!” I said.
“Well first off, who is the seventeen year old and who is the twenty-seven year old in this room?” he said knowing that he was just mocking me.
“And second, that book talked as if love is a physical object and it’s not. I mean come on, you should know, haven’t you loved anyone?” he asked me.

I didn’t say anything as I turned my head avoiding his eyes.

“Well...I mean...just love in general, don’t you love your parents?” he ask.

I lowered my head even more towards my knee as the stranger figured out my answer.

“...Did your parents ever loved you?” he ask.
I shook my head, still avoiding his eyes, “My mom died when I was five and my dad is too busy to even look at me,” I said.
“And is that why you have this book?” he ask
I nodded my head.

“Sorry...” he said as the room gone quite.
Then I lift my head up and looked at him, “ Well then can I ask what your definition of love is?” I ask.
The stranger smiled as I smiled too and he said, “ Well to the world you may be one but to one person you might be the world to them,” he said.

I turned my head looking straight into the audience seat as I reflect what stranger had told me.

“So I could just mean the world to just one person,” I said.
He nodded, “Yep.”

Then the stranger jump down from the stage and turned around to look at me.

“I think rain has stopped by now,” he said as I grab my book and the bag to follow him.

He open the front door and he was right, the rain had stopped and heard the birds chirps and the warm misty air was flowing around.

“I guess I should go then,” I said.
“...Yeah...”he said as I stepped out of the theatre. “Oh wait Bee!” he yelled. I turned around and he smiled, “Meet me here tomorrow, I want to take you somewhere,” he said.
“I told you to stop calling me Bee,” I yelled back.

I waved goodbye and turned around ready to walk home.

“Bee!!”
“What!?” I yelled as I turned around again to look at him.
“I forgot to tell you since it stopped raining,” he said as he walked towards my direction.

He stopped and looked at me, a few inches apart from each other, “The name’s Kim Jae Joong.”