Standing on the center of sidewalk, Seohyun looked down to the ground, ignoring the rain that started to wet her clothes. The noon had changed into the dark day because of the grey sky and the rain, but she just ignored them like it never existed. People just walked pass her, taking their umbrellas while they’re looking at her. They confused about why she just stopped there and let the rain pour her.  She was thinking of something that bugged her mind. She never thought to stay in this place again after four years in Japan. Her parents had divorced. Now, she had to go back to this town along with her mother. This town gave her unforgettable memories, from the happiness till the sadness. No doubt about it, she grew up in Seoul with her family and her old friends. She was glad because she could meet her friends again. In the other hand, she was so sad to lose her happy family. She was part of the broken home families now. Her parents would not be together again. But, she could do nothing to change her fate, it’s her parent’s decision and she had been big enough to understand what was happening.

Seohyun woke up from her thought when she felt the rain around her suddenly stopped. She then looked up to find a young man was shielding her with his umbrella. Her eyes grew wide when she could see clearly at his face and his eyes. She knew well who he was and she was surprised to see him again in this place. She could not stop staring at him. Just looking at his eyes was enough to make her like being hypnotized. She didn’t blink her eyes even for a second, feeling like she was going back to her past life.

“…Jay?” Seohyun called the man. Her heart started to beat fast.

“You will catch a cold.” Jay simply told her as he took her hand and placed it on the handle of his umbrella. He wanted her to hold it. When he was so sure that Seohyun had held the umbrella tightly, he let his hands go from hers. He then ran away after taking the last glance at her, leaving her without words.

Seohyun could not still believe at what happened this time. It was so fast like she was dreaming. Her eyes kept following where Jay was going. Using his bag as the umbrella, he ran to the bus nearby and quickly got in there before the bus drove away. The bus was getting far as she kept staring at it. Tightening her hold on the umbrella, she looked down to the ground. She felt like she was going to repeat her past in this town. Her encounter with Jay, her ex boyfriend was the first sign of it.

“Jay… Are you still mad at me?” Seohyun asked as she looked at the bus that had been out of her sight. “You didn’t even ask how I was doing. But, you’re still the kindhearted Jay I know.”

♥♥♥

Seohyun finally arrived at her new home. After folding the umbrella, Seohyun walked toward the front door of her house.  She then pushed the door open and found her mother was unloading her belongings from the package on the floor. Everything inside the house was untidy because Seohyun and her mother had not finished arranging their belongings. Feeling someone’s coming. Seohyun’s mother looked up to see her daughter wetted clothes.

Seohyun’s mother glanced at her watch. It was 02.14 PM.  “Why did you take a long time just to buy a scotch tape? Why did you soak your clothes like that? Do you want to get sick, so you played with rain?” Folding her arms on the chest, she asked. Shaking her head, she was ustonished by her daughter’s behavior.

“No. I’m just not feeling good with something.” Seohyun answered as she placed the unfold umbrella on the floor, so it would be dry soon. “I think the rain would erase my sadness. But, it doesn’t work.” She then dug into her pocket to take out a roll of tape. She placed it on the table.

Seohyun’s mother showed a sad look in her eyes when he understood about what Seohyun meant. She knew that Seohyun was the only victim of her divorce. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to be like this too, but your father and I had no choice. We-“

“I see it, Mom… I’ll be okay.” Seohyun cut her mother’s words as she formed a forced smile, pretending to be alright.

Her mother stared at Seohyun for a while before she said, “Alright… Now, can you help me?” Her mother tried to change the topic.

“What is it, Mom?”

“Please, go to the neighbor’s house across the road and borrow a hammer. Maybe they have it. I need it to set this clock and other things on the wall. But, before you do that, dry your hair and change your clothes.” She told Seohyun and threw a towel in her daughter’s direction.

“Yes, Mom...” Seohyun caught the towel easily and headed to get into her bedroom, doing what she was told.

Twenty minutes later, Seohyun was ready in front of her neighbor’s house. She had cleaned up and changed her clothes. The rain had also stopped pouring. Raising her hand, she started to knock on the door. After waiting for a few seconds, there was a sound of someone unlocking the door. Then, the door was pulled open by a man. Once again, he was the same man that she met before. Both of the man and Seohyun looked surprised while they were looking at each other.

“….S-Seohyun?” He called her.

“Jay?”