002;  Rain Drops like Tears

"How can she be so ungrateful?" Kyondae whispered, surprised at the little girl's remark. "How can she say that? Doesn't she know how to love before it's too late?" The tears came unwelcomingly to Kyondae's eyes as she recalled the child. They fell steadily down her eyes and she gripped her drenched black skirt in attempt to supress the tears. 

"Why, Sumin? Why?" She called out softly. 

"Why did you have to leave me here by myself?"

"Who?" 

Kyondae sharply looked up and no longer saw the gray, raining sky. The rain stopped flowing and her tears stopped short. Above her hung a rainbow umbrella and she traced her eyes from the arm to the person holding it. It was a boy — He looked not much older than Kyondae herself, but he looked weary and tired. She wondered why he had been out walking in the rain if he looked exhausted. 

"Who left a girl like you out in the rain?" 

"No," Kyondae answered awkwardly while brushing her tears away with the back of her hand. "It's not like that." 

The boy was considerate enough to sit down next to her and to shut up for a moment. He held the umbrella over her head, but sat down at a safe distance away. Uncomfortable silence filled the air and the boy figured that she wasn't going to talk any time soon. She was still crying, by the way, but she let the big tears slip from her eyes ever so silently. 

Must be a break-up. He thought to himself and sighed. 

"So..." He eyed her clothes. "Why are you wet in the rain?" 

"I-I," Kyondae started, but she needed to say it. "I was at a funeral." 

"Funeral?" The boy echoed."Is that the reason why you're wet and out in the rain?" 

Kyondae clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Don't you know? Isn't that the reason why you're out in the rain too?" 

"I-I'm sorry," The boy apologized and dipped his head quickly. "I didn't mean to—" 

"No, you did. It's obvious someone... Someone dear to me died. It's obvious why I'm out in the rain wearing all black. It's obvious that-that," Kyondae's face distorted, as if it had been taken by grief. "That... I," Tears pricked the ends of her eyes. "I didn't want anyone to know I was crying." 

The boy looked at her in pity, but didn't say anything. He had gone through far far worse situations than the girl. He had memories he didn't want to remember. He had scars which he didn't want to reveal. He had tears too that he wanted to hide. 

"Isn't it better when you're in the rain?" Kyondae said suddenly. "Because no one knows that you're crying? People are so ignorant nowadays that they can't tell the difference between tears and raindrops." With that she added a sardonic laugh. 

"They don't know that your life is a living hell," The boy said quietly. 

"Exactly." 

"But, you—" He looked at Kyondae and met his eyes with her's for the first time. His deep, chocolate orbs joined with her haunting glare. "You're brave. You don't care if people see you cry." 

Kyondae was surprised at his remark, at the stranger's words. 

"I guess..." Kyondae knitted her eyebrows. 

"Because me? I'm afraid if people see me cry. I'm afraid that they'll see me cry and we'll have to know each other. I'm afraid that they'll know my secrets. That's why I carry around a rainbow umbrella instead of walking in the rain. If people have a little heart, they'll know for sure that that person is in pain." 

Kyondae and the boy looked at each other in the eye and something just "clicked." They didn't know how and they didn't realize it at the moment, but something just happened. Silently,  both of them knew or at least tasted the same pain. Both of them thought the same way about ignorant people.

Both of them were looking for a friend, or at least someone who could understand.

"Kyondae," The girl said quietly and waited for the boy to speak. "What's your