Kwon Yuri, I would see her everytime I walked home from work. She walked on the other side of the road, her hair would be messily tied up in a ponytail but by the time she was home she’d let her jet black hair out. Her apartment was above mine. I’d only met her on special occasions like when the apartment building owner would have a party or there was a special gathering in front of the small complex. Everyone liked her, there wasn’t many people in the building but still she talked to almost everyone. Though she was a mystery to me. I remember the first time she moved in, I had been living in the apartment below hers for about a year. Her moving truck arrived and I was quite shocked after seeing the orange haul truck reverse into our driveway, I had been the most recent person to move in.

On the first day she wore a kind smile as she greeted everybody and was very strong when she helped the moving guys with her boxes. I didn’t get time to say hello or that she was very pretty because she was and still is, all I knew was that I was almost late to work. I worked as a kindergarten teacher at the local primary school, kids are cute and I don’t have a car nor a license. I thought walking was a refreshing way to get to work, the streets were busy and bustling but my direction was more directed towards the sky. The sky was interesting, the colours ranging from blue to grey to what was in the sky itself; air balloons, planes, birds and my favourite, clouds. Clouds are so fluffy and white and the shapes they are able to form are just magical. Now where was I again? Ah right, work. I guess you can say a positive thing about walking to and from work is not only the scenery but since Yuri moved in I had a sort of company. It’s not liked we walked together or even on the same path but she worked at the fitness center teaching kids to swim across the school so it was comforting. She walked on the opposite side and I would take slight glances at her from time to time. After awhile I even started synchronizing our steps. Before Yuri, I walked alone. I’d finish work at around 3:15 and she would end hers at 3:30 but she was a really fast walker and I would stop by shops (one time I even stayed at the supermarket just walking around because she finished work late that day). The usual would be just us smiling and nodding at each other when we leave our apartment in the morning and the same thing as we leave from work.

But there was this one day where it all kinda changed. It was raining which was very unusual in our state, the Skies did turn grey but there was no chance of it raining. Well, so it rained that day and I always bring an umbrella just incase the sky does break. As I was walking out the gates I heard someone calling my name.
‘YOONA! YOONA! WAIT!’
I turned around and there was Yuri dashing towards fumbling with all her things. She stood under my umbrella. What was happening?
‘I am so sorry, I was told there wasn’t much rain in this state so I didn’t get to buy an umbrella yet. And I was hoping we could share because we walk the same way at the same time! I’m Yuri by the way’
She spoke really fast and it took me a few extra seconds to say something and all I said was ‘ok’ that was pretty stupid I know but to reassure I gave her a smile which she kindly returned. ‘I know your name is Yuri, there’s not many people here so it’s easy to remember names’, I tried to converse as we walked side by side up the street.
‘Yeah It's kinda cool with less people, a tad bit lonely but still cool. Um I’m sorry we’ve never spoken before I do see you around a lot’
She gave a shy smile, it was incredibly cute.
‘I’m sorry too.’ I gave her a small laugh. It was quiet most of the time but that was maybe because I was very busy admiring the sky. I had not seen the grey sky dripping with cloud tears in awhile. Yuri must have seen me.
‘The sky looks pretty even though it’s raining, I like the clouds the most’
I snapped out of it and replied with an excited, yeah! Together for the next few minutes we walked calmly under my umbrella, my umbrella that gave me a chance, my umbrella that gave me a friend, my big, perfect blue umbrella.
Before we knew it we had arrived. She took off to the other side of the road with a wave and a faint, thank you. I waved and entered the school. When it was home time I thought I would wait that extra 15 minutes outside the fitness center for Yuri and when she came out she was shocked to see me.
‘Oh my gosh thank you Yoona! You didn’t have to wait for me though after all that training in there I was ready to run home’
I laughed and she went under the umbrella. We were about the same height which made it easier to hold but suddenly I felt a pair of warm hands grab mine.
‘Let me hold the umbrella I made you hold it for me first hehe’
I nodded.
As we were nearing our apartment building and I was about to walk into mine when Yuri said something.
‘Do you want to hangout Yoona? I mean there's no one else my age around here and we walk the same way at the same time. Maybe if you want to we could like-‘
‘Yes’ I cut her off. We both smiled.

'Welcome to the building, you are very pretty. I am Im Yoona. I live in apartment 7'

'Hello Yoona in apartment 7. I am Kwon Yuri in apartment 14. You are gorgeous. Let's be bestfriends'.

I finally got to say the unsaid words, thanks to my blue umbrella.