The weather is so weird one minute it was so hot and sunny next rain clouds are clustering. Raindrops fell one by one, I tried to catch them in my palm until the rain became heavy and I couldn’t catch all of them anymore and just watch them as they fall into my open palms and overflow.

Hold out your hands and catch as many raindrops as you can… you can’t catch all of them right? The amount of raindrops you haven’t caught is similar as to how much I love you and whatever you’ve saved in your palms is only a portion of it.

Maybe that’s why I’m trying to catch all of them now, so determined that I don’t even mind getting soaked in the rain. Maybe because I want to prove that what he said is not true else he wouldn’t have left me.

*~*~*~*~*

“Argh! Rain again?” I grumbled as I watched above at the thunder clouds. I hate rainy seasons it makes everything wet and slippery and boring. As I continued gazing at the clouds and wishing for it to go away I saw a crack of lightning and the next thing I knew the giggles of my female classmates were replaced with screams as a booming thunder followed the lightning.

I thought the rain would end by the afternoon but it didn’t and while everyone else run towards the rain, playing like little children I stayed indoors hoping that the rain would stop. A few of my female classmates offered to share their umbrellas, and the guys their rides but I refused all of them, I really hate getting wet. I waited for quite sometime and killed time by playing some dance tunes over at the music room. By evening the rain stopped and I was finally able to leave the school, the good thing about going home late is that the bus isn’t crowded anymore but as soon as I stepped off the bus the rain just fell on me not by drops but it just fell and I was instantly drenched.

“AAAHHH!” I yelled as I stride towards the shelter. I almost crumpled my face in anger and twisted the water out of my shirt as I cursed I didn’t care who was there, I just hate being wet and now I’m completely drenched and hungry. My stomach must’ve been growling since the person who shared the shelter with me offered his steaming pork buns.

“If your pride is keeping you from accepting this then you can buy it for 200 won.” He said with a smile. I blushed because what he said was true and I was thankful that he made that preposition or else I would’ve declined his offer and starve. The rain hasn’t stopped at all, it continued with its downpour as we sat and ate pork buns.

“You must really hate the rain.” He said as he took a bite from his pork bun.

I glanced at him. “Yeah, sorry that you heard me swore.”

“That’s okay, it was sort of amusing.”

We were silent again…

“You go to DK Academy too?” I just realized we had the same emblem on our uniform.

“Yep.”

Silence… and the sounds of rain continuously drumming against the roof.

“Why do you hate the rain so much? It’s cool and refreshing.”

“Because I hate getting wet and I don’t like it when my things get wet.”

“You like summer better then?”

“Not that much but it’s better than rain, I don’t get wet.” He laughed.

“Well it doesn’t looks like the rain will stop anytime soon, are you gonna stay here all night?”

“If I must then I will.” He grinned this time.

“You’re quiet interesting, anyway I’m going now. Try going home tonight it’s worth getting wet than stay here in the cold.” He said and ran off to whichever direction. I didn’t get what he said until I saw the umbrella he left behind.

*~*~*~*~*

At ten in the evening I finally arrived home with the help of the stranger’s umbrella. I thought he was stupid to have just leave it and risk getting wet but then again he saved my life twice. For the whole day that was the only moment I wasn’t pissed. My foul mood returned the following morning when the first thing I heard was the drumming of raindrops against the roof and the occasional thunder. I left home late hoping that the principal would cancel classes because of a storm but to my dismay it was nothing but the normal. As much as I hated the rain I somehow find myself drawn to gazing at soaked flowers or drops falling from the leaves or roof.

“They say when thunder accompanies rain that means God and the angels are having a bowling competition.” It was the same guy I saw at the bus waiting area.

“And what is your explanation about just the rain?” I asked bluntly, playing along with him.

“Well each rain has different meanings. When it drizzles while the sun is bright, someone had died and the angels are mourning or the deceased isn’t ready to leave us yet. A rain just like this means the angels are having a feast in heaven and a rain that is accompanied by howling wind means a storm.”

“Was that a joke?” I asked but it made me laugh anyway.

“But no matter what kind of rain it is except for a storm I like it because it means the earth is being given life again.” he maybe corny at times but sometimes he makes a serious point.

“Yeah, but I still hate it. Any chances you can make it stop? Tell the angels to quit playing cause I don’t want to get home looking like a soaked puppy.”

“A cute soaked puppy.”

But just like the day before, the rain didn’t end and I waited inside again. There were a few people who were left behind and he was one of them, sitting on the floor near the general information section of the library, with headphones over his ears, and a notebook and pen on either hands. Of course he couldn’t go home, his umbrella was with me. I slowly approached him, he was so absorbed with whatever he was doing that he didn’t felt my presence. I took it as an opportunity and peeked at his notebook. It was some sort of lyrics. He was writing a song. I sat right in front of him that the moment he looked up he jumped from surprise.

“Want to go home together?” I asked as I raised his umbrella. He was still glued towards the wall as he glanced outside.

“But it’s still raining; I thought you don’t like the water?”

“Yes but I’ve got your umbrella, it seems like it’s my fault that you can’t leave the school just yet.”

*~*~*~*~*

I don’t know when it exactly started but we just hung out more. We began to share our dreams, he wanted to become an international singer/song writer/dancer. He likes the rain that I hate so much and one day I learned something else…

He was sitting at the floor, with his palm facing upwards, and fruitlessly catching raindrops. He looked like he was trying to catch all of them because he even went as far as running towards the quadrangle and catch as many as he can.

“What the heck are you doing?” I asked as I sipped on my hot cocoa. He smiled at me and flipped his wet fringe back. He beckoned me to come.

“Uh… no way.” I refused as I went further inside the gym. He sighed and walked towards me. He was leaving stains on the newly waxed gym floor and on me. He grabbed me with both wet, dripping hands and dragged me towards the edge of the gym. He held out my hand like how he did with his moments ago.

“Hold out your hands and catch as many raindrops as you can.” He softly instructed as he continued to hold on to my hands. His hands were cold.

“This is stupid.” I mumbled but I did as he I was told anyway.

“You can’t catch all of them right?”

I made a look saying ‘duh, state the obvious much?’ but he just laughed.

“The amount of raindrops you haven’t caught is similar as to how much I love you and whatever you’ve saved in your palms is only a portion of it.” And as his words warmed my entire body, his cold lips pressed softly against mine and slowly he dragged me along with him and for the first time in my life I didn’t hate the rain.

*~*~*~*~*

A rain accompanied by howling winds means a storm...

We went to the same university but studied different courses. I knew he was a very talented person, that he would surpass his seniors and his moment came when he won the annual amateur songwriting contest. We celebrated but I didn’t know that it was the eye of a storm. We got ourselves drunk and did all sorts of things when we returned at the apartment. By morning, he kept me in a warm embrace and kissed my forehead.

“I’m going to France.”

“What?!” I was immediately wide awake. He sat too. “How long?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to continue my studies there and if they like my performance then well…who knows what’s next.”

“When do you leave?”

“Monday. The university has already settled my papers. I didn’t know they could do it that fast.”

I sat silently for a few minutes. Did he just make out with me as a goodbye present? I hate this. I hate him. I got up and started to dress. He immediately came to my side.

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to.” He said as he hugged me from behind.

Yes, I don’t want him to go. I want him near me, he promised but… “Don’t be silly, this is what you’ve always dreamed of, we could just chat or email each other.” I bravely said, holding back the tears.

“I’m gonna call everyday.” He said and kissed me one last time.

*~*~*~*~*

But he didn’t call. Well, everything went as what we said, we emailed each other whenever we can’t catch each other online to chat and he would call, not everyday but every week. But we each run our own lives. The chatting stopped. The emailing stopped and soon the phone calls stopped. Whatever news I hear about him is from the newspapers, internet or tv. He has become a very popular persona, it broke my heart but how can someone like me still have a place in his heart. I guess just like that we broke up. I’ve topped the medical board exams, had the opportunity to study abroad and became a resident doctor at one of the most prestigious hospitals in Korea.

And where am I now? Pathetically crying and catching raindrops at some park. Wishing that this rain would wash away the pain my heart is having right now.

“I don’t have the capability to paint the skies blue when the dark cloud sets in…”  that voice, made my head pop up immediately and face towards the direction of that voice. He looked older but he still had that boyish, innocent smile. He was moving towards me.

“But I do have an umbrella we can both share in case those raindrops fall.” And he was holding the same umbrella he first lent me that night above my dripping head. “That is… if you still want me?” he looked silly as he was now the one getting soaked by the heavy rain. I didn’t answer immediately, I just stared at him blankly, and the tears have run dry. The rain stopped and the sun has started to shine back.

“That is if you won’t ever leave me.” I finally said. He let the umbrella fall as he pulled me towards him. It felt like I was a plant and he was the rain and sun that gives life and meaning to my existence.

-THE END-