“The One with the Umbrella”

 

--

 

Byul hated the rain. 

 

But Yongsun loved it. 

 

Byul hated herself too. 

 

But Yongsun loved her. 

 

--

 

June 5, 2014

 

“Damn it.”

 

Byul cursed under her breath as she heard thunder boom across the sky. She looked up and saw the clouds darkening faster than she could have imagined. 

 

“What a good day not to bring an umbrella.” She mumbled, fingers rummaging through her bag as she looked for something that could shield herself from the incoming downpour. 

 

Finding none, Byul’s eyes frantically searched the area for a place she can take shelter. 

 

Apparently, living in the countryside could bite you back in the if you like to walk instead of taking the bus. There was no sign of any bus stop nearby and it wasn’t like standing under a tree would be of any help. 

 

With a heavy sigh, Byul closed her eyes in defeat and waited for the raindrops to crash on her. 

 

She started hearing the rain pouring heavily. But for some weird reason, she didn’t feel anything at all. She wasn’t getting soaked.

 

What’s going on?

 

Byul tilted her head upwards and opened her eyes. 

 

Yellow.

 

And there it was-- a big bright yellow umbrella. The one thing that was protecting her against the harsh weather. 

Well that, and the young woman that was holding it up for her. 

 

Byul’s eyes blinked twice at the presence of the figure next to her, feeling slightly puzzled as to where this person suddenly came from. 

 

“What are you--”

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you or anything, but I just thought you needed some help.”

 

If there is one thing that Byul was sure about in her life was that she had never seen anyone as beautiful as this woman up close. 

 

Long dark wavy locks, warm brown eyes, perfectly round cheeks, and a pair of plump lips formed into a small but genuine smile. 

 

Byul swallowed hard. 

 

“Are you okay?” The stranger’s voice brought her back to reality. 

 

Upon realizing what she was doing, Byul immediately looked away, cheeks flushing slightly. She cleared and tried her best to sound as monotonous as possible.

 

“I-It’s okay, you don’t have to do this.”

 

The woman smiled again. “It’s okay. This umbrella is big enough for the two of us.” 

 

Byul opened to protest but the woman already grabbed her arm and started pulling her to the other side of the street. 

 

“W-Wha..”

 

“You’re Moon Byulyi, right?” The stranger asked, voice deep and melodious. Byul felt drying up but she managed to nod. 

 

This woman knows me? How?

 

As if reading her mind, the woman chuckled lowly. “I’m sorry, you must think I’m some sort of creep. My name is Yongsun, I just moved into the house a block away from yours.”

 

That’s when it hit her. This woman, Yongsun, was the new girl that her mother and all of her friends were talking about. The new girl that came from the city. 

 

Some said she was extremely friendly. Others said she was a straight A student. There were also rumors spreading that she was a daughter of a chaebol leader. 

 

But the one thing that Byul didn’t hear was that she was this beautiful.

“Since we live near each other, I hope you wouldn’t mind me walking you home.”

 

Byul still hated the rain. But she felt a bit better about it this time. 

 

--

 

June 10, 2014

 

It has been raining all week.

 

Byul managed to force herself to bring an umbrella to school everyday. But for some reason today, she forgot. 

 

“ me.” She grumbled, watching the rain fall as she stood at the entrance of the building. 

 

Maybe she forgot because she was having a bad day. She and her mother fought that morning. Things got worse when she got into a fight with another student, which ultimately ended up to her getting detention.

 

And here she was, standing outside of her school at past 7pm. 

 

Thanks to me and my stupid temper.

 

She tried calling her mother, but her pride got the best of her. She decided to stuff her phone back inside her bag. 

 

Byul thought that she could just make a run for it. After all, walking from school to her house would only take her 10 minutes.

 

But with the rain and all, she knew it was going to take longer this time. 

 

She sighed exasperatedly and decided to go for it. Before she could take a step, however, a voice chimed in from behind her. 

 

“Byulyi-ssi!”

 

Having heard it only once, Byul slightly scolded herself for remembering whose it was that easily. She turned around and was greeted by that familiar, albeit one in a million, smile. 

 

Yongsun was standing there, this time with a ribbon on her hair and the yellow umbrella on her side. 

 

“What are you doing here so late? You’re just about to go home?” 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh that’s great, I’m on my way home too. Would you mind going together?”

 

Byul stiffened. This woman’s positive aura was indeed infectious, but it was making her stomach churn in a weird way. 

 

“I guess not.”

 

“Seems like you forgot your umbrella this time.” Yongsun giggled. She opened her yellow umbrella and held it above the two of them. “It’s a good thing I’m around or else you’ll be coming home as a wet seal.”

 

Byul stared at her. 

 

Yongsun’s laughter stopped and her eyes darted towards the ground. “I’m sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?”

 

Byul wanted to slap herself.

 

“N-No, you’re not.” The taller girl was internally panicking. “I just feel like such a burden. That’s all.”

 

Yongsun smiled once more, making the other woman’s heart skip a beat. She bumped their shoulders together as they started walking. 

 

“It’s no big deal. It’s just an umbrella. Plus, I enjoy the company.”

 

For a second time around, Byul hated the rain a little less.

 

--

 

June 27, 2014

 

There was a thunderstorm that hit their town that day. 

 

But it wasn’t just the thunderstorm that was making Byul’s day a horrible one, she had another argument with her mother and it ended up with her getting beaten by her stepfather. 

 

Leaving home was the best choice for her that time, so she did. 

 

She left without an umbrella. 

 

Byul walked and walked until she got tired. She ended up walking through an empty alleyway, where she finally collapsed against a brick wall. 

 

The rain kept pouring.

 

She didn’t care if she was getting awfully soaked. All that mattered to her was that she wasn’t going back home. 

 

Her eyes were becoming hazy. She was trembling slightly. The cold breeze enveloped her frame and she started coughing. It didn’t help that she was previously punched in the gut. 

 

Byul thought she was going to die. She only wished she would. 

 

Dying is better than living as an of a daughter and living under one roof with a spawn of the devil.

 

She closed her eyes slowly, imagining what it could be like if her father had never left them at all. 

 

Maybe things could have been better. Maybe Byul wouldn’t be on the verge of death right now in an empty alley. 

 

Maybe..

 

“Byulyi-ssi? Is that you?”

 

Byul couldn’t open her eyes. She could only hear. 

 

W-Who?

 

“What on earth happened to you?”

 

The last thing she remembered was catching a glimpse of a very bright color and a pair of warm hands pressed against her stone cold cheeks.