One Umbrella
By KimMinJae
In the late afternoon, gray clouds covered the city center and rain began to fall. People scrambled to open their umbrellas, and there was already a line of people outside the subway station entrance. In the middle of it all, a small, worn pink umbrella stood out.
The woman standing under it looked as if time had stopped. The rain was getting harder, and her umbrella was already torn, but she didn't move.
A man passing by stopped to look at the scene.
He was a tall, calm-looking man with a straight face. He was carrying a black umbrella over a crisp shirt, the only calm in the rain-soaked city.
“Are you okay?” he said cautiously.
The woman turned her head in surprise.
"Uh... yeah. My umbrella is a little broken, but I'm close to home, so it's okay."
But her shoulders were already drenched, and the umbrella in her hand looked more like an ornament than a structure. The man stared at her wordlessly for a moment, then slowly extended his own umbrella over her.
"I'm glad to hear you're close to home, then let's walk together, I'm heading that way too."
She was a little taken aback, but eventually nodded. They started walking side by side. There was an awkward silence at first, but as they walked, they grew accustomed to each other's company. Only the sound of rain, cars passing by, and the occasional breeze filled the air between them.
"Do you pass this way every day?" the man asked cautiously.
"Yes. I work at a cafe near my house, and I get off work around this time."
"The cafe, the one with the yellow sign and green chairs?"
The woman looked up in surprise.
"That's right. Do you go there often?"
"Yes. It's quiet, so I like to read. Come to think of it... I think I've seen you before."
She smiled shyly.
“I'm usually the one making the coffee, so you probably didn't see me.”
The rain was still falling, but a strangely warm feeling was rising in both of their hearts.
When they reached the front of her house, he gently placed the umbrella in her hand and said, "This umbrella is yours from today.
"This umbrella is yours from today, and the next time it rains again... you can give it back to me."
She stared at it wordlessly, then nodded slowly.
"Next time... for sure."
From that day on, whenever it rained, she always went to the subway station with her umbrella. She thought she might see him again someday.
Then, a few days later, raindrops pounded on the window again.
A black umbrella slowly stopped beside her.
"That umbrella... you kept it well."
It was the man's voice. This time she smiled.
"I've been waiting for it. I thought I'd give it back."
From that day on, on rainy days, the two met in front of the subway station as if they had an appointment.
It started with an awkward greeting.
“See you again.”
“Yeah, it rains a lot.”
Then one day, she spoke first.
"Maybe, next time... when it's not raining?"
Story Content
In the late afternoon, gray clouds covered the city center and rain began to fall.
People scrambled to open their umbrellas, and there was already a line of people outside the subway station entrance.
In the middle of it all, a small, worn pink umbrella stood out.
The woman standing under it looked as if time had stopped.
The rain was getting harder, and her umbrella was already torn, but she didn't move.
A man passing by stopped to look at the scene.
He was a tall, calm-looking man with a straight face.
He was carrying a black umbrella over a crisp shirt, the only calm in the rain-soaked city.
“Are you okay?” he said cautiously.
The woman turned her head in surprise.
"Uh...
yeah.
My umbrella is a little broken, but I'm close to home, so it's okay."
But her shoulders were already drenched, and the umbrella in her hand looked more like an ornament than a structure.
The man stared at her wordlessly for a moment, then slowly extended his own umbrella over her.
"I'm glad to hear you're close to home, then let's walk together, I'm heading that way too."
She was a little taken aback, but eventually nodded.
They started walking side by side.
There was an awkward silence at first, but as they walked, they grew accustomed to each other's company.
Only the sound of rain, cars passing by, and the occasional breeze filled the air between them.
"Do you pass this way every day?" the man asked cautiously.
"Yes.
I work at a cafe near my house, and I get off work around this time."
"The cafe, the one with the yellow sign and green chairs?"
The woman looked up in surprise.
"That's right.
Do you go there often?"
"Yes.
It's quiet, so I like to read.
Come to think of it...
I think I've seen you before."
She smiled shyly.
“I'm usually the one making the coffee, so you probably didn't see me.”
The rain was still falling, but a strangely warm feeling was rising in both of their hearts.
When they reached the front of her house, he gently placed the umbrella in her hand and said, "This umbrella is yours from today.
"This umbrella is yours from today, and the next time it rains again...
you can give it back to me."
She stared at it wordlessly, then nodded slowly.
"Next time...
for sure."
From that day on, whenever it rained, she always went to the subway station with her umbrella.
She thought she might see him again someday.
Then, a few days later, raindrops pounded on the window again.
A black umbrella slowly stopped beside her.
"That umbrella...
you kept it well."
It was the man's voice.
This time she smiled.
"I've been waiting for it.
I thought I'd give it back."
From that day on, on rainy days, the two met in front of the subway station as if they had an appointment.
It started with an awkward greeting.
“See you again.”
“Yeah, it rains a lot.”
Then one day, she spoke first.
"Maybe, next time...
when it's not raining?"
