[Chapter 159]
[A Rainy Day]
When summer comes, the rainy season arrives.
Rain pours down heavily.
That day was also a day when rain was pouring heavily like this.
"─Oh my... My clothes are all wet. Why did it suddenly start raining..."
"Ah..." ""..."
The world faced an unprecedented calamity and was miserably destroyed.
Nevertheless, those who survived in the midst of destruction had to continue living.
Even if it collapsed, and collapsed again.
People built foundations to live steadfastly again on top of the collapsed world.
""..."
In the era when players gained power in every city and each called themselves monarchs.
It was a world where force dominated the mainstream and conflicts never ceased.
Nevertheless, people, regardless of gender or age, worked hard to rebuild the world.
I was the same.
After school classes ended, I would run to work sites to build collapsed houses with people, take care of children, or teach them.
Pitter-patter
That day was such a day too.
While returning home after finishing work, heavy rain suddenly poured down.
Of all days, I hadn't brought an umbrella that day, so I had to run home protecting my head with my bag.
But a bag that could only cover one head couldn't avoid the pouring rain.
In the end, soaked by the rain, I had to quickly jump under the roof of a visible house.
"What should I do... They'll be worried at home..."
I stomped my feet.
In the end, I thought I had no choice but to wait for the rain to stop.
But not long after, there was a man running from afar, protecting his head with a bag like me.
Pitter-patter
That person hurriedly came under the roof like I had─.
""─..."
He and I.
We met there for the first time.
Pitter-patter
We suddenly ended up avoiding the rain together.
But we were only conscious of each other, deliberately pretending not to know each other's existence.
Honestly, at that time, I felt fear rather than attraction towards that person.
"Should I just get soaked and go..."
"..."
A world where law had lost its meaning.
In such a world, for me with weak strength to be alone with an unknown man bigger than me was terrifying.
Though I pretended to be calm on the outside and kept ignoring the man.
In fact, I was trembling inside.
So I tried to move as far away from him as possible to the edge of the roof.
Then─.
"─Huh?"
Suddenly, he dashed out.
The man who jumped into the rain without any preparation disappeared in an instant.
I was dumbfounded seeing the man getting soaked and moving away.
"Phew, what a relief."
On the other hand, I felt relieved.
Fortunately, it seemed that person felt awkward being alone with me.
I thought so and tried to erase the memory of him from my mind.
But not long after─.
"─Huff... Huff..., You were still here?"
The rain was beating the ground.
While I was looking at the world that had turned hazy as if covered in mist.
A shadow appeared.
The shadow gradually approached me.
It was him.
Pitter-patter
He, wearing soaked clothes and holding an umbrella, came under the roof and panted heavily.
Then he suddenly spoke.
"My house is nearby..."
"..."
Sweat or rainwater.
With water dripping from his head, he spoke sheepishly.
Then he suddenly tilted the umbrella he was holding over my head.
At that time, I was incredibly surprised when a complete stranger suddenly tried to cover me with an umbrella.
I was so dumbfounded.
While I couldn't figure out what to say to him.
He continued speaking incoherently.
"When I saw you earlier, you seemed to be shivering from the cold after getting soaked in the rain. You'll catch a cold like that."
"..."
I wasn't shivering from the cold, but because of you.
At that time, I'm glad I didn't say that.
"So use this. Ah! If you're uncomfortable with me, you can just take the umbrella and go. My house is nearby so I can run. I'm already all wet anyway..."
"Um..."
"Yes?"
But I didn't expect to deal with a man like this.
And because I was so surprised.
In the end, I couldn't hide my next words.
"─Do you know me?"
"..."
Why are you acting like you know me?
I'm sorry, you.
I've said this many times since then, but I was too surprised and happy.
Anyway, we had our first meeting under that roof.
And we continued our relationship.
Shhhh
That's why I like rainy days.
The sound of rain penetrates the sounds of daily life.
I like how the raindrops hitting the roof make a pitter-patter sound, putting a comma in the breathless days we lived.
And putting several commas─.
"─You did well. She's a very pretty baby. Just like you."
"Honey.... I'm not that ugly."
"Hey..., it's because she just came out of your womb. Look. Doesn't she look just like you?"
"No. This ugly part looks just like you."
"...Are you mad at me?"
On a rainy day, our daughter was born.
Our daughter was a blessing to our couple.
We hoped this child would grow up happily and make a happy family like us.
And our wish came true.
Though I lost him.
After several more commas.
Our daughter brought Mr. Noh without a hint of worry on her face.
"─This is the person I'm seeing, mother. Greet her, you too."
"Hello. I'm..."
"Yes, don't try to introduce yourself there, come inside and do it. And why are you suddenly calling me mother when you never did before?"
"Mother, when did I..."
"It's too late to try to cover up now. Don't say words that don't even fit your mouth and come in quickly. What are you doing leaving a guest outside?"
"Geez, mom is really too much."
"That's why you should have been good to mom from the start."
"How much has your pretty and good daughter listened to mom's words until now..."
When I first saw Mr. Noh.
I felt something similar to him from Mr. Noh.
A face that looks somewhat strong.
Conversely, a personality that seems very tender-hearted and considerate of others.
I guess blood doesn't lie after all.
I couldn't help but smile seeing my daughter introducing Mr. Noh with a proud face.
So I wasn't worried.
And the two became a couple like that.
If only he could have seen our daughter getting married too.
Shhhh
Continuously after that too.
Unexpected encounters came on rainy days.
Eun-ah was born.
Eun-ha was born.
Eun-ae was born on a clear day.
But Eun-ae liked to quietly listen to the sound of rain on rainy days, perhaps because she took after me.
Pitter-patter
Yes, this sound.
I, he, liked this sound.
The day we brought Pa-rang home was also a rainy day.
The puppy we brought home thinking it might be some kind of fate has now become a child who likes people.
That's really fortunate.
Tap pitter-patter tap tap
When it rains, I'm immersed in memories.
I trace the life I've lived so far while listening to the sound of rain.
The more I see the raindrops hitting the window pane and falling in drops and the cloudy sky, the more I'm reminded of those times.
Pitter-patter
I wonder what kind of encounter there will be today.
The sound of rain beats my ears.
My heart naturally warms at the sound that comes vividly like playing a xylophone in the silence.
I kept looking at the rainy sky, waiting for a pleasant encounter.
As expected, fate came.
─Shhhh
When the wind blew strongly once.
I was standing under a roof.
Standing under the roof without an umbrella, I could find a shadow walking from far away.
"Ah..."
From beyond the hazy world.
A man approaching with an umbrella.
He, who had been covering his face with an umbrella, showed his face as he entered under the roof.
"─I'm sorry. Did you wait too long?"
"...Why did you come so late?"
It was him.
He smiled with a mischievous face.
Seeing him after a long time, I was surprised, and then I glared at him because I was so upset with him smiling playfully.
"I'm sorry for making you wait. But..., you didn't get wet this time. Right?"
"Is not getting wet everything..."
"When we first met, you were shivering from the cold. Isn't it fortunate you didn't get wet compared to then?"
"I wasn't shivering from the cold back then."
"Huh? Really? Then why..."
"I won't tell you because you came too late."
He gets flustered.
It was exactly the same face as when Eun-ha is at a loss.
Now that I look, Eun-ha looks just like his grandfather.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Seeing you reminds me of our grandson."
"Eun-ah? Eun-ha? Eun-ae?"
"Try guessing."
"You, isn't this too much? I didn't even get to see our grandchildren's faces properly..."
"That's why who told you to go first? Did you want to make me suffer that much?"
"...I'm really sorry. It was hard, wasn't it?"
"Then do better from now on."
"Of course."
Rain falls.
He and I looked up at the rainy sky blankly under the roof.
"Do you have anything you want to say?"
"...It's okay."
Something I want to say.
I knew what he meant.
But I shook my head.
There was so much I wanted to say, but─.
"─I think it'll be okay without me now. I'm worried, but everyone will do well even without me."
"...I see. If that's what you say."
There are no lingering attachments.
No regrets either.
Still, there were many worries.
But I won't have to worry anymore.
I leaned my body against his.
"Then let's go now."
"Okay."
"Come a little closer. You'll get wet."
"Where are we going?"
We go out from under the roof.
Raindrops hit the umbrella.
I went out into the rainy world, embraced by him.
"─Just..., walking. I wanted to walk like this with you after a long time."
"Not bad. I like it. Let's walk."
"How has it been?"
"It was hard without you."
"..."
"But I was really happy."
"...How are the kids? Are they doing well?"
"We'll have a lot to talk about. Shall we keep walking like this until then?"
"Yes, let's walk."
The sound of rain fades away.
Beyond the hazy world.
I take a step.
☆
A rainy summer vacation.
Unable to go out and play, Avenir had to wander around the house to relieve his boredom.
"─Grandma! Play with me!"
"Hey! How can you enter without grandma's permission!? Do you want to get scolded by your mom!?"
"My mom is an alien! Save me!"
"This kid really..."
Tired of playing in his own house.
Avenir avoided Julieta's eyes, opened the door, and left the house.
Then he headed to grandma's house right next door.
Unfortunately caught by Julieta at that time, Avenir had to go inside while slipping away.
Bang
Avenir, who ran down the hallway barefoot, rushed into grandma's house without even dusting off his feet.
Julieta chased after him to catch him.
"Mom! Try to catch me!"
"Didn't I tell you not to run thump thump!? Will Eun-ae unni come up from downstairs and get angry again?"
"Oh! That's not good...!"
Tiptoe tiptoe.
Avenir, who had been running down the hallway with a bang, soon walked on his tiptoes.
Then he approached grandma, who was sitting quietly in a rocking chair looking out the window.
"Grandma! I'm here!"
Avenir shook the rocking chair.
Grandma, leaning on the rocking chair, was smiling with her eyes closed.
Just like listening to the sound of rain as music.
"Grandma? Are you sleeping?"
Meanwhile, when there was no response.
Avenir tried to wake grandma by shaking her body.
And in the meantime─.
"─You rascal! Shouldn't you act more like an adult at 10 years old? Who on earth did you take after to be like this? Your dad wasn't like this..."
"Who did I take after? Of course I'm like this because I take after mom! Mom always does this too!"
"You, you...! I'm sorry, mother-in-law. For barging in and causing a commotion..."
"Mom? What's wrong?"
"..."
Julieta, who quietly approached and grabbed Avenir from behind.
She soon looked up at grandma and opened her eyes wide.
Avenir, who had been struggling in her arms, looked puzzled when she loosened her grip.
"Grandma must be really sleepy. She won't open her eyes no matter how much I shake her."
"...She's... very sleepy."
"Really?"
"Yes..."
With a sniff.
Julieta, who sniffled, tried to gather her emotions somehow.
Then she hugged Avenir tightly and said, half-burying her face in her son's back.
"Grandma seems very sleepy, so let's not wake her and leave like this."
"Okay."
A choked voice.
Avenir decided to obey docilely.
Then she quietly took Avenir's hand and left the house.
Avenir, led by her hand, soon turned back while walking down the hallway.
"─Grandma, sleep well."
See you tomorrow again, he said.
Avenir mumbled softly.