Under the Shared Umbrella
...Movie?
The cool air-conditioned breeze swirling through the library was suddenly pierced by the thick, damp scent of earth. Nam Siu lifted his eyes from his book and turned toward the window. The clear sky had clouded over, and raindrops began pattering against the transparent glass. Kids who had been kicking up dust on the soccer field under the blazing sun were now scrambling indoors with their gear as the downpour hit unexpectedly. Seo Juwon and Park Geon are probably in that crowd, hollering as they run, he thought.
"Huh? No rain in the forecast today, but it's pouring."
She, who had been quietly reading beside him, stretched toward the window with a puzzled tilt of her head.
"It'll probably stop soon, right?"
"Who knows. Those clouds look heavy—might rain hard."
Nam Siu replied leisurely. He always carried a foldable umbrella in his bag.
Ding-dong-dang-dong—
The bell signaling the end of club activities rang out. Kids who had been dozing face-down on their desks stirred one by one. The once-silent library now mingled the refreshing chill of AC with the damp rain scent seeping through the window cracks, creating a calm, oddly serene atmosphere.
"We should head out too."
While the others rose, Nam Siu and Arin had already packed their books. They greeted the supervising teacher and stepped into the hallway. As they descended the central stairs, the rain battered the windows more fiercely.
"Whoa, this is insane. Why's it dumping like this?"
"Ah, I was gonna hit the PC bang today!"
Torrents of rain lashed the windows with a deafening roar, turning the area by them into chaos as kids without umbrellas stomped in frustration.
"Damn, these drops are huge. Looks like it'll pour all day..."
"Yeah, it was clear at lunch, and now this."
Walking side by side, the two frowned at the window.
"You don't have an umbrella, right? Share mine if you want."
Min Arin mimed holding one, offering with her signature soft, crinkly-eyed smile.
"I'll cover you to the bus stop!"
"Uh... well—"
As Nam Siu started to refuse, mentioning his foldable umbrella, a voice cut through the rain's clamor from below.
"Nam Siu."
Their gazes snapped to the stairs. There stood Baek Isul alone, in her neat white summer uniform blouse, her short black bob swaying at her shoulders. She looked up at them expressionless—or rather, her brows were subtly furrowed, her face oddly sharp.
"Isul. Where're the others...?"
Nam Siu called out. She climbed the stairs with crisp clicks of her shoes and stopped before them. Her eyes flicked over him, then to Arin beside him.
"...?"
"...Arin, was it?"
It had been months since she'd learned her name at their first club meeting, yet Isul remembered.
"Yeah, you remember me!"
Arin kept her friendly smile; Isul met it with her usual blank stare. For some reason, in that brief clash of their eyes, Isul felt a chill. But the odd tension didn't last. She turned away disinterestedly and reached out, lightly grabbing the end of Nam Siu's shirt sleeve.
"I'll take him."
"Huh?"
"His friends are waiting. They've got an umbrella."
Arin's round eyes widened slightly at Isul's firm line-drawing, but Isul ignored it, tugging Nam Siu gently toward her.
"Hey, Class 1's homeroom teacher's in, and end-of-day ceremony's started. Juwon was freaking out for you to come quick, so I came to get you."
"For real? Oh crap. Sorry, Arin, gotta go!"
Nam Siu bolted down in a panic. Isul tossed a curt, dry nod at Arin and followed. Left alone on the stairs, Arin watched their backs for a moment before moving on.
Nam Siu burst into Class 1 panting, flinging open the door. The room was pandemonium.
"Hey, is the canteen still open? Fuck, no umbrella."
"No rain today, right? Why the hell now?!"
No teacher in sight; the podium was empty. Kids vented about the sudden rain in their own ways. Nam Siu headed puzzled to his seat, spotting a familiar back by the window.
"Did the sky just rip open...? Guess I'll call a cab today..."
"Juwon!"
Nam Siu called. Seo Juwon whipped around.
"Finally here."
He'd clearly gotten caught in the rain from the soccer field—his hair was soaked.
"Where's homeroom? Already did ceremony and bounced?"
"? What bullshit. Teacher ain't even here yet."
"...But Isul said..."
Seo Juwon trudged past the tilting Nam Siu to his desk.
"Sigh... You got an umbrella?"
"Always one in my bag."
"Lucky~"
Seo Juwon stretched out, sprawling across to Nam Siu's desk.
"Hey, your hair's dripping—don't lie down."
"It'll dry by tomorrow anyway~."
As he lounged shamelessly, the sweaty soccer stench mixed with rain dampened the air. The front door slid open, and homeroom teacher Ha Taemu entered.
"Ugh, you noisy brats. Stinking up the place—sit down quick."
He tsked at the drenched soccer kids, smacked the attendance book on the podium.
"Rain outside, so skip proper cleanup. Get home before it worsens. No PC bangs—straight home. Dismissed."
A one-minute speed ceremony. Kids grabbed bags and bolted.
Bag in hand, down to the first-floor main entrance—the rain roared louder. Whoosh—!
At the entrance, hit by the earthy petrichor, Nam Siu's friends gawked blankly at the torrent.
"Whoa... this is ridiculous. At least forecast this shit."
Park Geon stretched a hand skyward; it soaked instantly. He tsked irritably.
"I came prepared with mine~"
Go Dasom grinned smugly, unfurling her large umbrella.
"Come with me!"
"Me too. Just to the stop."
Chaerin and Ji Yoon dove under instantly.
"Hey, no fair hogging it—then I'm... Hey, Seo Juwon! You'll go with me, right? Bros before hoes."
"Hm? Nah, ride's coming."
Seo Juwon, texting leisurely, flashed a teasing grin at Park Geon.
"Whoa... you traitorous bastards! Nam dude! Surely you...!"
Clutching his last hope, Park Geon whirled to Nam Siu. But he jangled his small black foldable umbrella.
"What can I do? Got mine. But for two guys... kinda small?"
"..."
Park Geon collapsed to his knees in despair.
"You trash friends... ditching me to save yourselves? Ah, Baek Isul! She wouldn't have one."
Mentioning absent Isul, footsteps approached. Click, click.
"What're you staring at."
Baek Isul descended like a ghost from the rear stairs, spitting pitifully at kneeling Park Geon.
"Hey, you don't have one!"
"..."
His sparkling plea got no reply. She scanned the entrance coolly: kids sorted, Park Geon down, Nam Siu holding his tiny umbrella, watching her. Without hesitation, she stepped right beside him. Shoulders nearly touching. Amid the muggy rain, her fresh shampoo scent overwhelmed his nose.
"I'm going with him."
She stated matter-of-factly to Park Geon.
"Wait, no! That's too small for two—"
Park Geon protested indignantly, but Seo Juwon snuck up, clamping his mouth with a big hand.
"Oh, perfect size for a guy and girl."
Objectively, it was undersized even for one, let alone two—but Juwon couldn't care less.
"Alright, scatter before you're late!"
He dragged flailing Park Geon in a headlock toward a black sedan in the rain. Dasom and the girls giggled away under her umbrella toward the stop. The bustling entrance emptied like receding tide.
Only the pounding rain, and Nam Siu and Isul alone under the tiny umbrella.
Whoosh—!
Through the deluge, one small black one-person umbrella pierced toward the school gate. Plop, patter! Heavy drops drummed on it, drowning out the world.
Under the cramped shelter, their shoulders hovered in precarious near-touch. Nam Siu could barely breathe. Her sweet shampoo cut through the damp, whitening his mind.
Fearing rain on her white summer blouse, he instinctively tilted the umbrella her way. His right shoulder, pushed out, soaked instantly—but he felt no chill.
Five minutes of suffocating silence. Thud. Isul halted abruptly.
"Wh-what? Rain splashing?"
He startled. She glanced at his drenched right shoulder, drops dripping.
"..."
She tsked softly, reached out.
Grab—!
"Uh...!"
Her pale hand clutched his left shirt hem at the waist. Without pause, she yanked him close.
"Hey."
Whoosh—!
"Idiot? Your shoulder's soaked."
His left shoulder pressed fully against her slender one. Summer uniform thin, her warmth seeped through.
"Closer. Hold it straight."
She layered her hand over his on the handle, righting the tilt toward him. Touching shoulders, overlapping hands.
"Uh, uhuh..."
His ears burned red, steps robotic. She stared ahead casually.
"But."
"...Yeah?"
"Close with that club girl? What'd you talk about?"
Casual toss. No reason to lie; he stammered the library chat.
"Oh, it was hot, she gave canned coffee, said thanks... then she mentioned wanting to see a movie this weekend, so she asked to go together..."
"...Movie?"
Before he finished, she stopped again. The air under the umbrella chilled like outside. Her dark eyes narrowed thinly, staring.
"Ah, th-that's why I said no. Got plans to work out with Juwon..."
She watched his fluster; her furrowed brow eased. Unseen by him, her stiff lips twitched into a faint curve.
"Well... obviously. Finals are right around the corner—what movie? Right?"
"Huh? Yeah, exactly! Exams so soon!"
She resumed walking, blunt.
"No time for movies, but time to study."
"...?"
"This weekend, bring books. Cafe. Study together."
Low, dry voice, nearly lost in rain. But her fingertips fidgeted oddly atop his hand on the handle.
"...Huh?"
"Study together. Don't want to?"
She tilted up, eyes meeting his. Her usually cold pale cheeks seemed unusually flushed today. Heat and humidity? Or something else? Nam Siu gaped blankly, nodding furiously. He had no choice.