Ale

The rain started unexpectedly. At first, just a few drops—light, almost imperceptible. They fell on the pavement and dissolved into the gray dust of the city. People around quickened their pace, some opened umbrellas, others hid under the eaves of buildings.

He stood a little to the side. The transparent umbrella quietly caught the raindrops, and they glided across the smooth surface, collecting into small streams. Through the transparent plastic, the gray sky and slowly falling water were visible.

The boy tilted his head back slightly, as if trying to catch the rain with his gaze. His dark hair was already wet and stuck to his forehead. A few drops escaped from the ends and slowly rolled down his cheek. He didn't try to brush them away. He simply stared up at the blurry clouds, as if they held the answer to some question. The city hummed around him. Cars drove past, their wheels cutting through puddles, people rushing to find shelter from the rain.

But he was in no hurry. The umbrella in his hands was tilted slightly to the side, as if he were used to sharing it with someone else. But there was no one nearby. He took a slow step forward. The raindrops began to patter louder. Through the transparent umbrella, the world looked a little different—soft, blurry, as if everything were happening in a dream.

The boy sighed softly. Sometimes rain makes a city more honest. People become quieter. Thoughts become louder. He ran a hand through his wet hair and looked down. For a moment, something strange flickered in his eyes—not sadness, but not calm either. More like a feeling of waiting. Waiting for someone. And maybe today that someone would finally appear under his umbrella.

You ran out of the store faster than you could react to the rain. Something was bothering you so much that you urgently needed to get home.

You're a high school student, never seeing the limits of your dreams, and never listening to others. But this cost you your mother's life. She became gravely ill, confined to her bed for many years. You, as her child, began caring for her. Fortunately, the illness wasn't so severe, and she was able to get up to go to the bathroom. (sold in TGC!)