Under the same Umbrella ||Sookai Story|| [eng]

☔︎Three☔︎

Kai's pov

It's finally Friday, I leave college and head towards Hyde park to take a walk and calm down while listening to some music.
It's my routine now, I walk around the park forgetting the week I've had, it's so much worse if not the same as the previous one.
I feel alone here, even more alone than what I feel at home.
I sit on a bench looking at the pond in front of me with ducks and swans swimming on the water, a small smile escapes my face as I watch children chase pigeons in the distance, the sky darkens slightly as mothers call their children to go home, the few people present are fewer and fewer, I smell a faint smell of rain, but I don't care, I'm staying here.
I hug my legs to my chest, hiding my face, while a couple of tears start to run down my face and the first drops start to fall.
I cry silently for several minutes, trying to ignore the emptiness I feel inside me, while the rain increases and I get wetter and wetter.
"I just want to be accepted as I am, I don't ask for much, I just want a friend, I swear, just one" I whisper starting to sob "I want to go home... I miss everyone so much" I continue to say while the rain continues to pour.
I stay in the park for a few more minutes before drying my tears and walking very slowly towards the dormitory.
As much as I'm used to it, I continue to hate my loneliness... The worst thing is that it was others who confined me like this, I didn't choose it, I was forced and no matter how much I try to change things I always remain alone.

Approaching the college with my head down, I feel the rain stop beating on my head, I look up and see the now famous white umbrella.
"It's really a habit of yours to go out without an umbrella!" Soobin takes me back with a playful smile on his face.
"Hyung, not today... It's been a terrible week" I say and he looks at me with a question mark on his face, then smiles sweetly at me.
"I'm sorry, mine wasn't one of the best either" He admits showing his dimples.
"What are you doing in the middle of a downpour?" I ask him.
"I could ask you the same question, anyway I went to do some groceries, all to get out of that house" He says holding up the grocery bag and running a hand over his face "And you?" He asks me, starting to walk again.
I giggle, trying to find a lie to tell him, but it's strangely impossible for me to lie to him.
"I took a walk in the park and found myself crying for a good ten minutes in the rain" I say trying to be ironic and suddenly the utmost concern shows on his face, how cute.
"No! Why? Is there someone targeting you? Did you get a bad grade on an important test?" He starts asking me and I can't help but smile at his kindness.
"No, nothing like that... I just... I feel very lonley here... Even in the dorm I'm in the room alone and in class everyone tries to avoid me for some reason" I say sighing, feeling a couple of tears pinch.
"Do you want to stay with me? I'll host you in my apartment for this night, at least you won't be alone" I'm surprised by the invitation, we barely know each other and he's already inviting me to his house?
Even if I try to find some red flegs, I only see a boy as lonely as me.
"Okay, I'll go get a couple of things for the night and I'll be back" I say pointing to the dormitory, since we arrived.

Soobin's pov

I wait outside since no guests other than students are allowed in the dormitory.
Poor guy, I can't imagine what it feels like to be completely alone in a foreign country, while missing your family.
At least I have friends, it's not much, but at least I'm not alone... I feel sorry for Kai.
A few minutes later he comes down with a bag containing his things.
"We can go" He says and I smile putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm warning you, my "friends" are a bit of dickheads daddy's boys, let me talk to them and ignore them, they're so much more fake than toy coins" I say, turning up my nose at the individuals I'm forced to spend my vacation with.
"Then why do you go on holiday with them if you don't like them?" He asks in an innocent tone.
"Because our parents forced us, to show how respectable and on good terms they are... All lies, obviously" I say with a bit of sarcasm because of how everyone behaves, they are worse than children.
"From the way you speak, it seems that you are a very rich person, not everyone has an apartment in London" He replies searching confirmation.
"I am, unfortunately, my dad and my brother are the CEOs of Crimson Trust Holdings... I hate being the perfect utopian model of the youngest child who is always lively, always the center of attention and with big dreams of being the perfect copy of my brother or my father... I hate it... I'm not like that! I don't have who knows what dreams, I have no idea what I'll do in the future, I hate being under everyone's eyes... I wish I could be an ordinary boy" I say while grinning my teeth for of how angry it makes me to be in this rich rotten world.
"Well we're both in a good position I see! I don't have any friends, you do but they're only there for the money...We can say that destiny, fate, whatever it is has answered our prayers...We have each other now, right?" He smiles at me with his innocent aura and I smile too.
"Of course!" We enter the building and take the elevator up to my parents' apartment.
I enter, hosting Kai "I'm home, I have a guest!" I say warning the boys, one of the youngest comes towards us.
"And who is he? A homeless guy you found on the streets? I knew you liked the smell of poor, I certainly didn't expect you to like gays too!" He scoffs, laughing at Kai.
"Look Yoonil, it's okay to make fun of me, but make fun of him and I'll give you a black eye!" I threaten, clenching my fists.
"Uuuh that's scary! The bum faggot wants to beat me up!" Grins the idiot and as promised I punch him in the face.
"Fuck you asshole!" He yells at me as I lead Kai into the kitchen.

"Sorry about that, he's an idiot, don't listen to him" I say.
"Don't worry, I expected something like this from what you told me" He smiles at me.
"And anyway I'm not usually this violent, but with Yoonil the only way to keep him quiet is to hit him" I explain to Kai.
"Oh"
"Can you help me put away the groceries? You can also put the bag on the table, I'll go get you a towel" I ask.
"Sure!" He smiles sweetly at me, which makes me smile too, this boy is a puppy!
I give him the towel and we put away the groceries, then we go to my room.
"There's the bathroom over there if you want to change" I point to the door next to us.
"Thank you" He makes a small bow and then goes to the bathroom, while I tidy up the room to make us both comfortable, I take the TV remote control so we can watch something during the evening.
"Okay, I'm done, thanks for having me Soobin" He smiles at me still shy.
"Of course, so... You were telling me that you feel lonely here!" I say making him sit on the bed with me.
"To be honest, I always feel alone... Even at home, I have my sisters and my parents, but I have never been accepted by my classmates, I've tried and I continue to try to integrate myself, but everyone avoids me and the teachers do nothing but circle me, apparently I'm too Western to be Korean and too Eastern to be American... So on the one hand I'm rude, messy and ignorant, on the other I'm a tidy, precise person who, by all, eats dogs... It seems like there is no country where I am normal! I just want a friend, that's all... I don't ask for much... And now that I'm here in London I also miss my family and my sisters.. I wish I could hug them" He says as a couple of tears roll down his face.
I smile and I hug him, while I let him sob in my arms.
"I don't usually cry that often... In fact it's quite rare to see me cry... I can't wait to go home" He whispers in my arms "Now it's your turn" He looks at me with his eyes still full of tears.
"To tell the truth, I have a couple of friends, real friends, but I can't go out with them often, one because they don't live near me and two because my parents don't let me go out with ordinary people, they want me to go out only with rich and very rich... Whether the child goes out with humble people who actually love him, it's impossible, only luxury and money for the child, flawless and diamond image of the family, I can't even choose the studies or the job I want to do, I can't choose my future... I don't want to inherit the family business, I hate all those calculations and the marketing and the accounts and the costs to be covered and the turnover that must be ever higher, I want to open a bistro or a café, I want a humble job, a humble life with the person or people I love... I can't even choose who to love! My parents want to put me with a spoiled girl, what a problem if she doesn't have everything gold and every comfort!... But I want a person who loves me, who makes me feel special at all times, who knows how to console me and make me laugh at the right moments, man, woman, whatever gender it is, I just want to be loved and not wanted for money" I say venting to him and gesticulating several times.
"Well I like you just the way you are Soobin, I've never been interested in being rich and I don't care that you are so rich and famous... You are the first real friend I have and the idea of the bistro is very nice, I would work very happily with you" He tells me, putting his hand on my shoulder.
"And I won't leave you alone, I promise... We will meet again" I tell him putting both hands on his shoulders and we smile at each other, before hugging again.
"Should I order some pizzas and watch something?" I ask him and he nods.
"Of course! A pizza with pineapple for me! What are we watching?" He asks me.
"Jujutsu kaisen?" I suggest.
"Okay" He agrees with his cuteness.
So we spend the evening watching anime and commenting on the scenes and characters, when we finish it's almost midnight, we take turns settling down to sleep and we sleep keeping a little distance between the two of us.
While I try to fall asleep I feel Kai continue to turn and shake, he must have gotten cold with all that rain, so I get near him, hugging him from behind, trying to warm him up a little.
"Thank you" He whispers delicately to me.
"Good night Kai, sleep well little one" I say seeing how small he is for his age and compared to me.
I am one meter and eighty-two, while he will be at most one meter and sixty-eight... He really looks like a kid next to me.