☔️Then the Rain Starts to Fall☔️

CHAPTER 1

                                          "The world hates me, doesn't it?"

WARNING / ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE

It had been a while now since Isabelle landed in Japan and more particularly in Tokyo. She tried her best to show off her best behavior and smile but alas no one wanted to recruit her, because of her being a stranger and being pierced and tattooed. Considering that no one in the capital wanted her, the woman decided to wander around and go to other cities. But it was always the same, people were being judgmental and didn't want to have anything to do with her. The poor girl saw her hopes and dreams being shattered little by little while her funds for this trip were almost gone.

With all of that, she decided to take a break and sat down near a river. She touched the grass trying to stay calm and optimistic, but the reality quickly settled in. Maybe her parents were right, she was a loser, a good for nothing and would end up underneath a bridge. She hugged her knees against her chest, sniffing trying to hold in the tears, still it was useless as the tears began to roll down her cheeks. The woman quickly put her face against her knees so that no one would see her crying. Although people could see her sobbing, her little body quivering in fear and deception. Wouldn't that hell stop? She thought it would then she came here. After all it was her dream, but nothing could have prepared her for this slap in the face. She should have listened to her mother and done some annoying and depressing job, she would have hated it but at least she wouldn't be homeless in a foreign country. And it would have prevented her from seeing her ambition being broken into small pieces like this. Isabelle couldn't take it anymore. What did she do to deserve all of that? Since childhood, she was repeatedly told that she was worthless, a weakling, a nobody. No one wanted to be her friend since they kept moving out every year. She was always the stranger, the newbie. And no one wanted to play with her for that. And then she finally found something worth living for, something giving her a reason to continue to live on, it was crushed, like it was nothing? The world hated her for sure. But what could she do now? She was falling into despair as she did far long ago. Nothing was worth the shot now. She never wanted to be what her parents wanted her to be and the world didn't seem to be inclined to give her a chance either. She stopped crying after a while as her eyes were stingy and red. The woman quickly wiped the small tears that were hanging to her eyelashes and were still falling on her cheeks, trying to regain some kind of composure. She raised her head and saw a bridge not too far from her. She, again, wanted to cry, but she had no more strength to do so. Was it her fate? To just jump off from that bridge? She sighed. She didn't want to go back to France, her homeland, nor face her parents, and living as a slave or a prostitute didn't sound like a living dream either. Maybe it was her chance to set a final point to her life, to finally close the book, to let it go, to never ever think again.

She slowly got up and decided to head towards the bridge, hoping that she would have the courage to do what needed to be done. There was no one in sight, things that were out of the ordinary so she supposed it was a sign, she was choosing the right decision. Arriving at the bridge she took a deep breath and went past the guardrail. The girl looked at the flowing river underneath her, thinking at least she tried, but trying was apparently not enough. New tears flowed upon her rosy cheeks, as despair settled in. There was nothing else to do. No one ever trusted or loved her and no one would ever. Her eyesight became blurry as she sniffed. It was time to go. She put a foot into the emptiness before unexpectedly feeling two strong arms maintaining her from jumping over. She quickly turned her head to see a man with white hair and a frown upon his face. What was he doing? Even if she stayed alive there was no place for her to go, to call her home.

"Please let me go."

The man did as if he didn't hear anything and lifted her, taking her far from the guardrail. It was useless, she thought, she could retry it when he was gone. She sighed and let the guy do whatever he was trying to do. He put her down and gave her a big shining smile, as if she wasn't trying to kill herself a minute ago.

"I got you." He simply said taking her into his arms for a big needed hug. Isabelle's eyes went wide at his gesture. She let him hug her. For one time in her life, she felt at peace, even though she knew that the moment he would've left her, the nightmare would continue as usual. The woman said nothing as the stranger hugged her tightly. She felt his warmth spreading, the red hair closed her eyes trying to appreciate it. She never felt human warmth before it was her very first time and certainly last too. She wanted this moment to last longer, even forever. She didn't want to go back to the hell she had been traveling. But alas nothing lasted forever and the unfamiliar man took a step backward to instead stare at her with his gleaming smile. "My name is Umemiya! It's nice to meet you! How about you tell me more about yourself?" Isa was shocked by his behavior. She didn't understand what he was trying to accomplish. But at least she wasn't alone anymore, and maybe he was there for something. She looked at the sky, asking herself what the universe was trying to do with his presence here. She sighed again and glanced back at the man called Umemiya.

"I'm Isabelle...I guess it's nice to meet you too." She replied, at first not very inclined to talk about what happened. After all, she didn't like to speak about her emotions, especially the bad ones. She wanted to keep them for herself forever and ever and she thought she looked quite pitiful at that moment. If only he hadn't shown up, she wouldn't have to show her true self, this suicidal and lost girl that she always tried so hard to hide.

"We can walk and talk, how about that? I'll buy you something to eat!" She shrugged and nodded. After all she had nothing to lose about speaking to him, even though it could be quite embarrassing. To hell with honor or dignity. She simply said okay and followed him around. He seemed to know the place very well as every neighbor stopped him in his tracks to give him things, mostly food and drinks. Some even looked at her with some curiosity in their eyes. Were they weary of her? Certainly, she looked like a punk ready to destroy everything on her way. That's why everyone was so subjective about her. No one trusted her. At some point Umemiya stopped in a children's park and sat down on one of the swings, insisting that she had a place on the second one. He was smiling as usual, and Isabelle couldn't understand how he could smile all the time like that. He must have been the strongest person she ever met. She did as so and sat on the second swing, rocking a bit trying to smooth her nerves.

"There you go it's for you! And before you say no, I can't eat and drink all that by myself!" The boy gave her some of the food and drink he was given earlier and she took it gratefully while saying thank you. It's true that it had been a while since she ate and drank as she was trying to keep as much money as she could. She smiled slightly and bit into a melon pan, feeling all the flavors. She was truly grateful to him, but what now? What would she do? "Are you from overseas?" Umemiya asked excitedly as if she was the first non-Japanese person he saw.

"Hmm, yes. I'm actually from France." She replied after munching on the melon pan. She didn't know what it could do to him, but at least it wasn't very personal.

"It's awesome! Are you liking it here?"...Isabelle's face was now just a shadow. Liking? It was her initial dream but after all the hardships she'd been through she wasn't sure she was thrilled anymore. Everything seemed so dull and placid as if everyone was the same person, the same identity.

"To be honest...not really. I've been trying to find a job, but everyone judges me on my appearance and doesn't want me around." The woman didn't know what pushed her to be this honest, but it wasn't as if it was going to change anything. "You seem to be the only one to not judge me on my outfit" Isa smiled sadly. If only everyone could be like him, the world would certainly be a better place.

"And if I told you we could do something about that?" She looked at him quite intrigued. What did he mean? Changing her outfit, her personality? Or did he have a job to offer her? The girl looked clueless, but a new flame of hope had been set on fire in her heart.