Echoes of the Rain

struggle for happyness

One day, I came home bursting with excitement.
"Yohan, guess what? I got a job... Yohan!" I called out, unable to contain my happiness.
Yohan looked up, surprised but pleased. "What? Congrats! Where is it?"
"In XYZ Company. I didn't even apply for it, but they called me for an interview, and I passed!" I explained, my voice filled with enthusiasm.
Yohan's smile faltered slightly. "They called you? How did they get your number?"
"I don't know," I admitted, shrugging. "But the good part is I got the job."

Yohan nodded, trying to keep his smile steady. "Yeah, that's great. Oh, and I have some good news too. Jiho is getting engaged soon."
"Really?" I exclaimed, genuinely happy for Jiho.
"Yeah, he called to inform me," Yohan replied.

For a while, we were happy, thinking our lives were finally back on track. But things didn't stay that way.

Yohan started to struggle. Despite his talent, all his connections seemed to disappear. One by one, people stopped working with him, and he was left without any projects. He stayed at home, writing music and waiting for an opportunity that never seemed to come. He went from place to place, trying to find work, but every door seemed to close in his face.

Meanwhile, I was caught up in my new job, leaving home early in the morning and returning late at night. The exhaustion and demands of my work kept me away from him. Our moments together became scarce, and conversations grew shorter. We were in the same home, but it felt like we were living in two different worlds, slowly drifting apart, even though we were trying to hold on.

Yohan looked at me with a hint of concern. "Today is Jiho's engagement. We have to go, okay?"
I hesitated, feeling the weight of my exhaustion. "I don't think I can," I admitted.

His expression softened, and he reached out to me. "He specifically asked me to bring you. He wants to see you. If you go, he'll be happy," he urged gently.

"I'll try," I replied, giving a small, uncertain nod.

Then, almost reluctantly, I asked, "Yohan... how's it going? Did you get...?"
He seemed confused for a moment, "Huh?"
"Nevermind..." I quickly dropped the subject. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

"Yesterday," I began again, "I saw your mother at my company."
His eyes widened slightly. "Did she see you?"
"I don't think so," I replied, biting my lip.
"Okay, bye," I said, grabbing my bag and heading for the door.

"Hey, wait..." Yohan called after me, but I was already halfway out, too caught up in my own thoughts to stop.
He sighed, frustrated. "She didn't even hear the time..." he murmured to himself, his voice fading behind me as I left.

Yohan's voice lingered in my mind as I made my way to work. I felt a strange mix of concern and guilt, realizing how distant we had become. As much as I wanted to ask him about his struggles, I was afraid of the answers, afraid of facing the reality that we were slowly slipping away from each other.

At the office, everything felt like an endless battle.
"Yuri! Are you out of your mind?" my boss's voice cut through the air, sharp and unforgiving. "Didn't I tell you to complete this file yesterday?"

I felt a wave of frustration rise within me. "But sir, I *did* complete it yesterday..." I protested, trying to keep my voice steady.
He snatched the file from my hands, flipping through it with an exaggerated huff. "No, you didn't. Look, it's missing pages!"

I glanced down, knowing exactly what I'd find. Missing papers. Again.
My stomach sank, but I wasn't even surprised anymore. It had become a pattern - no matter how hard I worked or how meticulously I completed my tasks, something always went wrong. My files would disappear from my desk, documents would be tampered with, and there would be a new complaint from the boss, blaming me for things I knew I hadn't done.

"Okay, sir. I'll complete it," I said quietly, swallowing my frustration. There was no point arguing; I knew it wouldn't change anything.

Each day at the office had become a kind of purgatory - a constant struggle against unseen forces, as if the very walls were conspiring to drive me out. My colleagues avoided eye contact, their whispers following me as I walked by. I could feel their eyes on me, judging, waiting for me to make another mistake. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of resentment, with no lifeline in sight.

No matter how hard I tried, it was like swimming against a current, always being pulled back, exhausted and defeated. Every morning, I woke up dreading the day, knowing it would be another series of accusations, another long list of tasks impossible to complete. And deep down, I knew who was behind all of it - Yohan's mother, pulling strings from afar, making sure I felt her disapproval in every part of my life.

I took a deep breath and sat back at my desk, staring at the half-empty file. I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

At my desk, I was still trying to reassemble the missing parts of my report when the boss's assistant walked up to me briskly, holding a black briefcase.

"Yuri, here, take this," she said, shoving the briefcase into my hands. "We need to leave for the airport. We're going to City C for an urgent matter."

I blinked in surprise. "But, ma'am, you didn't inform me earlier. I haven't even told my husband yet-"

She cut me off sharply, her voice tinged with irritation. "Are you serious? Didn't I just say it's urgent? We didn't know until now either."

I hesitated, knowing Yohan would worry if I left without telling him. "But ma'am-" I tried again.

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh my god, Yuri, stop making excuses. Just tell me, are you coming or not?"

I felt the weight of her impatience bearing down on me. "...Ah... Yes, ma'am, I'm coming."

I quickly grabbed my bag, heart racing with a mix of anxiety and resignation, and followed her out of the office. We hurried down to the car, my thoughts scrambling for a way to let Yohan know where I was going, but I barely had a moment to think.

By the time we reached the airport, my mind was spinning. I knew this sudden trip had something to do with the strings being pulled behind the scenes, but I was powerless to resist. All I could do was keep moving forward, even as I felt my life slipping further out of my control.