I shouldn't have met you. I should have avoided meeting you at that time when I still have everything under control and if I just stop myself from being selfish perhaps we can avoid everything we have suffered until now.

Maybe if I didn't take a step forward back then, our story will never exist and our love story now will never have an improper ending.

SUZUKI KAZUYA’S POV

It was a day before the New Year's Eve, and I went out and asked to meet with my girlfriend to fix our sinking relationship.

I am wearing my thick winter jacket as the weather forecast stated that the temperature will continue to drop down until tomorrow.

I waited for two hours inside our favorite restaurant and she didn't even answer my text messages and calls until my 30th attempt.

"Naomi where are you right now? You didn't forget that you agreed to meet me tonight right?"

"I'm sorry but I can't go out tonight." she answered with a very low voice.

"Why? Are you alright? Are you sick? Are you- "

Despite of my endless worried questions, she never let out a single word until I felt that something was off and my instinct told me to look outside the glass window and to my surprise, I came face to face with her with only a glass window separating us with a man she is clinging her arms, and finally she speak out an answer to all my questions.

"Yes, I am sick. I'm sick of you and our boring relationship."

Without thinking, I burst out of the restaurant and land a punch to her new guy and it ended up being a fist fight in the broad daylight in middle of a busy street. The fight only stops when Naomi shouted and placed herself in between us.

"Stop! Please Kazuya just leave me alone. I don't love you anymore! I'm done playing with you "

That was the last strike to break the limit of my temperament and I ended up slapping her and officially ending our meaningless relationship.

As I walk away, I can clearly taste the blood in my mouth and the pain of my swollen face. With my bleeding hands that are still trembling, I wiped my tears that finally managed to flow down after I tried to act brave.

Drop by drop, the ground covered with snow turned wet not only because of my tears but because of an impossible rainfall in the middle of winter. The bright afternoon just a few minutes ago turned dark like how my day turned out to be. My thick winter jacket feel heavier as I continue to walk ignoring the crowd running around to find shelter from the rain.

With this rainfall, I can finally cry my heart out without anyone noticing that I am crying as I walk. At least I can consider this miserable rain as a little compensation with my year end heartache.

"Hey! Are you crazy drenching yourself while walking in a cold road? Do you want to die so badly?!" someone is shouting from behind me trying to fight the noise of the sound of the rainfall.

I turned around and saw someone holding a black umbrella behind me. He pulled me in under the umbrella he is holding and managed to drag me until we reached a convenience store and then left me with strange words and a white handkerchief.

"Use that to wipe your tears... Lucky for you that I saw you on time."

I didn't understand last thing he said, and I don't even have the chance to see his face clearly or even thank him for the handkerchief. The only thing I know about him is his black umbrella and the fact that he is the only one prepared for that rainfall. A strange man you can't easily encounter anywhere.

After I bought an umbrella from the store, I immediately walk straight home and take a warm shower. I am just about to wash my wet clothes when I remember the handkerchief inside the pocket of my pants and when I unfold it; I noticed a name embroidered at the corner.

S. Nao

My heartache came back after seeing the initials that is the same with what my ex-girlfriend has, Sakami Naomi.

My thoughts get dark just thinking if that guy is related to her or is he one of the boys she use to fool around. I wanted to throw the handkerchief away immediately, but I hesitated for a second and decided to keep it until I find that guy again. Maybe it is better to ask him directly before I start assuming strange things about him.

When the New Year finally came, I decided to come out to at least distract myself and I ended up coming to the cafe in front of the convenience store where that guy brought me on that rainy day.

I just stared at the store front wishing for a guy holding a black umbrella to magically appear out of the store even though it will be silly for someone to bring a huge umbrella in this fine weather with a forecast of no possibility rainfall and snowfall.

I am almost finish drinking my coffee with just one sip but I accidentally spilled it out of my mouth when he actually came, a guy carrying a closed black umbrella came in the store and after a few minutes, he went out and as he make his first step he opened his umbrella and I can't believe what happened next.

The clear blue sky turned dark and thunder started rumbling before another out of the blue rainfall occurred as he started walking.

Is he a wizard? A harbinger of rain? Or maybe a reaper? My curiosity pushed me to run out and ask him every question I have in my mind.

"Hey! Mr. Black Umbrella!" I called him out without thinking and I am drenched with the rain again.

"It is your hobby to run wet in the middle of the winter?" he blurted out as soon as he sees me.

"Can I know your name?" I asked without holding back, fearing that he will suddenly disappear again.

He smiled a little and paused for a while before telling me.

"Shinobu Naoyuki, an ordinary human, not a grim reaper carrying a black umbrella." Did he read my mind? I suddenly feel hot despite of being wet out of the cold. So the initial in the handkerchief is really from his name and just a coincidence with my ex.

"I'm Suzuki Kazuya a normal one and absolutely not a weirdo. Please be friends with me." my mind was messed up and I can't follow through my own actions, but I still feel a little happy when he agreed to me.

"Okay, let's be friends."

I was too overwhelmed by the moment when I slowly feel dizzy and I didn't expect that I will end up collapsing right in front of my first friend.

The next thing I knew when I open my eyes is I was lying in a hospital bed or rather a clinic. When I was about to get up, Naoyuki entered the room carrying a glass of water and a pack of medicines inside a tray.

"Oh good thing you're finally awake. Are you feeling better now?" he put down the tray on the side table and smiled at me.

"Yes, I'm better now thanks to you. By the way, did you bring me in this hospital?"

"I was supposed to bring you to the hospital when you collapsed but because of the weather condition, I decided to bring you to the nearest option so immediately brought you here in my clinic."

"Your clinic?” I was surprised by what he just said. Why do you even have your own clinic?

"Yes this is my clinic and it is just a few steps away from the convenience store. Though this is just a clinic for children, I believe that treating your fever is within my skills."

"So you are saying that you are a doctor?"

"Yes, a pediatrician to be precise." He tapped the white coat that he is wearing that I have failed to notice since earlier.

I was stunned at that moment. I never thought that I was blurting out stupid things to someone older than me just a while ago. I thought that he was just like around my age, so I acted based on my instincts alone and approached him carelessly.

"I'm very sorry for acting too familiar and impolite to you. I never thought that you were older than me. Please forgive me Shinobu-san" I apologized and started talking to him with courtesy.

"It's okay so you don't need to apologize and besides, I didn't introduce myself properly so let's start knowing each other first."

"Then let me introduce myself first. I'm Suzuki Kazuya, 20 years old, a 2nd year student major in arts at PL University."

"I'm Shinobu Naoyuki, 29 years old, a full-time pediatrician. I'm just an average person so I can't say much about myself." he smiled and shake my hands.

"We are actually almost 9 years apart. Are you sure that you want a random kid like me to be friends with you?"

"Pftttt.. You know, sometimes I don't know if whether kids these days are dumb or just trying to be funny. You were the one who suddenly approached me and asking to be your friend but now you are the one acting so confused of this situation." he is laughing at me.

"Sorry, I just move by my instinct back there." Ah why do I keep embarrassing myself in front of him.

"Why? Did I catch your eye or something?"

"Are you serious? Anyone who saw someone always carrying a black umbrella will be curious about that person, it's like you have a magic or something." I started talking like a kid who keeps spouting nonsense.

"So you are just curious about me?" his tone suddenly turned cold.

"Yes... I mean no. I saw how amazing you are, and I want to be friends with you.

"...." he didn't reply anymore.

It seems that I accidentally offended him.

"Shinobu-san I didn't mean...." before I can apologize, I was cutoff when a man barge inside the room. He looks like someone who is older or maybe the same age as Shinobu-san.

"Nao! Yesterday you told me that you will go home early today, but why are here you are still here busy working?"

"Sorry Hisa, there is just some urgent call."

"Hmmm... an emergency patient?" he looks closely at me. "Hey that is not a kid anymore! Why are you here inside a children’s clinic? Didn't you see the sign outside?" he suddenly became aggressive and started nagging me.

"Hey stop it. I'm the one who brought him here because it was an emergency."

"So you know this brat? Are you friends or something?" he keeps calling me like a kid, and him being nosy, starting to annoy me.

"....just saw him collapsed outside." I was surprised to hear Shinobu-san to lie about how we really met.

I feel a little sad realizing that he no longer wants the idea of befriending me.

Did I really say something bad unconsciously?

"Shinobu-san I'm sorr-." I was cutoff again when he faced me.

"I think you will be fine now. Take this medicine and don't forget to drink it twice a day."

"Eh.. but I still.." he started pushing me out of the room while handing the pack of medicine from the tray earlier.

"Don't worry about the payment. It's free so you can go now. Goodbye.”

In the end I was kicked out of the clinic.

After thinking about everything that happened the whole night, I decided to go and try to talk to him one more time the following day and so I went straight in front of his clinic as soon as my afternoon class ended.

I am still hesitating to go in because I feel nervous to talk to him but a voice inside me keeps urging me to go inside and be brave. I paced back and forth in front of the door until someone noticed me.

"Hey, are you that kid last night? Do you plan interfering with Nao's work again? Are you his stalker?" it was that annoying nosy guy last night.

"No you're wrong. I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just want to thank him properly and apologize."

"Then there's no need to talk to him directly, I'll just pass your message so you can just go now and stop bothering him."

"But I have to apologize properly and make things clear."

"You know kid, will you please stop your childish schemes. Stop getting involved in adult lives and just go home and study."

"Will you please stop treating me like a five years old brat. My age is just a little lower than you and please stop talking as if you know something between me and Shinobu-san."

"Huh? between you and him? You mean how you desperately wanted be friends with him because you think he is special? I've heard it all from Nao last night, and guess what? He was very offended about that."

"I didn't mean to offend him with my words, and besides I am really here to apologize. So please let me in and stop blocking the entrance."

"No. I won't let you make Nao feel bad again. Get lost brat!" he keeps blocking me from reaching out the door.

We continued making a ruckus in front of the children's clinic and we didn't notice that we caught the attention of all the passersby including a patrolling police officer who immediately brought as to the station.

After a few minutes, Shinobu-san arrived in the station with a confused face.

"I thought that there was a riot in front of my clinic but why are you here Hisashi? Want kind of trouble did you get involved this time?"