"Do clouds cry when they rain?"

"So you guys kissed ? under the night that is still young - that's literally so romantic"

Chaehyun nods to her friend's aggressive curiosity - hiding her shy blushes. Hina , on the other hand , is utterly exhilarated by the sudden news - she never would have thought certain something might be going on between her best friend and a random guy she asked to pick toys.

"So are you guys dating ?"

Chaehyun shakes her head gently - avoiding any eye contact. Strands of her blonde hair falls in front her eyes which she lightly blushes it off. Because there is no retaliation , the girl clarifies her reason once more - this time by words.

"No - we are not dating "

"Why ? " - Chaehyun finds it difficult to answer the question. There's something she wants to keep it to herself - but burying alone is suffocating. The blonde takes a deep sign and looks at her japanese friend - when pulling out a strange question.

"Hina - do you know the four great alters? "

"The four great alters ? How'd do you know them ? "

Her eyes widens upon mentioning the sacred places - but Chaehyun is more hopeful knowing someone actually knows such places - because her browser history is filled with such keywords and it returns empty results everytime.

"Can you tell me more about them"

Hina stares into the blank - before replying softly -

"I only know they are a thing. More like a myth. I don't even know they truly exist or not"

Hina laughs while saying that - although the other girl could read her best friend's that she has been hiding something.

"That's not important. Why are you not answering my question?"

"What question ?"

Hina changes the topic skifully which Chaehyun falls prey to it. The discussion for the four great alter sinks in further conversation.

"Why are you not dating ?"

"..."

There is a moment of silence - until our girl decides that she should open up.

"just , he told me a story... "

.....

Hansol made the introduction rather intriguing which made me - who was clueless after him suddenly mentioning places in the neightbour island curious. I lifted my head to him - not trying to hide my eyes shining for entertainment.
Maybe I was wrong. I wish I never chose to let the story unfold.

It was a rather short story but Hansol took emotional pauses , regular flashbacks and overreaction during his narration. It seemed rather than a made-up tale , it was almost as if he was telling about his past.

"There was a boy in Tokyo who fell for a girl. Common , isn't it ? Wrong. He fell for a very unique girl. She was an outcast - empty of friends or happiness - the girl usually sat in the corner of the desk alone - scratching pieces of papers and drawing animals. Her weak appearance made her vulnerable to bullying but people who did such to her always ended up with something bad in the next day - which no one dared to approach her anymore. She was infamously known as the witch. But the boy for some reason resonated her pain. The way she was acting , he knew how burdensome the loneliness was. He knew how much she wanted to break away from it , he knew how much she struggled to have someone to talk to. Coincidences happened but people zoomed in the pictures to make her more unlikely to have friends. One day , a boy bravely approached her - and because he understood her - because he understood her pain - the girl found peace near him - soon both of them became very close. The girl felt safe and entertained near the boy when the boy felt he must protect her smile. A very lovely story , isn't it ? After high school , a girl went in a depressive streak which the boy reached it time to save her from cutting her thread. Soon their feelings for each other grew stronger and turned into a pure , unconditional love "

The older boy took a break after a long string of content - Chaehyun on the other hand was overloaded with information and her heart felt heavy intrusively imagining a tragic ending.
Hansol stared at the girl - he saw the reflection of another women from her silhouette. A feeling of regret stabbed him as he was stunned silence for a while - but trying his best not to release such tears from her eyes , he continued gleefully. Because of her pristine acting , the girl didn't suspect a bit in his sudden updrift of emotions.

"These two grew stronger in their bonds. The girl was a strange one to begin with still - she was notorious for asking otherworldly questions and was full with ideas that a common intelligence could never think of. When I - oh not I , the boy asked her why are there clouds on the sky ? - she said because when the sky's lonely without them , how can it convince people below that spending time with friends , family and people are the most precious. Clouds , however drifts and evaporates one day into mist - and did the blue sky care about the lost clouds when there are always new clouds forming for him? Like that - she used to string out overly philosophical discussions but the boy still liked them. He considered it as a unique part about her - and he loved her being special. Their relationship was indeed smoother than ever since it was bottomed by understanding. Yes , until one day"

There was a pause. Chaehyun expected a more dramatic reaction but after gulping down immediately, he continued the climax.

"One day - out of no where , the girl brought the boy to four places he had never heard of. Those places were called the four great alters. She took him to the station where a very strange train arrived. A train with a distinct mark in front. She took him to the tree where it was blooming pink with cherry blossom in the middle of the autumn - then to the musuem where there was nothing inside although one could feel safe and serene. And the last one was the church.

When the three bells struck , we made a wish - to reincarnate in a certain timeline together - and we will be able to recognize each other at one glance.

Soon , the girl left the earth early. The boy followed her so that he could meet her again in the another life - this time hopefully less tragic"

He stared to a far star - where a constellation of Cassiopedia shone in a fade light. The girl looked at him - expecting the ending sentence.

"The boy is me. I am his reincarnation"

Seconds froze as if the wonderland was hit with an absolute zero. Moment is so intense that both heartbeat could reach decibals penetrating the night.

"and Chaehyun - I think you are her reincarnation "

Visions flashed in both eyes. A leap that was taken and A step that was hidden. Facing each other , not even the all knowing rabbit on the eclipse could predict what would happen next.

.....

This is the end of the recitation - and two people are left on different edges of the emotional valley. Nagai Hina is half confused by the seemingly fantasy tale - still find it difficult to accept the terms such as reincarnation which are always unethical for her. Kim Chaehyun , our main character , zooms deep into the far distance - her eyes wet with sadness and regret. With thoughts swriling hard inside her mind , the girl is probably trying hard not to recall certain moments of life. But forced optimism stabs sharper than direct pain.

Hina has countless questions floating inside her - "are you her reincarnation?" "Is that true" "do you remember the story" and so on and yet she considers it the best to keep them inside for a while by judging her friend's situation. In over a year of being together with the girl, this is Hina's first time to see Chaehyun this much emotionally broken. But she doesn't need a clever walkaway to figure out an answer that cannot hurt her since the unhappy girl is the first to continue the conversation.

"I..i just left him - without saying anything"

Hina looks into her friend's eyes which are half soaked half shaken with memories - the other girl is still expert at concealing her emotions thus beyond that - Hina could not see anything else.

"why - don't you like him?" - Hina whispers carefully beneath the breathe - letting out one secret that only two of them knows.

Chaehyun refuses to nod at the rhetorical statement instead forces her head straight to the ground - letting out the big sign.

"But he doesn't like me"

Hina squints - double checking her friend for speaking a groundless assumption. Based on Hansol's action , what she is saying is the total polar opposite.

But things get clear when Chaehyun finishes her line.

"he likes someone that he thinks I am reincarnated from"

The cafe is quieter than usual - maybe because a girl chooses to break her heart by herself.

.....

A cloud forms in the sky.
A beautiful cloud that forms because of you.

Likewise , a cloud cannot be formed without enough moisture.
My cloud will never exist without your presence.
It's pretty , it's shining. And it holds on to maintain in the lonely sky because of you. It watches its friends fade. It watches the wind pass away. It watches the sun and moon exchange hands. It is alone. But it is fine. Because it can always see you from there. And one day , it hopes that you could notice it too.

It remembers you from the first day it meets you. It is the first day that such cloud is formed.

and that cloud forms much earlier than you thought.

Friday evening , something synonymous would be crowded subways. The transportation system is efficient and less costy yet when people numbered , it felt suffocating inside a small place - especially when you were worn to death after highschool lectures.

There were no seats at all - every available were occupied by the early birds - which left a short girl in a high school uniform stood up , holding the handle on the rail - dancing accordingly with the engine to maintain balance. It was hard to guess the sudden inertial thrust and a female grip was never too reliable as one uninformed stop of the train threw her - as she released her palms in a fear.

Thankfully , she wasn't forced down the wall by such resistance to motion. She was protected by a boy who was happened to be walking by - He was also a highschool student - probably even of the same age . He owned fashionable as his keywords as a modern jacket made his school uniform glowed out - and his hazel hair were combed to perfection. Yet , she could not feel any emotions from his eyes.

"Thank you" - she whispered while rubbing the dust on her dress. The helper nodded in response and left.

It was a dramatic scence indeed and the boy himself was clichely handsome yet still didn't match her personal preferances. As she was dozing off , the next station blinked in the monitor - indicating that she was one station farther from should get off.

Panicking , she ran to the door which slid open automatically - which she hurriedly got out - led her almost into a direct face touch with a boy standing in front. The boy was in a school uniform but uniquely different from the one she was wearing. The first thing to notice was his eyes - which for her flashed tranquility and clarity. A sudden encounter shoke her inside as she couldn't resist but felt the feeling of falling for love for the first time.

Before each passing by , the girl glanced at the left chest of the boy - where was it the silver plate served as a nametag.

Still forgetting the major mistake that she missed her stop , the girl daydreamed - echoing that name in her mind - while gently tapping her bracelet wearing in her hand - yellow plain surface reflecting neon lights.

When the cloud thinks it can never meet the one who creates it , when the cloud loses all hopes , it stumbles upon a miracle.

You gave me a dolphin toy that I deliberately wanted to own - but couldn't no matter how hard me and Hina can try. You first gave me a bear which I could have taken it but I asked Hina for a favour - to ask you pick the dolphin which you did. The doll itself was a memory - since it resembled an animal I used to love in the past - but now it was special since it was from you.
I couldn't sleep the entire night because I thought meeting with you again was a dream and I am feared I will wake up if I closed my eyes.

When cloud knows their destination, they drift against the wind , they drift to wherever they want to go. Likewise , in our case , I drift for you.

I should just have went into the shelter. It was closed by when the rain wasn't this severe. But I saw you walking past me - holding an umbrella in a hurry. I thought if you would come back , you would notice me. So I abandoned my safe place and ran inside the heavy rain.

When UCW was annouced , I saw your university in the list too - thus I applied. When you bumped me in that hallway , I was thrilled to worlds knowing you also were accepted.

I intentionally sat behind you so I could look at you quietly. When you turned your back to borrow me a pen , I was very surprised that i did not know what I said at that time.

You probably think I am cold. I am emotionless. But those are what me. That I cannot change it. But with you , you make me a little bit braver. You make me a bit more than me ?

All clouds search for their sun. But sometimes , it is the sun who offered to warm the cloud.

A sudden request , a random date. The day was going magically so perfect. I felt like the chemistry between us was much complex than before yet was glad it always would work out.

Until , you told me your confession. Until you told me about that secrets of yours.

But in the end , clouds evaporate . All clouds will evaporate.

"Hansol oppa, i don't think we should meet each other anymore. No - I don't think i should think about you from now. You - do the same please.

Because as much as I like you ,
You don't like me.
You like Yurina.
You like the person that I thought I was reincarnated from.
You like the person who you thought I was.

But Oppa ,

I am Chaehyun ,

I am sorry

I never am a Yurina

I am Kim Chaehyun.

Kim Chaehyun that you will never like"

Please don't say it crying. It's just my clouds are raining.