The Day of the Blessed Rain

"I beseeched the heavens for comfort, and they split open to shed tears."

On a certain day during my first year of middle school, as I made my way back home, it suddenly started raining. I ran to the closest shelter, which happened to be an aquatic pet store. Lightning was striking that day. The rain showed no sign of coming to a standstill, so I decided to step into the store. There was a cotton mat at its entrance. Before stepping in, I took the time to dry my shoes thoroughly.

The corridor was narrow and lined with tanks filled with fish, forming the walls. I walked through in awe, viewing diverse schools of fish. Suddenly, my gaze locked onto a fish of vivid blue hue, with iridescent green and purple accents among the others in the tank. Its tail was flared to its fullest extent, presenting me an illusion of a half-moon.

The next moment, an elderly man with a beard, approximately 80 years old, appeared behind me. I was so mesmerized by the fish that I hadn't heard his footsteps.

"Could you please take a step back, daughter?" he asked politely, in a slow pace.

"I am sorry," I replied, while taking a step away from the tank.

He chuckled softly and continued, "Sorry for what, my daughter? This is a store, and people are allowed to look at things before they make a purchase. Wouldn't you agree it would be unfair otherwise?"

"Now, just a moment," he added, "let me feed these little fellows."

The old man gently tapped the side of the tank, and the fishes in response swam upwards. He scattered a pinch of food across the water's surface. The tiny pellets and flakes drifted down slowly, and the fish darted towards the descending food. As the feeding session concluded, the fish dispersed throughout the tank once more.

The old man turned towards me. "Now... You were looking at the Betta. I suppose, right?"

"I do not know the names."

"Oh... Yes, of course. My mistake."

"The one with blue color in the middle... Was that the one you were eyeing, my daughter?"

"Yes."

"That one is a Betta, or Siamese fighting fish. But don't worry, they're not aggressive towards humans. Do you want it?"

I was not particularly interested in fishes, but I bought it anyway. The old man informed me that it was called a Half moon Betta, which explained the illusion I saw. Before I left, the old man wrote down some advice for me on how to take good care of my Betta fish:

Keep him in a tank that is 5 gallons or larger.

Avoid overfeeding your Betta fish.

Add botanicals, such as leaves or twigs, to the tank.

Provide a floating hammock for your Betta.

Maintain the water temperature within a comfortable range, typically around 78-80°F.

Ensure the tank has a secure lid to prevent your Betta from jumping out.

Keep the water flow gentle, as Bettas prefer calm environments.

The old man also loaned me an umbrella, even though the rain had already stopped. I named the fish Bi because I had met him during the rain. I took good care of Bi for three years until he eventually passed away. On that day, I sought comfort from the heavens, and in response, it drenched me in their tears and concealed my own cries.

"I told both of you to come take shelter, but you just had to enjoy the rain. Now both of you are completely drenched," Ye-jun scolds both me and Do-yun.

"That's enough. Now let them take a bath and change clothes. You take... umm... what's your name?" A dark-haired, young, beautiful lady interposes. She gestures towards Do-yun and asks his name.

"It is Do-yun," he replies.

"Okay... Ye-jun! You take Do-yun into the guest room, and I'll take her upstairs," she commands with authority.

She takes my hand, smiles, and says, "Let's go."

I walk upstairs and enter the bedroom with her. She leads me to the wardrobe, opens it, and pulls out an outfit, and holds it up against me.

"Hmm... maybe not."

She puts it back, pulls out another one, and holds it up against me.

"...Not quite right."

For some reason, she grins the whole time. She pulls out another one and again holds it against me.

"Perfect!" Her grin transforms into a bright smile.

"Take a bath, and when you're done, call me. I'll dress you. In the meantime, I'll iron the clothes."

"Wait... I can dress myself."

"No! I'll dress you," she rejects my words with a gleaming smile.

Just then, Ye-jun calls her down.

"Ha-neul! You have to come down right now."

"What happened?"

"Just come down!"

"I guess you win this time," she says to me, disappointed. "But I'll definitely dress you next time," she leaves with a hopeful expression.

After taking a shower, I step out to find my clothes neatly ironed and laid out on the bed. I put on the outfit, and it fits me perfectly. I descend down the stairs and find the bakery teeming with a steady stream of customers coming and going. The voices of patrons overlap in a joyful cacophony as they savor their desserts. Do-yun is busy serving customers, while Ye-jun and Ha-neul work diligently in the kitchen to prepare more treats.

Do-yun sees me and hands me the order for the second table. I walk over and serve it. We continue working like this for an hour until the rain eventually stops. Customers without umbrellas begin to leave. Within another half hour, the entire bakery empties out, and we finally take a rest.

Ye-jun closes the shop for today and hands out a cold drink to everyone. Ha-neul takes a sip and heaves a sigh of exhaustion.

"I'm tired. I need a holiday."

"Good work, everyone!...And thanks for your help, guys," Ye-jun directs it towards Do-yun and me.

Do-yun finishes his drink, "Thank you for letting me repay you for these clothes."

"It's not like I'm giving them to you. Bring them back tomorrow."

"You can keep mine though...umm... what's your name?" Ha-neul says to me.

"It is Ha-eun, and…I will also return it tomorrow."

"No! Keep it," she rejects my words again with a gleaming smile.

"Just keep it. You can't win against her, Ha-eun."

"Anyways, I believe you should introduce yourself to them," Ye-jun asks Ha-neul.

"What do you mean? They already know me."

"I do not," Do-yun raises his hand.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, my name is Ha-neul, and Ye-jun's my husband."

"But we're not married yet."

"Because we don't have enough money…and family…and relatives…and friends," Ha-neul adds.

After Ha-neul's comment, everyone stays silent until she herself breaks the silence.

"So…did you guys achieve today's goals?"

Why did she have to bring this up again? Both Do-yun and I remain silent, keeping our heads down as Ye-jun stares at us.

"Oh…right, it rained. So you need a new place to relax and sketch."

Why do we need a new place? We can just meet at the park again.

"Why do we need a new place?" Both Do-yun and Ye-jun question.

"It might rain tomorrow as well."

"I checked the weather forecast earlier, and it predicts a sunny day for tomorrow."

"The success rate for one-day forecasts is about 96-98%. It drops to about 90% for three-day forecasts. The more days in advance the forecast, the more likely it is that the weather will change. So, it's not entirely reliable."

"Since when do you know so much about weather forecasts?" Ye-jun asks her, as Do-yun visibly recalls the moment Ye-jun informed me. I can't win against her.

"Just one Google search is all it takes," she says while showing the screenshot on her phone.

"You never cease to amaze me. God knows when you prepare all this," Ye-jun comments.

"So…I suggest we visit the aquarium tomorrow."

No! Anywhere except an aquarium.