Chapter A-1

     Recently it rains frequently, as the monsoon season approaches. I don't know since when I started to feel the rain could calmed my heart and mind. Is it because it remind me of her, Shea Yuniea? Lovely name just like the owner.

     It's been almost a week since I moved to this high standard school since the circumstances forced me, it worth it even though there's too many things that I had to let go. Not only due to the education quality and higher facilities here that will help me achieve my goal but I be able to know Yuniea though we never converse.

     Now I set foot into this school's library for the first time. As I guess, it's very spacious and far more luxurious and compact compared to secondary school's I ever went. Yuniea often spent most of her time here; get this information from the students who are always gossiping about her. Common thing for a popular student like her; the beautiful head students.

     I didn't see any glimpse of her yet and the other students there started to shoot me a strange glare; It feels like I'm a disturbing insect. I reached out a book from the shelf without any intention of reading it and walked to the corner room, try to escape from the humans glare there. I stopped my step once I capture her image that was standing facing a foggy glass window on the outside; seems it's raining again. Yes, Yuniea love rain. She would stand under the rain as long as she wants without moving. Weird but interesting.

She drew something on the surface of the glass with her index finger while her other hand holding a thick book. She's just a little shorter than me, it's like ear level only. She has a silky long and black hair, pearly white skin but rather pale. Red lips …

"What ... do you want?"

It's like my heart want to explode as soon as her eyes met my eyes; I didn't even realize I was standing close to her. I slipped the book that I grip and it fell to the floor, the sound, seems to have brought me back to reality.

"I .. sorry." I spoke. Not only her eyes are suffocating me; her eyes are gray, withering but sharp as a knife. But also because of her soft voice. she still looked at me with a puzzled glare until I get an excuse to fix our awkward situation. "What did you draw?" I glances to just plain mirror surface in front of her. She also turned to glances on the surface.

"Roses, it's very beautiful when it drenched with rain." She answer and suddenly bend downwards to pick the book i dropped. "Don't let the books under your feet even if you don't have any intention to read it." She explained then return the book on her other hand on the shelf next to me. After that she leave me behind, speechless; does she know my other intentions?

The rain began to subside slowly, the sun is starting to shine again behind the clouds. I wonder what she think of me now?

     In the front yard of the school, the students are invited by their drivers. A black limousine for over 2 meter and a half length stops in front of the stairs leading to the main hall and a driver dressed in a black coat get out immediately to open the door as soon as Yun-ae walked out of the main hall. I knew that Cha Yun-ae comes from a noble family but witness it in front of my own eyes makes me feel like being in a very different world with her now.
"Seung-ji, what are you doing there?"
I glanced up at the voice and saw the glimpse of Jyeung-ho with his red ferarri.

      Sejak kebelakangan ini hujan turun dengan kerap, memandangkan musim tengkujuh semakin hampir. Entah sejak bila saya mula merasakan hujan mampu menenangkan hati dan fikiran saya. Adakah kerana ia mengenangkan saya tentang dia, Shea Yuniea? Nama yang cantik persis seperti empunya.

     Sudah hampir seminggu saya berpindah ke sekolah bertaraf tinggi ini selepas keadaan memaksa saya. Berbaloi juga walaupun mungkin terlalu banyak perkara yang terpaksa saya lepaskan. Bukan hanya disebabkan kualiti pembelajaran dan kemudahan di sini lebih tinggi dan akan membantu saya mencapai tujuan tetapi antaranya adalah saya telah mengenali Yuniea walaupun kami tak pernah berbual.

     Sekarang saya menjejakkan kaki di dalam perpustakaaan sekolah ini buat pertama kalinya. Seperti dugaan saya, ia sangat luas dan jauh lebih mewah dan padat berbanding sekolah-sekolah menengah yang pernah saya pergi. Yuniea kerap menghabiskan masanya disini; mendapat maklumat ini dari pelajar-pelajar yang selalu bergosip tentangnya. Perkara biasa bagi pelajar popular sepertinya; seorang ketua pelajar.

     Dari tadi saya tak menemui kelibatnya lagi dan pelajar lain sudah mula memandang saya dengan pelik; rasanya saya menganggu ketenteraman mereka. Saya mencapai sebuah buku dari rak tanpa berniat membacanya lalu berjalan ke hujung penjuru bilik, coba melarikan diri dari jelingan manusia-manusia di situ. Langkah saya terhenti sebaik menangkap imejnya yang sedang berdiri menghadap jendela kaca yang berkabus di luar; nampaknya hujan turun lagi. Ya, Yuniea sangat menyukai hujan. Dia akan berdiri di bawah hujan selama yang dia mahu tanpa bergerak sedikit pun. Pelik tapi menarik.

     Dia melukis sesuatu di atas permukaan kaca dengan jari telunjuknya sambil sebelah tangannya memegang sebuah buku yang tebal. Dia hanya rendah sedikit dari saya, rasanya paras telinga saja. Dia memiliki rambut yang halus panjang dan hitam, kulit yang putih bak mutiara tetapi agak pucat. Bibir yang kemerahan...

“Apa... yang awak mahu?”

Seperti jantung saya mahu meletup sebaik saja pandangan matanya menemui mata saya; saya tak sedar yang saya telah berdiri hampir dengannya. Buku yang saya genggam terlepas dan terjatuh ke atas lantai, bunyi hentakannya seolah-olah telah membawa saya semula ke dunia nyata.

“Ma.. maaf.” Saya bersuara. Bukan hanya pandangan matanya yang menyesakkan saya; anak matanya yang kekelabuan, kelayuan tetapi tajam seperti pisau. Tetapi juga suaranya yang sangat lembut. Dia masih memandang saya dengan hairan sehingga saya mendapat alasan untuk mengalihkan keadaan kami yang janggal.“Apa yang awak lukis?” Saya memandang permukaan cermin yang hanya kosong. Dia turut memandang di atas permukaan yang sama.

“Bunga ros, ia sangat cantik apabila dibasahi hujan.” Jelasnya ringkas lalu tunduk untuk mencapai buku yang saya jatuhkan tadi. “Tak baik awak biarkan buku di bawah kaki awak walaupun awak tak berniat untuk membacanya.” Jelasnya lagi lalu mengembalikan buku yang berada di sebelah tangannya di rak bersebelahan saya. Selepas itu dia pun beredar meninggalkan saya yang tak mampu mengucapkan apa-apa pun; adakah dia tahu niat sebenar saya? 

Hujan mula reda dengan perlahan-lahan, matahari juga sudah mula memancar semula dari sebalik awan. Agaknya apa pandangan dia terhadap saya sekarang?