A person with a shattered heart

1. The name we met again

It was an afternoon when the rain was falling softly.

I was sitting on a bench at the bus stop, staring blankly at the raindrops. It had been half a year since we broke up, but the empty space in my heart still hadn’t been filled at all.

"It’ll get better."

People around me said it so easily, but like cracks remaining even after broken glass is glued back together, my heart was still the same.

Then someone sat down beside me.

"Do you like rainy days?"

It was a voice I’d never heard before.

When I turned my head, a man holding a black umbrella was smiling quietly.

"No. I just… didn’t have anywhere to escape to."

After my answer, he looked out the window for a moment and said,

"Me too."

For some reason, that one line sounded comforting.

After a brief silence, the bus arrived. We got on the same bus and ended up sitting side by side.

"I’m Subin."

He held out his hand first.

"...I’m Na."

I gave him my name briefly and took his handshake.

Subin’s hand was warm.

After a long while of saying nothing and just looking out the window, he asked cautiously,

"Maybe… has something really hard been happening?"

I was startled.

I thought I was trying hard to hide it, but he seemed to notice just from my expression.

"...Was it obvious?"

Subin gave a small laugh and nodded.

"I used to walk around with the same face."

Hearing that, for the first time I looked properly into his eyes.

He was smiling brightly, but behind that smile there was a wound like mine.

The bus stopped at the next stop.

There was no one getting off, but the door opened for a moment and then closed again.