Clear Boy
03.
Suddenly, I became a superstar. Even though I wasn't an idol. After proving I could actually stop the rain, I became the center of attention wherever I went. Girls who suddenly wrote to me, saying they'd liked me for a long time. Boys who said they'd actually liked me for a long time. Teachers I wasn't close with asked, "Can you really stop the rain?" "Oh, yes... I really do." I answered excitedly at first, but that kind of life gradually wore me down. I couldn't sleep at all.
I wonder if heroes also got this much attention at first. Well, those people had more power than me... How can I compare my abilities to telekinesis or super strength? It's just stopping rain. That's what I thought later. This kind of thing isn't as big of a deal as I thought. The more other people made a fuss, the more I realized I wasn't that big of a deal. It was ironic. Guys, I just stop rain. I can't use rain or anything. Just, rain... A voice I couldn't utter lingered. Stop it. What's the point of talking about this? The kids were already talking excitedly among themselves about me. I couldn't tell if they were compliments or gossip. At the same time, the number of arguments I got into increased. Some kids liked me and thought I was amazing, but others teased me, calling me a weird kid.
A prime example is the boy who picked a fight with me that day. He'd always find fault with everything. He must be incredibly talented. Hey, don't you have any other talents? Just that? At first, I got upset, but now even those arguments have become insignificant. It's gotten to the point where he'd just lightly throw a fit. Hey, eat some shit. Can't you even do that? I'd say that and chuckle, and he'd get mad instead. It was funny. Why on earth would he pick a fight he couldn't win?
That was a mistake. I was too complacent about the trouble I was getting into. At first, the kid who'd come alone gradually showed up in groups. They were doing all sorts of things. I ignored him and lay down to sleep, but he'd grab my shoulder and pull me down. "Hey, do it again like yesterday," he'd say, laughing. I fell over in my sleep and felt sick. "Ah... My tailbone hurts." I rubbed my sore eyes and said casually. "Get out of here. I'm tired enough without you." I staggered to my feet and lay down again. Then, I felt a dull pain in the back of my head.
"...ah."
It was a punch. Only then did I awake. Is he hitting me? My thoughts stopped for a moment. Then my mind raced. How am I going to kill that kid? It's been a while since I've felt this strong. It's annoying that you keep poking at me, but this is good. I'll just end it here. As soon as I finished gathering my thoughts, I threw a punch. Considering my small stature, my punch was quite sharp. The boy, clutching his chin and falling, groaned. Then, the group behind me all rushed at me. I was hit back as many times as I swung my fists. Those vicious bastards. Are you going to attack me with your strength? Even as I thought that, I didn't stop punching. My anger was growing.
Just as the pint snapped, thunder and lightning struck the sky. It wasn't even the weather for rain. It was the perfect moment for a bolt from the blue. It was strange. I hadn't noticed. My mind was filled with the single thought of somehow dealing with them. From the thunder and lightning, a torrential downpour poured down. Everyone frantically closed their windows to the sudden downpour, but it wasn't enough to stop it. It was a real storm. The windows rattled and shattered. Sharp shards of glass scattered across the floor.
That meant a terrible storm had swept behind me. And that was from the moment my focus went out. Even the kids who had been attacking me flinched at the sudden change in weather. What, what was that? My eyes were so dizzy that I didn't even realize it was the weather. Well, since I was the one doing it anyway, they probably wouldn't have been surprised. I took advantage of everyone's confusion to throw another punch. That was my last fight. I didn't lose. It was a clear victory, but the kids who were looking at me had fear in their eyes. It rained heavily while I was fighting. If you ask me how much it rained, it could have easily caused a flood. That's about it. And the thunder and lightning were so intense. I heard later that they thought the sky was ending.
As soon as I finished the fight, the weather cleared, as if by magic. I looked around, trying to catch my breath, and everyone was pale. "What's going on? Why are you giving me those looks?" I asked. "You've seen me fight more than once or twice." I frowned.
"what."
"....."
"Is this your first time seeing them fight?"
As soon as I spoke, all the gazes fixed on me dispersed. No one spoke to me. The annoyingly clinging gazes vanished. A chill ran down my spine. I instinctively felt something. I had done something wrong. I knew immediately that it wasn't because of the fight. I slowly raised my gaze and looked up at the sky. I saw the broken window. I could also see the rain splashing through the crack. The sky was shining with sunlight as if nothing had happened. It was... raining. My head, which usually didn't turn, started spinning.
04.
A third-rate drama unfolded in my life. In an instant, the hero became a villain. The hands that had once praised me, saying I was great, gathered one by one and began to strangle me.
He's a monster. He said he made it rain last time because he was angry. We almost died. He said there was almost a flood? That monster. I couldn't believe I did that. If I had known he had that ability in the first place, I would have stayed quiet. Who would have thought it would rain based on my mood? I wanted to scream that I didn't know. I really wanted to explain that I didn't know. But I couldn't. Every time I tried to talk to him, he avoided me. He didn't listen. He always said he was a monster when he was interested, but now he said he was. Now. My eyes stung with emptiness.
Soon after, my parents were called to school. My abilities were completely exposed. They looked at me in disbelief, like they were looking at a monster. Mom, Dad. I'm nothing special. Just a little. A little special. After the meeting with the teacher, I grabbed my parents. I didn't know it would happen. I really didn't know you had such an ability. They said nothing and shook my hand away. I couldn't bear to meet their eyes. I knew what they were looking at even without looking. I was suspended from school. The excuse was for hitting kids. Even if I was stupid, I knew the real reason. They must have been scared. It would be a hassle to have a kid with unknown abilities at school. Why should I do that? I wanted to argue, but my parents stopped me. I hadn't said a word since the meeting, but I could almost hear them begging me to stay quiet.
Reporters came to my house. The apartment was abuzz. Researchers came by often, too. My parents said they had the wrong people and sent them all away. I locked myself in my room. I couldn't even utter a sound. No matter what I tried to say, my parents ignored me. It seemed difficult to face. I really wasn't a monster. Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. It felt like the world had turned into an enemy. I was only in middle school at the time. I was too young to be pointed at and called a monster. I had no reason to go back to the school I'd been suspended from. My parents said they were transferring me. By the time they told me, my bags were already packed. All I had to do was prepare to leave. To another town, far away from here. Alone.
"My uncle will visit often. He will also send me living expenses..."
"....."
"It's a good school, so study hard."
"....."
"Don't ever go around talking about your abilities there."
"....."
"Huh? Beomgyu"
Ordinarily. Live like a dead rat, without anyone noticing. So that no one gets hurt. Hearing those words, I burst out laughing. Harm. Harm... What harm have I caused? Has anyone been hurt by my power? Has anyone died? Some may have fallen in shock, but I doubt anyone was harmed. In this situation, it was obvious that I was the one who suffered the most. I gritted my teeth.
"You're fucking around."
"..what?"
"They're all fucking around."
Mom and Dad's eyes widened. It was hilarious.
"What are you talking about now?"
"Damage? What kind of damage?"
"....."
"If I'm gross, tell me I'm gross."
"..Beomgyu."
"Everyone said that? They called me a monster."
"....."
"That's what I thought in the end. Mom and Dad too."
Okay, then. I'll just keep my mouth shut and live quietly, just like you want. Without anyone knowing. Without anyone knowing that Mom and Dad are my parents. That's what you want, isn't it? I don't want to be a bother for no reason. My parents grabbed my hand in a hurry. "Beomgyu, that's not it..." They coldly pushed his hand away. This situation was so disgusting I thought I was going crazy.
"If you were afraid of being pointed at..."
"....."
"You should have just thrown it away."
"....."
"It's more frustrating to play like this."
Everyone was going overboard. All I wanted was for the rain to stop. Before I knew it, tears were flowing. I got annoyed and wiped them away. I left the house with my already packed luggage. There was no coming back. Mom and Dad had abandoned me. I had been abandoned. Damn it. Curses escaped my lips. The sky was pouring rain right on time. This was crazy. How did they know I was in a bad mood? It wasn't the same storm as before.
Slowly and steadily, the sky was crying for me.