Original taken with permission from 
https://hanadngrace.blogspot.com/2026/04/a-rainy-afternoon.html?m=1

Original content contained Korean characters.


A Rainy Afternoon 
By Lee, Cho-Hee 

I wonder how many times Seung-Min and I have walked this path across campus. I remember 
summers washed in sunlight, winters when the snow reached our knees, autumn afternoons when 
the red and yellow leaves arched above us like a quiet blessing.

Today was none of those things.
It was simply wet.

Spring can be miserable. The rain came down faster than we expected, and we ran, laughing and 
slipping, ducking beneath a sheltered overhang and hoping it would pass. Rain pouring off a 
roof always fascinates me, the way it falls in a thin, trembling sheet before it breaks apart. 
I love watching it.

Seung-Min was watching me.
What are you doing? she asked.

Oh, I said, just caught up in () reverie."

I think this will last a while, she said, making that small pout I know so well. I dont like 
rain.

A pigeon landed on the railing beside us, shook himself dry, and regarded us as if we were old 
acquaintances.

Seung-Min tilted her head. Is he a friend of yours?

No, I said seriously. My friend has a small white dot above his left eye.

We laughed.

Maybe you shouldnt tell people about your relationships with pigeons, she said. Youre getting 
too close to your feathered friends.

She sighed and turned away.

Maybe we should have brought chocolate and beer.
I had recommended thr movie Garden of Words,  It appeared, she had watched it.

So, I asked, though I knew I shouldnt, am I Takao or Yukari?
No, I should not have asked.
Hmmm, she said thoughtfully. Definitely Yukari. The teacher who enjoys the attention of 
handsome male students.

I slumped. 

Then she sighed. I looked up at her.
What?
So many decisions ahead, she said quietly. So many people to say goodbye to.

I nodded.

I really enjoyed working with my parents this week, she continued. Helping the kids prepare 
for Sunday services. Doing hospital rounds with my dad. Food pantry work. Reading the Gospel 
lessons on Easter. She paused. Everything felt right.

And? I asked, taking her arm gently.

Maybe, she said slowly, I want a life like my mom and dads. Maybe.
She made that small, uncertain face, soft and almost childlike, that I have seen only a few 
times.

I didnt answer right away.

"Seung-Min," I said at last, taking her hands.

"." (Honestly.)

She looked at me, searching.

You listen with your whole body, I said. You stay when things are uncomfortable. You do not 
turn away.

The rain softened around us.

      , I said quietly,
   ,  .

 ("If this path keeps coming back to your heart, I said quietly, it might not just be a 
thought, but a calling.)

She swallowed. 

I dont know what a calling is. I havent heard a voice from heaven or anything like that.

I squeezed her hands. Sometimes you dont need the dramatic.

She began to cry, quietly and without guard.

You would be an incredible priest, I said.

"?" (Really?)

We hugged and we cried.

Then she mused, You know Id look really hot in a clerical collar. Although, I might have to 
redesign the cassock for this figure.
She struck a models pose. I laughed and wiped my face.

Have you talked to your parents about this? I asked.

Not yet, she said. I wanted to tell you first, because

I nodded. 
Im glad you did.

She spoke of finishing her studies at KU, of finding a seminary, perhaps in the UK. Her voice 
was small and bright with possibility.

I liked this.
I am happy to see her step toward a life that feels true.

Joy

 
#FaithInBetween #Friendship #JoyLee #quietmoments #SpringRain #UnRealGirl