The Red Umbrella Mystery
usual, Allen had spent the entire day buried in his books, staying on campus until the evening hours. By the time he finally packed up his notes and stepped outside, the world was already drenched in rain. The monsoon had settled in, and the sky above was heavy with thick, brooding clouds that stretched endlessly across the horizon. The air was cool and damp, carrying with it the earthy scent of wet soil and fresh leaves.
Allen paused under the awning for a moment, staring at the sheets of rain cascading down, then let out a long sigh.
"Oh, great," he muttered to himself. "Looks like I'll be walking home soaked again today. I just hope I don't catch a cold, medicine costs a fortune these days."
Just as Allen was about to lift his bag over his head and make a dash through the downpour, something caught his eye. Off to the side, resting against the wall, was a red umbrella. Allen paused, lowering his bag slowly. A crease formed on his forehead as he stared at it.
"What's this doing here?"
"By now, everyone should have already left. The library's completely empty. Even the librarian handed me the keys earlier and went home after seeing those dark clouds. So then… whose umbrella is this?"
He crouched down, reaching for the handle. For a moment, Allen hesitated, a strange unease prickling at the back of his neck. Then, with careful fingers, he picked it up.
He carefully opened the red umbrella. He glanced around instinctively, scanning the deserted path beyond. Not a soul was in sight. Then his eyes fell on something tucked neatly inside the umbrella was a folded sheet of paper.
Allen froze for a moment, blinking in disbelief. A letter? Here? His brows furrowed as he reached out and pulled it free. He turned it over in his hands, hesitating.
"Should I even open this?" he whispered to himself. "It's obviously someone else's."
The thought lingered, but so did his growing curiosity. He debated with himself for another few seconds, then finally gave in.
Carefully, he unfolded the note. His breath caught in his throat when his eyes landed on the very first thing written across the page—his own name.
Dear Allen,
You're probably wondering how I know your name. Well, that's no great mystery, everyone here in college knows you. Still, don't worry, it's nothing strange.
I just wanted to leave this umbrella for you. I noticed earlier that you handed yours back to the librarian before leaving, and I didn't want you to walk home in the rain without one.
Stay warm, don't catch a cold.
You're welcome.
— From, S
"What?!" Allen frozen in place. His mind refused to process what he had just read. "S…?"
" For me...?"
He glanced around, eyes scanning the empty place, the rain-slicked path, and the shadowy outlines of the library and campus buildings. Nothing stirred, no one was there. The red umbrella felt warm and almost alive in his hands, as if it carried a little piece of the person who had left it.
His thoughts tumbled over one another, curiosity and disbelief warring with a growing sense of wonder. Who had done this? Why him? A small sigh crept across his face despite the rain soaking his hair and jacket. He finally held the umbrella tightly and started walking home.
The next day, Allen arrived at college carrying the same red umbrella. It felt strange to have it in his hands, since he had never borrowed anything from a stranger before. Besides, he didn't like asking others for things in the first place. Curiosity gnawed at him, so he decided to ask the librarian, someone he knew quite well, if they had any idea who might have left it or taken it last. The librarian shook their head, clearly as puzzled as Allen was. No one seemed to know anything.
Slightly amused and still intrigued, Allen decided to leave a note of his own inside the umbrella, tucking it carefully outside the library where he had found it.
Later, to his surprise, he discovered that someone had indeed taken the umbrella. Curious, Allen asked around the library and nearby people, trying to find a clue. But everyone was busy with their own tasks, students buried in books, staff attending to their duties. No one had noticed the umbrella, and no one could tell him anything.
Allen stood there for a moment, holding the empty space where the umbrella had been, a strange mix of anticipation and wonder stirring in his chest. Whoever had taken it…
Did that stranger really just want to help him? Was he even a student from here? Are there really people in this world who do good for strangers like that?
A few more days passed, and soon Allen had all but forgotten about the umbrella incident, dismissing it as a one-time
thing. Then, on another rainy afternoon, the skies opened up once more. This time, the rain wasn't as heavy, but it fell in a steady, persistent drizzle, soft and rhythmic against the windows and rooftops.
As always, Allen was sitting under the shelter of the library porch, engrossed in his studies, completely absorbed in his notes and assignments. The gentle sound of raindrops pattering on the ground and the distant murmur of the campus added a quiet background to his concentration.
It was then that he noticed his two classmates nearby, fidgeting and struggling with a small pile of firewood. Their expressions betrayed frustration, and the wood seemed to be slipping and sliding on the wet ground.
Without hesitation, Allen set his books aside and walked over to them. His voice carried a calm concern as he addressed them.
"Classmates, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"
The two classmates, both girls, seemed to be from Allen's class, he recognized them from some of the lectures and campus interactions. As they spoke, he realized they were a bit flustered. Their clothes were damp and slightly stained from the gentle drizzle that had started again. They admitted, with sheepish smiles, that they had forgotten their umbrella. Even so, they still had somewhere to be, hurrying across the rain-speckled campus.
Allen shook his head slightly, "Ah, the rainy season all month long. You didn't want to get wet, huh? A raincoat or even a bag would've helped, unless… you secretly like getting soaked?"
The first girl laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh! So now you think everyone has to be like you, Mr. Responsible?" she teased, wagging a finger at him. "Maybe we just like a little adventure in the rain!"
Her friend, the second girl chimed in, fluttering her lashes. "Yeah, and if we wore those boaring raincoats, how would anyone get a proper look at our pretty dresses? Can't let our fashion go to waste, right?"
"Ha!" the first girl exclaimed, throwing her head back with a dramatic flair. "Even today, I was planning to meet my crush under an umbrella! Imagine how romantic that would be! Just like in The Notebook, standing in the rain and sharing a deep, swoon-worthy kiss!"
She leaned closer to her friend, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "And not just any kiss!"
"It would be a French kiss!" Both of them burst into giggles.
Allen didn't have the slightest interest in any of it, so he simply stood there, watching them with a blank expression.
Noticing his face, the first girl cocked her head and asked with mock curiosity, her voice playful, "What are you staring at like that? Have you never been in love, or had a crush before, Allen?"
Allen opened his mouth to answer… but all that came out was a small, awkward, "Uh…"
The girls giggled again, exchanging a look that screamed this is too easy.
"What are you even asking him?" the second girl said, nudging her friend with a mischievous grin.
"If he ever actually dragged himself out from behind those mountains of books, I don't think he'd notice a girl, even if she fell right on his face, he still wouldn't!"
"Exactly!" the first girl burst out laughing, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"Allen, seriously~ have you been glued to that boring little corner forever, or are you training to be a statue? We just came here to use the bathroom, and you... you could've been out there, enjoying this beautiful rain, charming some poor girl, maybe even a little hook-up? This is the age for it, isn't it? And you… sitting all day long here like a frozen mannequin while the world moves on?!"
Allen, completely unfazed, shook his head with a wry smile. He reached for his umbrella and handed it over to them. "No thanks," he said calmly.
"Besides, my restaurant part time job is closed this season anyway, hardly anyone comes in, and the streets around the restaurant are always flooded in this weather. You take the umbrella and go. Okay? And please… don't make me listen to any more of this chatter."
The girls just waved and called out their thanks as they hurried away, laughing under the drizzle. Allen, ever the responsible one, didn't forget to remind them in his calm, measured tone, "Be careful on your way back."
After they left, he returned to his little corner, settling back into his books. Time seemed to stretch quietly around him. Being the last student to leave had its perks; the librarian trusted him enough to hand over the keys before heading out.
As Allen reached for the keys to lock up, something caught his eye. There, leaning against the corner of the library outside wall, was the familiar red umbrella, the same one from before. A small note was attached again. His brow furrowed again, he had no idea who had left it this time again.
Even today, you let someone else borrow your umbrella? Tsk tsk… well, here, take this.
This one's for you, just for yourself.
— from S
And so it continued, day after day, rain after rain. Each time the skies opened up and Allen found himself without his umbrella, that same red umbrella would appear as if summoned just for him, waiting on the bench, leaning by the library door, or resting against the railing of the stairway. It was never late, never missing, as though someone was silently watching over him, making sure he stayed dry. And each time, without fail, there was a small note attached, always signed with the same single letter: "S."
Naturally, Allen began to test it. On rainy days, he would "accidentally" give away his umbrella to classmates or to anyone who looked like they needed it more, pretending it was just an act of kindness. But deep down, he was waiting. Waiting for the moment when the red umbrella would reappear, waiting for a chance to finally catch the mysterious "S" in the act.
Yet every single time, he came up empty-handed. The mystery only grew heavier on his mind. Who could it be? A stalker? A threat? A quiet helper? Or perhaps… a helper? An acquaintance?
Allen sat in his usual corner of the library, his books spread out before him, though his eyes barely skimmed the pages. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He tapped his pen against the page, then dropped it altogether, slumping back in his chair.
"What do I do now…?" His gaze flicked toward the rain-speckled window.
"If the weather's right, today might be the very last day of the rainy season. And I still haven't caught that mysterious 'S'…"
He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, and buried his face in his hands for a moment. Then, with a deep sigh, he lifted his head again, eyes clouded with thought.
"If not today…then who knows if I'll ever find out?"
That day, however finally, Allen decided to change it?! He stood up, carefully placed his own umbrella down by the usual spot in the library outside wall. Also he slipped in a folded piece of paper, the words TO S written boldly across the top, as if daring the stranger to answer him directly.
After that, he forced himself to act normal. He returned to his seat inside, and tried to focus on his books. His pen scratched against the page, but his mind was restless, wandering constantly back to the umbrella he had left outside. Would S come? Would they take the bait?
Hours slipped by slowly, and before he knew it, the hands of the clock pointed to 9.30 pm. That was always his time, his quiet ritual of closing up, locking the doors, and heading home. Allen packed his books neatly into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and gave a small sigh as he pushed his chair back.
As Allen stepped out into the damp night, he almost laughed at himself for hoping, yet instead of the usual umbrella waiting alone, tonight was different.
There, standing in the soft glow of the outside light, was not just the umbrella.
It was a person.
Allen froze mid-step, his breath catching in his throat. After weeks of chasing a shadow, S was really finally standing right in front of him?
For a split second, Allen froze in his tracks. His breath caught, and his heartbeat stumbled as though it had forgotten its rhythm. The sight before him didn't feel real. All those days of wondering, the endless questions in his head, the notes, the red umbrella, everything had built up to this very moment. And now, the mysterious "S" wasn't just an idea or a shadow. He was real. Standing right there in front of Allen.
The boy looked nothing like what Allen had pictured in his restless imagination, yet somehow he seemed to fit perfectly into the mystery. His posture was easy, relaxed, as though he'd been waiting for this meeting all along. Raindrops tapped gently on the umbrella above him, a soft rhythm to match the warm, disarming smile on his face.
Before Allen could gather his words, the guy lifted his hand, showing him the folded note Allen had left behind. His eyes twinkled with playful mischief as he tilted the paper slightly.
"See this?"
"You wrote this to me today... you called for me. So..." with a grin, "Here I am."
The words hit Allen like a rush, his disbelief mixing with a flutter he couldn't quite name.
_____
Dear S,
Thank you for always lending me your umbrella, but this little game has gone on long enough! Why don't you just come and meet me in person? If I don't see you today, I might have no choice but to report you as a persistent stalker! Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm weak, if you have the courage, step forward and show yourself!