A/N: The first 100-word challenge-fic that I've ever done. The rules: write a story with exactly one hundred words in it, excluding the title. Not that complicated, but certainly a heck of a lot harder than it looks. :P

Updated A/N (11/18/02): For misha's sake, at least, I'd like to mention that, while the idea for this fic was in fact partially drawn from Akaiblush's lovely "Hitomi no Naka no Melody", I did not credit it originally because the only thing drawn from the actual story was the idea of Shindo sharing the umbrella theme with Touya, which was only a very brief part of Akaiblush's fic.

But I happen to like Akaiblush very much, and "Melody" was a truly good story, so . . . insert shameless plug here. ^_^

Touya's POV; speaking to Shindo.

"Stay the Same"

"Umbrellas never changed," you murmur.

I look over at you oddly. "What do you mean?" I ask, shielding my eyes from the rain to peer at you more closely.

"Just . . . umbrellas." You shrug. "We can do all these amazing things with medicine and airplanes and space . . . but umbrellas are just the same as always."

I shrug, glancing at the one in your hand. "Maybe some things just don't need to be improved," I tell you.

And you smile at me so brightly that I feel I must've said the right thing, whatever that is.

~*~ ende "stay the same" ~*~

. : review, my sweet umbrella-children : .