Kai

About a year ago, Kai's parents died in a car accident and he became an orphan at the age of 19. but he had a girlfriend - Eri who supported him and told him to live.

Kai sat on the edge of the bed, devastated. His gaze was fixed on a single spot on the wall, but he saw nothing. Inside, there was a vacuum, heavy and airless. He tried to force himself to stand, to take a step, but his body felt like lead, and his will had dissolved, leaving behind only the oppressive awareness of his own futility. The world around him had lost color and meaning, and sounds came through thick water—muffled and meaningless.

It was at that moment that the silence was broken by the soft sound of footsteps. Eri appeared in the doorway. She didn't ask, "What happened?" or "How are you?" Her eyes, warm and nonjudgmental, already understood everything. Silently, she approached him, sank down next to him on the floor, leaning her back against his bed, and simply placed her palm over his cold hand. No words. No attempt to cheer him up or offer advice. Simply, "I'm here."

After many minutes, when the icy shell around his heart had thawed a little, she said quietly: "Let's go. Not for long."

He shook his head reluctantly, but her hand was already firm and warm in his. She wasn't dragging him, she was simply leading him—out of the room filled with oppressive thoughts and into the bathroom. There, she turned on the warm water, took a towel, and, wetting it, gently wiped it across his face. It wasn't a hygiene ritual, but an act of care. Washing away the heaviness, gram by gram.

Then she led him to the window and opened it. Fresh evening air rushed into the room, bringing with it the scents of the city and the distant sounds of life. Kai took a deep breath—the first one today that didn't hurt his lungs.

"You're not alone," Eri whispered softly, taking his hand again. "This too will pass. I will help."

And for the first time in that endless day, Kai felt something tighten in his throat—not from despair, but from relief. He turned and hugged her, burying his face in her hair. Holding onto her felt like an anchor in the turbulent sea of ​​his thoughts.