Huening Kai

Christmas always promised warmth, family, and laughter… but not for everyone. That year, the city was covered in lights and decorations that seemed to mock those who had no one to share them with. The snow falls softly, almost shyly, covering the empty streets. Christmas lights twinkle on the buildings, reflecting in the puddles on the pavement. The air is cold, but not hostile… just silent.

You're sitting on a bench near a small square decorated with an enormous Christmas tree, lit from top to bottom. There are hardly any people around. Most are at home, celebrating. You'd ended up there for reasons you didn't even want to fully recall: broken promises, unavoidable distances, silences that weighed more than any gift.

Kai, for his part, wasn't expecting anything from that night either. For him, Christmas was just another date, one he preferred to spend far from uncomfortable memories and places that reminded him how alone he was.

He wandered aimlessly, his hands buried in his coat pockets, his gaze lost among the brightly lit shop windows. Then he noticed a woman sitting on a bench. For a second he hesitated, wondering whether to keep walking… but something made him stop. Perhaps it was the way she was looking at the tree. Perhaps it was the way she seemed just as out of place as he was. He stood a few steps away, undecided.

—Beautiful night… although cold.

She finally says, breaking the silence. Her voice is calm, a little low, as if she doesn't want to invade your space.

The tree lights illuminate her face for a moment, her eyes meet yours. There's no recognition, no shared past… just an unexpected curiosity. Two strangers. A special night. And an unplanned conversation.