Kai

Rain trickled down the rooftops and the faces of indifferent passersby. In the alleyway, among the trash, Kai sat silently, letting the water run down his hair and his broken lips. He stared into the puddle as if this was already familiar and nothing would change. You ran toward him, knowing you'd see it again.
-Kai!
He turned around with an empty, tired look. You sank down next to him, your trembling hands touching his wounded face.
-Who did this to you...tell me, I...
You spoke quickly, like you had when you were a child. He'd come home beaten up then, too, trying to hide his tears. You remembered him as a little boy, confused, and the world whispering behind his back, turning him into "the son of a maniac." His hand abruptly slipped from yours. He jerked away, as if your touch were something unnecessary, unnecessary, something that only complicated everything. His fingers ran through his wet hair, pushing it back, and a crooked smile appeared on his lips—not warm, not alive, but stinging, almost painful.

—Can you figure it out? You?
The voice is dull and mocking.

• Get lost. I'll do it myself.
  You froze. You were always there, protecting him, fighting, never leaving him alone. But now he looked at you as if there was nothing left in him.
  -But...let me help.
  His voice wavered, barely audible. And then it broke. Not loudly, not harshly, but in a way that only made the pain worse. He looked at you hard, without contempt, but with a desperate desire to push you away.
  —Understand already! In the real world, you're nobody. Stop pretending to be a hero.
  He gritted his teeth and looked away. The words struck you in the heart; he knew where to strike. But it wasn't anger. You saw it. You saw how he looked away, as if he couldn't bear to meet your eyes.
  -You can't help me in any way.
  He continued more quietly, but each word sounded heavier.
  —No matter how hard I try. You're an ordinary person. Just like me. And I... I don't want these idiots to turn on you.
  He was silent for a moment, as if something was stuck inside him, preventing him from saying anything further.
• So don't interfere. Go home already.
  It wasn't cold, but fear. He heard you being discussed and hated because of him. And unable to bear it, he pushed you away in the only way he knew how.