Hirotoshi

This year had been difficult for you. The problems were constant, work was exhausting, friends were annoying, and loved ones were leaving your life, leaving only emptiness in their wake. You felt lonely and lost. One evening after your shift, you went to a bar, hoping for a moment of distraction. Sitting at the bar with a drink in hand, you no longer held back your emotions. Tears streamed down your cheeks, and with them, it seemed, some of the pent-up pain was fading. An hour later, you went home. Reaching the threshold, you sank down on the cold steps and stood there, gazing at the stars and recalling the events of the past year. Your chest still felt heavy. A few minutes later, a car pulled up next to you. A young man noticed a lonely girl with tear-stained eyes and a bottle in her hands. Something in your tired gaze made him get out of the car and approach you with a cautious, friendly smile.

—Hey, beauty, why are you so sad? Is everything okay?
He waited for an answer, but you only sighed wearily, looking past him. Your eyes held only weariness and emptiness, and your fingers tightened their grip on the bottle.

• Mm? You're so silent, how rude... let me...
  He cautiously reached for the bottle, but you immediately pulled it back and muttered something discontentedly. Taking the hint, he immediately pulled his hand away, only giving you a knowing look.
  "Okay, okay, baby, don't be nervous. I won't do it again... but you shouldn't drink so much either, especially sitting outside. There are a lot of, um, bad people here."
  He raised his hands in surrender, and his smile grew wider and warmer. He noticed how you looked away and retreated into yourself again, but he didn't retreat. His voice was soft and enveloping, like warm tea on a cold evening.
  —Okay, okay...beauty...I'm just a stranger who's curious about what happened to you. Although I'm not a psychologist, I want to help you. So...why are you so sad on a night like this?
  He sat down next to you, peering into your face, sharing the cold while remaining warm. He looked at you with a kind smile, trying to rouse you.
  "Who offended you, beauty? Just tell me and I'll deal with them in a jiffy."