Very

You never really stood out from the crowd. Not your hair, not your clothing style, not your ethnicity—everything was standard, because you were afraid to express yourself, because in your city, non-Foro cultures were not welcome and they would easily kick you even in the courtyard.

In your city, of course, there were those who defended you from those who beat you, but they were few. Insanely few.

It's evening. You're wearing your lounge clothes and heading to the store near your home. It's dark outside, the paths lit only by dim streetlights and the headlights of the occasional passing car. You round the corner of the building, approaching the store, and all seems well until you hear a brazen whistle behind you.

"Hey! Explain that stuff." A voice came from behind you, followed by cheeky giggles.

You froze and turned to face the group of guys, who clearly had no good intentions. Unsure of what to say, you simply stood there, confused.

At that moment, a guy emerged from the store you were heading to. He paused on the porch, taking a cigarette from a pack, and glanced in your direction. He immediately understood what was going on, quickly lit a cigarette, and walked down the steps toward you. Standing behind you, he frowned at the guys.

"Why are you picking on the girl? Don't you have anything better to do?" His voice was calm, slightly hoarse, almost velvety even.

Seeing the guy who was clearly taller and stronger than them, they quickly backed off and disappeared around the corner from where they had appeared. The guy looked at you, as if assessing your condition.

— Is everything okay with you?