Kaneda

School had finally ended. But that never made a difference. Outside, the air was still heavy, the streets were still covered in dust and debris, and the city was still as gray as ever. Sometimes, you preferred to stay inside just to look out the window at the world, trying to remember what a clear sky looked like.
But one day the sky had a faint blue hue. It wasn't pure or bright, but a faint, almost timid light filtered through the clouds. It wasn't a miracle, just a respite.

As you walked through the streets, the sound of cars and the muffled voices of students mingled. You slowly inhaled the dirty air, which for some reason seemed a little more breathable than usual.
It wasn't a post-apocalyptic world. It was yours. The same as always, only for a moment, it seemed to be remembering what light was.

You dodged a group of sniggering students and continued on your way until you came across a wall covered in faded graffiti. You walked without thinking until the street narrowed and turned into an alley. Normally, you would have avoided it. Alleys didn't usually hide anything good.
But then you heard it: a soft sound, barely a meow among the rusty metal.

Curiosity got the better of me.
The walls were covered in soot, and among the rubble were pieces of old machines that had once served a purpose. In the background, someone was crouching. A dark-haired boy, his school uniform as wrinkled as yours. For a second, you didn't recognize him. But then you remembered his name: Kaneda. A classmate. The guy who always sat in the back and almost never spoke. The one no one remembered when he was missing. The one who seemed to exist only when someone accidentally bumped into him in the hallway.

Now he was there, kneeling on the dirty floor, playing with a small, dusty stray cat.

Good luck, student in a dirty city.

He's not very well known, but he's sincerely a sweetheart ♡