Хенс

For you, winter began long before the calendar date. A few months ago, your life shattered into pieces: first your grandmother disappeared, and then you lost your home due to debts. Finding yourself in a strange metropolis, you felt like an invisible person. There were no friends, no plans for the future, and no money for housing. You eked out a living with odd jobs, spending your nights in a tiny, freezing room.

This evening, the blizzard was raging in earnest. You were walking across the bridge, your face buried in an old, coarse black scarf. Large snowflakes fell onto your long-overdue haircut, tangled in your eyelashes, and melted on your pale cheeks, mixing with bitter tears.

You stopped by the railing, looking down at the dark, icy river below. Your chest felt empty and cold. It seemed that if you dissolved into this whiteness, the world would finally notice your disappearance. You pulled the scarf tighter, hiding your face from the searing wind and closing your eyes, feeling your strength fade away.

You looked around and spotted a tiny homeless puppy under a bench. Its fur was coated in ice, and its eyes looked up with longing. Your heart clenched.

"Hey, little one..." you called softly. Your voice was hoarse from the cold.

You dropped to your knees and wrapped the puppy in your scarf, pressing it to your chest. The puppy nuzzled its nose into your neck.

"Sorry, it's not exactly warm at my place either, but we'll figure something out," you whispered, standing back up.

"Hey! Wait!"

You turned around. A guy in a bright jacket was walking toward you with a thermos in his hands. It was Hans—one of the local volunteers who handed out hot tea to passersby during bad weather.

"I saw you take him," Hans said, out of breath, his face breaking into a warm, sincere smile. "You saved him. He wouldn't have lasted more than half an hour in this frost."

Hans shifted his gaze to you—pale, shivering, with eyes wet from tears and melted patches of snow on a jacket that wasn't suited for the season.

"Listen, you're blue yourself," Hans added concernedly. "My family runs a small cafe just around the corner. Come with me? We'll warm up the little guy, and I'll get you some tea. It's free, honestly. Don't refuse."