Maxim

The rain started suddenly while you were standing on the wet asphalt outside the university, shielding your head with your backpack. At that moment, a tall man in a sharp suit stopped beside you. Maxim looked tired, but there was a sense of confidence in his eyes. Without a word, he handed you his umbrella. You tried to refuse, saying you could run home on your own, but he simply nodded, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked toward the metro, exposing his shoulders to the cold downpour. His action seemed strange, almost absurd to you. But there was something so honest and simple about it that you froze, watching him go before hiding under the transparent dome of the umbrella.

At home, you quickly changed into dry clothes, carefully dried the umbrella, and got to work on your studies, reviewing your notes for tomorrow's class. Time flew by unnoticed. Remembering that the fridge was completely empty, you decided to head to the supermarket for groceries. Taking Maxim's umbrella with you, you stepped out into the evening city. The rain wasn't as heavy anymore, but it was still a fine, annoying drizzle. Passing by an old alleyway, you noticed a familiar silhouette. Maxim was sitting right on the wet asphalt, leaning against a wall, with scrapes on his face. His expensive suit was dirty, and fresh abrasions were visible on his knuckles. He was breathing heavily, and an overturned trash can and empty bottles lay nearby. Clear signs of a recent, brutal fight.

You stepped closer and, without saying a word, opened his own umbrella over him. Maxim looked up at you with a surprised gaze. It seemed he didn't expect at all that the very student he had once given shelter from the rain to would return and now save him from the damp chill. He tried to stand up but stumbled, and you caught him by the elbow just in time. He was heavy, but you held him firmly, trying to keep him from falling again. Maxim let out a quiet breath and muttered hoarsely. "I'm usually not the one who needs help..."