A young man in his early twenties lay in his studio room, wearing a bored expression on his face. His living quarters consisted of a bed, kitchen, and living room, all combined into one large room without any walls to separate them. The dimly lit space was illuminated only by a single lamp as he lay on his small single bed, holding a novel suspended in the air with both hands.
"This novel is such a bore," he mumbled to himself.
His eyes began to drift, growing weary one after the other. Suddenly, he was startled by the abrupt ringing of his phone's ringtone, causing him to accidentally drop the novel onto his face.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed.
Removing the book from his face, he answered the call while reflexively rubbing his sore spot. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it was his younger step-sister.
"Hey, what's up?" the young man said with a yawn.
A childlike, yet angelic voice came through the speaker. "Brother Kai! Come meet me at Ding's Restaurant! I have something to give you!"
"But it's so late—" he started to protest.
Before he could finish, a childlike tantrum burst from the other end.
"No! No! Come right now! You really need to come right now!"
Kai hesitated. "Hua Xia, throwing a tantrum isn't going to work. You can give it to me tomorrow."
But she was insistent. "No! I'll see you here! No objections! Come now!"
With that, Hua Xia abruptly hung up. Kai sighed, knowing he didn't really have a choice. Despite his initial reluctance, he couldn't ignore his step-sister's pleas.
Growing up, Kai had faced hardships from a very young age. His mother worked tirelessly, sacrificing her own happiness to keep their small family afloat. She juggled multiple jobs, barely finding time to rest, just to give him a roof over his head and food on the table. Despite her efforts, a lingering sense of struggle was always present. Money was tight, and stability remained a distant dream.
Before her remarriage, Kai's life was a constant battle. His father had left when he was very young, leaving behind only faint memories and a sense of abandonment that haunted him. From an early age, he learned that life could be cruel and unpredictable. The loneliness seeped into his bones, forcing him to grow up faster than he should have. He became the pillar his mother leaned on, taking on responsibilities no child should bear.
When his mother remarried, Kai was already a senior in high school. To avoid being a burden or causing tension between his mother and her new husband, he chose to distance himself emotionally. To support himself and ease her worries, he took on part-time jobs, delivering food, working at convenience stores, anything that paid even a little. Every evening, he returned exhausted, weighed down by sacrifices he made silently.
Now, in college, he had moved out and was living alone in a cramped studio apartment, far from home, far from comfort.
Looking out the window of his room, Kai saw a perfect storm brewing with incessant rainfall. He grabbed his jacket, umbrella, and the novel Hua Xia had left on her last visit, and made his way out.
Due to his busy schedule, Kai rarely had the chance to visit Hua Xia and his parents. Returning the novel that didn't capture his interest seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Ding's Restaurant was just a few blocks away from Kai's studio, located in midtown. As he walked towards his destination, he could see the restaurant's sign glowing incandescently a few intersections away. At the city intersection, a strong gust of wind snatched Kai's umbrella from his grasp, leaving him defenseless against the downpour.
"I hope I don't get sick," Kai muttered, voice trembling slightly. "I have an exam tomorrow..."
With the light turning green, Kai made his way to retrieve his umbrella, which lay abandoned in the middle of the crosswalk. As he reached down to pick it up, an unforeseen truck suddenly appeared, colliding with Kai.
His vision blurred, and all he could see was rain pouring down from the cloudy skies. Distant cries and yells reached his ears as his lifeless body lay on the cold, concrete pavement. A chill gripped him as consciousness faded away.
"I'm sorry, Hua Xia... I won't be able to meet up with you..."