Rain fell like the sky had given up.
Cold. Heavy. Endless.
It soaked through my clothes, clung to my skin, and made every breath feel like ice cutting into my chest. My fingers trembled as I pulled my knees closer, trying to make myself smaller… like maybe the world would forget I existed.
People walked past me.
Fast.
Busy.
Important.
No one stopped.
No one looked.
I was just… there.
A shadow on the side of the street.
Ten years old, and already invisible.
---
I didn't remember when life became like this.
Maybe it had always been this way.
Maybe I was just born to be forgotten.
---
A car stopped in front of me.
Not just any car.
It was black. Long. Expensive-looking—the kind of car that didn't belong on a broken street like this.
I didn't look up at first.
Cars came and went.
They weren't for people like me.
---
The door opened.
Polished black shoes stepped out.
Clean.
Untouched by mud or struggle.
I stared at them.
For some reason… I couldn't look away.
---
"Why are you sitting here?"
The voice was deep.
Calm.
Cold.
Not angry. Not kind.
Just… distant.
---
I slowly lifted my head.
And for the first time—
I saw him.
---
He didn't look like anyone I had ever seen before.
Tall.
Sharp.
Perfect in a way that didn't feel real.
His face held no emotion, his eyes unreadable—like he was looking at me, but not really seeing me.
Like I was just… something in his way.
---
"I asked you a question."
His voice didn't change.
Still calm.
Still cold.
---
"I…" My throat felt dry. My voice barely came out. "I don't have anywhere to go."
---
He didn't react.
Didn't frown.
Didn't soften.
Nothing.
---
For a moment, he just stood there, the rain falling around him, not even touching him properly—like the world itself refused to ruin him.
Then—
"Stand up."
---
I froze.
"…What?"
---
"Stand up."
---
I hesitated.
People didn't tell me to stand.
They told me to leave.
To go away.
To disappear.
---
But something about his voice—
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't threatening.
Yet my body moved anyway.
Slowly.
Carefully.
I stood.
---
I almost fell.
My legs were weak, my body too cold to function properly.
But before I could hit the ground—
A hand grabbed my arm.
Firm.
Steady.
Warm.
---
I looked up at him, shocked.
His grip was strong… but not rough.
He wasn't hurting me.
He was holding me.
---
"Can you walk?"
---
I nodded quickly.
"Yes."
Even if I couldn't… I would have said yes.
---
He released me immediately.
Like touching me had been unnecessary.
---
"Get in."
He turned toward the car.
---
I blinked.
"…What?"
---
He didn't look back.
"Get in the car."
---
That was it.
No explanation.
No kindness.
No reason.
---
I stood there, staring at his back.
My heart started beating faster.
Louder.
---
Why?
Why me?
---
This didn't happen.
People didn't help for no reason.
Especially people like him.
---
"…Why?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
---
He paused.
Just for a second.
---
Then he turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine again.
Sharp.
Unreadable.
---
"You'll die if you stay here."
---
Simple.
Direct.
Like he was stating a fact.
Not something he cared about.
---
Then he added—
"And I don't like seeing unnecessary things."
---
My chest tightened.
Unnecessary.
That's what I was.
---
But still…
He opened the car door.
And waited.
---
That was the moment everything changed.
---
I don't know why I moved.
Maybe because I was tired.
Maybe because I was cold.
Maybe because…
for the first time in my life—
someone didn't walk away.
---
I got into the car.
---
It was warm.
Too warm.
The sudden heat made my body ache.
My fingers curled into the seat as I tried to process it.
---
The door closed.
The world outside disappeared.
---
He got in after me.
Sat beside me.
Not close.
Not far.
Just enough to remind me he was there.
---
"Drive."
---
The car moved.
---
Silence filled the space between us.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
---
I didn't know what to say.
Didn't know what to do.
So I stayed quiet.
Like always.
---
After a while, he spoke again.
"What's your name?"
---
I hesitated.
Names felt… unimportant.
But I answered anyway.
"…Kai."
---
He nodded once.
Like that was enough.
---
"And your parents?"
---
I looked down.
"…I don't know."
---
Another pause.
---
"I see."
---
That was all.
No pity.
No sympathy.
No questions.
---
Strangely…
I liked that.
---
The car stopped in front of a building.
No—
Not a building.
A mansion.
---
My eyes widened.
I had never seen something like that before.
---
"Out."
---
I followed him without thinking.
My feet felt small against the clean ground.
Everything felt too big.
Too perfect.
---
Inside, it was even worse.
Lights.
Space.
Silence.
---
"Sir," someone greeted him immediately.
A man in a suit.
Respectful.
Careful.
---
"Prepare a room," he said. "And get someone to clean him up."
---
The man glanced at me.
Just for a second.
Then nodded.
"Yes, sir."
---
No questions.
No surprise.
---
Like this was normal.
---
I stood there, frozen.
Confused.
Overwhelmed.
---
"Follow him," the man said to me.
---
I looked at the CEO.
For some reason.
---
He wasn't looking at me anymore.
He had already turned away.
Walking further inside.
Like I was no longer important.
---
Something in my chest tightened.
---
But I followed anyway.
---
The room they gave me was bigger than anything I had ever seen.
Clean.
Soft.
Warm.
---
A woman helped clean me.
Changed my clothes.
Fed me.
---
I didn't say much.
I didn't know how to.
---
But my eyes kept drifting to the door.
---
Waiting.
---
For him.
---
I didn't know why.
---
Night came.
The house grew quiet.
---
I sat on the bed, my fingers gripping the blanket.
Soft.
Too soft.
---
Everything felt unreal.
Like I would wake up and be back on the street.
Cold.
Alone.
Forgotten.
---
The door opened.
---
My head snapped up.
---
He stood there.
---
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
---
Then he walked in.
Slow.
Calm.
Controlled.
---
"Are you settled?"
---
I nodded quickly.
"Yes."
---
His gaze scanned the room.
Then landed on me.
---
"From today, you'll stay here."
---
My breath caught.
---
"…Why?"
I asked again.
---
This time, he didn't answer immediately.
---
Instead, he walked closer.
Stopped in front of me.
---
For the first time—
I noticed how tall he really was.
How overwhelming his presence felt.
---
"You don't need a reason."
---
His voice was quiet.
But firm.
---
"I saw you. That's enough."
---
My chest tightened again.
Harder this time.
---
No one had ever said something like that to me.
---
"You'll go to school. You'll be taken care of."
He continued.
"Don't cause trouble."
---
I nodded again.
Faster.
"I won't."
---
A small pause.
---
Then he turned to leave.
---
"Wait!"
The word came out before I could stop it.
---
He stopped.
But didn't turn around.
---
"…Thank you."
My voice was small.
Barely there.
---
Silence.
---
Then—
"…Sleep."
---
And he left.
---
The door closed.
---
I stared at it for a long time.
---
My chest felt strange.
Tight.
Warm.
Confusing.
---
I lay down slowly, pulling the blanket over myself.
---
For the first time in years—
I wasn't cold.
---
For the first time—
I wasn't alone.
---
And without realizing it…
I whispered into the quiet room—
---
"…I'll stay."
---
Because I had nowhere else to go.
Because he saved me.
Because my life began the moment he appeared.
---
And maybe…
Just maybe—
---
I already knew.
---
That I would never be able to leave him.
---
Not now.
Not ever.