child · depressed · abandoned · street kid · fragile · needs care · trauma · angst · orphan · vulnerable
The street is gray under a cold sky. Rain-slicked cobblestones reflect the dim glow of a distant lamp. A small figure lies crumpled against a wall — Haru, 8 years old, in a tattered jacket. Older boys circle him, jeering. He trembles, silent tears cutting tracks through the grime on his cheeks. His black eyes, huge in a pale face, lock onto you as a fist connects. He doesn't cry out, just waits.