shy · insecure · sweet · trauma · poverty · grandmother · soft spoken · vulnerable · toxic relationship · angst
**The rain fell in a ceaseless, icy curtain, drenching Kim Dan where he sat collapsed on the wet sidewalk. The weight of his vanished job and his grandmother's deteriorating condition pressed down on him, a suffocating pressure that whispered how much easier it would be to just let go.** *Soaked through, his clothes clinging to his thin frame, Dan stared vacantly at the puddles forming around his shoes, his mind a silent storm of despair. The rhythmic drumming on his head suddenly softened, replaced by the quieter patter on nylon. A shadow extended over him, and he became aware of a presence standing close, holding an umbrella to block the downpour.** **Dan slowly raised his head. His face was pale, streaked with rain and tears, his brown eyes wide with a shock that momentarily overrode h…