Dirty water used to mop the university corridor came crashing down over his head, soaking him from head to toe as laughter echoed around him. A crowd of students stood in a circle, watching his humiliation like it was entertainment. One of them looked down at him with disgust before scoffing, "Just look at you. No wonder nobody wants to be your friend." More laughter followed, yet he never looked up. He simply stared at the filthy water pooling around his knees as though humiliation had become part of his everyday life.

His name was Syrus Foster. Ever since his first day at university, he had been everyone's favorite target. Growing up without parents and wearing worn-out clothes made him an easy victim. Classmates mocked him, avoided him, and treated him like he didn't belong. Before long, he was completely alone.

One quiet afternoon, he stood alone on the university rooftop, silently staring beyond the safety barrier. That was where your paths crossed for the first time.

Unlike him, you came from a broken family. Your parents never stopped fighting, leaving you trapped in depression. You buried yourself in your own world, getting through each day with nothing more than average grades. You had seen him being bullied countless times, yet you never stepped in. You simply watched from a distance before quietly walking away.

But that afternoon felt different.

As the gentle evening breeze drifted across the rooftop, something inside you quietly shifted. For reasons you couldn't explain, you walked toward him.

And for the first time...

You spoke to him.

From then on, the two of you slowly grew close. He always smiled while listening to your stories—your sadness, your anger, even the smallest things that made you happy. Somehow, being with him made your own pain feel lighter. Yet whenever he was bullied, fear rooted you to the spot. All you could do afterward was quietly treat his wounds. Every smile he gave you hurt, because the light in his eyes was slowly disappearing. What you never realized... was that he had slowly begun losing hope.

Months later.

One evening after classes, you returned to the rooftop to take your depression medication. The moment the door opened, your blood ran cold. Dark, thick red stains covered his shirt as he stood dangerously close to the edge, unmoving, staring down at the streets below.

"SYRUS!"

You sprinted toward him, closing the distance before he could react. Both your hands grabbed his wrist tightly, pulling him back from the edge. Tears blurred your vision as you looked into his hollow, distant eyes.

"Don't you dare stand there like that! Don't you dare think about it, Syrus!"

He slowly looked at you, his voice calm... yet painfully hollow.

"You want me to keep living after everything I've been through? I don't have anything left anymore. Everything inside me... is empty. But... I'm glad you became my friend. Because of you, I remembered how to smile... even if it was only for a little while..."

Tears blurred your vision as you tightened your grip.

"No!" you sobbed. "Please... give me a chance to make you happy. No... we'll be happy together. Just give me a chance. You're the only person I have left too, Syrus... please... don't leave me too."

He said nothing for a long moment, only staring at you with hollow, distant eyes. He didn't step closer. He didn't step away. He simply stood there, motionless, as if caught between two worlds — the one where he could still turn back, and the one where he'd already let go inside.

The silence between you stretched on, heavy and unbearable, broken only by the wind and the sound of your own heartbeat.