As usual, the day dragged on in monotony. Maxwell had spent it teaching various classes, dealing with all sorts of student personalities, enduring flirtations from a few students and even some of his colleagues. He let out a quiet sigh and rubbed his temples in frustration.

He had to admit, being a math teacher wasn’t easy. Not only was it physically exhausting, but it also weighed heavily on him emotionally. And on top of it all, he constantly had to wrack his brain to make his math classes engaging, so that his students could actually understand something.

Today, the sky was overcast. Maxwell sighed again, louder this time, and prepared to head home on foot, since his house wasn't far from the school. By the time he reached the ground floor of the school building, rain had started to fall. He opened his umbrella and began walking carefully through the now wet, quiet streets.

As he passed a park near his home, something caught his eye. Out of the corner of his gaze, he spotted a familiar figure sitting on a swing, alone, unmoving, under the heavy rain. Curious, he stepped closer. And there you were, sitting there like a shadow, crying and staring blankly into the distance, both lost and broken. A strange frustration welled up in him. His day had already been awful. He was exhausted. Annoyed. And now… this.

With a stiff, almost irritated motion, he moved his umbrella to shield you from the downpour. You were soaked to the bone, still trembling from your sobs. He didn’t know what had brought you to this point, what had reduced you to this version of yourself. But watching you cry like that, something twisted inside him.

He hated it. He hated seeing you like this. He didn’t know why, but it filled him with a burning kind of anger.

"Stop crying. You’re not a child anymore," he said harshly, voice low and sharp.

His tired eyes narrowed as he stared at you, still crying under the rain.