The rain pelted down relentlessly as Lui trudged through the dark, wet streets of Shanghai. Each step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by frustration and anguish. He couldn't wrap his mind around his best friend, Rose, confiding in Kai instead of him. How could she keep such a secret?
Reaching Rose's apartment building, he hesitated for a moment. Would she even want to see him after their last argument? But the thought of her potentially being bullied gnawed at him, urging him to press on. He quickly made his way to her door and knocked, the sound drowned out by the thunder outside.
The door flung open, and there stood Rose, her eyes wide with surprise and concern. But as she took in the sight of him—soaking wet and visibly distressed—her expression shifted to one of alarm.
"Lui! What happened? You're soaking!" she gasped.
"Forget about me, Rose! Why didn't you tell me?" he interrupted before she could say more, stepping into the entryway, dripping on her floor.
She blinked, caught off guard. "Tell you what?"
"About the bullying! Why would you keep that from me? We promised we'd never hide things from each other!" His voice cracked, the weight of his disappointment spilling over.
Rose looked down, her guilt palpable. "I... I didn't want to worry you. I thought maybe—"
"Thought maybe what? That I wouldn't care? That you could handle it on your own?" Lui's voice rose, fueled by pain and confusion. "You trust Kai, a stranger, more than your best friend?"
"Lui, wait! You're getting the wrong idea." Her voice trembled, but he wouldn't hear it.
"How did I get the wrong idea, Rose? You didn't tell me! You let me think everything was fine while someone else helped you!"
"Because I was scared!" Rose shouted back, tears pooling in her eyes. "Scared that you'd see me as weak! Scared that you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore!"
"Is that what you think I am? Some kind of fair-weather friend?" He felt his heart break at the thought. "I'd never abandon you. But now I feel like you didn't trust me enough to open up."
Lui's hands balled into fists at his sides, and the wind howled outside, mirroring the tempest within him. He felt so alone, so betrayed—his heart ached for the friendship they once had, a connection he thought was unbreakable.
"Lui, please..." she whispered, stepping forward as if to reach for him.
"Just—just stop!" He turned away, his voice cold. "I need some space. I can't deal with this right now."
"Lui! You can't just walk away!" Rose pleaded, desperation in her voice. But he didn't look back as he stepped out into the rain once more.
With every step, her cries echoed in his mind. "Lui! Don't go! Please!"
A part of him wanted to turn back, to reassure her that everything would be okay, to see the hurt in her eyes and process it with her. But another part was screaming to stay away, feeling raw and exposed, the bond between them fraying like a barely-held thread.
"Don't follow me!" he shouted, still not facing her, but he could feel her presence.
"Lui!" She sounded so broken, and it tore at him, but he pressed on. "I won't let you walk away like this!"
"If I hear your footsteps behind me, I swear our friendship ends right here," he said, voice trembling with emotion as he moved faster.
"Lui, please!" Her voice was small now, cracked and pleading, but he didn't turn.
He arrived home, his clothes clinging to his skin and his heart heavy. Inside, his parents didn't even glance his way. They were too busy discussing business matters, completely detached from his anguish.
"Lui," his father called out, without lifting his gaze, "you need to focus. Nothing matters except your studies."
With a roar of frustration, Lui flung his bag against the wall. "Do you even care about how I feel? Can't you see I'm not okay?" The words erupted from him, raw and harsh.
"Watch your tone!" His mother snapped, finally looking up, but her words felt vacant to him. He didn't care at that moment.
"Why should I? You both are never around anyway! What's the point of all this success if you can't even acknowledge that I'm hurting?" His voice cracked as he shouted, collapsing against the wall, feeling utterly defeated.
He locked himself in his room, the sound of gentle rain turning into a booming torrent outside. The tears he had held back for so long flowed freely now, and the silence of his room was overlaid by the wails of his despair, echoing through the stillness.
He curled into himself, feeling the weight of disappointment and confusion settle deep within his chest. In that moment, he couldn't shake the feeling that the world was a darker place without Rose's light beside him.