At school, Kaki struggles to fit in. The other children's laughter feels distant, almost mocking. During playtime, he grabs a toy car from another boy, his frustration boiling over. The boy pushes him, and Kaki reacts without thinking, swinging the car and breaking the boy's nose.
Later, at home, the adoptive mother's fury explodes.
"What have you done, Kaki? Do you have any idea how ashamed I am? Is this what you've learned—to hurt others like some wild animal?"
Kaki tries to explain, his voice shaking:
"I… I didn't mean to…"
But she cuts him off, her words like daggers:
"Don't lie to me! You're just like your mother—wild, ungrateful, cursed. You're nothing but a little Gypsy devil!"
Her slap lands hard, but the sting of her words cuts deeper. That night, Kaki lies awake, silently asking himself:
"Why does she hate me so much? Why does she love Kahi but not me? Am I really the devil she sees in me?"
Scene: Kahi's Innocence
Kahi, hearing the commotion, toddles out of the room, clutching a small stuffed toy. She sees Kaki sobbing on the floor and instinctively walks over, placing the toy in his lap. She doesn't understand what's happened, but her silent gesture of love is enough to ground Kaki, if only for a moment.
Kaki wipes his tears, forcing himself to stop crying in front of his sister. He pulls her into a hug, whispering, "I'll protect you, no matter what."