Akira was born into a world that had never known mercy.
From the very first moment, it seemed as though fate had decided to test her without any compassion.
She hadn't even reached the age of six when she lost everything.
One car accident…
A fleeting moment in which she was stripped of her parents, and she found herself standing in front of a void larger than she could comprehend, crying not because she understood the meaning of loss, but because she could not understand why they never returned.
The only hand that reached out to her in that darkness was her grandmother's.
She embraced her, raised her, and brought back the meaning of a smile.
She taught her how to eat without fear, how to sleep without trembling, and how to believe that the morning might be gentler than the night.
Six full years Akira lived in the warmth of true safety.
She would sleep on her grandmother's chest, wake up to her voice, and believe—with the innocence of a child—that this safety would never end.
But the world… it was not finished.
When Akira turned eleven, her grandmother passed away as well.
Without a long farewell.
Without warning.
She left the little girl alone… once again.
That night, Akira didn't just shed tears.
Something deep inside her shattered.
Six years of love turned into a memory,
and an eleven-year-old child suddenly found herself responsible for the whole of life.
She learned to cook.
She learned to clean.
She learned to rely on herself.
There was no other choice.
The years passed slowly, cruelly,
until she turned seventeen.
She was no longer that weak little girl.
She had become strong… stubborn… silent.
She learned karate, not to hurt anyone, but to protect herself from a merciless world.
She trained young children for a small fee,
and they loved her with a rare sincerity.
"You're the best teacher!"
"Don't leave us, Akira!"
Their voices were the only balm that eased the fatigue of her days.
In the evening, she worked as a delivery girl in a supermarket.
A hard life, yes…
But she was content.
Until one night, while delivering food on her motorbike,
suddenly, without warning,
someone entered her life who would change many things, even if just a little.
Hyun Ji.
A calm, handsome young man,
who looked at her as if she were the most important person in the world.
He supported her, helped her with her studies, and listened to her patiently, truly loving her from the depths of his heart.
"You're strong… even when you don't feel it."
She trusted him.
And she loved him.
At the same time, she met a girl named Konoha.
Beautiful, polite, with a constant smile.
She approached Akira quickly,
and became her closest friend.
She knew everything…
every detail of Akira's life.
And then one seemingly ordinary day…
Akira entered the training hall as usual.
She trained the children, laughed with them.
And when she finished…
she noticed something strange.
The owner of the hall was standing there,
his face pale, his eyes avoiding hers.
"What's wrong?" she asked, worried.
He didn't answer.
He handed her a brown envelope.
She opened it.
Money.
"What is this?"
He said in a defeated voice:
"Your salary for this month."
She froze.
"But… the month isn't over yet."
He sighed, then spoke the words that broke her heart:
"You're fired. Today is your last day here."
"What? Why?! I've been working here for two years! The children—"
He interrupted her coldly:
"I don't want to discuss. The decision is final. Return the key."
Her eyes clung to the place…
to the floor… the walls…
to the children's laughter.
She handed him the key.
And left.
She walked…
an hour…
two hours…
three hours.
Not knowing where to go.
Until she reached the supermarket.
But before she could enter, the shop owner stopped her.
His eyes were full of sorrow.
He handed her an envelope.
"You're fired. This is your final salary."
He didn't even give her a chance to ask.
He entered and closed the door.
At the same moment, her phone rang.
It was her boss from the restaurant she worked at for deliveries.
He coldly said:
"Since I paid you yesterday, consider today your last day."
Three jobs…
In one day.
Three consecutive arrows to her heart.
She wanted to scream.
To cry.
But she held herself together.
She went to the only person she thought would not abandon her.
Hyun Ji.
She knocked on the door…
once…
twice…
Waited for half an hour.
Rain began to fall,
soaking her hair and clothes.
The door opened.
His face was angry.
She moved to hug him,
but he pushed her away.
"We have to break up."
"Why…?" Her voice trembled.
He said coldly:
"You're manipulative. I don't know how I fell in love with a deceitful girl like you."
And he threw the chain in her face…
The symbol of their love,
which she had given him before.
Then he closed the door.
Everything was over.
Wet… broken…
She wandered aimlessly…
Until she reached the bridge.
There…
she saw Konoha.
The moment she saw her, she threw herself into her arms and cried.
But Konoha whispered in her ear:
"Didn't you enjoy the surprises?"
Akira stepped back, stunned.
"What do you mean by that?"
Konoha laughed loudly.
"I did all of this."
She showed fake photos…
false scandals.
Photoshopped images of Akira in compromising situations.
Konoha said maliciously:
"I showed them to your teachers. With a little acting… they fired you."
"And Hyun Ji? Didn't he believe you?"
"At first he didn't, but eventually… he did."
Akira screamed:
"Why?! Why did you do this?! I considered you my friend… even my sister!"
Konoha laughed coldly:
"I loved Hyun Ji. Didn't you notice all this time? And I was close to him only because of that. I would never befriend a poor orphan girl like you."
She threw the photos in her face,
and walked away,
her laughter echoing in Akira's ears.
She collapsed.
She knew…
that her reputation was destroyed.
And Konoha would ruin her reputation at school too.
She climbed onto the bridge.
Memories flashed before her eyes:
her grandmother…
the children…
the faces she loved.
She smiled…
a farewell smile.
And she threw herself…
into the water.
She fought with her body…
but her soul surrendered to death.
And there…
in the depths of darkness…
something within her began to awaken.