Chapter 1: My Fate In The Rain

A young man in his early twenties lay reclined in his studio room, wearing a bored expression on his face. His living quarters consisted of a bedroom, kitchen, and living room, all combined into one large room without any walls to separate them. The dimly lit space was illuminated only by a single lamp as he lay on his small single bed, holding a novel suspended in the air with both hands.

"This novel is such a bore," he mumbled to himself.

His eyes began to drift, growing weary one after the other. Suddenly, he was startled by the abrupt ringing of his phone's ringtone, causing him to accidentally drop the novel onto his face.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed.

Removing the book from his face, he answered the call while reflexively rubbing his sore spot. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it was his younger sister.

"Hey sis, what's up?" the young man said with a yawn.

A childlike, yet angelic voice came through the speaker. "Brother Kai! Come meet me at Ding's Restaurant! I have something to give you!"

"But it's so late. You can give it to me tomorrow," Kai groaned.

The voice on the phone responded with a tantrum.

"No! No! Come right now! You really need to come right now!"

"What's so urgent that requires my immediate presence, Hua Xia?"

"Well, brother, if you really want to find out, you'll need to meet me at Ding's Restaurant! I'll see you here! No objections allowed! Hee-hee."

With that, Hua Xia abruptly hung up, leaving Kai with no choice but to go to Ding's Restaurant. Despite his initial objection, Kai could never turn down his dear sister's requests, even though they weren't blood-related.

Kai was adopted into the Thao family at the age of ten. Having grown up in an orphanage, he had no knowledge of his biological parents and no attachment to the ones who had abandoned him. Life in the orphanage was far from a safe haven, filled with complications and hardships. However, everything changed for the less fortunate Kai when he was taken in by the Thao family.

Hua Xia was born roughly a month after Kai's adoption into the Thao family. She gave Kai a sense of purpose and duty as an older brother. Besides spoiling and loving her, above all, he wanted to protect her.

Looking out the window of his room, Kai saw a perfect storm brewing with incessant rainfall. He grabbed his jacket, umbrella, and the novel Hua Xia had left on her last visit, and made his way out.

Kai and Hua Xia no longer lived together as they used to, since he now resided in a university dormitory. Due to his busy schedule, Kai rarely had the chance to visit Hua Xia and his parents. Returning the novel that didn't capture his interest seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Ding's Restaurant was just a few blocks away from Kai's dormitory, located in midtown. As he walked towards his destination, he could see the restaurant's sign glowing incandescently a few intersections away. At the city intersection, a strong gust of wind snatched Kai's umbrella from his grasp, leaving him defenseless against the downpour.

"Ugh, I hope I don't get sick from this. I have an exam tomorrow," Kai grumbled.

With the light turning green, Kai made his way to retrieve his umbrella, which lay abandoned in the middle of the crosswalk. As he reached down to pick it up, an unforeseen truck suddenly appeared, colliding with Kai.

His vision blurred, and all he could see was rain pouring down from the cloudy skies. Distant cries and yells reached his ears as his lifeless body lay on the cold, concrete pavement. A chill gripped him as consciousness faded away.

"I'm sorry, Hua Xia... Your brother won't be able to meet up with you…"