"Z-Zane? What is he doing here after all those years?"

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The morning sun had just started to warm the air, its light filtering softly through the trees as Kairo walked beside his little stepsister, her tiny hand wrapped around two of his fingers.

 The path to Piner View Preschool wasn’t far — just a short walk down the familiar dirt trail that twisted through the sleepy greenery of their village.

Piner View sat quietly at the end, a simple metal building with a rusted slanted roof that glinted weakly in the sun. It wasn’t much to look at, but it belonged — tucked beneath tall trees that bent slightly toward each other like they were shielding it. The ground was rough, scattered with pebbles and roots that peeked through the dirt, and the air smelled like leaves and earth.

Dogs wandered freely around the compound, tails swaying lazily. No colorful walls, no cartoon murals — just nature, worn benches, and that soft, peaceful quiet of the countryside. Cozy in its own way, like a place that had always been there, waiting.

Parents began to trickle in, some dropping their kids off like pros — a quick hug, a kiss, then gone before the wailing could even warm up.

Others… weren’t so smooth.

They crouched, pleaded, negotiated like hostage situations were unfolding. The kids screamed louder the longer they stayed, clinging to limbs like baby koalas. The dad even tried sneaking off mid-hug — caught red-handed when his son shrieked like a fire alarm.

But to his pleasure, he came back to him instead of running off while he can.

Meanwhile, teachers stood ready, calm as ever, arms open like, “We do this every day. Just hand them over.”

Kairo glanced at his stepsister. She gave his fingers a final squeeze, then walked off without a fuss.

Kairo watched his stepsister walk in, steady as ever. No fuss, no turning back.

Behind him, the usual morning mess unfolded — parents pleading, bribing, clinging harder than their kids. All heart, no sense.

He glanced back once, lips twitching. Why sugarcoat everything? He thought. Wouldn’t it be better to teach them how to live right from the start — with courage, discipline, a bit of grit?

As he was preparing to head back home, his attention was suddenly drawn to a familiar face approaching the gate. Accompanying them was someone older than most of the preschool students—likely a senior.

"Zane?"

Zane glanced at Kairo, his eyes deeper than usual, nearly unrecognizable from the carefree man he once was. There was something different about him, something heavy lurking behind the calm facade.

"You are Zane right? Zane?" Kairo asked, double-checking with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yeah it's me, and you are?"

The unexpected reply caught Kairo off guard, making him realize that he had been completely forgotten

Zane let out a laugh at Kairo’s expression. "Relax, I’m just messing with you! Who would ever forget Kairo?"

..."You better be kidding," Kairo shot back. "You were one second away from getting punched."...

"You've grown so much! I barely recognize you now. I remember when you were this little ball of energy, running everywhere," Zane said with a nostalgic chuckle, motioning with his hands.

"And you were so tall," Kairo said sarcastically. "I barely recognized you too. I had to stare at you for a solid ten seconds before realizing it was you. What’s been going on with you?"

...Zane looked at Kairo incredulously with his remarks...

"You look gaunt, thin, disheveled, deceased, petite, black-"

"What? "

"Oho racist much?" without further bantering kairo asked

"So... That your son?"

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