The guy stepped out of the platform. As he exited the station, he collided with a busy intersection.
The city's lights, people rushing past, the noise of vehicles and the crowd all around—it overwhelmed the senses.
He walked over to the side of the road and stood still. For a moment... it seemed as though he was thinking about something, or perhaps trying to feel something. Slowly, he slid his hand into his pocket—and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. With two fingers, he took one out, then lit it with the lighter in his other hand.
A small flame flared to life... casting a brief glow across his expressionless face.
A deep drag... he inhaled the smoke like it was more essential than air itself. Then gently, he let it out.
The wind was faint—so faint that the smoke didn't dissolve into the air, it just lingered around him... as if time itself had slowed.
The cigarette was only half-finished when suddenly—
Something strange happened.
A peculiar restlessness stirred within him.
He flicked the half-burnt cigarette to the ground, but his attention had already shifted elsewhere.
His eyes moved across the road—towards two girls, their faces covered with scarves, crossing on a speeding scooty.
Amidst the brightness of the city, the two of them seemed to slow down for a fleeting second—like a frame in slow motion.
The scooty was fast. But then...
The guy stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
As soon as he came into their path, the scooty's headlights fell upon his face—
But he stood completely still for a moment.
And then—
A violent jolt!
The scooty came to a sudden, jarring stop.
Its rear tire lifted slightly into the air, while the front wheel didn't move an inch.
The momentum was immense, but there was no motion forward.
The two girls couldn't comprehend what had just happened, because it all occurred so fast—there was no time to think, no time to react... and they fell to the ground.
Perhaps the brakes had been applied.
Perhaps he had stopped it.
Or perhaps... it was something else.
But whatever it was, for that one moment—it felt impossible.
An eerie silence settled over the scene.
The guy stood exactly where he was.
No regret on his face. No surprise.
As if what had just happened was nothing new to him.
The girl who had been riding the scooty had been thrown forward because of the sudden stop.
The other girl had also fallen to one side.
Both of them were now trying to collect themselves, brushing off the dust from their clothes and gently rubbing their hands.
They looked at him now—eyes filled with anger.
The guy's gaze met the eyes of the second girl,
and time came to a halt.
Everything slowed.
He stared at her for a few moments.
Her eyes—angry, yet holding something deep.
Something unspoken.
A strange, inexplicable attraction.
Her eyes were breathtaking, and the way she blinked—each blink felt like a slow, drawn-out moment.
"Are you—" the first girl, the one riding the scooty, began to shout furiously—
But before she could finish,
The guy, still looking into the second girl's eyes, took a few steps back.
SUDDENLY!
A loud explosion!
The crashing sound of metal!
A loaded truck was crossing the overbridge overhead.
Its headlights flashed briefly in the darkness...
And then—from it, a large iron pipe came hurtling down—
Speeding directly toward the spot where the three of them stood!
The two girls were frozen in shock,
Their hearts racing.
The falling pipe—a massive piece of iron—was now clearly visible, hurtling down straight toward them!
A moment of frozen silence.
And then—
As the pipe drew closer...
The guy moved forward.
As if he had calculated everything.
Every step he had taken,
The exact spot they were standing on—
Everything seemed to have been foreseen, as if he had looked into the future before the moment even arrived.
And then—
HE TOOK THE IMPACT OF THAT FALLING IRON PIPE ON HIS CHEST.
A violent crash!
BOOOOOM!
The entire city seemed to fall silent for a heartbeat.
A powerful blow, a massive jolt—
But the guy did not fall.
The pipe slammed against his chest,
And though it pushed him back several steps,
His feet remained planted on the ground.
The pipe had transferred all its force—all its energy—into his body.
For a moment, it felt as though every molecule inside him had been compressed.
As if he had absorbed the entire impact into himself.
Then came an unsettling stillness.
The pipe dropped to the ground—
Lifeless and still—
Just a few steps away from the girl.
The two girls stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief, staring at the guy.
Shock. Fear. Confusion.
What had just happened?
How was it even possible?
And somewhere in the distance...
His cigarette was still releasing a thin trail of smoke.
And the guy?
He was still standing.
But now, his shirt had turned crimson.
A deep wound spread across his chest.
He touched his chest with his fingers.
His shirt was soaked in warm blood.
He took a deep breath... and slowly lifted his gaze.
He looked at the two girls.
A cold, intense stare.
No questions. No answers.
Then he turned his eyes away,
As if searching for something—or someone.
He turned around,
Looking toward the spot where his bag had fallen.
One step...
Two steps...
He walked toward it.
Picked up the bag.
And without a moment's pause—
He walked away.