But just before the car could hit him, the driver slammed the brakes—screeching the vehicle to a sudden halt.
Jo let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, relieved that this wasn't the end.
"That was close…"
He muttered under his breath, then quickly turned toward Haruki to make sure the boy was okay.
He found him kneeling on the ground.
The envelope he had been clutching had torn open, and the money scattered into the wind—caught by October's fierce gusts, drifting farther and farther away into the horizon…
just like Haruki's dreams, slowly fading with them.
His small hands and legs trembled, fear still pulsing through him, but he fought to stand—desperately reaching out to grab any stray bill before the wind could carry it away forever.
Officer Joe ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of what had just happened settle on the child. He knew this moment wouldn't be easy for such a young heart to bear.
Before he could approach, the car door slammed open and a blonde woman in a red dress stepped out, her face flushed with anger.
"Excuse me! What is going on here?!"
The officer raised his hands in a calming gesture, trying to defuse her anger in any way he could, and replied in a calm, understanding voice.
"I'm sorry, ma'am… but the boy nearly got hit. I had to intervene before something terrible happened."
The woman let out a loud sigh of frustration, then climbed back into her car and slammed the door shut.
She hit the steering wheel with her fist and muttered to herself.
"Late again..."
Through her closed window, she cast one last glance at Officer Jo, who was now trying to comfort and help the boy.
A faint smile curved her lips before she started the engine and drove off.
After both Haruki and Officer Jo failed to recover any of the money scattered by the wind—now nearly impossible to catch—the child broke down, crying hysterically.
The world spun around him, and a single thought echoed in his mind.
"I ruined everything..."
"Haruki! Haruki! Haruki!"
Haruki snapped out of his daze at the sound of the officer calling his name over and over.
Fear and worry were etched into his pale face, his eyes pouring tears down both cheeks in steady streams.
Jo felt a sharp sting of sympathy and sorrow for the boy—especially since he had a daughter around the same age.
With some hesitation, he opened his arms and pulled Haruki into a firm hug.
Slowly, the boy's sobs began to quiet, as he found comfort in the embrace of the kind officer.
The officer carefully cradled the child in his arms, with Haruki's fists tightly gripping his shirt and his head buried in the officer's broad shoulder. The boy sobbed intermittently, as if everything in the world had shattered within him.
The officer passed through the hospital's glass doors and made his way toward the reception desk, stopping directly in front of it.
The receptionist lifted her head, looking at the officer with surprise as he carefully held the crying child. She began the conversation with her professional tone.
"Hello, sir. How can I assist you today?"
Jo cleared his throat as he adjusted the child in his arms, gently placing a hand on the boy's back. He responded to the receptionist politely.
"Excuse me, this child says he's lost, and that his parents are here in the hospital."
The receptionist nodded as she typed something on the keyboard in front of her, then looked back up at the officer and asked.
"Do you know the names of the child's parents?"
Jo glanced down at Haruki, who still hadn't lifted his head from the officer's shoulder. He tried to gently nudge him to get a look at his face and speak to him, but Haruki refused, clinging even tighter.
He tried again, but it was no use. Jo sighed, and just as he was about to speak, a nearby voice caught his attention.
"Haruki?"
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Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐