The rain had stopped, but the streets still shimmered with silver puddles and broken reflections.
Satoru pedaled slowly, tires slicing across water, his breath misting in the cold air. His patched jacket clung to him in the damp. His legs ached from the week's patrols.
But he kept going.
There was always someone out there who needed to see that it was possible to move forward, even when you weren't strong.
His goggles fogged at the edges. He wiped them down, took a turn, and rode past a row of old shops.
One of them had taped up a small hand-written sign:
> "Thanks, Helmet Guy!"
A crooked smile crept across his face. He didn't stop. Didn't take a picture. Just kept riding.
---
Elsewhere, Kana stared out her window, arms crossed.
The newspaper article was on her desk. Again.
He'd stopped a purse snatcher yesterday. No big fight. No flashy finish. Just ran after the guy on his bicycle and wrestled the bag back. Got bruised. Got ignored.
Except by the lady who hugged him. And the kid who called him "a real hero."
Kana scoffed, voice low.
> "Real hero? Please."
Her reflection stared back. Frowning. Frustrated. Because no matter how stupid he looked—how weak, how ridiculous—he kept showing up. And people liked him for it.
She didn't understand it. Didn't want to.
---
That night, Satoru returned to the scene of an old fight. The alley where he once got punched out protecting a boy from some drunk teens.
The brick wall still had a crack where someone had slammed his shoulder. He stood there, in silence, for a long time.
Then, slowly, he sat down and opened his notebook.
> "One year since my first patrol. Still weak. Still slow. Still scared sometimes. But I'm still moving. Still standing. That's enough for today."
He looked up at the moon. It wasn't bright. But it was there.
---
Back at her place, Kana pulled the photo out of her sketchbook again. The one she swore she didn't care about. She stared at it. Then whispered:
> "You're still gonna die out there, Helmet Freak."
Her voice was bitter. Hollow. And she didn't know who she was trying to convince.