As the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Irin eagerly waited for her mother to arrive. But as the minutes ticked by, she began to worry. Where was her mother?
Irin sat alone on a bench, her eyes scanning the crowd of parents for a familiar face.But her mother was nowhere to be seen.
The excitement from her first day of school started to fade, replaced by uncertainty and fear.

She fidgeted with her dress, feeling a bit self-conscious about the way the other kids were staring at her.

A group of kids strolled by, snickering and pointing at Irin's dress. "Hey, look at that! She's wearing a baby's dress!" one of them teased.

Irin's face fell, her eyes welling up with tears. She looked around for help, but the other parents seemed oblivious to the scene unfolding before them.

That's when a boy appeared, his eyes fixed on the teasing kids. "Hey, leave her alone!" he said firmly, his voice loud and clear.

The kids backed off, intimidated by the boy's confidence.
Irin looked up at him, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Hey, what's wrong?" the boy asked, sitting down beside her. "Why were they teasing you?"

Irin sniffled. "They said my dress is babyish."

The boy sat down beside her. "I like your dress, It's pretty "

Irin smiled back, feeling a little better. "Thanks."

They sat in silence for a moment, watching as the other parents picked up their children. Irin's worry began to creep back in, but the boy's presence reassured her.

Just then, her mother rushed up, apologetic and out of breath. "Irin, I'm so sorry I'm late! I got stuck in traffic."

Irin's face lit up with a smile, and she flung her arms around her mother's neck. "It's okay, Mommy! This boy helped me."

Her mother's eyes met the boy's, filled with gratitude. "Thank you, sweetie. I owe you one."

The boy smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "No problem. I'm just glad I could help."

TBC 🤍~