“If I really fall into the river now, then there's no justice in the world,” Akain muttered.

And she fell. She plunged into the icy water.

Even though this was near the river's source, it was deep. For someone who couldn't swim, it would be nearly impossible to get out on their own. She thrashed her arms and kicked her legs with all her might, but after a few minutes, exhaustion set in and she could barely move. She screamed for help, but because of the downpour, the embankment was empty. Akain realized she was drowning. Her whole body shivered from the cold, her limbs were exhausted, and water filled her mouth, silencing her screams for help. Her eyes started to close.

“Is this it? Am I going to die so stupidly? What will people think?” Akain thought.

For some reason, even at the moment of her death, she was worried about what other people would think.

“And what will Mom think? That I didn't answer the phone because I was planning to… die? She'll blame herself. I'll leave her all alone… And everyone else? What will the other students think? My dreadful classmates? Their disgusting parents who couldn't raise decent children? What about my awful teachers? Will they think I committed suicide because of them? No! Not that! I can't die!” she screamed inside her head. “What can I do to survive? I'll do anything to not let my life end so senselessly! I'm not a weakling. I am the strongest person in this school! In this city! In this world! I will not die! God, the devil, I don't care. I'll sell my soul to anyone who will save me! Just save me, please!”

With each passing second, her body sank deeper into the water. Suddenly, there was a loud splash as something else hit the river. A tall, thin boy plunged into the water, sinking lower and lower. Since it was evening, the water was dark and murky. He surfaced, gasping for air, then slapped his own face to fight the shock of the cold before descending again. Finally, his hands brushed against something soft, and he realized it was the girl who had fallen into the river. He gathered all his strength and began to pull her to the surface. It was clearly a struggle. His air was running out and the water was icy, but he felt he had to save her at any cost.

“You're heavy,” he finally gasped.

Those were his first words after pulling her onto the bank.

A couple of minutes later, Akain's limp body was lying on the shore. The boy looked down at her, his pale face filled with confusion.

First, he had to check if she was breathing. He gently lifted her chin and tilted her head back. Then he lowered his cheek and ear to her mouth and nose. The breath against his cheek was faint, almost nonexistent. He put a hand on her chest, but it wasn't moving. The situation was dire.

“I need to give her first aid,” he said to himself. “Okay, concentrate, Kai. You can do this. Everything will be okay. We'll save her.”

His hands were trembling. He placed the heel of one hand in the center of her chest, laced the fingers of his other hand over the first, and locked his elbows. He began compressions, pushing down hard and fast about 30 times before stopping.

“Okay, now to hold her nose,” he muttered, taking a deep breath.

He carefully sealed his mouth over hers and gave two rescue breaths. Nothing happened. She didn't stir. He repeated the cycle of compressions and breaths, but still, nothing.

“A little longer and she'll die,” he said, hitting his forehead with his palm. “What do I do?” He sat back on his heels, frowning down at her.

“This is the only chance,” he said, his expression turning serious. “Please forgive me if this ruins your life, but it's the only option left.”