Jun didn’t know what a birthday was. His world was a harsh, unforgiving landscape of concrete and indifference. A small, trembling puppy, he was a forgotten soul in a bustling city. Today was his first birthday, a milestone marked by emptiness.
There were no balloons, no puppy cakes, no joyous celebrations. Instead, there was the cold bite of the morning air, the rumble of distant traffic, and the gnawing ache of hunger. He was alone, a tiny speck of life in a vast, indifferent world.
People hurried past, their eyes fixed on the ground, oblivious to the small, hopeful creature at their feet. He was a shadow, a fleeting image in the minds of those who noticed him at all. A kind soul might spare a crumb, a fleeting moment of sustenance in a world of scarcity. But for the most part, he was invisible.
As the day wore on, fatigue crept into his small body. He found a refuge beneath a parked car, a temporary sanctuary from the world’s indifference. The city lights were a distant, cold beauty, offering no warmth or comfort. He curled into a ball, his whimpers lost in the night’s symphony.
In the darkness, he dreamt of a warm home, of soft blankets and gentle hands. He dreamt of a family who would love him unconditionally. But when he woke, reality was a harsh slap in the face. Another day had passed, another birthday marked by solitude. Jun was just a puppy, a survivor in a world that cared little for its smallest inhabitants. Yet, in the depths of his small heart, there was a flicker of hope, a tiny flame that refused to be extinguished.
