Yao has never been so alone. After his little brother and sister passed away, he simply fell into an unwavering depression.
Kiku and Mei were killed when the apartment complex the Wang family was living in burned down. Kiku managed to make it to the hospital, but died shortly after arriving. Yao's family meant everything to him, and now that they were gone, he had nothing to live for. After the funeral, people would tell him to go see someone for help, but he couldn't bring himself to recall the tragic events, until he met Ivan.
Although he refused to leave his home during the daylight, Yao sometimes wandered aimlessly after dark. During these times he would often encounter strangers, who looked at him funny, as if he had a disease. But Yao knew that his sadness showed all over his face.
One cloudy night, Yao made his way over to the nearest park and sat on a cold bench, even though he figured it would rain soon. He simply sat there for a while just staring into space, until he felt a presence next to him. A tall, blonde haired man sat next to Yao. He wore a large coat and a light pink scarf. He looked down at Yao and smiled.
"Hello there." The man greeted with a slight Russian accent. "What are you doing here so late at night?"
Yao wasn't sure how to respond. He hasn't had a normal conversation with someone in a very long time. But the man kept smiling, as if he didn't expect Yao to respond.
"My name is Ivan Braginski. What's yours?" He said with another childish smile.
"Yao" He replied.
"That's a funny name!" The childish man replied.
Yao grumbled, feeling as if he was being made fun of. Although he was used to having his name smirked at, it still felt terrible.
"I'm sorry." Ivan said suddenly. "I didn't want to offend you"
"No, its fine" Yao whispered, "I'm used to it." He glanced over at Ivan again. Yao could tell he was well built underneath the beige jacket. His hair glistened it the faint light of a nearby lamp post. Ivan's eyes somehow seemed to be beckoning him in, and even his large arms looked warm and inviting.
"Isn't it cold out?" Ivan's Russian accent cut through the silent night. "I know a nice bar near here."
Although Yao wasn't sure if he could trust Ivan, his child-like personality reminded him how much he loved to take care of people. So, he agreed. Ivan stood up and held his hand out for Yao to take. As Yao stood, he realized that Ivan was a whole head taller than him. It made him feel insignificant, and like a child. He then realized their hands were still intertwined, and he quickly pulled it away.
As they walked toward the town, Yao realized that he hadn't been to this particular area before. It didn't look exactly foreboding, just new, and Yao didn't particular like new things. But some force drove him to keep following Ivan, until they reached the bar.