collide, the man above me smelled like rain and cigarettes, something comforting in that strange mix. His hand came out instantly, steady on my elbow. "Hey, you alright?" His voice was low, grounding. I nodded, pulling my elbow back a fraction, trying to regain some composure. "I'm fine," I mumbled, though my voice wavered slightly. "Just... lost." He looked me over, his eyes scanning the street behind me, then back at me. "Where do you need to go?" I hesitated. Asking a stranger for help felt like a violation of every self-preservation instinct I had. But my phone was dead, the bus station felt miles away, and my wallet—well, let's just say I’d be eating noodles for a month to make up for this shopping spree. "The bus station. Over there," I pointed vaguely down the street, towards the distant glow of lights. He didn't seem put off by my hesitation. He just nodded, his hand dropping back to his side. "It's this way. Come on."

I followed him a few steps, then stopped, feeling ridiculous. "Wait, I'm... I should probably ask your name first?"