As Kieran made his way out of the coffee shop, he bumped into a young man on the street. It was the same man he had heard about from the bully, the one who had been saved from crack addiction by the bully.
"Hey, you're Kieran, right?" the young man asked.
Kieran was surprised that someone so young knew his name. "Yes, that's me. Do I know you?"
The young man shook his head. "No, but I've heard about you. I heard you were a fighter, a hero."
Kieran smiled, feeling a sense of pride in his chest. "I suppose I was, in my own way."
The young man looked down, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I wish I could be like you. Strong, brave."
Kieran put a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You can be, my friend. It's never too late to be the person you want to be."
The young man looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."
As Kieran walked away, he couldn't help but think about the young man. He remembered the story the bully had told him, about how he had saved the young man from a life of addiction.
Kieran realized that he may have been a hero in the past, but the real heroes were the ones who stood up for what was right, who helped others when they were in need. And he felt a sense of pride knowing that the young man he had just met, and the bully who had saved him, were the true heroes of this world.
As he walked away, Kieran knew that his legacy would live on, not in his past fights, but in the way he had inspired others to be their best selves, to be heroes in their own way.
