on friday, january 9th, 2026, a boy died.

On January 9th, 2026, a boy died.

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It is a very small town, my hometown. I mean, population-wise, it's pretty decently sized. But the buildings are all apartment complexes or big-chain coffee shops or once-trendy boba places (that, admittedly, people still go to because the ambient lighting and the smell of boba cooking is soothing when you study, and because there isn't really anywhere else to go in this dying town).
In the last few years, my life has brushed against some boys around my age, the same way the aurora borealis brushes earth. They have all either met tragic ends or been living tragic tales.

On January 12th, 2026, my life brushed against one such boy.
Because on January 9th, 2026, he had died.