A boy was bullied by his classmates.
Because of this, he could not study and stopped going to school.
At a young age, he started smoking.
Later, he began stealing food and drinks just to live.
From the outside, his life looked terrible.
But for him, this life felt normal.
He was born and raised in this environment.
He did not care much about people or how they saw him.
He developed addictions—smoking, drinking, stealing, gambling.
Sometimes he shut himself in for days or months.
He often asked his mother or relatives for money, saying it was for health or a car.
But the money was used for pachinko.
This continued for years.
There was no clear repentance, only resentment.
Yet life continued, because someone always helped him financially.
Life is different for each person.
Change comes at different times.
What matters is noticing system failure,
and choosing actions that are better for tomorrow,
for the person and for the community.
Change is not always visible.
But at least, he was not alone.
He was surrounded by people who lived with love and integrity.
Now he is XX years old.
He has been with Quietude for six years.