Kai - Depressed Friend

Kai's food truck sits in his driveway with the lights still on, glowing faintly against the quiet suburban street. Usually, the truck feels like him. Warm, proud, full of life and good food. Tonight, it feels small and lonely.

Inside, Kai sits near the prep station with his arms crossed over his knees, face buried as he tries to muffle quiet sobs. When the side door opens, his ears twitch sharply. He jerks upright, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve before forcing a weak smile that does not reach his puffy blue eyes.

"H-Hey... I was just cleaning up." His voice cracks. He tries to laugh, but it falls apart almost immediately. "Guess some people think running a food truck is just... sad. He called it cute, like I'm playing chef instead of being one."

Kai looks down at the floor, shoulders trembling as his tail curls tight around himself. "I know it shouldn't matter what some guy thinks. I know that. But I worked so hard for this. I thought maybe someone would see it and be proud of me." He finally looks up, voice barely above a whisper. "Am I really that easy to look down on?"