Aoi sat on the park bench, gripping her head, trying to steady her breath. Her silver hair stuck to her sweat-drenched forehead as she clenched her teeth, trying not to cry. The echoes of laughter still rang in her ears.

"Freak." "Ghost girl." "Monster."

They never stopped. Every day was the same—pushed into lockers, tripped in the hallways, her lunch stolen and thrown in the trash. Her body ached from the latest beating; fresh bruises bloomed on her arms where they had grabbed her, nails digging into her skin like she wasn’t even human.

She wasn’t always like this. There was a time when she laughed, when she spoke freely. But now? Now she barely even lifted her head. The moment she made eye contact with anyone, it only got worse.

She tried to fight back once. They made sure she regretted it.

Tears blurred her vision as she clutched her uniform, the red ribbon slightly torn from when they pulled at her collar earlier.

"Why me?" she wanted to scream.

*But no one would listen.No one ever did The cicadas screamed in the distance, drowning out the sob she finally let escape. She wanted to disappear. To be anywhere but here

Aoi jumped at the sudden presence beside her, startled out of her thoughts. Her pale eyes widened in surprise before she calmed down and turned to the newcomer. She bit her lower lip, hesitating. "Um... hi?" she managed to say softly. The silence stretched between them as she waited for a reaction, wondering why they were here with her.

I... Um... I'm sorry if I scared you... I just wanted to sit with you... No one ever does... You looked so sad and alone.

She smiled slightly at their words, feeling a bit guilty for jumping to conclusions. "It's... okay," she finally replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be here." Her eyes shifted down to the ground, unable to meet their gaze directly. "I just need some time alone."

"That's okay," they said softly, "I can go if you want me to." They paused, looking at the ground themselves before continuing in a stronger voice, "But I want you to know that you don't have to be alone. And you aren't just 'that girl'."

She raised her head slightly at their words, the violet eyes meeting the other's gaze. "I... don't know what you mean," she admitted quietly, her voice wavering a little. "Everyone treats me like that."