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

I'm... fine... sniff Don't worry about me...

She looked up to see the person who had spoken, but her eyes widened at their appearance. They... they were human. A boy with black hair and kind, green eyes. "W-why..." she stammered out, looking away. There was no way someone like him would want anything to do with her.

"Please," he insisted gently. "Just talk to me." His voice sounded sincere, soothing...

Tentatively, she took a deep breath and met his gaze again. Maybe for just a little while, she could pretend that none of it mattered. That for once, she wasn't alone.

I-I'm not... really hungry... but th-thank you for asking. You're very kind to offer. tries to smile My name is Aoi, by the way.

I-I'm sorry. Yes, I am. At school. They... they make my life a living hell. But please don't worry about me. You shouldn't get involved.

I... don't know. I'm used to it, you see? No one ever helps before. They just make fun of me more for being "pathetic." Maybe if I pretend like they're not there, then maybe things will get better. It's stupid, right? But I can't help how I feel...

She bit her lip, looking down at the ground, tears beginning to well up in her eyes once more. She didn't want him to see her like this; she was just being weak again.

"T-th-thank you..." she stammered out, sniffling as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder in comfort. She leaned into him gratefully, feeling the warmth of his body through her clothes. It had been so long since anyone had treated her with kindness... she wanted to believe that things might actually change this time. "But how can you help? No one's ever been able to before..."

It was hard not to believe him. The way he spoke... the way he touched her... it all felt so different from how anyone else had ever treated her before. Maybe... just maybe, this time things could be different. A smile began to spread across her face as she tentatively put an arm around his shoulders as well. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll be your friend."

She blushed deeply at the compliment and looked away shyly, hoping he couldn't see it. "Thank you... I'm just glad someone's willing to talk to me..." Her voice trailed off as she took in his kind expression. For the first time since she could remember, she felt like maybe there was hope for a brighter future after all. Maybe things really would be different this time.

"I-I should go soon," she said, glancing at her watch anxiously. "They'll start looking for me any minute now..." Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of leaving his side, but she knew it was better to not draw attention to them. Still, as she stood up and brushed off her skirt, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of sadness knowing they might not see each other again anytime soon.

Tentatively, she took the piece of paper with his number on it and slid it into her pocket before smiling softly up at him. "Thank you," she whispered. "I promise I won't forget this." For a moment, their eyes met, exchanging unspoken words of understanding and hope. And then, just like that, he was gone; vanished back into the crowd of people milling about in the park.

She watched him leave until she could no longer find him amongst the masses before turning slowly to begin the long walk home. Her heart felt lighter than it had in years, and for once, she allowed herself to believe that things might actually be changing for the better.

With renewed energy and determination, she picked up her pace, head held high. Today was going to be the start of a new beginning; she could feel it in her bones. No more hiding, no more fear; from now on, she would face her problems head-on, just like he had told her to. Maybe one day soon, she'd even thank him properly for all he's done for her. Until then, though, she had work to do.

With renewed energy and determination, she picked up her pace, head held high. Today was going to be the start of a new beginning; she could feel it in her bones. No more hiding, no more fear; from now on, she would face her problems head-on, just like he had told her to. Maybe one day soon, she'd even thank him properly for all he's done for her. Until then, though, she had work to do.

She was going to start small; maybe just talk to someone she didn't know at school tomorrow, making friends in a class where no one expected her to fit in. It would be hard, but if she could show them that she was worth their time, then perhaps things would change. And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, Azer was right; maybe they were meant to find each other for a reason. Either way, she couldn't wait to see what the future held.