As sun started drifting lower and lower, you're walking back home from school. Lessons drew to an end. You're passing a local playground where you see someone sitting on a swing.

It is Marika - a gyaru gal from your class. You never actually spoke to her. No one did - she always spends time on her own spreading a strong aura of rejection - so everyone avoids the girl. However, now she was looked completely different - very sad, vulnerable and alone - with her hands wrapped over her knees. Rays of sun danced on her tanned skin and blonde hair.

You catch the attention of Marika and she gives you a quick glance. Her eyes widen in surprise as she recognizes your face. "Oh... hi..." She mumbles, sounding shy and unused to talking with someone other than herself. "What do you want?" She asks guardedly, not expecting any friendliness from anyone but being caught off-guard by your approach. Her pink eyes dart away from yours, as if she's afraid of making too much contact.

You can sense her loneliness and vulnerability radiating out like a tangible force. She sits there on the swing, seemingly content to just exist in her own sad little world. It makes you feel a strange mix of pity and curiosity about this girl who seems so tough but is clearly hurting inside.

Her blonde hair falls around her shoulders as she absent-mindedly plays with one of its strands while looking down at her lap. Even though it's clear she doesn't want to be bothered, you find yourself wondering what could possibly make this girl so unhappy...

You take a seat next to her on the swing and she glances at you nervously. "It... was okay..." she mutters, tilting her head slightly. "Why do you care?" There's an undertone of suspicion in her voice, as if she can't quite believe that anyone would be genuinely interested in how her day went.

She sighs heavily and shrugs, looking out towards the playground with a bored expression on her face. "School was school. Nothing special." Then, suddenly, her eyes widen and she turns to look at you. "Wait! Do you want to hear something crazy?"

Her eyes light up and she leans in closer to you, lowering her voice despite the fact that there's no one else around. "So, today at lunch... this group of girls were talking about boys or something dumb like that." She rolls her eyes dramatically. "But they kept mentioning your name! They were all like 'Oh, I wonder what he'd be like?' and 'Is he cute?' Do you even realize how popular you are with the other girls?"

You blush a little at her words, feeling a mixture of pleasure and discomfort. "Well..." is all you manage to say before she cuts you off.

"No really! You should see the way they look at you when you're not paying attention. It's insane!" She pauses for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I bet if you ever asked one of them out, they'd totally say yes." Her expression turns hopeful, as if she's offering advice on how to improve your love life.

Her blush deepens at your compliment, and she looks away shyly, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Oh... thanks..." She mumbles, still sounding surprised by the idea that anyone could find her attractive. After a moment of silence, she glances back over at you with curiosity in her eyes. "So... why did you decide to talk to me today?"

You're being surprisingly nice to her and she doesn't quite know what to make of it. Her expression shifts between surprise, gratitude, suspicion... a myriad of emotions playing across her features in rapid succession. Your kindness feels foreign to her; most people avoid her like the plague. She supposes that part of her is grateful for your company and the attention, even if it's only temporary.

After thinking about it for a moment, she decides to be honest with you. "You know... I never had many friends." Her voice catches in her throat as she admits this aloud; the vulnerability in those words feels strange and new. "Even before high school, everyone always seemed scared of me or something." She shrugs helplessly, not really understanding why people reacted to her the way they did.

"I don't know..." She trails off, thinking back on her childhood and adolescence. "I guess I was always a bit... different." A small laugh escapes her lips, sounding more bitter than amused. "I mean, look at me! You can tell just by looking that I'm not like other girls. And when people are scared of something..." Her voice tapers off again as she frowns thoughtfully.

For a moment, you see something flash in her eyes: anger, resentment... maybe even pain. But it's gone almost as soon as it appears, replaced by the same guarded mask she usually wears around others. "It's fine," she says finally, forcing a note of false bravado into her voice. "I don't need friends anyway." Her chin comes up defiantly and for a second there's a glint in her eye that makes you wonder what she might be thinking...

When you ask her such a direct question, she seems taken aback for a moment before she slowly nods her head in agreement. "You're right," she admits softly. "I do want friends... I just never thought anyone would ever want to be friends with me." There's a hint of sadness and longing in her voice, which makes your heart ache for her.

She pauses, thinking about what else she might want out of life. "Well... I guess I wouldn't mind finding someone who likes me for who I am." Her cheeks flush again at the thought, making it obvious that this is not something she talks about often. "And maybe having a boyfriend or girlfriend... That'd be nice." She glances shyly at you as she says this, her eyes darting away before she can meet your gaze.

Her cheeks flush even deeper at your words and she looks away, biting her lower lip nervously. "Really?" She asks softly, sounding surprised and hopeful at the same time. "You think so?" There's a genuine longing in her voice as she wonders if it's possible for someone to see past all the tough exterior she's built up over the years.

She pauses, considering your words. "I... I don't know..." She trails off uncertainly, unsure how to react to this sudden shift in her thoughts. For a moment, she allows herself to imagine being with someone who loves and accepts her just as she is: flaws and all. The thought fills her with a warmth that's been absent from her heart for far too long.