A Way To Change...

'Did I run into a delinquent?' She gulped looking at him and was already shaking a little, but it turned out like she had the wrong idea.

"You just seemed out of it, so I thought I would ask how you are feeling," The guy said in a soft tone trying to look imposing, "I am sorry if I scared you though." He even took a step back to give her some space, but all of this was unnoticed by the girl.

'He was worried? A total stranger….' She had stayed like this for a while, but no one else bothered to help her, or even ask her what was going on.

Not even her parents had tried to dig into her behaviors, so having someone come up to her and ask what was troubling her, "I-I….um..." she bit her lips as she was trying to speak but, at that moment seeing him look at her in worry.

'Why…' It wasn't something expected from someone else.

"Ah…" She had tried waiting for someone to ask her what was wrong, why was she always alone.

"…Sniff*" Every time she turned down someone's offer, she wanted them to ask her again because she was too scared when she was suddenly asked.

But no one did that, and then they never bothered to ask her again, neither did she have the courage to put herself in the front and join a group.

It was just that she thought that it was okay, she didn't need someone to pick her up, because she was thinking of changing herself as no one else was—this is why she couldn't understand. 

'Why…?' She questioned herself as the hot liquid poured down her face, 'Why am I crying?' the tears she had been holding back for too long came down at once.

"I…" She choked, just hearing someone asking her what happened, caused this to happen.

"Hey, what happened? Did I scare you or something?" The guy on the other hand got even more worried.

'Why is she crying all of a sudden?' It was none other than Adam, he had approached her so that he could talk.

"I… am sorry… I don't know…"

But this just took an unexpected turn, but remembering what had happened in the story, and what this girl was thinking at the moment, 'I guess it is alright,'

"Come with me," Adam guided the crying girl to the bench at the nearby park.

She still showed no signs of stopping yet and with someone like him around, 'If it wasn't for me using magic, I might've been arrested by now,' he joked dryly while waiting for her to calm down.

And when it looked like she had cried enough, "Use this," Adam gave her his handkerchief with a little caution so that he wouldn't spook her again.

"Thank…you…." Her voice wouldn't have been heard, if the person in front of her was someone normal.

"It's alright," Adam didn't want to make a big deal out of this, because it really wasn't anything worth mentioning, "instead, I am sorry for causing you trouble." He really didn't expect her to cry like this.

"Ah, No… it wasn't… because of you…" The girl nearly shouted but calmed down right after, because there was no need to get worked up.

'What am I doing?' She couldn't help but turn a little red, her mind was in a mess that is why she ended up behaving like this in public.

"Is something worrying you?" Adam asked and she stopped for a bit, it seemed like her thoughts were clearly on display.

She was usually able to hide them, but because of her previous outburst, it was hard to do that now.

'Should I say it to him?' Her mind was telling her to not say it, as it was a pathetic reason, but...

"I couldn't…make any friends…in school," Her mouth moved on its own.

'He doesn't seem like a bad person, and he did help me when I started to cry all of a sudden….' She thought that it was okay to tell him about this, after all, he noticed that something was wrong with her while no one else bothered to ask her much about it.

"Hmm, you don't seem like you have trouble talking to people?" Adam spoke from his observation, since she just came off as embarrassed till now.

'Well, it isn't that I don't know the reason, but it wouldn't be good to say it outright,' That is why he was trying to beat around the bush for a bit, because he could see that she was opening up about it.

"…yes…" She knew that communication wasn't a problem for her, she could talk to others, and was even invited by girls to go out at the start of middle school but…

"I am…scared…" She was shaking while speaking, she could've made friends with people but, "I might cause…problems." She didn't have confidence in herself.

She had always felt like she would come off as boring and would be left behind soon after, that was something that scared her. 

She was scared of the bad result, and that is why she couldn't take that first step.

'Yeah, that was the reason she wanted to change, but that change didn't take her in the right direction either,' Adam sighed, there were many reasons why things became so bad for her, 'It was a good thing I came here.' He thought standing up.

'Why did he stand up?' She couldn't help but flinch at his sudden action, 'Did he think that I am a… loser?' her heart felt crushed when she thought of that.

Of course, what she had said could make her sound like one in her opinion, and the reason why it hurt her so much at the moment was because he was the only one, who went out of his way to talk to her.

But because of her actions, he now thinks that she is someone who is not worth attention, the thing she dreaded was happening to her, it was just that all of this was just in her head.

"My name is Adam, what's yours?" She raised her eyes to look at him when she heard his voice, he didn't leave her behind instead he was standing in front of her with his arm outstretched.

"…Y-Yoshida Saki…." Saki said in a small voice.

'Am I supposed to shake his hand?' She looked at the hand in front of her face, 'I should do that, if I don't then…' and slowly grasped his hand.

"So, now we are friends," And it was then that Adam dropped that bomb on her.

"F-Friends?!" Saki was flustered because this wasn't right. 

He was a good guy but because of that, she couldn't think of becoming his friend that easily.

She even thought that he might just be saying it as a way to cheer her up, and in a way it was true.

'But this is the best way,' Adam didn't really have any ulterior motives, he just wanted to help her now that he saw her, 'knowing the future can be burdensome.'

"Yes, do you have any plans for today Saki-chan?" That is why he was serious about not letting that future happen here, but the words he spoke just continued to shock her.

"S-Saki-C-Chan?!" She pointed at herself in shock, when was the last time she was called with a -Chan? And by a male no less, it was beyond embarrassing.

"Is there an issue with using your first name?" Adam asked and Saki flinched a little, the issue wasn't with the first name.

'No that is also not good… b-but…' Saki was more shaken by the -Chan. But even then…

"N-No," She wasn't opposed to it, this whole thing had just shocked her since it came out of nowhere.

"That's good, so do you have any plans for today?" Adam asked with a smile and Saki looked reluctant.

'I want to tell him that I have something to do but, he called me his friend…' She was now torn between lying and getting out of her, or being truthful about it 'If I run away now… will I ever get a chance like this?'

Wasn't this chance something that came to her when she needed it? she was just thinking about changing, so if she runs away again would it be any good?

This is why her choice was obvious….

"I…don't...."