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Adam, despite his pursuit of revenge, was a composed man when it came to everyday matters. Few things could shake him, as someone with thousands of years of experience, it was normal for him to have encountered countless absurdities.
His "new way of being" might have slightly affected that maturity, but Adam doubted that even without merging, he wouldn't feel uncomfortable with what he now knew.
He lived in a world that was likely a mix of anime, which seemed to include adult ones, popularly known as Hentai... A discovery that was far from pleasant.
Even he couldn't suppress the discomfort. Some stories in that kind of content were genuinely horrifying...
Like the story of the girl he was currently following.
Saki, who was crouched as if trying to go unnoticed, paused on her path when something caught her attention.
Adam, observing her from a distance, leaned against a tree as he noticed this. His eyes shifted to a shop window, the apparent focus of the girl's attention, where she was staring at a beautiful navy-blue dress.
He wasn't surprised. It was normal for young girls to be interested in pretty clothes. From what he remembered, Saki was a reclusive and lonely girl, but even she seemed to enjoy such things.
The girl observed the dress for a few more seconds, but as she appeared tempted to buy it, her face suddenly filled with disdain. This made Adam raise an eyebrow as he watched her shrug and continue on her way.
'This girl's self-loathing is really something else...' He sighed before resuming his pursuit.
Even though a sense of urgency had struck him earlier, there were still three months left until the end of the school year. He remembered the story only began after Saki started attending a new school, so he had some time before he needed to worry.
During this period, he might as well help this girl gain a bit of self-esteem. Surely, that would be enough to change her horrible future.
'...' As he walked, he couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled. 'It's a bit odd that I remember this in such detail...!'
But shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside with a stoic expression. He sensed that if he tried to figure out why he recalled details of so many strange subjects, he might spiral into a depressive state.
Focusing on his path, a few minutes passed before he finally reached his destination, his eyes tracking Saki as she headed towards her house.
'So this is where she lives.' He regarded the apartment complex with little reaction. At a glance, he could tell his own home was likely much larger than any single apartment in this place... 'I can't say I'm surprised... Her father doesn't seem like a competent person.'
His brow twitched at the thought of this man. That was another matter he'd have to deal with. Having a girl like Saki living under the same roof as someone so despicable… Thinking about it irritated him.
Watching her enter her home, Adam lingered outside for a few seconds, committing the location to memory.
'Alright…' Nodding with satisfaction, he began to leave. 'I'll start tomorrow.'
Disappearing into the crowd, Adam, having established a new goal for his new life, returned home with a calm demeanor... Like a father who had just discovered his child was being bullied. He entered his home and went about his routine, simply awaiting the next day when he could begin to set things right.
. . .
Saki hated herself.
Throughout high school, she hadn't made a single friend. Sure, classmates had invited her a few times, but her fear prevented her from accepting each time.
Over time, this fear turned into disdain for her peers, who were able to make friends and hang out together... And as even more time passed, that disdain shifted from others to herself.
She grew to despise herself to the point of wanting to disappear whenever she was around people. Each day at school felt like hell... Surrounded by people she couldn't bring herself to approach, who now saw her as a strange, unapproachable person.
Could someone like her... fit in? Could she stop receiving those looks of disdain whenever she was forced to do group projects?
She... She didn't know.
Even though she had brought this upon herself, the desire to change had grown in her heart. She wanted to make friends, meet people, and go out with someone! Was it so wrong to want that?
She just wanted to lose the fear of talking to people, for others not to despise the way she was... She just wanted to be able to make one friend.
...
And it was with these thoughts in mind that, on an ordinary day while she was returning home alone, she noticed someone.
It was, without a doubt, the first time Saki felt something strange in her chest.
His golden hair swayed in the wind, and the sweat dripping down his handsome face only highlighted his beauty. His eyes, bluer than the sky, which Saki noticed from afar, captivated her as if hypnotizing her.
The first time Saki saw this beautiful man, whom she had never noticed before, her mind struggled to process it, causing her to act impulsively just to get closer and observe him a little more.
Her body warmed and tingled in various places as she continued watching him.
Of course, she felt like talking to this person, but her fear of being despised, especially by such a handsome man, seemed to intensify even more.
Could this be what the girls in her class called... love?
Saki wasn't a fool. Even without experience, she understood it all. Her life as a recluse had allowed her to enjoy countless dating simulators and romance stories.
But falling in love at first sight...? Could that really happen? And to her, of all people?
She couldn't answer that, nor did she know if what she felt was truly love. But one thing was certain... This feeling, the tingling that came whenever she saw this man, she liked it.
She couldn't deny it.
Thus, after a few days, she eagerly waited for the moment the man would appear in that exact spot to rest after what seemed like a jog.
Watching him wipe sweat from his body made her gulp, every gesture he made captivating her attention. Even when he lifted his shirt to wipe his face, she kept her eyes fixed, though she wanted to curl up in embarrassment.
All this to muster enough courage to speak to him...
But unfortunately, even after days, she could only watch him from afar, avoiding his gaze whenever he turned in her direction.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't gather the courage. The fear of being despised was deeply rooted in her mind, stopping her from taking a single step to talk to anyone, especially the handsome man she always took time to watch.
And so, at the end of another day failing to take a step forward, she returned home dejected.
A dress even caught her eye. She thought that if she changed her appearance, she might gain a bit more courage to finally break this mental stigma... But as quickly as the thought came, she dismissed it with disdain.
She, a recluse who avoided people, truly deserved that...? No, she felt she didn't.
She was despicable, which was why people gave her those looks whenever her name was mentioned... She didn't deserve friends. Her destiny seemed to be the solitude of her room.
Well...
It wasn't as if she wasn't used to it.
"..." Entering her room, Saki didn't even bother changing out of her uniform as she collapsed onto her bed, tears threatening to form at the corners of her eyes as she was confronted by her depressing thoughts. "It's no use trying... In the end, I'll just fail every time."
With a sad murmur, she let her eyes close as her thoughts flooded her mind, hoping that when she slept, all of it would fade, allowing her at least a moment of peace.
And so, like all her previous days, Saki fell asleep in her messy room.
Unable to rid herself of these thoughts... Even in her dreams.
. . .
"I'm off!"
"Take care!"
Putting on her shoes, Saki bid goodbye and left the apartment, her eyes squinting against the bright light of a new day. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she accepted the fact that she would repeat everything once more... But at least she would have one pleasant moment.
She just hoped he would be there today.
"Hey!"
Saki, who was walking away from the apartment building she lived in, froze when a voice reached her ears. Her head turned to see something that nearly made her heart stop.
"You're the girl who's been watching me, aren't you?"
His golden hair swayed in the wind, his handsome face seemed flawless, and his blue eyes appeared to gaze directly into her soul... Saki couldn't mistake him, even from miles away.
"It's a pleasure..."
It was him.
"My name is Adam."