Chapter 1: Beauty

'Today's the day, I guess...' Erika thought as she reached the door to the roof. She opened it and was shocked when she saw a woman with glossy, pale skin, and silky hair standing at the railing barefoot. 'What...?' She wondered as she stared for a brief moment. "Hey! What the hell are you doing!?" She yelled as she ran over next to the woman and grabbed her arm.

The woman looked at her with a pained expression as a tear fell from her face. "Y-you wouldn't get it..." She said timidly as she looked over the railing.

"Ugh, yeah, try me." Erika responded.

"Th-that's..." The woman paused.

"Like I said, try me." She said. 'What point is there in this? Why do I even care about what this woman does...?' She wondered to herself as the woman thought for a moment before speaking.

"Nobody ever bothers to know me..." She spoke.

"Yeah?" Erika asked blandly.

"Yes..." She responded. "They see me as just a trophy... I know I should feel blessed to be so pretty, but... I can't help but think of it as a curse..." She continued.

"And why is that?" Erika asked with the same bland tone. 'God, I just want her to leave. Maybe if I get her to leave soon, the mood won't be ruined.' She thought.

"Well... Someone I thought was close and that could be trusted... He... He said that he was only my friend because he wanted my body..." She said as she began to sob. "After I rejected him, everyone around me has been acting as if I use my appearance to push others around... I just... I don't get it..." She continued as she gripped the railing.

Erika sighed. 'Well, there goes the mood.' She thought as she turned around and leaned back against the railing. "That's all?" She asked.

"I told you you wouldn't get it..." She said through her sobbing as she prepared to jump off the railing.

"Oh, no, I get it. I've had the same happen." She responded.

"Wh-what...?" The woman asked as she looked at Erika with shock.

"It's not fun, but it's also nothing to fuss over." She said. "So a few people don't like you anymore, get over it." She added.

"Th-that's...!" The woman started as tears streamed from her face.

"If they were so ready to leave after that, then they weren't friends, go make some real ones." She said as she gave the woman a meaningful look.

"B-but... These are people I've known since childhood..." She said. Erika nodded.

"People drift away, it happens, but you can't let it get you down. No point in it. Just do your best to find the people that you can trust." She explained.

"That's..." The woman spoke as she began to calm down and lowered herself. She sat and leaned against the railing as she thought.

"For the majority of people, there's a better tomorrow. Go ahead and find it." Erika said as she placed her hand on the woman's head.

"O-okay..." She mumbled as she stood up and left with an expression of anxiety and hope.

"Hah~...." Erika let out a long annoyed breath. 'The mood really is ruined... I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow...' She thought as she turned around and looked over the horizon.