Kamen Riders Reborn (Book 1 & 2)

Chapter 6: Saving A Friend

A few days later, a young girl was sitting in her class without much thought.

Saki's Narration: I... Saki Yoshida, after spending three years at middle school, graduated...

Male Student #1: What do you want to do after this?

Male Student #2: Let's go to that place.

Saki's Narration: Without making a single friend...

Saki sighs.

Saki's Narration: How did it end up like this? ...At first, I... was invited a number of times, but...

Female Classmate #1: How about you, Yoshida-san?

Saki: Oh, I'm... fine.

Saki's Narration: I was always afraid and declined every time...

Female Classmate #2: Hurry up, let's go.

The student ran over to her friends as Saki glanced up from her book.

Female Classmate #2: Where's Yoshida-san?

Female Classmate #1: I got turned down.

Female Classmate #2: Really? Let's go then.

Saki's Narration: I feared that if someone like me joined them... I'd get... looked down on... But as I got used to spending time alone. Before I knew it... Deep down in my heart, I began... to look down on girls my age who hanged out together... And then... Once I realized that I began to hate myself. I want to change... A person that's a part of... This fun, bright world... I want to become one.

Saki: I'm home~

Saki's Mother: Oh, welcome home, Saki~ Did you eat lunch? You had your graduation ceremony today, right? How was it?

Saki: Mom... C-Can you teach me... How to do make up?

Saki's Narration: With just a few words, my mother who I haven't talked to in a while became happy. All this time I looked down on people who obsessed over their appearance, but after I started caring about it just a little myself.

Saki's Mother: HONEY~! What do you think? Doesn't Saki look beautiful?

Saki: M-Mom! Stop it!

Saki's father looked up from his newspaper. Her appearance changed completely.

Saki's Father: Y-Yes... Y-...You look beautiful... Saki...

Saki's Narration: I got my stern father to give me an embarrassed smile.

Saki: ...Thanks.

Saki's Narration: ...I was happy.

~~Scene Change~~

Saki's Narration: Though I wanted to be popular, I met two people who would be my bestest friends. One was a male named Bruce Hanjo and the other was a childhood friend of his, Ukyo Kuonji. My class basically ignored or dissociated themselves from me before, but everything changed after I changed my appearance. However they were different... They welcomed me with open arms. Ukyo showed me how to make her family's okonomiyaki as for Bruce... He told me something that I would never forget.

Bruce: Don't change who you are because of what others said. Ukyo and I, we accept you for who you are. Not by your beauty or social status. Be you.

Saki's Narration: I heeded his words and was planning on changing my appearance back to how it was before. I was very grateful for their caring nature, but deep down I still yearned to be popular. Eventually I realized that I developed a crush on him, but... he and Ukyo were engaged. I was upset by this, but Ukyo told me that no matter what happens... We will always remain friends and that she wouldn't mind sharing him. Of course it was just an idea, she wasn't to sure if Bruce would like the idea of having two fiances.