Capítulo 113: Interlude: An unexpected surprise (3)
The next day, Mei found Adam seated beneath a sprawling cherry tree in the quiet corner of the school courtyard.
The soft rustling of petals in the breeze framed the scene like something out of a painting.
In his hands rested another manga—or perhaps whatever it was. Its cover was as strange and garish as the one she had returned to him yesterday.
This one, however, was drenched in hues of black and purple, the swirling colors forming chaotic patterns
Adam's blonde(?) hair shimmered faintly in the dappled sunlight.
He leaned slightly forward, elbows resting on his knees as he read, entirely engrossed in the strange book.
The blonde(?) haired boy looked very engrossed in this weird book…. In fact, from the way he was intensely reading it, Mei hesitated to disturb him
He looked peaceful, his expression unusually focused yet serene, as though the world around him had dissolved into nothingness.
She clutched the book she had brought tightly to her chest, unsure if she should disturb him.
But the longer she waited, the more the weight of the book seemed to press against her conscience
"Adam…"
She began softly, her voice trembling slightly.
"...."
His eyes flicked up from the pages, slow and deliberate. They were a brilliant shade of blue, calm but unreadable.
"Is this…. Yours?"
She asked, holding the book forward
….It was a stupid[Idiotic] question, a purposeless one- yet she still asked this, even though she knew the answer
"Mh?"
Adam blinked, his expression shifting briefly into confusion before settling into a faint smile.
"Yeah"
He said simply, nodding
"..."
Mei took a deep breath.
Her fingers tightened around the book she held, her nails digging lightly into the cover. The pounding of her heart threatened to drown out her thoughts.
"I…. read it." She admitted after a pause, her voice barely above a whisper "I am sorry that I did it without your permission…. I just…"
Her words faltered as she glanced down, avoiding his gaze.
"... couldn't help yourself?" Adam finished for her, his tone more curious than accusatory.
She nodded, shame heating her cheeks.
…
Will he hate her? No, no, that definitely wouldn't[Couldn't!] happen!
Adam is the only person besides Kiana who regards her as a friend. He is the first person who simply liked and cared about 'Mei', and not 'Raiden Mei'
Maybe the blonde[It's silver] boy will dislike her…. And he wouldn't be in the wrong! On the contrary, she is at fault here!
She shouldn't have intruded on his privacy like that, even if that book didn't contain anything personal
….
"I see"
Adam's voice snapped her out of her wild[Hmph] thoughts
"Huh?"
She uttered, confused at his nonchalant reply
Her mind had already conjured so many bad outcomes…
-But instead, he said so simply, head tilted slightly. He studied her with that peculiar calm expression
The silence that followed felt unbearable.
Mei's thoughts raced, each more panicked than the last.
Then, he spoke again
"Did you….."
Mei bit her lower lip as he continued
Will he scold her-?
"-Understand anything from it?"
She froze, her wide eyes snapping to his face.
"Eh?"
-Was all that came out of her mouth, voice rising in surprise
"Huh?" Adam's eyebrows twitched upwards as he looked at her in confusion "What's with that reaction?"
"Y-you're not angry?"
She stammered, her fingers fumbling nervously with the hem of her blazer.
The blond[I said it's silver!] boy seemed to have many… secrets.
She didn't know exactly what he was going through, but she was sure that he was… not ordinary
And so, she expected him to be mad and angry when someone else peered into his personal belongings
"Why would I be?" He shrugged, leaning back against the tree trunk. "If you learned something from it, you can keep it. If not, well…"
He glanced back at the book in his hands. "No harm done."
Mei blinked, her mind struggling to process his casual response.
She had expected anything but this.
"I… I don't understand," she said finally, her voice barely audible. "I thought you'd be upset. I mean, it's your personal work, isn't it?"
[Fufu…It might just have been a gift for me]
'No way! Adam doesn't even know of your existence!'
[Tch]
"It's not actually that personal" Adam tilted his head, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. he said. "It does contain some of my understanding of that subject…. But still, I made it for you to read, anyway."
That revelation struck Mei like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes widened as she processed his words.
[Hah, I knew it!]
"You… made it for me?" she repeated, her voice trembling slightly.
"Yeah."
Adam leaned back against the tree, resting the open book on his lap.
"Don't get the wrong idea, though." He gestured vaguely at her. "I made it because I am tired of seeing people in mangas, anime, and movies using Electromagnetism like dumbasses. It is as if they are using a supercomputer as a doorstep"
[Want me to show him some Electro-]
"Really? And you wrote it because… you are frustrated?"
She asked, ignoring the annoying sounds of her split personality[I am not-!]
"Hm… Not entirely. I just suddenly got a spark of curiosity… And I decided to write it down" Adam closed his book, tapping a finger against its cover thoughtfully. "Perhaps what I wrote won't be useful for me… But it could help someone else… like you"
"Ah…?"
His answer raised more questions
[See coward? This is for me!]
Ignoring her other self that seemed to vibrate in happiness, she thought more deeply about his words
"I don't know if I understood it…." She softly shook her head as she admitted this "I did understand the basics… But.... all that other stuff… "
She stopped, not finishing that sentence
"You don't have to understand it all at once." He met her eyes, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "But I think you're smart enough to figure it out eventually."
Mei stared at him, her emotions swirling
…
She didn't have the confidence to understand this book
After all…. Her skill with the sword was something she had earned through relentless training, not innate genius.
Though she did indeed have talent for cooking
But when it comes to academic subjects, she is only average
And… She can't understand why Adam gave her a 'wiki' about Electromagnetism. He said that it could help her, but how?
[.....]
And yet, despite her doubts, a flicker of warmth sparked in her chest.
He believed in her, didn't he? Even if his delivery was casual, almost flippant, the emotions behind it were genuine
….
"Okay," she said at last, her voice firmer than before. "I'll try."
"Good." Adam's smirk returned, this time carrying a hint of satisfaction.
"I am not really asking you to memorize it and become an expert" He looked up at the sky, his blue eyes reflecting the clouds in the sky "Just… read it, try to understand, and try to broaden your horizon. Nothing more."
"Anf of course" He tilted his head toward the book in his lap. "If you get stuck, feel free to ask. There is no shame in relying on your companions"
"O-okay" Mei allowed herself a small smile. "I'll keep that in mind."
Clutching the 'wiki' tightly to her chest, she walked away
Her mind was no less chaotic than before. She had countless questions to ask Adam… But beside all of that, a small, steady resolve began to take root.
Adam had handed her something more than a book; he had handed her a chance.
[You realized only now?]
He placed his trust in her- giving her something he spent time and effort to write
It was…. [A gift?]
And all he asked was to read this 'wiki'. She had already read some of it yesterday, and it was…. Strangely descriptive and easy to understand
The content was indeed electromagnetism, and it seemed difficult… However, it was all written in a quirky type of way- it had Adam's unique touch into it
So…. Mei will not disappoint him. It was the first thing Adam asked of her, so she will try her best to meet his expectations
…
..
.
Adam looked weirdly at Mei who was holding the 'wiki'/Comic he had casually written as if it were a rare and precious treasure
"What is up with her?"
He scratched the back of his head in confusion
Certainly, the silver-haired boy intended for Mei to read this book… or at least take a peek to satisfy her curiosity
After all-
Actually, no, sorry.
Adam just doesn't want Mei Raiden to have the power of Electromagnetic manipulation- one of the four fundamental forces of the universe- and just waste it by only swinging a sword and zapping things with lightning around like a dumbass
Of course, he didn't expect that big of a reaction from her…
"Whatever"
He shrugged his shoulder, putting this matter behind
Whatever the case, this book was made for Mei's sake. So in the end, it only matters that she reads it
...
..
.
---------
A/N:
And this was the end of the Mei interlude!
I have been working it for a couple of months... Not continuously, but just adding words here and there when inspiration strikes me
I am mostly satisfied in how it turned out... Though I think Mei overreacted a bit with this 'wiki' made by Adam
But then again, she is a there most vulnerable at the moment, and her confidence has taken a huge hit, so I think it is indeed reasonable to have such a dramatic reaction
But anyway, what do you guys think?
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
AdamFlores
AdamFlores Your power stones will be put to use for Mei's confidence to recover
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