Deranged Writer's Afterword

Max was currently training.

Instead of training at his personal training room, he had chosen to train at the common training area because....well, there was no way to say it...but Max felt lonely.

Sure, he did have a ton friends...but strangely enough he felt all alone, he would train tirelessly when he was usually feeling like this.

But for some reason, even training didn't help today.

'Swing'

'Slash'

The rest of the people training couldn't help but stop to watch Max train, there was something about the way Max fought that touched those who watched him.

But not one of the people who were watching Max noticed the distress ON his face, they couldn't be blamed since Max had learned to hide it pretty well.

When he had first came to this school, the only thing that kept him going was the thought of revenge, he was angry at the world for taking away everything that mattered to him...he lived for revenge.

Even though it's a little cliché, the reason why Max could regain his normal self was because of his friends, Max put revenge on the backseat and decided to enjoy the great ride known as 'life'.

Max was happy now...but there were still times he felt empty, like a shell that was useless to all those around him.

'Splat'

Max falls on the ground after slipping down.

'Shit', he thought getting back up.

Feeling a little nauseous, he decided to take a break.

Max sat down on a corner of the training room and drank his water, his eyes catch the sight of a woman training.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be Lecia.

Shame creeps up on Max as he remembers of how he treated Lecia, he really hadn't meant any harm...since he grew up alone, he could sometimes be a little dense or unaware of his surroundings....

Max wanted to apologize. but he just couldn't find the right time.

As Max was deliberating on how he should apologize, he noticed two boys staring at Lecia with a smirk on their faces. They whispered to each other and snickered while pointing their fingers at her.

A frown settles on Max's face as he saw the two of them approach Lecia, Max gets up to help her but-

" AHHHH". one of the boys scream as Lecia kicks them on the stomach, the other boy was punched in the face. The two boys run away embarrassed and Lecia goes back to her training as if she hadn't just beaten two students up.

' Well...she's certainly Adam's sister..", Max thought smiling.

But Max couldn't help but wonder how she had already become this strong, he had thought that Lecia had just transferred to the hero course but the level of expertise she showed was beyond the level of a beginner.

Max didn't notice that Lecia had felt his stare on her and turned around to look at him as he was deep in thought. But the moment he realized, he turns his head away cursing himself in his mind.

" Hey.."

'Shit...', Max thought turning around to face Lecia who had walked upto him.

Max stares at Lecia for a second before getting up, he found that he couldn't meet her gaze and focused on the ground as he said,

" I'm sorry !"

Before Lecia could even respond, Max runs out of the common training hall.

" Wait !", Lecia calls out but it was to no avail as Max had already left.

~~~~

Max slips in a serja into the vending machine, his face right now resembled a tomato.

Max couldn't believe that he had managed to embarrass himself even further in front of Lecia.

'Creep', a voice that sounded eerily similar to Adam whispered into his ear.

Shaking his head, Max reached for the slot and took out the can of soda he had paid for.

" Hey..."

Max is startled to find Lecia standing a few feet away from him.

Max felt as if this had already happened once..

" I'm so-", he began only to be cut off by Lecia who said,

" Before you start apologizing....can we talk for a bit ?"

Max stared at Lecia for a full minute, unsure of what to do,

" Grape soda ?", he asked forcing a smile on his face.

~~~~

" Uhhhh....so what did you want to talk about ?", Max asked taking a sip from his soda.

They sat beside each other on the ground near the vending machine,

" Well, I feel like you've been acting a little weird lately....I just wanted to check if you were...fine ?", Lecia said struggling to find the right words.

" You noticed..huh ?", Max said chuckling a little.

The both of them silently sip on their respective soda.

'Slurp'

'Slurp'

'Slurp'

'Slurp'

Unable to take the silence, Max said,

" I've been meaning to apologize for making you feel uncomfortable around me.....that was never my intention."

Hearing his sincere apology, Lecia nods her head and said,

" I should have said it to you...not Adam, I'm pretty sure that he exaggerated a little bit....so I'm sorry for that."

Max turns around to face Lecia and asked,

" So....you don't hate me ?"

" Well, I don't know about hate...but I do find you a little weird.", Lecia said while brushing past some of her hair which had fallen out her hair bun, no doubt because of how rigorous her training was...

" I can work with weird..", Max said smiling.

The both of them smile at each other...

" Whaw whe Wuck ?", a voice interrupts their conversation.

Both Max and Lecia look up to find a bleeding Adam looking down at them.

" Whaw awe yow woing wiwh wwta wreep ?", Adam asked using a handkerchief to apply pressure on his nose, which was bleeding profusely.

" What happened to you ?", Lecia asked jumping up, Max did the same.

" Ewic hwt we.", Adam said looking up to prevent blood loss.

" Can you understand what he's saying ?", Max whispered to Lecia.

" W weard wthat !", Adam said.

Lecia thinks for a minute before nodding her head,

" I think I understand what he's trying to say.....could you say that again Adam ?"

Hearing her Adam said,

" I swid thwt Wric wit me."

Lecia nodded her head to show her understanding and looked at Max as she said,

" He's apologizing for being rude to you that day..."

"Wo...W'm wot...", Adam said looking confused..

" Now, he's saying that he loves you and hopes that you remain his friend....awww, Adam that's so sweet !"

" WO....I WIDN'T SAW THAT !", Adam shouts looking angry.

" Oh....now he's calling you his best friend.."

Max tries to hold in the laughter that threatened to escape his throat, while watching Adam huffing and puffing in anger.

" W'VE WAD WNOUGH !", he proclaimed before turning his back on the two.

After Adam left, Max burst into laughter and Lecia watched him laughing with a gentle smile on her face.

But Max stopped laughing when he saw Adam coming back, holding his hand up to prevent them from seeing his face. He walks like this until he runs into the vending machine.

" WOWOWO !", he groans in pain, Max tried to help but is stopped by Lecia who shook her head.

The both of them watch as Adam pretends to be invisible and drop in a serja into the vending machine and taking a cool strawberry soda. He started making his way back with his hand functioning as a mask, but he turns again yet again used yet another serja to buy another strawberry soda.

As both his hands were currently occupied, he couldn't hide his face...instead he sprints back to hopefully, his room.

Watching him run, Max asked,

" What was that all about ?", Max asked confused.

Lecia let out a sigh and said,

" He wanted to maintain his angry exit...I know it's stupid but Adam's always been like that. He was born proud....the other kids at the orphanage used to bully him because of that....you won't believe the number of times I've had to save him...."

Lecia had a nostalgic smile on her face as she reminisced their past.

".....Orphanage ?...I thought you two were siblings..", Max said blankly.

Realizing that he had voiced his thoughts out loud Max tried to apologize but he was too late as Lecia said,

" Well, I thought you all knew...Adam and I grew up at the same orphanage and got adopted by the same family.....we may not be related by blood, but he's a very important person to me."

" Of course, I can see the love you two share....I'm sorry for being so insensitive.."

" It's no big deal...anyways I better go check up on him..", Lecia said looking worried.

As Lecia was walking away from Max, he once again starts to apologize,

" I'm sorry abou-"

Lecia turned around to face him and said,

" If you apologize one more time...I'll punch you in the face."

Lecia goes on her way leaving a very stunned Max behind.

Max smiled warmly watching Lecia's back.

" I should probably head back too..", Max thought out loud and started jogging back to his room.

Max didn't feel that lonely anymore.

~~~~