"I won't talk to adults anymore"—I trusted you, so I told you.

This is the story of a child who was a victim of bullying.

They had been struggling for a very long time.
However, they didn't want to worry their parents by looking unhappy at home.
So, they decided to talk to their homeroom teacher at school first.

But deep down, they were always anxious.
"What if I tell them and my situation in class gets worse?"
"What if the teacher doesn't believe me?"
These feelings were mixed, and they couldn't find the courage.

One day, the teacher said in class,
"If you have any worries, please feel free to confide in me."

Those words gave them a little bit of courage.
"Is it okay to talk?" "Will they really listen to me?"
Thinking that, they made up their mind and confided in the teacher.

But the response they got was this:

"Well, [the perpetrator] has their side of the story, too."

Their heart broke.

"Why don't you understand?"
"Weren't my feelings worth listening to?"
That day, they started to feel like a fool for having gathered the courage to speak up.

From then on, they thought:
"I won't talk to adults anymore."
"It's probably useless to tell anyone."

Even at this very moment, someone somewhere might be feeling the same way.
How much of an impact can a casual remark from an adult have on a child's heart?
Whether or not an adult shows a supportive attitude affects a child's future.
When a child takes that first step, I want their feelings to be accepted.
I believe adults must never betray the courage of a child who trusted and relied on them.