233 Theres More Choices Than What You Gave Me! (2/2)
”Why is it only getting worse and worse!?”
Seiji kept up an endless stream of retorts.
Whenever he and Chiaki were alone together, it was always like this.
The two of them had fun chatting with each other in their classroom’s store.
...
Mika met with the girl in pink-colored Sakura Island traditional clothing again.
”You came, and you have a nice expression. You must have come to a resolution,” said the silver-haired girl.
”Yes, I want to become ‘special,'” Mika said in a firm voice.
”Then—”
”But before that, I want to clearly know, just what exactly does making me ‘special’ entail?”
The silver-haired girl blinked in surprise at this. ”This… it’s a little difficult to describe… if the content of what I say is difficult for you to accept, will you refuse?”
”Yes,” Mika said bluntly.
”But didn’t you come to a resolution already?” The silver-haired girl seemed confused.
”Yes, I want to become special.” Mika kept her gaze fixed on the silver-haired girl. ”But not necessarily by your method.”
The silver-haired girl's eyes widened in surprise. ”What… do you mean?”
”What I mean is, I can become special thanks to my own power, not necessarily thanks to your help,” Mika said clearly. ”After the last time that I met you, I kept thinking and pondering about my dilemma... What you said was correct: the ‘ordinary’ me has no way to win the ‘special’ him’s heart. If I want him to pay attention to me, I have to change myself.”
”But that doesn’t mean that I have to accept your help.” The double-pigtailed girl slowly began clenching her fist. ”There are various methods to become special, and as long as I work hard, resolutely step forward, and get closer to him, I can definitely do it!”
‘Just like Juumonji-sensei… Kaede Juumonji.’
Even if Kaede wasn’t already the scion of a rich family, her willpower and resolution alone made her special. Yukari Asamiya was also similar to her as well.
Being special… these factors didn't necessarily stem from one's birth.
Perhaps being born with an excellent appearance or into a renowned family would make someone special to begin with, but there were also others that were just ordinary but became special through their own hard efforts.
‘While I may not be the first type, I can become the second! Any ordinary person has this type of potential.’
”I still don’t know how I should do it. But I’m right beside him—I’m his good friend, and he isn’t my only friend. If I don’t know what I should do, I can ask my other friends.”
Seiji and Chiaki were her closest friends, and one of them was the person she liked… this was the most powerful advantage that Mika Uehara possessed.
This was actually an incredible strength. If one really tried to find something ”special” about her, this was it.
Not everything needed to be told to her friends.
But wanting to change herself… that is to say, maturing through her own hard efforts wasn’t something she should conceal.
That was something Mika realized after meeting Chiaki today.
After avoiding Chiaki for so long and seeing her today, Mika realized that she had been isolating herself, and that helped her to realize that she really should explain things to her good friend and ask for help.
People should make decisions about their lives on their own, and after making a decision, if that person didn’t know what specific direction to take or where to spend their efforts, asking a good friend for advice and help was only natural… in fact, it was the most natural thing to do!
That was the correct way to treat your friends.
Well, maybe that sounded a little too pragmatic, but that’s what it meant. You should do the things that you should do, and if you need help, just honestly ask for help.
”That’s what I’ve come up with. There are more choices than what you gave me! You’re willing to help me, and I believe that you offered aid out kindness, but you also said that the way you can help make me ‘special’ has risks to it. I need to know exactly what the risk is, and what will change in me. If your ‘change…’ will make me end up like the Little Mermaid… then I refuse.” This was Mika’s choice that wasn’t in the girl’s originally provided options.
This was the final answer that she arrived at after being mired in confusion.
She resolutely faced the silver-haired girl and displayed her unflinching will.
The girl observed Mika’s expression closely.
A moment later, she chuckled lightly. Her expression was bright and warm.
”You said something excellent with an excellent expression on your face,” she said. ”When was the last time I saw such a beautiful expression? I don’t even remember.”
”Mika Uehara, I’m rather surprised that you’ve matured so much in such a short amount of time… but this is exactly why humans are so mysterious.”