"My friend got into university through recommendation."
Sora said quietly.
"Did you say congratulations?" Leo asked.
"I did. But I couldn't feel happy from the heart."
Kaito was surprised. "I can't believe Sora would think that way."
"I'm surprised myself. Why can't I genuinely celebrate a friend's happiness?"
Leo said gently, "That's envy."
"Envy..." Sora repeated the word.
"Envy is one of the basic human emotions. Everyone has it."
"But we're friends."
"That might be exactly why."
Kaito asked, "What do you mean?"
"According to social comparison theory, we compare ourselves to those close to us," Leo explained.
"Close to us?"
"People similar in age, environment, and goals. In other words, friends."
Sora understood. "Success of distant people doesn't bother me."
"Right. When celebrities succeed, there's less envy. But when classmates succeed, it's felt strongly."
Kaito said, "True, I get complicated feelings when my club teammates excel."
"That's because self-evaluation is threatened," Leo continued.
"Self-evaluation?"
"When others succeed, you feel relatively inferior. Especially when competing in the same field."
Sora said honestly, "I was aiming for the same university. When my friend got in first, I felt left behind."
"That's the essence of envy," Leo explained. "The contrast between what they gained and what you lack."
Kaito asked, "Is envy bad?"
"The emotion itself isn't bad. But when you act on it, it becomes a problem."
"What kind of actions?"
"Putting others down, breaking relationships, falling into self-denial."
Sora sighed. "I'm avoiding my friend."
"That's also a form of defense," Leo showed understanding.
"Defense?"
"Keeping distance to not feel pain. But it breaks relationships."
Sora asked, "How can I deal with this emotion?"
"First, acknowledge the envy," Leo answered.
"Acknowledge?"
"Be honest with yourself: 'I'm envious.' Denying it makes it worse."
Kaito added, "Acknowledging takes courage."
"Yes. But acknowledging allows you to observe the emotion."
Sora wrote in her notebook: "I feel envy. It's okay to feel."
"Good," Leo nodded. "It's not bad to feel emotions."
"What's next?" Sora asked.
"Explore the real need behind the envy."
"Need?"
"Envy is a message: 'I want that too.'"
Sora thought. "I want to get into university too."
"Right. Focus on that need. Not pulling others down, but lifting yourself up."
Kaito understood. "Focus on yourself, not others."
"Exactly," Leo acknowledged.
Sora asked, "But what if my friend succeeds and I fail?"
"Success isn't finite," Leo said.
"Not finite?"
"Someone else's success doesn't reduce your possibility of success. This isn't a zero-sum game."
"But recommendation slots are limited."
"That's true. But there are other paths. Your friend's success doesn't close your path."
Kaito encouraged, "Sora's smart, you'll definitely get in."
Sora smiled. "Thanks. But that's also comparison."
"Right," Kaito realized.
Leo continued, "Practice not measuring self-worth by comparison with others."
"How?"
"Have internal standards. Are you growing compared to yesterday's self? Are you living according to your values?"
Sora wrote in her notebook: "Compare with yesterday's self, not with others"
"Perfect," Leo acknowledged.
Sora took a deep breath. "I'll say congratulations to my friend again."
"This time, from the heart?" Kaito asked.
"Maybe not completely from the heart yet. But I'll say it. And focus on my own path."
"That's enough," Leo smiled.
Kaito said, "I want to be able to celebrate my teammates' successes too."
"It's okay to take time," Leo said. "Emotions don't change immediately."
The three learned how to face the difficult emotion of envy.
Celebrating others' happiness isn't easy. But aiming for it has value.