"Sora, are you okay?"
Kaito called out. Sora, who usually observes others, didn't seem energetic today.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sora answered with a smile.
Hiyori stared at her. "Really?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sora repeated.
Mira wrote in her notebook. "You don't look fine."
Sora looked a bit surprised. "That's not true."
Kaito said curiously, "Sora, you always read other people's feelings, but you hide your own."
Sora fell silent.
Hiyori gently asked, "What happened?"
Sora sighed. "...It's about my family, just a bit."
"Won't you tell us?" Kaito prompted.
"But I don't want to worry everyone."
Mira wrote, "We're friends."
Sora's eyes became slightly moist. "Actually... my parents might divorce."
Hiyori nodded quietly. "That must be painful."
"But it's fine. I'm already an adult," Sora acted tough.
Kaito tilted his head. "Being an adult doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."
Sora looked surprised.
Hiyori explained, "The word 'fine' is sometimes a psychological mask."
"Mask?"
"Hiding real emotions and showing a socially acceptable face," Mira wrote in her notebook.
Sora admitted, "True... if I say I'm fine, everyone feels relieved."
Kaito asked, "But what about Sora herself?"
"...I'm not fine at all," Sora said in a small voice.
Hiyori said gently, "Thank you for saying that."
Sora wiped her tears. "Sorry for showing weakness."
"You're not weak," Kaito protested. "You're just honest."
Mira wrote, "Acting tough is tiring."
"Really," Sora admitted. "I've been tired of pretending to be fine."
Hiyori explained, "In psychology, this is called emotional labor. When real emotions and expressed emotions differ, it burdens the heart."
Sora nodded. "Exactly that. Creating a smile took so much energy."
Kaito asked, "Why couldn't you say you weren't fine?"
Sora thought. "Because everyone has their own struggles. It's not just me with problems."
"That's emotional comparison," Hiyori pointed out. "Comparing others' suffering with your own and invalidating your own emotions."
"There's no ranking to suffering," Kaito said. "Just because someone else has it harder doesn't make Sora's pain disappear."
Sora had a realization.
Mira wrote, "Your emotions are valid."
"Valid..." Sora repeated.
Hiyori said calmly, "When you're not fine, you can say you're not fine."
"But isn't that being weak?" Sora asked.
"It's not weakness, it's honesty," Kaito answered. "You don't always have to act tough."
Sora quietly began to cry. "Thank you."
Hiyori rubbed her back. "Sora, who's always the observer, can sometimes be observed too."
Mira smiled and nodded.
Sora wiped her tears. "I thought I always had to be calm."
"Why?" Hiyori asked.
"Because I'm interested in psychology. Because I'm in the position of analyzing."
Kaito said, "But Sora is human too. It's natural to have emotions."
"People who study psychology especially should value their own emotions," Hiyori added. "Understanding and suppression are different."
Sora took a deep breath. "That's right. Acknowledging emotions is different from drowning in them."
Mira wrote, "Emotions aren't enemies."
"Exactly," Sora smiled. "Emotions are information, right?"
Hiyori nodded. "The emotion of pain is a sign that something's wrong. You shouldn't ignore it."
Kaito asked, "What will you do now?"
Sora thought. "First, I'll talk with my parents. And when I'm not fine, I'll say so."
"That's good," Kaito smiled.
Mira wrote, "I'll always listen."
Hiyori said gently, "We're on your side, Sora."
Sora showed a real smile. "Thank you. Having a place where I don't have to say 'I'm fine' is really saving."
The four sat quietly. It's okay to have days when you're not fine. A relationship where you can say that is a real connection. Today, Sora learned that.