"I can't say I like someone."
Kaito muttered quietly.
Sora asked in surprise. "To someone specific?"
"No, as a general statement," Kaito hastily denied.
Hiyori said gently, "You have difficulty expressing affection."
"Difficulty, or... it's embarrassing, and I don't know how to say it."
Sora understood. "I get it. I'm like that too sometimes."
Hiyori began explaining. "Styles of expressing affection vary greatly from person to person."
"Styles?" Kaito asked.
"A psychologist named Gary Chapman proposed the concept of love languages."
Sora showed interest. "Love languages?"
"Five ways to express and receive affection," Hiyori wrote in her notebook.
"1. Words of affirmation" "2. Quality time" "3. Gifts" "4. Acts of service" "5. Physical touch"
Kaito read it. "These are all expressions of affection?"
"Yes. People tend to primarily use one or two of these."
Sora thought. "I'm probably quality time. Spending time together is important."
"What about you, Kaito?" Hiyori asked.
"Me... probably acts of service? I want to do things for people."
"Good awareness," Hiyori acknowledged. "But the other person doesn't necessarily use the same language."
Sora understood. "That's why there's miscommunication."
"Exactly. Someone who wants words and someone who shows through actions won't connect."
Kaito agreed. "So even when I help, maybe they want to hear 'I like you.'"
"Correct," Hiyori nodded.
Sora asked. "But why does it differ by person?"
"The environment you grew up in influences it," Hiyori explained. "There's a concept called attachment theory."
"Attachment theory?"
"The theory that relationships with caregivers in early childhood influence patterns of affection in adulthood."
Kaito listened seriously.
Hiyori continued. "For example, if parents didn't express affection verbally, children also tend to have difficulty with verbal expression."
"My parents were like that," Kaito recalled. "It was a family that didn't say 'I like you.'"
"So you might have resistance to verbal expression."
Sora added. "But didn't they show it through actions?"
Kaito thought. "...Come to think of it, they always helped me."
"That became your love language," Hiyori explained.
Kaito looked a bit relieved. "So it's not my fault."
"There's no good or bad," Hiyori emphasized. "What's important is understanding the differences."
Sora asked. "So how can we communicate better?"
"Learn the other person's love language," Hiyori answered. "And sometimes try methods you're not good at."
"Do things I'm not good at?" Kaito asked anxiously.
"You don't need to be perfect. But the effort itself proves affection."
Sora understood. "Trying hard for the other person."
"Yes. That's also a kind of act of service," Hiyori smiled.
Kaito looked determined. "Okay. Next time, I'll properly communicate with words too."
"That's good," Hiyori encouraged. "It might be embarrassing at first."
"I think it'll be super embarrassing," Kaito laughed.
Sora suggested. "Want to practice? Right here, now?"
"No way, impossible," Kaito refused.
"See, you really are bad at it," Sora laughed.
Hiyori said quietly, "But facing that difficulty is growth itself."
Kaito became a bit serious. "Thank you, Hiyori."
"You're welcome."
Sora added. "There's no right answer for expressing affection. What matters is the feeling of trying to communicate."
Kaito nodded. "Right. It doesn't have to be perfect."
Hiyori said finally, "Expressing affection is a skill. With practice, you improve."
"A skill," Kaito pondered. "Then I'll practice little by little."
The three looked out the window. Forms of affection vary. But underlying them all is the feeling of caring for someone. If you don't forget that, it will surely reach them.
"I learned a lot today," Kaito said.
"Same here," Sora laughed.
Reasons for inability to express affection. Maybe it's just not knowing the methods. And methods can be learned.