"For three weeks now, I've been opening and closing the application form."
Sora said self-deprecatingly. In the club room, staring at a laptop screen.
Leo peeked over. "Application for what?"
"Internship," Sora answered. "Psychology practicum. I really want to go, but..."
Hiyori asked gently, "What's stopping you?"
Sora thought. "I don't know. But the moment I try to press the button, my hand stops."
Leo observed. "Fear?"
"Fear," Sora admitted. "What if I fail, get rejected, can't meet expectations."
Hiyori said quietly, "Avoidance behavior."
"Avoidance behavior?"
"Avoiding action to escape anxiety and fear," Hiyori explained. "Short-term it brings relief, but long-term it worsens the problem."
Sora nodded. "Exactly that. The more I avoid, the scarier it becomes."
Leo asked, "Why does it worsen?"
Hiyori answered. "By avoiding, the belief 'I can't do it' is reinforced. And you lose the actual opportunity to try."
Sora felt down. "A negative spiral."
"But it can be broken," Hiyori encouraged.
Leo asked practically, "How?"
Hiyori explained. "There's a method called behavioral activation. Start with a small step, gradually move to bigger actions."
"A small step?" Sora asked.
"You don't need to completely fill out the application form," Hiyori suggested. "First, just enter your name."
Sora was surprised. "That's all?"
"Even that is progress," Leo said. "Perfectionism can also stop action."
Hiyori added, "And that small step makes the next step easier."
Sora thought. "Psychological habituation?"
"The principle of exposure therapy," Hiyori explained. "By gradually touching the fear object, fear decreases."
Leo laughed. "Psychology is practical."
Sora opened the laptop. "Then, I'll try entering just my name now."
Both watched quietly.
Sora's hands were trembling. But started typing on the keyboard.
"I entered my name," Sora reported.
"Wonderful," Hiyori smiled.
Leo asked, "How does it feel?"
"Better than I thought..." Sora was surprised. "Even though I was so scared."
Hiyori explained. "Anticipatory anxiety. Anxiety is stronger at the anticipation stage than during actual action."
Sora understood. "When I tried it, it was unexpectedly okay."
"That's common," Hiyori said. "Fear is amplified by imagination."
Leo suggested, "What's next? Email address?"
Sora hesitated a bit. "I'll stop here for today."
"That's fine," Hiyori acknowledged. "No need to force it. Accumulating small successes is important."
Sora felt relieved. "I'll try continuing tomorrow."
Leo said, "The reason you can't take a step is usually only in your head."
"In my head?"
"Imaginary barriers," Hiyori supplemented. "They don't actually exist, or aren't as big as you think."
Sora thought. "But it's not entirely imagination, right? The possibility of failure actually exists."
"Of course," Hiyori acknowledged. "But fearing the possibility of failure and doing nothing is the same as choosing certain failure."
Leo said philosophically, "Not acting is also a choice."
"And that choice also has consequences," Hiyori continued. "Regret, lost opportunities, stagnant growth."
Sora decided. "I understand. I'll move forward little by little."
Hiyori asked, "How about the goal of completing the application in one week?"
Sora thought. "Can I do it..."
"Even if you can't, there's meaning in trying," Leo encouraged.
Sora nodded. "I'll try."
Hiyori said finally, "Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's acting despite fear."
Leo added, "And after taking that step, you change. You become a bit stronger."
Sora closed the laptop. Today's small step. It was a bridge to tomorrow. The step that couldn't be taken, was finally taken.