"Mira, your eyes are red."
Hiyori spoke quietly. In the after-school psychology lab, Mira was looking out the window.
Mira shook her head slightly. "I'm fine."
Sora approached. "It's okay to cry, you know."
"I won't cry," Mira said firmly. Unusually, she answered with words.
Hiyori sat down gently. "Do you know what kind of impact holding back tears has on the mind?"
Mira turned her gaze. She seemed interested.
"Emotional suppression can be helpful in the short term," Hiyori began to explain. "But in the long term, it accumulates psychological stress."
Sora opened a notebook. "Emotions need an outlet, don't they?"
"Yes. There's a concept called catharsis. By releasing suppressed emotions, psychological purification occurs."
Mira wrote in her notebook. "Catharsis = purification?"
"Exactly," Hiyori nodded. "It means purification in ancient Greek. Aristotle used the word in his theory of drama."
"Do tears have meaning too?" Sora asked.
Hiyori smiled. "There are three types of tears. Basal, reflex, and emotional tears."
"Are emotional tears special?"
"They have the function of expelling stress hormones. Chemicals like cortisol leave the body with tears."
Mira's eyes widened in surprise.
"So there's scientific basis for feeling refreshed after crying," Sora understood.
Hiyori continued. "Also, crying is a social signal. Seeking help, gaining empathy, deepening connections."
"But," Mira said quietly, "I'm afraid of showing weakness."
Sora empathized. "I sometimes feel that way too."
Hiyori answered gently. "That might be a misconception created by society. Expressing emotions isn't weakness, it's proof of humanity."
Mira pondered.
"Attitudes toward crying differ by culture too, right?" Sora said.
"That's right. But physiologically, humans are designed to cry. Forcibly suppressing it goes against nature."
Mira nodded slowly.
Hiyori continued gently. "Suppression isn't the only method of emotion regulation. There's cognitive reappraisal, expressive writing, interpersonal sharing, and many others."
"Expressive writing?" Sora asked.
"Writing out emotions. By putting them into words, they become organized and understanding deepens."
Mira stared at her notebook. She sometimes writes too.
"Everyone has days when they hold back tears," Hiyori said. "But if you keep doing it, your heart becomes heavy."
Sora said quietly, "Emotions aren't meant to be stored, are they?"
"They're like water. By flowing, they maintain cleanliness."
Mira trembled slightly. Then slowly, tears traced down her cheeks.
Hiyori and Sora quietly stayed close. Words weren't necessary.
A few minutes later, Mira looked up. Her eyes were red, but somehow lighter.
Mira wrote. "Thank you"
"We're always here," Hiyori smiled.
Sora added, "It's important to have a place where it's okay to cry, isn't it?"
Mira nodded slightly. Today, she learned something. Controlling emotions and ignoring emotions are different. And sometimes, letting them flow is the strongest choice.
Outside the window, rain began to fall. The sky cries sometimes too.