"Wherever I am, I feel uncomfortable."
Sora said quietly. The three were having tea in the club room.
Leo asked with interest, "Specifically?"
"Even in class, I feel out of place. Even at home, I somehow can't settle. Even here..."
Hiyori gently said, "Even here, you feel like you don't belong?"
Sora nodded. "It's a bit better, but I still can't completely relax."
Leo wrote in his notebook. "Lack of belonging. An interesting phenomenon."
"Belonging?"
"Humans have a fundamental desire to belong somewhere," Hiyori explained. "Even in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it's an important one that comes right after safety needs."
Sora asked, "But why can't I belong anywhere?"
Leo thought. "Physically, you belong to several groups. Your class, this club, your family..."
"But psychologically, you don't belong," Hiyori continued.
"Yes," Sora admitted. "Formally, I'm there. But in a real sense, I don't feel connected."
Hiyori asked, "Sora, when do you feel 'connected'?"
Sora thought hard. "Hmm... I don't know. I haven't experienced that feeling much."
Leo analyzed. "Belonging consists of two elements. The feeling of being accepted and the feeling of contributing."
"Being accepted..." Sora murmured. "That's hard to feel."
"Why?" Hiyori gently prompted.
"It seems like others interact superficially. I feel like they're not seeing the real me."
Leo nodded. "The problem of self-disclosure. If you don't show your true self, you can't get true acceptance either."
"But," Sora countered, "if I show my true self, I might be rejected."
"That's the fear," Hiyori said. "To avoid the risk of rejection, you stay in superficial relationships. But then you can't get belonging either."
Sora looked out the window. "It's a dilemma."
"Yes. Safe but unfulfilling relationships, or risky but real connections," Leo summarized.
Hiyori suggested, "What about the other element, contribution?"
"Contribution?"
"The feeling that you're providing some value to that group. The sense that you're needed."
Sora thought. "That's also hard to feel. I feel like it wouldn't matter whether I'm there or not."
Leo objected. "But without Sora, the atmosphere in this club room would change."
"Really?"
Hiyori smiled. "Sora's observational skills and quiet thoughtfulness. They make this place calmer."
Sora was a bit surprised. "I've never thought of that."
"Your own contribution is hard to see," Leo said. "But it definitely exists."
Hiyori continued, "People who lack belonging often underestimate their own value."
Sora looked at the notebook. "So what should I do?"
Leo answered, "First, start with small self-disclosures. Gradually show your true self."
"And observe the reactions," Hiyori added. "In most cases, you're not rejected as much as you fear."
"But if I am rejected?"
"That's also information," Leo said calmly. "It becomes material for judging whether that person or group really suits you."
Hiyori said gently, "You don't need to be accepted by everyone. Even if just a few people truly understand you, that's enough."
Sora's face relaxed a bit. "I might have been seeking perfect belonging."
"Yes," Leo nodded. "Complete belonging and complete understanding are probably impossible."
"But even partial connections have meaning," Hiyori added.
Sora smiled. "Here, I'm starting to feel a bit of belonging."
"That's the first step," Leo said.
Hiyori watched warmly. "Don't rush, little by little."
Outside the window, a bird sang. Belonging might not be something you find, but something you build. And that process is not alone, but with someone.
Sora said quietly, "I'm glad I could be here today."
A small sense of belonging was beginning to sprout.