"I failed again. I'm really terrible."
Sora murmured quietly while looking at her test results.
Hiyori approached. "What was your score?"
"85... my goal was 90."
Kaito was surprised. "You're upset about 85? I got 60."
"But I should have gotten 90. I didn't work hard enough."
Hiyori wrote in her notebook. "Excessive self-criticism"
"Huh?" Sora looked up.
"Sora, aren't you blaming yourself too much?"
"Blaming... I'm just stating facts. I should have studied more."
Kaito said, "But 85 is plenty impressive."
"But it's not perfect."
Hiyori quietly asked, "Must you be perfect?"
Sora thought briefly. "I... think so. Otherwise, I feel like I have no value."
"That's the problem," Hiyori pointed out. "The vicious cycle of perfectionism and self-criticism."
"Vicious cycle?"
Kaito tried explaining. "Um, aim for perfection → can't achieve it → blame yourself → aim for more perfection, like that?"
"Exactly right," Hiyori nodded. "And in that process, self-worth decreases."
Sora asked, "But isn't having high goals a good thing?"
"High goals are good," Hiyori answered. "But the self-evaluation when you don't achieve them is the problem."
"What do you mean?"
"When you don't reach your goal, do you think 'I'll work harder next time' or 'I'm terrible'?"
Sora fell silent. "I... think the latter."
Kaito empathized. "I often blame myself too. 'Why can't I do it?'"
Hiyori said gently, "You're both too hard on yourselves."
"If I'm not strict, I won't grow," Sora objected.
"Really?" Hiyori asked back. "Have you grown by blaming yourself?"
Sora pondered. "Rather... I often become miserable and lose motivation."
"That's the harm of self-criticism," Hiyori explained. "Constructive reflection and destructive self-criticism are different."
"The difference?" Kaito asked.
"Constructive reflection is forward-looking: 'Next time I'll do this.' Destructive self-criticism denies your character: 'I'm terrible.'"
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Separate evaluating actions from evaluating character."
"Yes," Hiyori nodded. "Test scores are not your worth."
"But aren't results everything?" Sora asked.
"Results are important," Hiyori acknowledged. "But they're not all of you."
Kaito said, "So 'I failed the test' and 'I'm a failure' are different?"
"Perfect," Hiyori smiled.
Sora said quietly, "But if I don't blame myself, I feel like I'll become complacent..."
"That's a misconception," Hiyori explained. "There's a concept called self-compassion."
"Self-compassion?"
"Kindness to yourself. Being as gentle with yourself as you are with friends."
Kaito showed interest. "Specifically?"
"For example, if a friend got 85 and was upset, what would you say?"
Sora answered, "'You worked hard enough. Good luck next time'..."
"But to yourself?"
"'You should have done better. Pathetic'..."
Hiyori pointed out, "Did you notice that double standard?"
Sora was surprised. "True... I'm kind to friends but harsh to myself."
"Many people are," Hiyori said. "But you also deserve compassion."
Kaito asked, "But won't that become being too soft?"
"Compassion and being soft are different," Hiyori explained. "Compassion is accepting reality and treating yourself kindly."
Sora began understanding. "Like 'I got 85. Not perfect. But I worked hard. I'll do better next time'?"
"Perfect," Hiyori clapped.
Kaito laughed. "Sora, you just admitted 'not perfect.'"
Sora laughed too. "You're right. But I'm starting to feel that's okay."
Hiyori said finally, "The habit of self-blame won't heal immediately. But every time you notice it, practice replacing it with kind words."
"I'll try," Sora nodded.
Outside the window, birds sang. The true nature of the self-blame habit might be distorted perfectionism and misunderstanding of self-worth. But that can change. Step by step, learning kindness toward oneself.
Sora said quietly, "Today, 85 was enough. I did well."
It was a small step, but definite progress.