"Hiyori-san, someone's consultation again?"
Sora called out in the library. Hiyori looked tired.
"Yes... my friend is feeling down," Hiyori answered quietly.
"Always like that," Sora observed calmly.
Just then, Mira sat down beside them. Silent as usual.
Hiyori continued. "But lately, I've been getting tired."
"Why?" Sora asked.
"My friend's problems feel like my own problems. When she's sad, I'm sad too. When she's anxious, I can't sleep either."
Mira wrote in her notebook. "Blurred boundaries."
Sora showed interest. "Boundaries?"
"Psychological boundaries between self and others," Hiyori explained. "In healthy relationships, these boundaries are clear. But when they blur..."
"The other person's emotions become your own emotions," Sora understood.
Hiyori nodded. "Empathy and being entangled are different. But it's hard to distinguish."
Mira opened a new page. The word "codependency" was visible.
"Codependency," Sora read. "A state where you can't feel your own worth without the other person?"
"That's one aspect," Hiyori answered. "Finding your own reason for existence by solving the other person's problems."
Sora thought. "Are you in that state, Hiyori-san?"
Hiyori looked out the window. "I don't know. Whether my desire to help is genuine, or I just want to be needed."
Mira said quietly. "Maybe both."
The two were surprised. It was rare for Mira to speak up.
"Both?" Hiyori asked.
Mira wrote. "Pure motives don't exist. But awareness is important."
Sora supplemented. "If you understand your own motives, you can draw boundaries."
Hiyori took a deep breath. "But if I draw boundaries, won't I be abandoning them?"
"That's a misunderstanding," Sora said. "Boundaries aren't walls. They're healthy distance."
Mira drew a diagram. Two circles, slightly overlapping.
"This is a healthy relationship," Mira explained. "Not completely separate. Not completely overlapping."
Hiyori stared at the diagram. "Appropriate distance..."
"You can understand the other's emotions, but don't make them your responsibility," Sora added.
"But how?" Hiyori asked.
Sora thought. "First, distinguish between your emotions and the other's emotions."
Mira wrote. "The difference between 'you are sad' and 'I am sad.'"
Hiyori began to understand. "The fact that they're sad and the fact that I'm sad are separate facts."
"Exactly," Sora nodded. "You can empathize. But you don't need to carry the other's emotions."
Hiyori looked at her own hands. "I've always been carrying others' emotions."
"That's why you're tired," Sora said quietly.
Mira showed a new note. "Boundaries aren't for rejecting others, but for protecting both."
Hiyori's eyes welled up. "But if I draw boundaries, won't I become a cold person?"
"The opposite," Sora answered. "Because boundaries exist, sustainable support becomes possible."
Mira nodded. "Relationships without burnout."
Hiyori gradually understood. "Protecting myself ultimately protects the other person too."
"Exactly," Sora acknowledged.
Hiyori wrote in her notebook. "Healthy boundaries: empathize but don't get entangled."
Mira smiled slightly. "First step."
"From now on, I'll be conscious of boundaries," Hiyori said. "I don't think it'll be easy."
"It won't be easy," Sora acknowledged. "But the fact that you noticed is important."
Mira quietly stood up. As she left, she lightly placed her hand on Hiyori's shoulder.
"You're kind enough already."
Hiyori looked up in surprise, but Mira was already walking away.
Sora smiled. "Mira-san is right. Even if you draw boundaries, your kindness won't change."
Hiyori showed a relaxed smile for the first time. "Thank you. I feel a bit lighter."
Outside the window, the sunset shone gently. Understanding boundaries means valuing both yourself and others, Hiyori learned.