"When people get too close, I want to run away."
Mira muttered in the library. She had noticed that when getting close to someone, she built walls.
Sora sat next to her. "Are you afraid of getting close to people?"
Mira nodded. It was the first time putting it into words.
Hiyori quietly joined. "Fear of intimacy—many people carry this."
"Why?" Sora asked. "Getting close should be a good thing."
Hiyori opened her notebook. "There's a concept called attachment theory."
"Attachment theory?"
"Relationships with caregivers in early childhood influence interpersonal relationships in adulthood."
Kaito happened to pass by and stopped. "I think that applies to me too."
The four gathered.
Hiyori continued explaining. "There are four main attachment styles. Secure, anxious, avoidant, fearful."
"Avoidant?" Mira asked.
"A tendency to avoid intimacy. Preferring to be alone and disliking dependency."
Kaito said, "I'm the opposite. I'm afraid of being abandoned, so I cling."
"That's characteristic of anxious attachment," Hiyori explained. "Constantly wanting to confirm the other's affection."
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Mira is avoidant, Kaito is anxious."
"Me," Mira said softly, "when I get close, I think I'll be hurt."
Hiyori said gently, "That might be fearful attachment. Wanting intimacy but also fearing it."
"It's contradictory," Mira murmured.
"It seems contradictory, but it's understandable," Hiyori continued. "You might have been hurt by someone close in the past."
Mira fell silent. There were things that came to mind.
Kaito asked, "So what should we do? Can't we change attachment styles?"
"You can change them," Hiyori answered hopefully. "It takes time, but it's possible."
Sora showed interest. "How?"
"First, become aware of your attachment style. That's the first step."
"After awareness?"
"Observe patterns. When do you want to run? When do you feel anxious?"
Mira recalled, "When someone is kind to me, I want to escape."
"Why do you think that is?" Hiyori asked gently.
"I think I can't meet expectations. I think I'll betray them."
Hiyori nodded. "There's also an issue of self-worth."
Kaito said, "I think I'm hated if someone is even a little cold."
"Over-interpretation," Hiyori explained. "Reading minor signs as rejection."
Sora asked, "Is this cognitive distortion?"
"Yes. Attachment style influences cognitive patterns."
Hiyori continued, "What's important is not bringing past patterns into the present."
"Separate past from present?" Mira asked.
"Yes. Just because you were hurt in the past doesn't mean current people will hurt you."
Kaito thought. "But I still think that way."
"Separate emotions from facts," Hiyori proposed. "'I feel anxious' and 'they dislike me' are different."
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Emotions are not facts."
"Exactly," Hiyori acknowledged. "Emotions might be reactions based on past experiences."
Mira asked, "So fear of intimacy is an illusion?"
"Not completely an illusion," Hiyori corrected. "The risk exists. But you don't need to fear it excessively."
"Balance," Sora murmured.
Kaito asked, "How are secure people different?"
"Secure people can enjoy intimacy. But they don't become too dependent. They can also value alone time."
"Ideal," Kaito said.
"But," Hiyori added, "secure people can also become unstable under stress."
Mira said softly, "I want to get close. But I'm scared."
Hiyori said gently, "Acknowledging that contradiction is the first step."
"Acknowledge?"
"Accept both the desire for intimacy and the fear as real emotions."
Sora understood. "Don't deny the contradiction."
"Yes. Humans are complex. Having contradictory emotions is natural."
Kaito said, "I sometimes want to be alone and sometimes want to be with someone."
"That's also natural," Hiyori acknowledged.
Mira asked, "Can I gradually get used to intimacy?"
"You can," Hiyori encouraged. "In safe relationships, practice opening your heart little by little."
"Safe relationships?"
"Relationships that don't criticize and accept you. Trustworthy friends or counselors."
Sora said, "This place might be that kind of place too."
Hiyori smiled. "Yes. A place where we can accept each other."
Mira said quietly, "I'll try, little by little."
"Don't rush," Hiyori said. "At your own pace."
Kaito added, "I'll try not to expect too much from others."
"Good realization," Hiyori acknowledged.
The four sat quietly. Intimacy—something frightening yet attractive. They nurture the courage to face it, little by little.
Sora closed her notebook. "Intimacy has risks, but also rewards."
"Exactly," Hiyori nodded. "There's a possibility of being hurt, but also the joy of being understood and accepted."
Mira looked out the window. "I'm scared, but I want to try."
"That's courage," Hiyori said. "There's no perfect relationship. But good relationships can be built."
Kaito stood up. "Let's be practice partners for each other."
Mira laughed slightly. "Practice partners."
"Good proposal," Sora said. "Learning intimacy in a safe environment."
Hiyori nodded. "That's the path to growth."
A quiet bond was forming among the four. Even if intimacy is frightening, there are companions to face it with. That alone makes it possible to take a step forward.