Mira was reading a book by the window. But the pages weren't turning.
Sora approached. "Mira, are you okay?"
Mira looked up. Then slowly shook her head.
Hiyori also came and sat beside her. "Did something happen?"
Mira wrote in her notebook. "There's something I want to say. But I can't say it."
Sora asked. "To whom?"
"To everyone," Mira wrote.
Hiyori said gently, "Would you like to try talking about what you want to say here?"
Mira hesitated. Then wrote. "I want to be understood. But I can't say that."
Sora showed understanding. "It takes courage to say 'I want to be understood,' doesn't it?"
Mira nodded.
Hiyori began explaining. "In psychology, this is called self-disclosure. Showing your inner self to others."
"Why is it difficult?" Sora asked.
"There are several reasons. One is fear of rejection."
Mira nodded strongly.
"If you expose yourself and get rejected, you'll be hurt," Hiyori continued. "So not showing seems safer."
Sora added. "But if you don't show, you won't be understood either."
"A dilemma," Hiyori acknowledged.
Mira wrote. "Don't want to show weakness"
"That's also a big reason," Hiyori said. "The desire to be strong, to be perfect. Such wishes make you hide your true self."
Sora thought. "But there's no such thing as a perfect person, right?"
"Logically, yes. But emotionally, you feel weakness is shameful."
Mira wrote on a new page. "Want to be understood. But scared of being understood."
Hiyori nodded deeply. "Seems contradictory, but both are true feelings."
"Why?" Sora asked.
"Being understood means being seen. All of yourself."
"That's a very vulnerable state."
Mira quietly cried. Hiyori handed her a handkerchief.
"It's okay to cry," Hiyori said gently.
Sora asked. "Mira, what do you want people to understand?"
Mira slowly wrote. "I like people. But I'm scared to get close."
"That's a very honest feeling," Hiyori acknowledged.
"It's contradictory," Mira wrote.
"It's not contradictory," Sora said. "These emotions can coexist."
Mira looked up.
Hiyori explained. "Human relationships involve risk. Getting close means you might get hurt. But loneliness is also painful."
"So you waver."
"Yes. While holding that wavering, you gradually close the distance."
Mira wrote. "Is everyone the same?"
Sora answered. "I'm the same. I'm scared to show my true self."
Hiyori also nodded. "Me too. I often take the listener role because I don't have to show myself."
Mira looked surprised.
"Everyone wears some kind of armor," Hiyori said. "But sometimes you need to take it off."
Sora asked. "How do you take it off?"
"Little by little," Hiyori answered. "You don't have to show everything at once."
"In a safe place, to trustworthy people, just a little."
Mira wrote. "Is here safe?"
Hiyori smiled. "At least, we won't hurt you."
Sora added. "Mira, we received your feelings properly."
Mira wiped her tears. Then wrote. "Thank you"
Hiyori said, "Being able to say 'I want to be understood' is already a big step."
"Even without words, your feelings came through," Sora said.
Mira smiled a little.
Hiyori continued. "Perfect mutual understanding is impossible. But efforts to try to understand create connections."
Sora nodded. "Mira, we might not understand all your feelings. But we'll try to understand."
Mira wrote. "That's enough"
Hiyori smiled. "The need for approval is a basic human need. No need to be ashamed."
"Wanting to be understood is natural."
Mira closed her notebook. Then gently held both their hands.
There were no words. But they were connected.
The reason you can't say 'I want to be understood' is because you're afraid of getting hurt. But if you don't say it, you won't be understood either. So little by little, in a safe place, try putting it into words. That's the beginning of connection.