AUDIENCE FOR: kumon hyodo

[saturations]

Comments

[saturations]

[hmm. they... think about this question for a very long time.]

If I do, I don't remember. I think ... I'm more of a solitary type.

[9mon]

Don't let it bother you, okay? I think you're really nice and friendly.

[saturations]

Aww, shucks. That's nice of you to say.

It doesn't bother me. I'm good at being alone, but I like company, too. I think of myself as friendly. There's no reason someone can't be both.

[9mon]

That makes sense. I think I prefer being with other people, but maybe that's 'cause I'm used to it?

[saturations]

[they nod.]

Maybe that's true. I think being good at being alone takes some practice. You have to be very comfortable with yourself. Then again, being around others takes practice, too.

The four of us are used to being alone, so we can be a bit set in our ways. But none of us bite, not even Steel.

[9mon]

Comfortable with yourself... [ That's a high bar to clear for any teenager. ]

Even if you're used to being alone, do you hang out with each other sometimes?

I'm glad nobody bites.

[saturations]

We do. Some more than others, but we do. Good company.

[9mon]

That's good. I dunno how long you guys have been here, but being alone for years and years and not getting along sounds terrible.

[saturations]

Or maybe it's hard not to get along with people when you've been with them alone for a long time?

[9mon]

Mmmph.... Maybe?

[There's like 20 something guys in Mankai so they're never really alone but Juza and Banri don't get along.]

[saturations]

Maybe we just got lucky, then.

[9mon]

Being lucky's good, right?

[saturations]

[they shrug.]

I don't know. No one gets lucky or unlucky all the time. It comes back around.

[9mon]

Hmm... I can't tell if ending up in the prism is unlucky or not.

[saturations]

That's something you'll have to decide for yourself, I think.

[a rumble of laughter.]

Maybe it's a little of both. There's things you leave behind any time you make a change, but there's new things to gain, too.

[9mon]

Things we leave behind? Kind of like... growing up?

[saturations]

That's one example of it. But it's most of what life is, isn't it? Losing some things, gaining other things.

[9mon]

... Yeah...

Do you ever regret leaving something behind?

[saturations]

[they consider it, taking their time as always.]

I'm sure I have. That feels right. But the past has a way of fading away here. Not so important anymore.

[9mon]

[H...hm...]

I don't think I want to forget my past though...

[saturations]

No one said you had to forget it?

[they sound confused.]

Just less important after a while.

[9mon]

Oh.

[He definitely misunderstood that a little but he nods.]

That sounds like it comes with time.

[saturations]

Yeah. A little bit of time, and something that's lost isn't painful anymore, just a piece of your history.

Lost something recently?

[9mon]

It's hard to say if I really lost something... but I had to quit the baseball club recently.

T...Thanks to that, I got to start acting. And I got to meet people I could trust and rely on. And I'm really grateful to all of them! I am.

[saturations]

So there's a loss, but also a gain. And maybe with time, you won't feel as though you lost the baseball club. You'll feel as though you were once part of it, and by feeling that way you'll have it back.