[He's used up all of his confidence, Ochako! He's just also standing here, also gaping, growing more awkward and sweaty by the second. Wow, he really just did that, huh!]
[He doesn't feel bad, exactly, he's just also mortified, and stumbling over his words. He'd a romantic who's always wanted to have the confidence to do a big confession, but now that he did it, even knowing upfront she liked someone else, it's. . . very awkward!]
I. . . I don't. . . I just wanted to be honest, but I. . . I like being friends with you, too. . .
[ give her another few moments to scream internally, she doesn't know what to do but she doesn't want mob to feel bad about it either!! god!! this is such a weird place to be in! ]
I... [ hm. hmmmm. she lets out a soft sound, somewhere between a huff and a laugh. ] I think... hearing that did make me happy, Shigeo-kun. Thank you for telling me.
[ and she means that, very sincerely! ]
It's not that I... don't like you? But I - I told Riegan-san and everyone else the same thing, you know? That I'm happy to just be friends. I don't need more than that, and I probably shouldn't be asking for it anyway, you know? Hero work is kind of dangerous and all...
[I mean, all of those reasons sound a little sad - but they are also pretty obviously a nice excuse to reject him, so he isn't sure whether he should push her on them, or if that will just make her feel more awkward. He thinks about it.]
I like being friends, too. I have a lot of fun with you, and you're easy to talk to. Having friends like that is really important.
[So - it's fine. He'll feel a little sad later, but he never really expected anything else to happen. The person she likes is someone so different than him. There's nothing wrong with that, it just meant that he probably didn't have much of a chance. And unlike Tsubomi, he doesn't want to change himself to be more her type. He wants to change himself to be more like her - less obsessed with his own insecurities, working hard for a better reason.
Still.]
Um. So let's stay friends, but. You say that, but you also said wanting normal things was okay. So I think you should be allowed to want normal things, too.
No, that's - I mean, yes, I do think it's okay to want to something normal. Of course it is!
[ nervously, she rubs at the back of her neck. how to explain it... ]
But... I dunno. For me - at least, for right now - I think the kind of normal things that I want are just... to spend time with my friends and family while I still can. I do have to have focus on training to be a hero, so more than that is probably asking too much. Not just for my sake, but for whoever I'd be asking that of, you know? Being a hero... it's dangerous, and I don't want to put anyone else at risk just because they mean a lot to me, you know? Openly being friends with someone else is a risk, too, but I wouldn't be able to be a true hero without that.
[ she offers him an uncertain smile. please understand? please don't be upset? ]
I... I would've told Riegan-san the same thing, if he didn't turn me down first. So... I'm really just glad to have friends. Moreso that it's someone like you, Shigeo-kun. I do feel really lucky to know you.
[He's listening to all of this and feeling like, hmm. He already gets attacked by supervillains all the time. He's not going to be in danger from them. He's, like, extremely powerful? Is that conceited to say? Hmm.
But also, he wouldn't say any of that. It doesn't feel right to argue with her about her reasons, when she's likely also trying to spare his feelings. The only part of it that's hard to swallow isn't the part where she keeps saying things are "asking too much," because he doesn't really think anything that would make her happy is asking too much. But the rest - her feelings that she doesn't want or need this yet, would rather just focus on her training and friends and family - are perfectly valid.
He'll smile back - he is a little upset, because it's impossible not to be - but that's okay? It isn't bad to be upset or disappointed sometimes. That's a feeling that he's strong enough to handle. It's better to try and be let down than to continue idly wishing he was another version of himself who was brave enough to try.]
I feel lucky to know you, too. You really made me consider things differently. I'm so happy that I got the chance to talk to you about all of these things.
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all she can really manage is a stunned whisper: ]
I had no idea.
[ HOW DID SHE NOT KNOW? ]
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[He doesn't feel bad, exactly, he's just also mortified, and stumbling over his words. He'd a romantic who's always wanted to have the confidence to do a big confession, but now that he did it, even knowing upfront she liked someone else, it's. . . very awkward!]
I. . . I don't. . . I just wanted to be honest, but I. . . I like being friends with you, too. . .
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I... [ hm. hmmmm. she lets out a soft sound, somewhere between a huff and a laugh. ] I think... hearing that did make me happy, Shigeo-kun. Thank you for telling me.
[ and she means that, very sincerely! ]
It's not that I... don't like you? But I - I told Riegan-san and everyone else the same thing, you know? That I'm happy to just be friends. I don't need more than that, and I probably shouldn't be asking for it anyway, you know? Hero work is kind of dangerous and all...
[ is she rambling? she's rambling, isn't she. ]
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I like being friends, too. I have a lot of fun with you, and you're easy to talk to. Having friends like that is really important.
[So - it's fine. He'll feel a little sad later, but he never really expected anything else to happen. The person she likes is someone so different than him. There's nothing wrong with that, it just meant that he probably didn't have much of a chance. And unlike Tsubomi, he doesn't want to change himself to be more her type. He wants to change himself to be more like her - less obsessed with his own insecurities, working hard for a better reason.
Still.]
Um. So let's stay friends, but. You say that, but you also said wanting normal things was okay. So I think you should be allowed to want normal things, too.
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[ nervously, she rubs at the back of her neck. how to explain it... ]
But... I dunno. For me - at least, for right now - I think the kind of normal things that I want are just... to spend time with my friends and family while I still can. I do have to have focus on training to be a hero, so more than that is probably asking too much. Not just for my sake, but for whoever I'd be asking that of, you know? Being a hero... it's dangerous, and I don't want to put anyone else at risk just because they mean a lot to me, you know? Openly being friends with someone else is a risk, too, but I wouldn't be able to be a true hero without that.
[ she offers him an uncertain smile. please understand? please don't be upset? ]
I... I would've told Riegan-san the same thing, if he didn't turn me down first. So... I'm really just glad to have friends. Moreso that it's someone like you, Shigeo-kun. I do feel really lucky to know you.
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But also, he wouldn't say any of that. It doesn't feel right to argue with her about her reasons, when she's likely also trying to spare his feelings. The only part of it that's hard to swallow isn't the part where she keeps saying things are "asking too much," because he doesn't really think anything that would make her happy is asking too much. But the rest - her feelings that she doesn't want or need this yet, would rather just focus on her training and friends and family - are perfectly valid.
He'll smile back - he is a little upset, because it's impossible not to be - but that's okay? It isn't bad to be upset or disappointed sometimes. That's a feeling that he's strong enough to handle. It's better to try and be let down than to continue idly wishing he was another version of himself who was brave enough to try.]
I feel lucky to know you, too. You really made me consider things differently. I'm so happy that I got the chance to talk to you about all of these things.