Monday morning came about.
School returned, a new week begun. Although, it is likely this week will go down in memory for my year group if things go to plan. Isogai-san messaged me early Sunday morning to inform me that he had indeed found something of interest. As such I was to meet him before school began today, to discuss his findings. He messaged me sometime past midnight, telling me to meet him on a specific street corner that was on neither of our way's to school, and in a direction that few people from our school lived in. He is very clever, choosing a location where two people who don't want to be overheard can speak in private, and with very little chance of being overheard. Isogai-san is indeed clever, but he has a problem. He has very little ambition. Of course it isn't really a problem, at least from my perspective, as it allows me to use him however I wish. After all, he is grateful to me for helping him fulfil his less than savoury hobby of spying on people, and financing his operations.
On my way to the spot Isogai-san has told me to meet him at, it occurs to me that I'm not going to be able to stop at the shops on my way to school like I usually would. That annoys me somewhat. Speaking of annoying, Shimotsuki-san. Maybe you're wondering what she possibly did to deserve all this, and I am ashamed to tell you, not really that much. She doesn't threaten me, nor is she likely to change anything dramatically in a way I would disagree with. It's more to do with just how annoying and in the way she is to me. I find it a nuisance that she is constantly trying to talk to me, and stops me from being available to do as I wish as much as possible. She wastes my time. I don't need to completely destroy her or anything. It's more along the lines of she needs to be demoted down a few ranks in the school's social hierarchy. If an event like that occurred, she would no longer have the social presence to openly approach me, and consistently get in my way. That's how people like her work. When they are at the top, they believe themselves above it all. They become ignorant and boastful. They fail to remember that other people are important too. That's a key difference between me and people like Shimotsuki-san. But the point is, once she falls from her perch among the high branches, she will be more considerate of how other people act, and won't get in the way of those above her. And because I know how this is going to end, is why I have already won.
I already know how this is going to end. I've already calculated how each of the important players, myself, Fujibayashi-san, and Shimotsuki-san, are going to act as this unfolds. Because I can read and understand people. It has, and always will be, my greatest strength in all areas of life. Understanding how different people will react to the events and situations they find themselves in, gives one a great advantage in… everything.
*
Once I vented everything I could about Shimotsuki-san, my mind wandered towards thinking about Yasuraoka-san. In fact, it didn't really wander. Thinking about Yasuraoka-san has been pretty normal for me recently, I definitely think about her a lot more than most other things.
I think I'm thinking about her so much because I still don't entirely understand her. Or the strange things she makes me do. For example, I don't completely comprehend why I agreed to being her friend. I've been thinking about it all weekend, and I didn't find a conclusion I'm happy with. It doesn't feel right being this indecisive. It isn't like me at all. The best thing I've came up with is that, on some level, I want to know more about Yasuraoka-san. That I want to understand her, and her motives, and why she is so unique, different, and intriguing, compared to everyone else. That I'm using our friendship to get closer, so that I can investigate what makes her so special, from closer in. But I don't need to be friends with her to do that, after all she's with me every single day anyway.
It would seem that there was no good reason whatsoever to become friends with Yasuraoka-san, in fact if I was certain it wouldn't push her away from me, I would probably end our friendship the next time I see her. And even though I'm confident she would still hang out with me anyway, it is not a certainty. If something isn't a certainty concerning Yasuraoka-san, then the chances are higher than with anyone else I have it wrong. So in short, it isn't worth the risk.
Isogai-san is waiting for me at the spot he specified. As expected no students from our school are around, although I did see some on my way here, that gave me strange looks because of the direction I was walking.
"Hey."
"Hi, Isogai-san. Tell me, what did you find?"
Isogai-san smiled.
"It's pretty good. I think achieving what you want will be quick and easy with this."
Isogai-san showed me a website on his phone. Chiba High student expelled, reads the caption. A news article of some sort.
"Is that Shimotsuki-san?"
"Yes."
Yes, I think Isogai-san is right. This'll work perfectly for what I had in mind. In fact, it might be more effective than I was planning on it being. Well, that'll be too bad for Shimotsuki-san.
"Isogai-san. Can I ask you to help carry out my plan?"
Isogai-san smiled, "sounds good. What do you need me to do?"
"Ueno-chan asked me to hang out with her and her friends on Saturday after school."
Yes, I'm talking with Yasuraoka-san. No, she didn't just happen to live in the same area as where I met Isogai-san, that would be too convenient. It is lunch break now. I ate my lunch with Fujibayashi-san's group, which includes Shimotsuki-san, and now me and Yasuraoka-san are on our way to meet Isogai-san. He most likely has an update on his progress towards the task I set him. And after he's completed that, which he most likely already has, his part in this will be done. In fact, my part in it will also likely come to an end. By then, everything shall already be set to fall the way I plan on it doing so.
Now onto what Yasuraoka-san said. I imagine this conversation is going to go something like, Yasuraoka-san saying she has doubts about whether she should go or not, and me having to convince her to go.
"And you said that you'd go, right?"
"I said that I'd think about it, but..."
Yasuraoka-san's face is pouted. It's kind of like the expression a child might make when they know they're going to get told off by their parents. That's wrong to me. But maybe I do seem like a parental figure to Yasuraoka-san. After all, from my understanding, she hasn't talked to her parents beyond simple, necessary conversations for years. Yasuraoka-san doesn't have a person like that, so it would make sense that she puts that weight onto someone close to her. So what does that make me to her?
Acquaintance? Friend? Guardian?
I can't say I'm entirely happy with any of these options, but the last one is definitely the worst.
"…I don't know if I should go."
Oh, definitely didn't see that coming.
"Why wouldn't you go? Isn't it a chance to make more friends? And if they're people Otsubo-san likes, there's a better chance you'll also enjoy their company, right?"
"I suppose so."
I can see Yasuraoka-san's head spinning. There is a reason she isn't sure whether to go or not. But I can tell she can't quite put it into words. Its' an issue Yasuraoka-san has a lot, which is why she has some tells for when she's struggling. She looks cute when she struggles like that.
"Are you scared?"
Yasuraoka-san's eyes widened a bit when I said that. Yes, she is scared after all. She's scared that she won't fit in with Otsubo-san's friends, and is afraid of how it'll affect their relationship.
"Yes, I suppose I am scared."
I sigh. Sometimes it really does feel like I'm lecturing a little child here. As I said before, it isn't enjoyable.
"You don't have anything to worry about. If Otsubo-san is the person I think she is, I don't think how well you fit in with her friends would affect how she views you."
Yes. The Otsubo Ueno that I know wouldn't abandon a friend just because they don't fit in with anyone. After all, she tried to at the very least talk to Yasuraoka-san for the best part of two years before receiving any meaningful response, and she was still willing to be her friend after that. No, Otsubo-san isn't the type of person to abandon someone because of something like that.
Yasuraoka-san looks relieved. She smiles, her face catching the light perfectly for a moment.
"You're right, there isn't anything I need to worry about."
We walk silently for a while. I'm still processing what I just saw. For a second there, Yasuraoka-san looked… more than just pretty or cute. Would it be appropriate to say moe? Or is that only for animated characters? If that doesn't work, I guess I could just say she looked beautiful, or even stunning.
Of course, I would never say that I thought that to Yasuraoka-san. She'd probably laugh at how out of character that would be. But it makes me wonder. I never think these things about other people. Another way that Yasuraoka-san could be considered unique, I suppose. Another way that Yasuraoka-san makes me do things out of character. I really do wonder why. Although to be completely honest for once, I think I have a pretty good idea of why.
"Thank you."
I look over at Yasuraoka-san, somewhat surprised. But more because I had completely zoned out, and forgotten where I was. It's probably good she spoke, and woke me from my daze then. Otherwise she might've heard something she isn't supposed to.
"Don't worry about it. I just thought that I might do something a friend would do."
Yasuraoka-san smiles at me, even laughs slightly. I'll let her away with that one. I would laugh at me too. We both know that I don't mean that. I just did it because I want Yasuraoka-san to go. As part of my experiment, of course. It would be interesting to see if she fits in with Otsubo-san's friends. Yes, I'm just making excuses. But that's probably what Yasuraoka-san believes I'm thinking.
As it turned out, Isogai-san's update wasn't of much use. It was exactly as expected. He had set up the account I had instructed him to, using the profile I had instructed, and sending the information to the individual I had instructed him to send it to. I suppose it was good to know that everything had been set in motion. I no longer have any part to play in this. Everything is going to line up as planned, it is just a matter of time.
While I'm talking about Isogai-san, I suppose I haven't told you about how he used to be one of them. One of my collection.
I mean, he still is, but just like everyone else I lost interest in him over time. With the exception of Yasuraoka-san. I first met Isogai-san shortly before summer break last year. He was in the class below me, 1-B, and was a quiet kid who never really talked to anyone as far as I saw. It was kind of like he wanted friends, but didn't have it in him to approach people and talk to them. So I took the initiative to talk to him, seeing the potential for someone who I could find interesting. I quickly realised that I was quite wrong about him. He wasn't interested in being friends with people, but was much more comfortable simply acting as an observer. Isogai Naoto was more interested in observing human society than participating in it. That's where I first got the idea. I knew that he was rather skilled at using computers, so I invested first my time, and then my money into him. I groomed him into what he is today: a hacker. And as sceptical as he was at first, he now does it for free, getting his pay from the thrill and adrenaline it gives him. Probably my most successful project to date.
Quite an interesting story, don't you think? Most people would have a pretty ordinary way of meeting someone, but I must say Isogai-san and I have one of the greatest stories I've heard.
Fifth period past by quite blandly, nothing of any real importance happening. I mean, I suppose there is a possibility something happened, but for right now I'm focusing on one person in particular. The last person needed to make sure everything goes smoothly. Fujibayashi Yukino. As long as she does as I expect her to do, everything has already been decided for poor Shimotsuki-san. So because of the importance of her role in this operation, my eyes have been on Fujibayashi-san all period. And they will continue to be for the final period, as I saw no indication that anything important had occurred. Clearly Fujibayashi-san has not seen what Isogai-san sent her. I can tell this, because there are only two things she will realistically do if she had seen it, and both of them will involve a large reaction from her, that I will clearly be able to see. And nothing of the sort has happened. So I wait for her to check her phone.
It takes until the end of last period for Fujibayashi-san to check her phone, showing a rare moment of paying attention. Maybe she's become more motivated due to the fact we're getting near the end of the school year. I mean, once Christmas break is over, we'll be revising for end of year tests the whole time, so we are getting close. Before I get to distracted, Fujibayashi-san is currently checking her phone. Looking at messages on about five different social media platforms. I fake a yawn, so that it doesn't seem to weird that I'm still sitting in my seat even though most of the class is getting up. I do have to go to club practice come to think of it. I even would've left class early, but this is more important.
Oh, no.
Shimotsuki-san is walking over to me. Not necessarily bad, but not exactly great timing when I'm thinking about how to bring her down. Well, it would've been nice to know for certain if Fujibayashi-san had seen the message, but I guess I'll just have to see how everything plays out tomorrow.
Tuesday.
Things began quietly. At first it made me think that something was up, and that the plan had failed. Nobody was talking about what was supposed to be the biggest gossip of the term. It was crushing, there was nothing happening. I felt like everything I'd done over the last week or so had been a waste. But then, I noticed something. Some of the female members of the class were quite noticeably whispering snidely to each other, always when out of sight from Shimotsuki-san. I smiled to myself. It was only a matter of time before everything came to an end for Shimotsuki-san. I had nothing to worry about after all. Everything was going to play out exactly as I expected.
After second period ended for break, I waited until Shimotsuki-san had left with some of her friends before I approached some of the girls I had seen whispering.
"Sorry, I noticed you were talking about something that looked important. Is it anything I can help with?"
Of course I already know what it is they are talking about. This is part of the art of this however. By appearing unknowledgeable, I'm giving myself a pretty good alibi. If this gets leaked to the teachers, which it most likely will sooner rather than later, anyone who is asked who started this won't point me out as a potential person of interest. After all, I was just as clueless as everyone else when it first occurred.
Those who know Isogai-san will obviously have a pretty good idea that he's involved, but everyone who knows Isogai-san is likely responsible, knows that Isogai-san can bring them down with him. This leaves my involvement as the only loose string, which is why I need to cover myself in this way.
The two girls looked at each other like sheep. One of them then showed me something on their phone. After all, they're both much further down the social hierarchy than me, so they don't really have much of a choice.
I don't even have to look at the article to know what it is. It's the same one Isogai-san showed me on Monday morning. An unnamed student from Chiba High, a nearby high school, was expelled a month or so ago for repetitive, and very serious, cyberbullying. Wow, I really wonder who it could possibly be?
"Chiba… that was Shimotsuki-san's former school if I remember correctly?"
Now this line I would not have risked saying unless I knew that they'd already figured out it was likely Shimotsuki-san. It was obvious they knew, due to their behaviour this morning. But it would confirm in their heads that they were right in assuming it was Shimotsuki-san. A belief that would be reaffirmed by the dozens of people that must by now have heard the circulating rumour.
Anyway, everything was set in place, and I had my alibi. There was nothing left to do. The remainder of our conversation was pointless, so I'll skip past it. Nothing important. If everything continued to go as expected, Shimotsuki-san would know that everyone knows why she now attends our school by lunch at the latest. And by tomorrow, the teachers will be involved and at that point, Shimotsuki-san will either have to leave the school, or be relegated to the lowest tier of the social hierarchy. Like what Yasuraoka-san was like before she decided to hang around me as much as possible. But then again, perhaps she is even lower than Yasuraoka-san was, as she is at the lowest level, whereas Yasuraoka-san was an outsider who didn't participate in the hierarchy. Yes, she is worse off than Yasuraoka-san. It most certainly is worse to be looked down upon by all, than not looked at at all. After all, if no one is looking at you, then surely you at least don't feel the pressure of being judged by people. But Shimotsuki-san will be judged for what she did as long as she stays at this school.
It was clear during the two periods between break and lunch that Shimotsuki-san knew what had happened. She looked more or less in tears the entire time. Of course by now, just about everyone in the class also knew what had happened. By now, Shimotsuki-san was pretty close to being ousted from her clique, and there wasn't anything she could say or do to stop it from happening. More likely than not, she will not have any way to recover what she loses in terms of status today. Ever. This will be the last anyone hears of Shimotsuki Tomoyo.
At the beginning of lunch, Shimotsuki-san all but ran out of the class as soon as she could. That wasn't any of my business anymore. I have no interest in trash that has completed its' meaningless character arc. I take my time walking out of my class. Today feels refreshing. It feels like I need to take a break today. I think today I want to just hide away in a certain science classroom, and talk to a certain someone. Because I find that certain someone's conversations incredibly refreshing, I find the way that she acts intriguing, and I like how she looks when she's happy. And I'm sure this will make her happy.
Yasuraoka-san is already waiting for me outside my class. I guess she got out of class early.
"Hey."
"Hi."
Yasuraoka-san looks at me expectantly, when she sees me standing there, rather than leading the way.
"Aren't we going somewhere today?"
I look at her, pretending to be surprised. It occurred to me that she probably would have forgotten, or at least thought that we weren't doing this anymore.
"Today's Tuesday. We're going to that classroom, of course."
Yasuraoka-san returns my look of surprise, "I didn't think we'd be doing that anymore. I mean, the only reason you came to my classroom on Tuesdays was to do with your experiment, right?"
Well, yes. That's supposed to be the only reason. But to be completely honest, I found myself enjoying my time with Yasuraoka-san in that classroom. Sometimes I'd even thought about going there on days that weren't Tuesdays, but I always stopped myself. There was always something else to do. Or at least that's the excuse that I gave myself.
I didn't really expect Yasuraoka-san to have thought things out this much though. I thought she would just be happy at the chance to spend the lunch break with me. Luckily I can think on my feet though, otherwise this could've gotten quite awkward.
"I thought that I'd spend lunch together today, just the two of us. You know… since we're friends."
Well, it was still awkward, at least for her. I can tell from the embarrassed look on her face. Yasuraoka-san also looks cute when she's embarrassed. It makes me smile.
"What?"
I stifle a laugh, "sorry, it's just I've never seen you look like that."
Yasuraoka-san looked at me with her eyes low, and her head tilted to the side. She does that when she's considering something. Although at this particular moment I don't have the slightest clue or indication of what it is she is considering. I guess this conversation has shown me there is still a lot I don't understand about Yasuraoka-san.
So now it is my turn to say 'What?'
"I mean, I know it doesn't really count if you don't do it out loud, but I've never seen you laugh before now."
I should've known it would be something like that.
Yasuraoka-san sighs deeply, almost like she's trying to take a weight off her shoulders. She lifts her head smiling brightly, something I've been getting more and more accustomed to seeing recently, "okay then. What are we going to do in that classroom?"
I thought for a moment.
"Why don't you show me the kind of anime you watch? I think that'd be interesting."
This line pleases Yasuraoka-san the most. Now that I think about it, I'm sure Yasuraoka-san would not have looked pleased at all, and in fact would've refused, if I'd asked her the same question a month ago. I think she's changed a lot recently, and I suppose that's to be expected. I mean, she hadn't changed much at all since junior high, from what I understand, and then in the last month or so, so much has happened to her. Almost losing me, her one connection to the world and the one person she enjoyed being around, was just the beginning. After that she began her quest to find friends, to make up for all the trouble she had caused me, and that forced her to open up and be more open with people. Well, still only really me and Otsubo-san so far. But she has changed a lot recently. It makes me feel kind of proud. Which I guess makes sense, considering this is all my experiment.
We ended up watching this show that had a really long name that I didn't bother remembering, that Yasuraoka-san called Worldend. She gave me the choice between Worldend, CLANNAD, and Oregairu. I'd heard of the latter two, so I thought it would be more interesting to watch Worldend. Of course since it was lunch at school, we only had time to watch the first episode. It was a romance anime, but it was somewhat unique. It didn't follow any tropes overly, and was set in a beautiful looking fantasy world. The main character seemed to be suffering some sort of existential crisis, which looked like it was going to be a focal point of the plot. The girl with blue hair, who was presumably the female lead, was quite cute, her character was well thought out, and she seemed like a person I would at least somewhat enjoy being around in real life.
Overall, wouldn't be my first choice, but I can see why Yasuraoka-san likes it, and I definitely didn't think it was bad or anything. Just not quite my genre. Not that I have much time for anime, so I don't know what my 'genre' is.
The last two periods of school that day went by rather quietly. Well, there was one noticeable difference. Shimotsuki Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen in class that afternoon. It would seem that everything was progressing slightly faster than I had anticipated. But that was fine, as there is nothing I need to prepare for. My part in this from now is to just watch, observe, and act innocent.
Wednesday.
The next day of school didn't start like any other. Immediately after I had performed my duties as class representative, our homeroom teacher informed us of what was going on, not that there was a kid here who didn't already know.
Shimotsuki-san was noticeably absent.
Tsubasa-sensei, in a way that teachers were well versed, managed to explain what had happened to a certain student, without naming said student. She was also very adamant that anyone with any information on who was responsible should come forward. Tsubasa-sensei even boldly stated that those involved in the incident should bring themselves forward, before their punishments became severe.
Of course nothing of the sort would happen. No one other than those directly involved had any information on the incident. Some may be able to guess that Isogai-san had some involvement, but anyone who knows Isogai-san might've been involved also knows he can bring them down for what they've done in the past. And those involved were not going to bring themselves forward. For me, that would ruin everything I spent the last week working towards, and Isogai-san neither feels guilty, nor has any doubts that anything can be traced back to him.
Other than that, the day played out just the same as any other would. After all, normalcy had been restored. The only difference was no Shimotsuki-san. And as such the day continued on, as if the events of yesterday had never happened. Everyone was already forgetting about Shimotsuki-san, as if she had never been anyone in this school. It almost made it boring how normal everything was. Thank god something of interest finally occurred at the start of lunch.
I think I mentioned Fujibayashi Yukino before, right? Well, she is more or less what you might call the queen of this school. If I didn't exist, she would be the most powerful student in the hierarchy. Despite this, we've actually enjoyed quite a positive relationship. Fujibayashi-san has been content with her position as the most popular female, so that has avoided any meaningless conflict. Which I'm glad about. It shows she has at least some base intelligence. I mean, what your position at school was is rarely going to affect your life in the future, therefore it isn't important.
But people like her still have a pride of some sort, and to an extent, even though she tried to tell herself otherwise, I'm confident Fujibayashi-san would have seen Shimotsuki-san as an upstart. Potentially even a threat, or rival.
Despite all this, I was unsure why Fujibayashi-san asked to talk with me at the start of lunch. And alone, a rare occurrence for her. While I am assuming it is about Shimotsuki-san, I still don't know what it is exactly Fujibayashi-san wants to talk about.
We walked outside the classroom and down the hall a little way. Fujibayashi-san eventually stopped, and turned towards me. I don't think I've described her yet. Fujibayashi Yukino lives up to her given name in some ways. Her skin is pale, much like snow, and her eyes have a strangely cold feel to them at times. But her bright hair betrays this feeling, a beautiful auburn colour which looks truly red when in the sun. It isn't hard to understand why a large number of male students in my year group find her the most attractive out of the opposite gender.
"This whole thing with Shimotsuki-san was all you right?"
Well, I can't say I was expecting this. But immediately, I piece it all together. Fujibayashi-san definitely knows of Isogai-san, whether she used him for her own benefit is information I'll withhold for now, but she knows of the only person in the school with the skills to act out this project. And of course, his employer is of little mystery to her. If she doesn't know about something before it happens, chances are that I was involved. Which puts me quite firmly in for a guilty verdict. But there's a chance she hasn't worked out all of this, and even so she has nothing conclusive. So I can continue to feign ignorance for now.
"I can't say I know what your talking about, Fujibayashi-san."
"Come on, I know it was you. I know about Isogai Naoto, and if I didn't hear about something, you were near certainly involved."
The exact lines I expected. She even said it in the playful manner I was expecting, which confirms she has no hostile intentions. That relaxes me a little. After all, Isogai-san can burn her. Of course she wasn't going to go after him. It's suicidal to attempt that.
"So, what relevance does any of this have?"
"Oh, I just thought I'd let you know that I know who is responsible for this, that's all."
Now I get what's going on. Honestly, how dumb can a person be? She's trying to tell me that she has a hold over me when she really doesn't. Fujibayashi-san is saying that she could out me if she wanted, attempting to hold something over me, but she doesn't have anything over me, because as soon as she comes after me Isogai-san will ruin her. A bluff doesn't work if I already know what cards you have, or something like that.
At first I thought this would be an interesting conversation, but in reality I ended up just reaffirming something I already knew: the majority of students in this school are a lost case in terms of their intelligence. That was pointless. Well, I guess at least now if I mention her in the future, you'll know who Fujibayashi-san is, so that's something.
Saturday.
Sorry, I skipped Thursday and Friday, but there was nothing important. Trust me. In fact, nothing really happened until after school on Saturday. To be honest, I expected this to happen. I don't normally exit the school in this direction, but I had pretty good feeling this would happen. Standing in a circle outside the gate was Otsubo-san and her friends, chatting, laughing, and waiting for someone. I sighed and looked around. It didn't take me long to spot her. Maybe that's because of how much time we've spent around each other recently. Yasuraoka-san stood in the middle of the thoroughfare of students walking out, maybe fifty metres away looking at the group. I walk towards her. This is really irritating. I wish she'd just hurry up and go talk to them by herself, and go enjoy the rest of her day. I'm confident she will enjoy it. Come to think of it, why am I here doing this for her? She's the one who owes me something after all, I don't need to be here doing this. I shouldn't be here doing this. And even so, it takes me a lot of willpower to halt my walk over there. Now I'm unsure. I want to go help Yasuraoka-san, but then again is she really the one changing if I am always there to push her forwards? Of course not. If she isn't the one taking charge in her life, then she isn't actually the one affecting change in her life. No, the best way for me to help her is not to do anything. Yasuraoka Sora shouldn't expect me to lead the way. This is the way all of my projects go. All I need to do is give her a little push in the right direction, and I've already done much more than that. In fact, I've given Yasuraoka-san far more assistance than I have given to anyone else. Yes, I do remember I said I would be taking a more direct approach with this experiment, but I still feel that it is key that the subject, Yasuraoka-san, still does some part herself. I'm sure that's the correct thing to do. She needs to overcome this herself.
So I will only observe. Now it is up to her. Yasuraoka-san will have to see this out by herself, because that's the only way to meaningfully change oneself.
Soon after I start watching, Yasuraoka-san looks down at the ground before bringing her face back up. I know what that is. I see it almost every day. That's Yasuraoka-san's mask. Her mask is a bit different from mine though. In design mine is made to stop people from understanding who I really am, and just how screwed up and inhuman I am. Yasuraoka-san's mask on the other hand gives her strength. The smile she puts on after she pulls her head up isn't a fake personality, but her true self. She just needs some help gaining the courage to show people what she is really like, which is something I find admirable of her, rather than something that shows weakness. Most people can't bear to show people what they're really like. So I guess this is another way that Yasuraoka Sora is special. I'd like to think that I would be able to show my true self to people, and I'm probably right considering I rarely overestimate myself, but I know that my true self is unacceptable to society. So I can't expose myself like that.