Post by Chiura Yutsuko on Sept 10, 2019 3:34:22 GMT
Daiki believed in her. Chiura’s heart kicked in her chest. On prior days, she had looked at him in the light cast by the shadow of – she admitted this begrudgingly to herself – an attractive and unattainable classmate. She had once seen Daiki as a sort of force of nature: beautiful, powerful, full of wonder, but ultimately uncaring as to her own condition. It had never been a slight against him, though; she had just never considered that someone as impressive and appealing as Daiki might hold such a positive opinion about her, specifically. The thought of it prompted her spirit to well up and shine. Daiki believed in her! The one who she had seen as the unattainable ideal that day on the racetrack; the one who seemed like he could do it all. He said he had faith in her ability to go beyond, and somehow she didn’t doubt his words for an instant.
But then, she thought, that wasn’t the point, was it? It was a wonderful feeling, to be believed in – but it could only take Chiura so far. ”Would you train with me?” she asked, conviction lending her voice a certain weight that had previously been lacking. ”Or I guess, more accurately – can I train with you? Goodness knows I won’t be able to keep up. But that’s not the point. I want to try to push myself to the standard set by the highest achievers in our class. I want – I want to prove that I can hang with the best of the best and become a top tier hero prospect! That’s my goal. That’s where I’m going to go beyond.”
He’d probably laugh, or stare, or think she was crazy. Honestly, she had next to no hope of ever coming to match Daiki’s level when it came to hero aptitude. But it was just like he had said, wasn’t it? Admitting defeat before even trying was the perfect way to mire oneself in a swamp of self-pity. No – she needed a shining star to chase after; and with any luck, Daiki would let it be him.
”I want to be friends. Well – I hope we’re already friends,” she added, choosing her words carefully. ”But I want to push myself further than that. I want to build myself up to the point where – where we could be rivals.”
Did Chiura read too much shonen manga? Absolutely. But damn it all if, in that moment, she didn’t want to be the one to rise up and match the would-be protagonist at every turn.
But then, she thought, that wasn’t the point, was it? It was a wonderful feeling, to be believed in – but it could only take Chiura so far. ”Would you train with me?” she asked, conviction lending her voice a certain weight that had previously been lacking. ”Or I guess, more accurately – can I train with you? Goodness knows I won’t be able to keep up. But that’s not the point. I want to try to push myself to the standard set by the highest achievers in our class. I want – I want to prove that I can hang with the best of the best and become a top tier hero prospect! That’s my goal. That’s where I’m going to go beyond.”
He’d probably laugh, or stare, or think she was crazy. Honestly, she had next to no hope of ever coming to match Daiki’s level when it came to hero aptitude. But it was just like he had said, wasn’t it? Admitting defeat before even trying was the perfect way to mire oneself in a swamp of self-pity. No – she needed a shining star to chase after; and with any luck, Daiki would let it be him.
”I want to be friends. Well – I hope we’re already friends,” she added, choosing her words carefully. ”But I want to push myself further than that. I want to build myself up to the point where – where we could be rivals.”
Did Chiura read too much shonen manga? Absolutely. But damn it all if, in that moment, she didn’t want to be the one to rise up and match the would-be protagonist at every turn.