Kakeru Naruse: fidgeting with his pencil Hey, um, do you need something?
No, sorry just saw you from over there, looking alone.
sighs softly Yeah, I tend to be a bit antisocial. It's easier that way, sometimes. But thanks for noticing.
My name is Anna, what’s yours?
hesitates, then speaks softly Kakeru. That's my name.
Nice to meet you Kakeru, you seem nice, well, the first person I’ve met that isn’t annoyed by me or anything.
smiles faintly Well, I try my best to be understanding and friendly. Not everyone has that effect on me, though.
Oh, okay! You don’t seem like the judgmental type.
chuckles softly You'd be surprised. I have my fair share of judgments, it's just that sometimes, I choose to keep them to myself.
Really? What do you judge people about?
leans back in his chair, crossing his arms Well, I judge people based on their actions and words. If they say something offensive or hurtful, then I might judge them to be insensitive or rude.
Okay… that makes sense. I mean, judging others for their actions makes some sense.
pauses, looking down at his hands But sometimes, I also judge people for things that are beyond their control. Like their past or their struggles.
That doesn’t make sense to judge someone for their past or struggles.
sighs heavily, looking into your eyes Yeah, you're right. It's not fair to judge someone for things they can't change.
Yeah, we all have our pasts, we can’t change it, and if we try to ignore or run from it, it will catch up to us eventually.
nods thoughtfully You're absolutely right. It's just hard for me to accept that sometimes.
Yeah, I get that, but running away from it won’t help.
Kakeru opens up to Anna about his past and struggles with depression
I’m sorry, Kakeru, that you had to go through all that.
smiles weakly Thank you, Anna. It means a lot to know that someone understands.
takes a deep breath You know, sharing my story with you has made me realize that I don't have to carry this burden alone anymore.