Haruka Yukimura
Haruka Yukimura “Ah, I’ll think about that next time I’m getting thrown into the ocean…”
Good! Haruka should stand up for herself. Especially against Atsuko, who rarely went out of her way to spite people on purpose, because she usually just left if she was annoyed or was able to do… a little more about the situation than she was able to on this train. But certain people had unlocked that from her because she couldn’t exactly get away from them that easily. Haruka, thankfully, wasn’t one of those people!
But even that quip (even if it didn’t register as a quip to Atsuko) still had holes in it. You’re getting thrown in the ocean? Take someone else’s life raft, it was pretty easy. Of course, Haruka couldn’t swim, but there were still options. It’s not like she was just talking complete nonsense (she was)!
Haruka Yukimura “I do try, though. I’ve made a lot of life changes to adapt to it… not that they matter here on this train, haha. I hope nothing like it ever happens to you. Make sure you keep on keeping yourself warm and don’t catch any colds, okay?”
The space heater buzzed next to the innkeeper who, even on this island, had not removed even a single layer. Shawl, gloves, scarf and all.
“…No need to worry about that. I’m not planning to get cold.” Even at the hottest time of the day, with multiple layers on, and the space heater keeping her warm, part of her would still probably feel cold.
Haruka Yukimura “…Honestly, I don’t know if I know how. Being selfish makes me feel bad. So is it really being selfish…? So long as I’m able to help others, I’m happy.”
Atsuko was at a bit of a loss. How was she supposed to explain her side, how she felt, then? Being selfish didn’t make her feel bad at all. Which made her ‘cruel,’ as many would put it, apparently.
“…Then… stop feeling bad about it.” Excellent advice, Atsuko! If only it were that simple. “If you’re… at a disadvantage, it’s only natural to do what you need to do to… to ensure you make it through. Regardless of if you need to take from others to do it.”
Somehow, still, Atsuko thought that was insufficient. It made perfect sense to her, but she had known for a long time that what she considered correct was very much not the case for others.
“…Think about it this way. If you got hurt, or something bad happened, because you didn’t look after yourself… Do you think that would make the other person feel happy, if they knew?”
Atsuko, stop trying to make Haruka do bad things. Second of all, Atsuko didn’t believe a word of it for a second, because she felt entirely entitled to the scarf way back in the icebreaker car. But still, she was saying it, trying to frame herself in a way that could be understood a little better.
