[ That compassion doesn't go unnoticed, and Mitsuru accepts his kind words with a small - if melancholic - smile, and a slight bow of thanks. ]
Of course ... my father passed away towards the end of last year after a sudden illness.
[ A lie. One that she's grown quite accustomed to telling since her father's passing ...
[ Perhaps relaying the 'official' explanation of her father's death in this context wasn't necessary or wise, but explaining the events of the past year to those who didn't already understand the more esoteric aspects was a lengthy and complicated endeavor. Exploring these matters was likely to be long and emotionally exhausting already without factoring in such an explanation of the circumstances. ]
For some time after his death, it was difficult to feel anything but his absence. However, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends, and thanks to their intervention, I was eventually able to lift myself from that apathy.
[ And here, once again, she pauses. ]
And several months after that, one of those friends ... one of the people I was closest to, passed away as well.
[ Mitsuru swallows, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. Her father's death still haunted her, but time and catharsis had started to dull that pain. Kotone's death was a more recent and protracted thing, and as such the wound was still raw. ]
She ... had been wasting away for some time, but she never told any of us. To try and shield us from that pain, I think.
( the sudden death of a parent is a hard thing at any age, but particularly when you're so young. he's reminded of Okumura-san's incredibly public loss of her father, and how hard that must have been for her. the brave face she needed to put on in order to get through everything with the business side of things.
it's a shame it happened to close to the end of his tenure at Shujin, but he's learned what he needed to learn in order to make life better for her. when he gets home, he can do that.
for now, what he needs to concentrate on is the young woman before him and her problems, which are just as heart-achingly awful in their own way. )
I see. That's not an uncommon reaction in people dealing with terminal illness. ( sadly, he understands it all too well. if he were in that place... well, talking about it would be difficult at best. ) But for the people left behind... I'm sure I don't need to tell you.
( and, to fall back on an old therapist staple: ) Would you like to share how that made you feel?
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no subject
Date: 2021-08-27 08:38 pm (UTC)Of course ... my father passed away towards the end of last year after a sudden illness.
[ A lie. One that she's grown quite accustomed to telling since her father's passing ...
[ Perhaps relaying the 'official' explanation of her father's death in this context wasn't necessary or wise, but explaining the events of the past year to those who didn't already understand the more esoteric aspects was a lengthy and complicated endeavor. Exploring these matters was likely to be long and emotionally exhausting already without factoring in such an explanation of the circumstances. ]
For some time after his death, it was difficult to feel anything but his absence. However, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends, and thanks to their intervention, I was eventually able to lift myself from that apathy.
[ And here, once again, she pauses. ]
And several months after that, one of those friends ... one of the people I was closest to, passed away as well.
[ Mitsuru swallows, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. Her father's death still haunted her, but time and catharsis had started to dull that pain. Kotone's death was a more recent and protracted thing, and as such the wound was still raw. ]
She ... had been wasting away for some time, but she never told any of us. To try and shield us from that pain, I think.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-10 07:47 pm (UTC)it's a shame it happened to close to the end of his tenure at Shujin, but he's learned what he needed to learn in order to make life better for her. when he gets home, he can do that.
for now, what he needs to concentrate on is the young woman before him and her problems, which are just as heart-achingly awful in their own way. )
I see. That's not an uncommon reaction in people dealing with terminal illness. ( sadly, he understands it all too well. if he were in that place... well, talking about it would be difficult at best. ) But for the people left behind... I'm sure I don't need to tell you.
( and, to fall back on an old therapist staple: ) Would you like to share how that made you feel?