"Rice Shower-chan, you're still troubled about what to do, aren't you?"
Xiao Hai Wan smiled and sat beside Rice Shower. She was sitting silently in the bath by herself, her tightly furrowed brows still not relaxed.
Slowly feeling her mind relax, Xiao Hai Wan spoke to Rice Shower, who was curled up beside her.
The water temperature was comfortably soothing, allowing the fatigue of the day to dissipate.
However, it couldn't dispel the gloom in Rice Shower's heart, or rather, the heavy shackles.
Rice Shower was always so delicate, always so cautious.
She saw everything as her own responsibility, or rather, she treated it as her misfortune that caused others to be implicated.
She could feel the entanglement, guilt, and powerlessness in her heart.
Seeing Rice Shower hesitate, unsure of how to speak, she smiled gently and said, "Speaking of which, we haven't really talked properly before, have we? I'm Super Creek from Class A. We met a few times during the autonomous selection race. Rice Shower-chan, you can also call me Xiao Hai Wan."
Although she said that, when they were at the seaside park earlier, Xiao Hai Wan did indeed mistake Rice Shower for a lost child.
"/// I'm sorry... I always kept my head down and didn't dare to look at other people's faces, so I couldn't remember before..."
Rice Shower immediately started apologizing with her head down again, but Xiao Hai Wan shook her head and said, "Rice Shower-chan, you don't need to apologize to me for this kind of thing. While politeness, humility, and being willing to apologize are good manners, if you do it repeatedly, your apologies might become cheap, you know?"
No matter what happened, Rice Shower's first thought was always her own fault, afraid of causing trouble or misfortune to others because of herself.
Therefore, she was constantly anxious and dared not interact with others—
And Xiao Hai Wan's words made Rice Shower freeze.
For someone who always has an apology on their lips, over time, their apologies will also become a way to escape responsibility, a cheap and irresponsible "verbal formality."
This is what Xiao Hai Wan wanted to tell her.
"Eh...?"
The rising steam in the bath made her eyes look very hazy. Xiao Hai Wan continued to explain, "My grandma used to say that living in this world, as long as you're a person, you will definitely make mistakes. Everyone has moments of failure. However, when it comes to matters of life and death, there can be no failures, or rather, there's only one chance."
"...But..."
Rice Shower lowered her head, pursing her lips. She stared uneasily at the water surface; the bathwater vaguely reflected her silhouette.
It made her heart feel a bit unsteady.
"The matter did indeed start because of Rice Shower. I failed to keep my promise with Asama-sensei..."
Getting carried away by a small matter, and then messing it up in the end... "Asama-sensei won't get angry over something like this. I think Rice Shower-chan, through your time together, should already know what kind of person he is, right?"
Although their nth meeting was when they truly had contact, Rice Shower genuinely experienced, for the first time in a long time, what it felt like to have a teacher and a friend in Kazuo.
And Xiao Hai Wan said with great certainty that Kazuo would not only not blame Rice Shower but would also practically think of solutions. When Daijin was going through her struggles, Kazuo tirelessly approached her and tried every means to help her; Xiao Hai Wan saw all of this.
And today, too, when Kazuo rushed back to find Rice Shower... whether it was praying at the shrine or treating students as a teacher. Even without much experience, he was indeed trying his best to help others.
Xiao Hai Wan could believe, and had reason to believe, that as a teacher, Trainer, friend, or even a senior colleague at work,
Asama Kazutomi always went all out to consider their needs when dealing with problems.
Thinking of this, she continued.
"Since the matter has already happened, the outcome is set. Even if you keep your head down in guilt and self-blame, nothing can be changed. So why not look forward and find a way to make amends?"
"Make amends...?"
This time, Rice Shower tried to properly look up at Xiao Hai Wan. Xiao Hai Wan returned a smile and said, "It doesn't have to be money; perhaps it's a change in attitude, determination, or taking a step forward. Instead of feeling self-pity, I believe Asama-sensei would also hope to see you truly make changes and be willing to face yourself, right?"
"Face... myself?"
"Ultimately, this is also what my grandma told me. After all, Rice Shower-chan and I are about the same age, so it's not really teaching or admonishing... just giving an opinion, you know."
"Face myself..."
"At least, it's better to start moving, in all senses of the word—"
Before she could finish, Xiao Hai Wan's voice slowly trailed off.
When Rice Shower looked up, she immediately cried out in alarm: "Wahhh, Xiao Hai Wan, what's wrong with you??"
Xiao Hai Wan, her face flushed, seemed a bit disoriented in the hot spring, her eyes somewhat hazy. She muttered unconsciously:
"Ugh... I feel a bit dizzy..."
"Xiao Hai Wan, Xiao Hai Wan!?"
.
"That really scared me to death!"
Aoi clutched her chest and let out a long sigh:
I really didn't expect that Xiao Hai Wan would feel dizzy after soaking for just over ten minutes.
"Hmm..."
Xiao Hai Wan sat in the store's lounge area, feeling much better now. She smiled apologetically and said, "I used to soak in the stable too, but the water wasn't this hot. I wasn't careful and this happened."
"Hmm... But Xiao Hai Wan is from Hokkaido, right? You must often go to hot springs, right?"
"Hmm... How should I put it, these are all preconceived notions."
"Anyway, it's good that you're okay."
Daijin walked directly over and handed Xiao Hai Wan a frozen chocolate milk she had bought from the vending machine.
"Here, at least drink this, right?"
"Daijin-chan!"
Although she wanted to hug her, Xiao Hai Wan, still a bit weak, could only smile softly.
Rice Shower-chan looked at her with some concern.
"Are you... are you okay, Xiao Hai Wan?"
"It's nothing, I'll be much better after sitting for a while. But I have to thank Rice Shower-chan for her help, otherwise I would have fainted from dehydration."
"No, you're welcome..."
Rice Shower-chan lowered her head shyly. Under Xiao Hai Wan's guidance, she had been somewhat affected.
Compared to before, she was at least in better spirits now.
Seeing that Xiao Hai Wan was fine, Aoi's gaze once again focused on Xiao Hai Wan.
"But speaking of which... I've been wondering, Xiao Hai Wan, do you often drink milk?"
Aoi tried to liven up the atmosphere, but this question instantly made the others serious.
"Eh...!?"
Seeing them staring at her seriously, she hesitated and nodded, saying, "I... I guess so? I really like drinking milk..."
As soon as she finished speaking, the others, who had already drunk a bottle of hot spring milk, rushed towards the vending machine again.
After all, this is an eternal topic for girls.
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