Video 04 → No, Really, I'm Just Curious.

[irregular]

[Filtered from Weiss]

[Ken, wearing a blue apron, is standing in what appears to be the stockroom of Nectar.]

So...

[He hesitates for a moment, gazing around himself apprehensively, clearly worried he might be overheard. When he turns back to the screen, he closes his eyes briefly and takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself for something.]

What would it take to make you decide you couldn't be yourself any more?

Comments

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

[... Somewhat of a rhetorical response, but...]

Yourself.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Huh? What'd you mean?

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

If one thing has to make you decide that you can't be yourself anymore, then that has to be yourself. [He 'clarifies', though he sure SOUNDS like he knows what he's talking about. ...Bear with it for a bit, Ken. :D;]

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

I... guess?

[Confused Ken is confused.]

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

[He pauses a bit, mulling this over.]

In the end, you are you, but if you need to make a change to go from an old self to a new self, then the only person who must decide that a change like this should happen is yourself. Is that clearer?

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

A bit, thanks.

I guess it's kinda selfish of me to worry about it if... if someone I know wants to do that, then.

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

[Nod.] It could be a confusing matter, so it's no problem.

Not at all. You worry because you care about that person, right? So they're probably a friend, and it's only natural to be concerned about a friend's well-being. That said, while the choice is ultimately theirs, you can still do what you can to influence their decision by talking to them.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

I think...

[Ken sighs. Here we go again with the stupid-sounding explanation.]

We're from the same place but we're not from the same time. If that makes sense. I think where he comes from he already made his decision and the others won't really tell me anything that happened that I haven't lived through yet. If it's something in... in my future that did it--

[He breaks off.]

That sounded crazy, didn't it?

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

[He listens attentively.]

Not at all. The same thing happened to me, actually. ...Well, not exactly identical, but very similar. [And he falls back into silence again with a blink, but his look very clearly says 'go on'. You're not crazy at all, bro, so keep going, :|b]

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Really?

[That makes him feel a little better. Of course Ken guesses he can't be the first person it's happened to, but he still can't start to explain it without worrying that it just sounds nuts.]

I just dunno how much good I'll be able to do, if whatever's caused him to change is something that hasn't happened yet. To me, anyway.

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It can be confusing to explain, so I understand.

[Nod.] Be a friend to him like you've always had, I think. It may take some time, depending on the kind of change he went through and how he sees the change himself, but maybe you can get him to tell you, someday. Until then, we just have to support them with the best that we can. [Not much of an advice, truly, but it's how he feels.]

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah.. that sounds like the best thing, really. I'll just keep trying. He doesn't have to tell me what's up, but... well, I wanna let him know that he can, if he wants. Thanks.

[It's probably, out of everything he's heard, the advice that Ken can easiest take to heart. He smiles to hear it, genuinely grateful for it. He notices that 'we', though, and he blinks, the smile falling.]

Has something like this happened to you?

1/2

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

[That's the spirit. Regardless of what you can and cannot do, being optimistic about it can never be a bad start. He nods and mirrors the smile.]

Yeah. It may be difficult, but keep trying. Hopefully, he'll speak to you and resolve this, soon.

2/2

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

[...]

It's not the same, but yes, similar enough. The only difference may be that I had an idea, about what my senpai was trying to hide.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Did you guys manage to get that sorted?

I mean, you don't have to tell me what the deal was or anything if it was personal. I just wondered... well, if you guys had got over it all right.

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

It took some explaining, but we did. It's a good feeling for everyone. I hope it works out for you, too. [...] Hidaka-kun, correct?

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Just Ken's fine. But yes.

And thanks. I hope it does too, it's... a bit of a mess. I guess I'll figure something out, though.

[carpo-vita.livejournal.com]

[He nods lightly in acknowledgment. May be a good thing that this Ken seems nothing like the one he knew back at home...] My name is Minato Arisato. It's nice to meet you, Ken-kun.

It definitely can be. Just try out what you think is right, I think. Good luck. [Cheesy? Y. And he realizes it, but hey, it worked enough times for him and the people he knew to warrant saying.]