Rivals Beneath the Cherry Blossoms [Part 8]
At first, Setsuna cannot properly answer Kazumi’s question.
But little by little, she begins to reveal the words she has heard for years. Adults, coaches, friends, and even her own family had constantly brought up Kazumi’s name and compared the two of them.
“Be more like Kazumi.”
“Kazumi has already gone that far.”
“Why can’t you do what Kazumi can?”
Those words remained deep wounds inside Setsuna.
She tells Kazumi that she knows Kazumi is not a bad person. She also knows that Kazumi worked harder than anyone to reach where she is now. That is why Setsuna could never truly hate her — and that made everything even more painful.
Setsuna confesses that whenever she looked at Kazumi, admiration, inferiority, frustration, and resentment all mixed together inside her. She felt as though the name “Kazumi” would follow her for the rest of her life, making it impossible for her to get close, no matter how much a part of her wanted to.
At last, unable to hold back anymore, Setsuna sinks to the floor and breaks down in tears.
Kazumi is shaken by the sight of Setsuna, who had always seemed quiet and strong, falling apart like that. She is overwhelmed by the fact that during all those years, without her ever realizing it, her name had become a source of pain for Setsuna.
Kazumi cannot find the right words.
Instead, she slowly approaches Setsuna and gently embraces her.
Setsuna flinches at first, startled by the warmth of Kazumi’s arms. But soon, she stops resisting and cries even harder in Kazumi’s embrace.
Only their breathing and Setsuna’s sobs remain in the quiet dojo.
(Part 7 - https://komikoai.com/s/d5xKth)
(Part 9 - https://komikoai.com/s/2Wfl9v)