–Šƒ–ƒŽŽǯ†Ž‘•‡Š‡”‡„›ˆƒ…‹‰Š‡”…”‹–‹…‹•™ƒ•–Š‡–‹‡•’‡–Ž‹•–‡‹‰–‘ her lectures. So, I decided to try telling her about my personal code. Dzǯ‘–•—”‡‹–…‘—–•ƒ•›’‡”•‘ƒŽcode, but I always try to be …ƒ”‡ˆ—Ž‘––‘‰‡––‘‘…Ž‘•‡–‘‘–Š‡”•‘”–‘†‹”‡…–Ž›…‘–”ƒ†‹…–ƒ›‘‡ǯ• opinions, I guess. As long as I do that, it reduces the chances of me hurting ‘–Š‡”•ǡƒ†ƒ•ƒ•‹†‡‡ˆˆ‡…–ǡ’”‘–‡…–•‡ƒ•™‡ŽŽǤdz ”‡‡„‡”‹›‘•Š‹ǯ•ˆƒ…‡…Ž‡ƒ”Ž›ƒˆ–‡”•Š‡Š‡ƒ”†–Š‹••Š‘”–ƒ††”› little spiel of mine. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth tightly shut. I was certain that this philosophy was one that Akiyoshi, who always loudly voiced her opinions in the pursuit of becoming the person she wanted to be, could never agree with. It was only natural that she would be lost for words, I was sure. ‘™‡˜‡”ǡ‹•–‡ƒ†•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡDz‘™ǡ–Šƒ–ǯ•”‡ƒŽŽ›‹…‡‘ˆ›‘—Ǥdz‡”‡›‡• ™‡”‡•–‹ŽŽ‘’‡™‹†‡ǤDzŠƒ–‡ƒ•–Šƒ–›‘—†‘ǯ–™ƒ––‘Š—”–ƒ›‘‡ǡ right? I had no idea you thought about stuff like that. Like, what the heck? ‘—ǯ”‡ƒ”‡ƒŽŽ›‹…‡‰—›ǡƒ‡†‡Ǥdz Dz†‘ǯ–”‡ƒŽŽ›–Š‹–Šƒ–ǯ•‹…‡ǡ’‡”•‡Ǥdz Dz‘ǡ‹–ǯ••—’‡”‹…‡Ǩ‘™ǥ‘‡•–Ž›ǡ–Šƒ–ǯ•ƒƒƒœ‹‰™ƒ›‘ˆ –Š‹‹‰ǤdzŠ‡‘††‡†’”‘ˆ—•‡Ž›ǡŠ—ˆˆ‹‰–Š”‘—‰ŠŠ‡”‘•‡Ǥ Not once had anyone ever affirmed me in that way. Again, she looked at me with those eyes of hers. Whenever she did that, I could not dismiss Š‡”‘’‹‹‘Ǥ–ǯ•‡„ƒrrassing to admit, but I suddenly realized that somewhere, in some corner of my heart, some small amount of kindness might actually exist in there. Dzǯ‘ǡ›‘—Šƒ˜‡–‘†‘–Š‹•™‹–Š‡Ǥdz‡”‰ƒœ‡„—”‡†„”‹‰Š–‡”Ǥ Dzǥ”‡ƒŽŽ›Šƒ–‡•–ƒ†‹‰‘—–ǡ–Š‘—‰ŠǤdz Dz‡ŽŽ –Š‡ǡ‹•‡…”‡–Ǥˆ‹–ǯŽŽ‰‡–›‘—–‘ƒ‰”‡‡–‘‹–Ǥ–…ƒ„‡ƒ•‡…”‡– •‘…‹‡–›Ǥdz Dz•‡…”‡–•‘…‹‡–›ǫdz—––‡”‡†”‡ˆŽ‡š‹˜‡Ž›ǡŠ‡ƒ”‹‰–Š‹•…Š‹Ž†‹•Š’”‘’‘•ƒŽ come flying out of her mouth. As though this in fact embarrassed Akiyoshi as well, she averted her eye•ǡ™ƒ˜‹‰Š‡”Šƒ†•‹ˆ”‘–‘ˆŠ‡”ˆƒ…‡™‹–ŠƒǡDz‡ŽŽǡ•‘‡–Š‹‰Ž‹‡ –Šƒ–ǥdz…‘—Ž†ǯ–Š‡Ž’„—–•‹Ž‡ƒ–•‡‡‹‰Š‡”•‘—…Šƒ”ƒ…–‡”‹•–‹…ƒŽŽ› flustered. Dz‡ŽŽǡǯŽŽ–Š‹ƒ„‘—–‹–Ǥdz Dzƒ›Ǥdz Dz‘ǡ™Šƒ–ǯ•–Š‡ƒ‡‘ˆ–Š‹••‡…”‡–•‘…‹‡–›ǫdz•ƒ‹†ǡhalf-teasing.