Charmant wrote:SpunkySix wrote:Even if you find her annoying, I've yet to see a good reason to actually hate her.
[Bad End]
Bad End wrote:Misha contrasts the genial smile on Shizune's face with a lonely expression of her own. If Misha is really jealous of me for stealing Shizune away from her, then it'd only make it worse if all three of us were together. I imagine it'd be like rubbing salt in an open wound. So I get the idea to let them spend time together. I'm not so idealistic that I think a single afternoon to themselves will solve everything, but it might help. It seems like the better option than going with them, because my presence definitely wouldn't help at all.
Hisao: "You two can go have fun, then. I'm going to go to bed early."
Shizune: "Are you sure? It's barely past lunch."
Hisao: "I told you, I don't feel too good today. I think I'm coming down with something."
Shizune: "I thought that you said excuses like that won't work."
She has me there.
Shizune:"It's okay. But refusing someone's invitation is rude. I'll expect you to make it up to me."
Shizune turns around and smiles at Misha, and starts signing something that I can't see. I assume it's along the lines of “it looks like it's just going to be the two of us.”
That's good.
...
Shizune: "When I feel like I'm finished, I wish I could just wipe the slate clean. Whether I succeed or not. I put Misha through a lot, and even dragged you into it. And every point where I could have solved this silly situation, or prevented it from happening in the first place, keeps coming back to me. It's the worst feeling. Especially when I feel like I've done nothing right and everything wrong. Like recently. It's the worst kind of failure. I feel like a failure on every level. I wish I could wipe away everything I've done and just be alone, since all I've done is mess with Misha for two years. And jerk you around for a year for selfish reasons."
Hisao: "It's fine."
Shizune: "No, it's not. You don't understand. I was just thinking about it; everything I do feels like I have to beat someone else. Everyone else, even. If that is how it is, then what are my relationships with people? They almost feel the same."
I can see where this is going.
Shizune: "The point is that I've messed up so many people by being selfish, and now I want to be away from other people for a while."
Hisao: "Even me?"
There's a pause.
Shizune: "Yes."
Followed by an even longer pause, this time from me.
Hisao: "I see. That's the most selfish thing you could do. It's just you making another decision by yourself."
Shizune: "…"
For a minute, it looks as though she's considering the best way to respond, but in the end, she simply nods. Which, I think, is the best way to respond anyway.
It's very like her, to be roundabout even now, but ultimately without excuses.
All my emotions simmer inside me. I see a kettle in front of me, water rolling inside it, so close that I can touch it and feel the heat radiating off of it. I'm glad for the distraction, because I know there's no recourse or bargaining possible.
Shizune: "You told me that everything was fine, but it wasn't true, was it? I can't believe it ever again, then."
Hisao: "All right."
Not even bothering to sign it, I stand up. My hands are in my pockets, fingering my loose change. The morning air is cold against my face. As I look back at her, she seems very lonely. I'm reminded of myself. I've made that expression before. Maybe it's on my face right now. It feels like the image of such a lonely girl will stick in my mind forever. Every moment where I could have prevented this, or solved the problem, comes back to me. It makes me smile in a way without amusement.
Yup, looking at those key scenes, Misha was a bit of a bitch, wasn't she? It's shameful the way she turned Shizune against an entirely blameless Hisao.
Whether you call her a harpy, a strumpet, a morgan, a charmonica, or a marimbat, the fact remains - it was all Misha's fault.
