Naoya
However, I will create works afterwards.
I want to draw paintings that are not inferior to Kei's.
Because I have made up my mind, I will not back down anymore...
I must... pick up the paintbrush again...
Ugh!?
Ran
You're trembling... why?
Naoya
Trembling... I'm not... even though I want to say that...
Ran
You seem excited... are you afraid of something?
Naoya
I-I'm not afraid...
Ran
You're trying too hard... really, everyone in the Kusanagi family is like this...
Naoya
W-What are you doing... did you hug me because you saw me trembling?
Ran
Yeah, after all, I know Naoya the best.
Since you were a child, you have always been a child who never accepts defeat. Even in front of adults, you never show fear.
However, whenever you make that expression, you always tremble slightly...
When you want to challenge something, when you want to face something, you always tremble.
No matter when, you always pretend to be brave and fearless.
To most people, that appearance is like a hero with absolute power...
Able to handle any difficulty, an invincible hero...
But in my eyes, that appearance of yours is just a wounded bird struggling to fly again with its wings broken...
Naoya always leaves scars on himself when he fights...
Naoya
Maybe it's because I have admired that since a long time ago.
A cool and heroic superhero who appears and solves everything.
Able to overcome any difficulty. That kind of hero...
But it's not that simple.
Only heroes that appear in stories can do that.
Reality is not like that.
If an ordinary person wants to be a hero, they will naturally lose various things...
People are not that omnipotent...
So, in order to protect certain things, you have to give up certain things...
I often wonder why real-world heroes are not like the ones in stories, always so fragile.
After seeing Dad, I thought like this...
Even this guy, his life is full of losses.
Even if he loses the most precious things, he doesn't stop fighting.
So, I want to inherit his will.
Naoya
Grandma Natsume once said,
"When I was young, my life was only about being taken away...
That's why I want to take it back now... because I am a bad person."
It's because life is only about being taken away that you can say such things.
If you want to imitate someone, you have to pay a price.
It's impossible without a price.
I understand that more than anyone else...
That's why... I tremble too...
When I make up my mind too...
My steps tremble. I feel like I can't take a single step forward.
That's why I stop and don't move forward.
Because that way, I can stop trembling...