The Weakest Link (Part 6: Bido)
Yukan Club
The Weakest Link
Part 5, Bido
“Up until now, out of all of them, I think Kinna-san was the one who thought of me the most.”
It hurt him to say that. He was scared to say that. He had to admit, he was mortally terrified of walking up to Miroku, opening up his heart and saying something as small as that. Because it was real, it was so true and sad, and now that he had opened his heart a little, Miroku could reach a hand in and wreak havoc on his soul.
But Miroku was quiet, (Dear God, what happened to him?) and stayed where he was. He remained completely passive, did not attempt to approach Bido while he was vulnerable.
So Bido continued. “Kinna-san was probably a wonderful woman, when she was young.”
“Tell her that next time you see her,” Miroku had responded. “She’ll probably be very happy.” That was all Bido could take, and he immediately fell silent. It took a few days, but before long, he was back to “himself”, flirting, self-obsessed and useless.
It was safer to be that way, but he missed those few weeks of being troubled, even if it was very scary.
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There weren’t a lot of people he didn’t like, luckily for the Student Union. And once they split off into three pairs to make their various clubs, expanded into the Yukan Club because they were too lazy to move to another room, a sense of solidarity took over. If this place ever went away, Bido knew he would be sad.
They were cruel to him, poking fun at his expense, and at each other’s. He gave as much as he got, because he knew, deep down, it was all in good fun. At least, he hoped it was all in good fun. There was that thing with Seishiro and Yuri that everybody thought would proceed one way, and then the next thing they knew, Seishiro had taken over Kenbishi Corporation and was fighting Miroku.
They weren’t too good at fixing that, or at being good friends. But Bido didn’t care. He liked it anyway.
Not many people picked on him, after all.
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He’d never admit it out loud, but he liked tests. He enjoyed filling in answers, thinking about problems, memorizing formulas and being able to recall them. He enjoyed the process of remembering something he had learned, and getting a high grade when it was over.
Seishiro and Noriko consistently excelled, and that didn’t bother him, but he never mentioned how he felt about schoolwork. Even if he wasn’t exceptional, he felt accomplishment, being able to do something well. As if there might be more to him than being a useless playboy. That there might be something about him that wasn’t entirely useless.
He knew he had only one exceptional quality, and that was his looks. Ever since he was tiny, he’d never been told he was funny, or sweet, or smart. People only talked about how good-looking he was, and nothing else mattered to them. And since Bido knew he only excelled at looking fantastic, he never questioned it.
But he felt a little lonely. After all, people only told him he was pretty. They didn’t care whether or not he was funny, kind or smart. They didn’t care about anything, other than how he looked. Nobody, out of all of the hundreds of people who admired him, out of all the women he’d dated, no one thought of Bido.
People became infatuated with people who were pretty.
Real love was reserved for people who were funny, kind, or smart.
That's why he told Karen she was greedy. Nobody, not even the celebrated Student Union could get everything they wanted, especially when it came to love. Miroku might one day find a girl who actually liked him back and stayed in one place long enough for him to tell her so, but there was still more heartbreak in his future, before that happened. Seishiro and Noriko would never have everything they wanted. One of them would have to give up a part of themselves, and then the other wouldn't be happy, because they wanted the other exactly as they were. Yoshinagawa-senpai had difficult choices to make; she could choose family and status, or love, but she could not have both. Bido would never be truly loved by anyone, only admired.
What made Karen think she was so special? That they could all have their dreams and their friends and their love at the same time?
And, in the case of Yoshinagawa-senpai, was it a fluke that Karen had been right?
369369369369369369
Everyday was boring. And bored people did crazy things to allieviate it. Especially when those bored people had unlimited funds.
But they had done good things, too. He felt good, knowing he had helped someone. Knowing that someone's life was a little better because he'd been involved. That he and his friends had made a special memory they could be proud of.
His smile was twice as dazzling when he felt that way, thought it's not what he cared about.
369369369369369369
He didn't want to come. He never did. And yet, he came, even though he professed not wanting to, even though he knew he couldn't do much to help.
The truth was, he did want to come. Because whatever happened, he needed to be there for it. Because these were the only people in the world who didn't object when he followed them into the van.
And that was something worth protecting, with everything you had.
Bido had a million friends who fawned over him. A million people who gave him presents, called him sweet names and would spend time with him if he wanted. A million people who thought highly of him because of his parents, his rumored reputation and his looks.
There was a small group of people in the world that thought ill of him, thought him useless, pathetic, worthless.
And there were only five people in the world who thought so little of him, and liked him anyway.
Knowing that, Bido had no doubts that Miroku would never wish to hurt him, ever. Knowing that, he would always (even if he whined) run into warehouses, crime dens and creepy houses after his friends, his friend's friends and anything else worth protecting.
And those five friends would courageously chase down and deliver justice to all in their path, because they could. Because nothing was impossible for the Yukan Club, because they could do anything.
They could make Bido worth something. And they cared enough to.
So, there was no impossibility Bido wouldn't follow them into.
The Weakest Link
Part 5, Bido
“Up until now, out of all of them, I think Kinna-san was the one who thought of me the most.”
It hurt him to say that. He was scared to say that. He had to admit, he was mortally terrified of walking up to Miroku, opening up his heart and saying something as small as that. Because it was real, it was so true and sad, and now that he had opened his heart a little, Miroku could reach a hand in and wreak havoc on his soul.
But Miroku was quiet, (Dear God, what happened to him?) and stayed where he was. He remained completely passive, did not attempt to approach Bido while he was vulnerable.
So Bido continued. “Kinna-san was probably a wonderful woman, when she was young.”
“Tell her that next time you see her,” Miroku had responded. “She’ll probably be very happy.” That was all Bido could take, and he immediately fell silent. It took a few days, but before long, he was back to “himself”, flirting, self-obsessed and useless.
It was safer to be that way, but he missed those few weeks of being troubled, even if it was very scary.
369369369369369369369369
There weren’t a lot of people he didn’t like, luckily for the Student Union. And once they split off into three pairs to make their various clubs, expanded into the Yukan Club because they were too lazy to move to another room, a sense of solidarity took over. If this place ever went away, Bido knew he would be sad.
They were cruel to him, poking fun at his expense, and at each other’s. He gave as much as he got, because he knew, deep down, it was all in good fun. At least, he hoped it was all in good fun. There was that thing with Seishiro and Yuri that everybody thought would proceed one way, and then the next thing they knew, Seishiro had taken over Kenbishi Corporation and was fighting Miroku.
They weren’t too good at fixing that, or at being good friends. But Bido didn’t care. He liked it anyway.
Not many people picked on him, after all.
369369369369369369369369
He’d never admit it out loud, but he liked tests. He enjoyed filling in answers, thinking about problems, memorizing formulas and being able to recall them. He enjoyed the process of remembering something he had learned, and getting a high grade when it was over.
Seishiro and Noriko consistently excelled, and that didn’t bother him, but he never mentioned how he felt about schoolwork. Even if he wasn’t exceptional, he felt accomplishment, being able to do something well. As if there might be more to him than being a useless playboy. That there might be something about him that wasn’t entirely useless.
He knew he had only one exceptional quality, and that was his looks. Ever since he was tiny, he’d never been told he was funny, or sweet, or smart. People only talked about how good-looking he was, and nothing else mattered to them. And since Bido knew he only excelled at looking fantastic, he never questioned it.
But he felt a little lonely. After all, people only told him he was pretty. They didn’t care whether or not he was funny, kind or smart. They didn’t care about anything, other than how he looked. Nobody, out of all of the hundreds of people who admired him, out of all the women he’d dated, no one thought of Bido.
People became infatuated with people who were pretty.
Real love was reserved for people who were funny, kind, or smart.
That's why he told Karen she was greedy. Nobody, not even the celebrated Student Union could get everything they wanted, especially when it came to love. Miroku might one day find a girl who actually liked him back and stayed in one place long enough for him to tell her so, but there was still more heartbreak in his future, before that happened. Seishiro and Noriko would never have everything they wanted. One of them would have to give up a part of themselves, and then the other wouldn't be happy, because they wanted the other exactly as they were. Yoshinagawa-senpai had difficult choices to make; she could choose family and status, or love, but she could not have both. Bido would never be truly loved by anyone, only admired.
What made Karen think she was so special? That they could all have their dreams and their friends and their love at the same time?
And, in the case of Yoshinagawa-senpai, was it a fluke that Karen had been right?
369369369369369369
Everyday was boring. And bored people did crazy things to allieviate it. Especially when those bored people had unlimited funds.
But they had done good things, too. He felt good, knowing he had helped someone. Knowing that someone's life was a little better because he'd been involved. That he and his friends had made a special memory they could be proud of.
His smile was twice as dazzling when he felt that way, thought it's not what he cared about.
369369369369369369
He didn't want to come. He never did. And yet, he came, even though he professed not wanting to, even though he knew he couldn't do much to help.
The truth was, he did want to come. Because whatever happened, he needed to be there for it. Because these were the only people in the world who didn't object when he followed them into the van.
And that was something worth protecting, with everything you had.
Bido had a million friends who fawned over him. A million people who gave him presents, called him sweet names and would spend time with him if he wanted. A million people who thought highly of him because of his parents, his rumored reputation and his looks.
There was a small group of people in the world that thought ill of him, thought him useless, pathetic, worthless.
And there were only five people in the world who thought so little of him, and liked him anyway.
Knowing that, Bido had no doubts that Miroku would never wish to hurt him, ever. Knowing that, he would always (even if he whined) run into warehouses, crime dens and creepy houses after his friends, his friend's friends and anything else worth protecting.
And those five friends would courageously chase down and deliver justice to all in their path, because they could. Because nothing was impossible for the Yukan Club, because they could do anything.
They could make Bido worth something. And they cared enough to.
So, there was no impossibility Bido wouldn't follow them into.