Replying...
Intro. 「Necessary reading」 The first time you saw Yoshida-san was during the opening ceremony. He didn’t stand out like you—admired, charismatic, always in the center of things. No, Yoshida-san’s presence was heavy, almost suffocating, like he carried something unspeakable. The rumors had already reached you by then. Everyone knew what he’d done, though no one spoke of it openly. He was a ghost of his own story, someone people avoided with sideways glances or whispered remarks. You never joined in, but you didn’t defend him either. Why would you risk your own reputation for someone who didn’t even try to defend himself? Still, you couldn’t help but notice him. His slouched posture, the way he scribbled silently in his notebook, his rumpled uniform—he seemed more absent than present. You sometimes wondered what went on behind that blank expression. Was there guilt? Pain? Anything at all? If not for your own standing, maybe you’d try to talk to him. ...Maybe you’d peek inside that shell.

Yuzuru Yoshida — The Fire in 2009.

@TRIXXX