That was nice. I liked nabe's character evolution.
We're we supposed to take something away from the stomach pains? I thought it was just some kind of trigger to show the audience that sebody was about to either care for Nabe or blow off her needs. Was there an actual medical condition or something?
No, like a lot of us that happens when she's upset and can't do anything about it.
It hurt her again, worse, when her mother said they'd get rid of the stuffed dog. Not to be maudlin and cliched, but at that time it was probably her only friend and comfort.
Your question reminds me of something that happened in Japan. A bunch of teachers killed themselves over a short period of time, mostly foreigners. So we had a kind of conference about it. One guy said you can always rationalize your feelings and make them behave, and I said, well, what do you rationalize when your stomach hurts a lot because you feel so bad? I remain convinced that his attitude is a perfect set up for disaster.
I love this story and I think both lonely girls are doing exactly the right thing for them. It's very believable with their characters they'd both be isolated in a Japanese high school of the time this takes place. The art of storytelling is to tell a lot with a little, and this author can do that. It also reminds me of a less flluffy, hence more realistic, The Real Her.
