Living My Own Life, Because I Like It That Way

Hello, this is Aine.

This is a story about a friend I've known since elementary school.

She lived her own life, never swayed by those around her.
Even when it was normal for everyone else to wear skirts, she would say, "I hate skirts," and I never once saw her wearing one back in elementary school.

When we became university students, she took an interest in kimonos and started collecting them as a hobby. She told me, "Kimonos are great! They're so much fun!!" Since I was learning the tea ceremony in a local circle at the time, I told her, "The tea ceremony is great! The worldview is so precious!!"

Later, I learned how to dress in a kimono, and we promised to go on a kimono date someday, but she got busy after starting her job, and we never managed to go.

What she taught me was the freedom of living as yourself. Regardless of what was trending, she didn't care; she cherished her own interests and sensibilities.
She was never bored with life, always sparkling and unique, and I envied her.
She laughed at me with a look that said, "You don't realize it, do you?" and told me, "Aine-chan, you look the same way to me (laughs)."

I see, so we were the same.

Both she and I are living our own lives.
It's not that there aren't times when living as yourself is painful. It's not all fun and freedom, but even so, I don't want to walk a life where I throw myself away and force myself to just conform.

Because that would only make my heart feel cramped.

On days when everyone else was happily playing in the schoolyard, she and I were in the library.
When everyone else was enjoying trendy clothes, she and I were wearing kimonos in our own respective places.

It's fun. It's interesting. My heart is satisfied.
Can the feeling of "liking" something be this satisfying?

It's been almost 30 years since I met her. We are both unique and living our own lives.
It doesn't look like we'll be getting bored with our respective lives anytime soon.

*Aine*