When I borrowed a pair of mysterious glasses that let me see far away.

In April, the submission period for the Creative Awards began.
And it seems the rankings for the story submission site TALES have also been announced.

If there are people who get chosen, there are also people who don't.
And situations arise where people you usually interact with get chosen, but you don't (or vice versa).

Also, you might receive feedback on your Creative Awards entry.
Those who write them are generally kind, so they often read with a positive outlook. I am very grateful for that.

However, differences arise here as well.
For example,
if the same person who told you, 'Nice. Interesting,'
tells someone else, 'This is amazing! It's sure to win an award!'
seeing that might make your heart feel unsettled.

When creating something, you have to face the sensitivity of your own heart, so it is not strange at all to be sensitive to these comparisons.

(※ I worry that writing something like this might make it harder for people to write feedback, but I want feedback to be free.)

But seeing comparisons that shouldn't be visible can become painful.

So, if I may be so bold, I would like to make a suggestion.

Look incredibly far into the distance.

Far, far beyond the happy feedback or the Creative Awards.
What would you be happy to see your work become in the end?
A book? A movie? Look specifically at something very far away.
Who would be the actors and actresses playing the roles?

By the way, I am currently writing a workplace novel, and I've started thinking that I would be happy if it eventually became an NHK night drama.
Something like the 'Honest Real Estate' or 'This Can't Be Expensed!' series.
And I'd be happy if Kyoko Yoshine starred in it, and Amane Okayama appeared in it too (I'm just a fan).

Thinking that way, I started to consider various things, like whether I need a more easily understood emotional impact, or if I should make the characters more distinct.

When I think about it that way, I actually end up needing to win the Creative Awards, but even so, it felt easier than making 'the Creative Awards themselves' the goal.

Why is that?
I think it's because I looked so far away that my posture improved.
If you only look at things nearby, you end up hunching over more and more.

By looking far away, I became able to take a deep breath.

Why did I become able to look far away?
I've started to think it might be because I had my story heard during my first ZOOM call with Maiton-san.

(What I took was the MSJ Backyard Pass trial plan, Maiton's Friend Park (tentative) (sold out).)

We have interacted on note, but it was the first time I saw their face.
Contrary to their cute icon, but just as in their writing, they were a person from whom intelligence exuded.

I was happy to hear Maiton-san say that what I was trying to say largely aligned with their own thoughts.
I casually shared a future that might surprise people if I spoke it aloud, and they accepted it.

I haven't told Maiton-san about the NHK night drama.
It was something that came to mind a week after I spoke with Maiton-san.

I think life would be fun if I could aim for this.
I wondered if the reason I could write such a bold dream here was because of our conversation.

To be frank, an online meeting with Maiton-san is something some people need and others don't.

It might not be necessary for those who can look into the distance and correct their own posture on their own.

Actually, I thought I was the type of person who didn't really need it.
Because even when I'm lost, I can decide for myself, "This way!" and go.

However, there aren't many places where you can say that out loud one-on-one.
To be able to voice my own unique direction to one person and have it accepted.

By putting it into words, the outline of the distance became clear.

I just realized it now.

Maiton-san wears wonderful glasses, both in their icon and in person, don't they?

Perhaps, without realizing it, I had borrowed those glasses and was looking into the distance.