The Three Sages and "I"—Unpopular

The "me" reflected in the mirror was full of a sense of defeat again today.

I fixed my clothes and styled my hair.
I even had some clever lines and a fair amount of courage.

And yet, she was looking at the "handsome guy" next to me and laughing.

—It really is about the face, isn't it.

Love is decided by facial attractiveness.
To be chosen by someone, you can't fail at the appearance stage first.
That voice has been looping in my head forever.

As I stared blankly at myself reflected in the glass at the bus stop,
six silhouettes emerged behind me.

Each one was somehow nostalgic and strange—
but for some reason, they had faces full of conviction.

They spoke to me.

Simone de Beauvoir
"You are always worrying about 'being chosen by someone.'
If you keep that up, you'll always be 'the one who just waits.'"

Frida Kahlo
"I suffered a facial injury in an accident. But for me, it became a 'canvas of love.'"

Yosano Akiko
"Love cannot begin without 'burning passion.'
Forget about your face; is your heart burning hot right now?"

Socrates
"I was the ugliest man in Athens.
But by questioning, I captivated people.
Cultivating the beauty of the soul is the beginning of true love."

Molière
"I am a clown who is laughed at.
But you know, by making people laugh, you can capture their hearts."

Charles Darwin
"Love and beauty are both expressions of evolution.
But—the passion to pursue truth is what makes humans most beautiful."

"I certainly understand what you are saying.
But in reality, the guys with good-looking faces are the ones who are popular, aren't they?
No matter what you say about inner beauty or the soul,
the thing that catches the eye in an instant is the 'face.'"

I counter-argue. Not because I'm frustrated.
But because that is truly how reality looks to me.

The sages watched over this conflict of 'mine'—
and quietly formed a circle to begin their debate.

Simone vs. Molière
"If you can only be loved by acting, that is an illusion."
"Even if it is an illusion, there is a view that only those who stand on stage can see."

Frida vs. Socrates
"The courage to show one's pain is the beginning of love."
"Questioning the meaning of pain is what deepens love."

📚 Akiko vs. Darwin
"Love is a flame. What burns it is not logic."
"There is a logic of evolution even in the process of combustion."

........
The words of the six people intersect.
There is no answer.
However,the weight of the questionis all that remained in my heart.

That night, I stared at myself in the mirror and muttered this.

“I may not be able to become a handsome guy, but
I wonder if it would be okay to just truly care for someone as ‘myself’.”