we sometimes ask the people who love us what they see in us hoping that their answer will be something subtle and complicated beyond how we present ourselves, that there's something we haven't thought about, something more to us.
mitsumi values shima's kindess and consideration but he believes that he's self-serving and that there's not truth to a facade he only keeps up to respond to other's expectations. if mitsumi loves him because he's kind and considerate then surely he has managed to "trick" her into believing that he's a good person when he isn't, that she's bound to be desillusioned when she finds out what's beneath his easygoing facade. but what shima fails to understand is that his kindness is still kindness, regardless of how genuine he thinks it is. kindness is not a inherent trait but constant practice, an actual effort you make to care for others and make them comfortable. and shima makes that effort again and again, oblivious to how much it means to mitsumi, oblivious to how his kindness saves her