It's Hard to Say No
Training was supposed to have started a while ago, but Lily still hasn't shown up.
I was starting to think we'd have to postpone the session when...
*Huff* *Huff* Captain...!
I-I'm so sorry...
Lily ran up, drenched in sweat and breathing hard.
What happened...?
W-well...
Hey, miss! Wait just a second!
Huh...?
Hold on. Just stop right there.
I brought this swimsuit set from Flora, and I think it would look perfect on you.
Wanna take a look?
Uh... um...
Hahaha! Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you anything. Just try it on for a second.
Come on, you'll love it.
O-okay... but only for a moment...!
What are you talking about? Obviously, my hog is way cooler.
Hahaha! That's ridiculous. Anyone can see mine's the better one.
Tch...! Fine, let's ask someone else.
Hey, you! Girl with the stuffed animal!
...Huh? Me?
Yeah. What do you think? Between these two bike hogs, which one looks cooler?
Clearly the one on the right, right?
U-um...
Come on, it's not hard. Just say whatever comes to mind.
Look closely. Mine's got those strong, muscular hind legs—
No, no.
You clearly don't know what to look for, so let me break it down for you.
Uh... Um... Could you make it quick...?
And that's how you ended up being late...?
Yes...
But still...
Huh? Hmm? Tell the Captain?
Mr. Rabbit says he has a favor to ask you, Captain...!
He says...
"Captain, please teach this girl how to say no!"
How to say no...?
Yes. He means it literally.
I... really struggle with saying no.
Whenever someone asks me for something or invites me to do something, I just can't refuse.
Even when I'm super busy, I get this feeling that I absolutely shouldn't say no...
What if they get disappointed? That would be sad...
But still... I hate it when I end up being a burden to the people around me because of it...
...Yes. Mr. Rabbit's right. I really do need to learn how to do it!
I need to be able to say no when I have to!
Captain... could you help me?
Lily clenched her lips tightly and spoke with determination.
Indeed, Lily really needs to change a little.
Showing kindness to everyone came naturally to Lily. That wasn't an issue.
But her habit of saying yes to everything regardless of her situation or who was asking was another matter.
And Lily herself was aware of the trouble it caused.
That must be why she worked up the courage to speak up using Mr. Rabbit as a stand-in.
As your Captain...
I can't ignore the concerns from my Journey member.
R-really...?
Then starting today, we're going into intensive training.
O-okay...!
It would be better if we had more people to help you, right?
Huh...? What do you mean by that...?
What? How to say no...?
Well... You know what I'm like, Boss.
I'm terrible at turning people down...
You don't say. You're practically famous for being a pushover.
A-a pushover...?!
M-Mr. Rabbit, don't agree with her...!
Anyway. So you came to ask the Professor and me for advice?
Uh-huh...! That was the Captain's advice.
He said that everyone has a different approach, so I should try finding the one that suits me best!
I see. Hmm...
How to say no, huh? That's easy.
Just ignore them!
...?
Pretend you didn't hear and walk away.
Wear headphones or something. If you can't hear the request, there's nothing to turn down!
Eh...?
Haha. How to say no...
I happen to know a very systematic method for doing so.
...! What is it, Professor?
Step one. Think about your reason for saying no.
Step two. Offer an alternative after saying no.
Step three. Show empathy for the other person's situation.
Step four—
Professor...
Hmm? What's wrong, Lily?
N-nothing... Please go on.
Huh? You also have your own way, Mr. Rabbit?
You want me to try copying you...?
O-okay...!
Y-you... fool! Dummy!
...Wait, Mr. Rabbit, what if they're smart?
A-ah! Okay... I'll just repeat after you...
You... you... scammer! Just die—
...Don't you think telling them to die is going too far?
S-stop overthinking and just repeat after you?
O-okay...! But what kind of training even is this...?
You want me to get used to hurting people with my words...?
N-no...! I don't want that...!
Captain...
So, did you find a method that works for you?
No...
The boss and the Professor's methods... just don't feel right for me.
Lily avoided my eyes with a discouraged look.
Honestly, I expected as much. Her struggle to say no stemmed from her inherently kind heart.
If it could be fixed just by getting advice, she would have fixed it long ago.
I only pushed her to ask for advice to see how serious she was about improving herself.
Captain, I'd like to hear your advice too!
My way of how to say no is...
I thought for a moment, then spoke.
Practice makes perfect! Don't you agree?
P-practice?
What kind of practical training would work best for Lily...?