What is happiness? (Spoiler warning)

What is happiness?

A 4th grader was tasked to find the meaning of this so called happiness. It may seem easy at first glance, but the more you look deeply into it, the more harder it is for you to find the right answer. Nanoka didn't have many friends, but she had 3 friends that she often hang out with after school. Minami, a middle schooler she found on a rooftop of an abandoned building that was engaging in self harm, Abazure, a middle aged woman who was ostracized by society because she was a slut, and an old lady that was living her retirement life in peace.

They all had nothing in common. In fact, they were completely opposite from each other, and yet, she befriends them. Nanoka is a smart girl, if you compared it to your average 4th grader, her IQ would beat everyone. But what she didn't realized was that not everyone is like her. She failed to connect with her classmates, acknowledging them as lower than her. She criticized Kiryuu, calling him a weakling because he wouldn't stand up for himself when he was bullied. She was unable to feel what others feel, she was unable to empathize with others. While her IQ is high, her EQ is non-existent

Life is like inside of a refrigerator, you might forget about the onion, but you sure won't forget your favorite cake

Life is like a toothache, if you hate it, get rid of it quick

life is like lunch time, you have limited time so you have to enjoy it the most

These catchphrases were said by Nanoka. She is a smart girl after all. But what she didn't realized is that "everyone's different, but same".

Day by day, as she grew closer to her friends, she learned the fault of her beliefs. Minami was filled with regret and guilt for not able to make peace with her parents before they died, Abazure was also a smart woman but lost her way in the process, and Granny lived a lonely retirement life with no one to accompany her. They all felt unhappy before Nanoka came to their life. But their happiness was different from each other. That was when she realized that, "everyone's different but the same".

The word happiness had a different meaning for each people, be it being acknowledged, or having someone to stay by your side or simply, you live a normal but happy life.

Everyone wants to be happy, everyone wants to feel joy. You worked hard to obtain that happiness, but along the way, you lost sight of yourself, unable to grasp to that so called happiness. You became destructive, you lost hope in yourself and you engaged in self harm. When you realized it all, it was all too late, the regret, the pain, the suffering, it had been building all this time. Perhaps you realized there's no point in continuing. But remember that in those dark times, there is a light. Even though it was merely a small light, incapable of illuminating the dark world you lived in. If you held to that light, if you held to that hope.

life is like an othello, although there are black, unpleasant things, there are also white, good things, with just one white stone, in one breath, my black feelings are turned upside down

Hold on to that hope, for life may offer you a second chance

I hope you all have a wonderful life ahead of you!