Just treat him as if you were looking in the mirror. - ft. Hana

24.01.20 Miami, Florida

*Between the latest episode of ALPHA and his championship defense in Wrestleworld, Arata decided to stay in the United States. As usual, he chose modest hotel, where he stayed while he was in Miami. Despite the fact that the man paid a lot of attention to looking elegant, he wasn't a person, who needed expensive things to live a good life, hence the choice of such a place. He didn't see much sense in spending too much money, since staying in the hotel was mostly limited to the time he was sleeping. And even if it happened like this time, that he had to spend a few days there, the conditions  were sufficient for him. Besides, the Japanese had a little more on his mind than worrying about whether on the floor is a fluffy rug or ordinary carpet. For months, he had been tormented by thoughts related to his work, but in recent times probably even more than usual, because quite a lot of things happened, and one of them was his small conflict of views with Shogun Architect. He really tried to understand why Jaydayne Pendragon acted like that, but the problem was, he couldn't come to terms with it anyway. He was constantly recalling the words of Jaywalker in his head, who did not want to help him in this case, all the time he had in his mind a picture of Pendragon refusing him, that look in his eyes and tone of voice in which it was heard that there wasn't even a discussion about his choice. And yet Arata still wondered how to change his approach to this situation, so late in the evening he decided to sit on the stone steps behind the hotel and think more fresh about it. However, he was not alone for a long time, because Hana, noticing that he wasn't in the room, decided to look for him. It was true that she immediately knew where he was, but she didn't think that he is in so bad shape.  The first thing she saw was her mentor sitting with the hood on his head and smoking a cigarette. She looked at him for a moment, and finally decided to speak, hoping that maybe somehow help him in this difficult time.*

“What is going on?” When the girl said these words, Arata just looked at her questioningly “You only smoke when you are very stressed, so I thought you might want to talk. I know you don't like to talk about feelings and so on, but maybe it will help you.” The young Japanese woman sat down next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder “What's the deal? Clash of the Titans?” He just shook his head, so Hana continued “Title defense?”

“Are fucking kidding me? Do you see who is my opponent? Definitely nothing to be worry about.“ The man threw a cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his boot. The young woman could hear a lot of irritation in his voice.

“So, it's about Jaydayne-San?” She didn't even have to wait for an answer to know that this is the reason why he behaved like that “Why do you care about this fight so much? You don't have to prove anything to anyone if it comes to your title. You defeated Brian and that's enough. You know it and Jaydayne knows it too. You should..” Hana was unable to finish her speech, as Arata interrupted her immediately.

“You just don't understand, kid…” The man wiped his face with his hands, then looking at the ground in front of him, he continued to speak “I know that I beat Brian, but he is no longer here, there is someone who took his place and even if his role is a little different than the rest of the Architects, who have been here from the beginning, as Daniels fulfilled the part of it, it doesn't change the fact that I didn't beat Jaydayne, just someone before him. I'm not saying that beating Daniels wasn't enough proof that I can handle this division, but you don't even know how tiring it is to think about what would happen if Jaydayne was here from the beginning. Do you understand what I mean?” He looked at her, hoping that she would quickly realize what was going on and would finish this conversation.

“Not really...You speak very chaotically, Arata.” Hana looked very confused, trying to sort it all out in her head.

“The point is, I don't know what would happen if he was an Architect from the beginning. I don't know if he would accept my challenge or choose someone else. I don't know what would happen if he agreed. Would I beat him? Would I be a champion today?” Arata took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it didn't work well “And I have to know, Hana. I just have to, because I won't be able to focus on anything else. I will think all the time, that I don't deserve to be at the top of the Shogun division. I will think all the time what if..” The young Japanese paused for a moment, then once again he began to speak chaotically “I don't care, whether it will be for a title or just singles match, but I just have to know, Hana.”

“I got it, Arata, but you should understand him too. He is a little different than everyone else. He chose this path, not another, not because he wanted attention, he did what he had to do and fulfilled his mission.” When Hana finished her speech, Arata got up and started walking back and forth a few steps from her.

“I respect what he did, but priorities can be changed. Do you think mine have always been the same? Do you think my big dream was to be a pro wrestler? I'm not one of those people, who will tell you that since I was a little boy I have dreamed of winning the world championship or other shit. Quite the opposite, I never cared. I became interested in wrestling, because I have to find a reason to live. The goal was simple, have something to focus my mind on. And I chose seeming pursuit of a goal that I never wanted, but with time the unpleasant duty to have something, changed and I began to enjoy it. I began to develop my ambitions and it ceased to be just something that I needed, it began to be my way of life, my fight for myself. In the end, I wanted something more than just trying to survive in the city I hate, I finally started to want to be a pro wrestler, not some average guy like many.”

“You never talked about it.”

“There was nothing to talk about..What was then is just a miserable past, and I look at my life and career from a completely different perspective. I'm just telling you that, because I want you to understand that priorities can be changed, but it depends on whether you want to look at things differently, and Jaydayne doesn't want to. And it amazes me, as I always considered him a more ambitious man. You see, I really don't want to provoke him, I don't want to force him to do anything, but it's a shame that someone like him feels satisfied with the minimum of what he can get. Besides, it's not even mainly about him, but about me. I know I shouldn't put my feelings over someone's else, but just because he doesn't want more, it doesn't mean that I have to be like that.”

“You two are more similar to each other than you think.You both are just as stubborn in your conviction and I have the impression that it is a fight between two donkeys, just a question is who will have a stronger character.” The girl laughed slightly, trying to reduce the tension “I understand that you care so much, but don't attack him. As I said, I know you a little bit and when I look at him I see, that you two have a lot in common, so treat him as if you were looking at yourself. You don't like it, when someone tries to impose something on you, so don't do it to him, show it in another way that you care about this fight and maybe he will agree. I can't promise you that it will work, but if you try to do it by force, nothing will happen.”

“Maybe you're right...Since when did you get so smart? Anyway, good night, Hana.” Arata, holding his hands in his pocket, began to head for the door, because he had had enough of this conversation and he would like to be alone. Before he got back into the hotel, Hana's voice stopped him for one more moment.

“Just treat him as if you were looking in the mirror.”

With these words in the head, the Japanese went to his room, surprised that this little annoying girl was able to approach this situation more rationally than he.