Random Leaf #1816

"Why are you here and not practicing the way of the sword? Your friends are there learning more and more, yet here you are still. I am sure it isn't because you hold yourself so highly that you would reconsider such folly to not commit to the sword. You are not like that."

"I can't."

"You must think yourself as I am, the master then."

"No. I know no matter how much I would train, I couldn't simply catch up to you. You are holding the sword much longer than I, possibly held it even when I still yearning for milk when I was still a babe. I cannot see myself surpassing you in this path you are teaching us."

"Is it because you're sad?"

"The sword I call my own, I broke it."

"And the story?"

"I've been practicing the sword for a month or so and I've hit a wall. No matter what I do and no matter how much time I've sacrificed into getting better, I simply couldn't. I know and I believe that I can go beyond what I am now but.. nothing. I'm unable to improve. Is this end for me with the path of the sword?"

"Do you not enjoy training and practicing?"

"I do but when I tried having spar matches with my peers and fellow students, I can't beat them. I keep losing. As I've said, I feel like all my efforts are wasted. I don't feel I could enjoy the path of the swords like I used to. I don't like training with swords anymore. I think the path of swodd isn't meant for me. This is all a mistake."

"You're jusr tired. You just lost your enthusiast for the sword. But this isn't permanent. If you don't want to train and walk on the path of the sword, why are sad in the first? You're sad because you can't improve for now and you're sad because you broke your sword. But your sadness doesn't mean you want to quit. You're sad because you want to improve and you're sad because you're regretting what happened to your sword. All these doesn't mean you want to quit. All this doesn't mean you hate it."

"Yes but-"

"The dark circle around your eyes and tge calluses you have, those are mark you are enjoying the sword and that you want to keep on going. Yes, losing is painful and noticing miniscule to no improvement at all is frustrating but is that really the reasin why you started?

"A broken sword can be fixed or you could get a new one, and no effort is ever a waste. You've trained hard and have gone through many trials just to be here where you are. You have marks all over your body and this certain glim your eyes. You're just exhausted. You're enthusiast is just elsewhere for now. But I am certain sooner or later you will once again pick up the sword and be able to have enjoy it once more. So for now, rest."