"I know..." Hamuko whispered, resting her cheek against the top of Sumire's head. Worthless wasn't the word for Hamuko, back then, it was more...

"It's okay. The negative self-talk is kinda hard to shake off, it takes a while. But you're not worthless. You're smart, considerate, and thoughtful... if you want to keep helping Morning, then I support you. I've been trying to help him, too, even if I've been kind of just cluelessly bumbling around it."

Shifting a bit, Hamuko moved so she could give Sumi a proper hug. "And if you don't want to because it hurts, that's completely okay too. I'm in your corner whatever you do."