Dec...: -ds- -21 - I Met My Cousin - Tomoda Ayaka -

I didn’t know how to respond.

We talked until 3 a.m. Turns out Ayaka isn’t quiet anymore — she’s just selective. She told me about her art school rejection, the part-time job at a vinyl record shop, and how she’s been learning to play bass. She showed me her sketchbook: dark, surreal portraits mixed with tiny doodles of cats and vending machines. -DS- -21 - I Met My Cousin - Tomoda Ayaka - Dec...

Tomoda Ayaka. December. Definitely a DS (deep session) – level 21. I didn’t know how to respond

That night, I realized meeting a cousin as an adult isn’t about family obligations. It’s about rediscovering who you were before everyone labeled you. She told me about her art school rejection,

Late December. Cold air, warm tea, and an unexpected knock on my door.

“I remember you used to draw too,” she said. “You stopped.”