The Blackberry Walk

Man was never designed to interact with strangers. The Hunter-gatherer would've lived their life solely within their own tribe and never attempted to interact with someone from another tribe. The outsiders can't be trusted; they are threats. In the modern day we've developed rituals like handshakes and greetings to bypass this dilemma to prevent us from fearing one another, so our societies can grow to the size they now have. Hitori has none of these abilities. Paralysed with social anxiety, she hasn't learnt the rituals and struggles to form bonds. She can't get beyond the stage of "the stranger is a threat". Fundamentally it comes down to our abstract perception of what a stranger is. To most, a stranger has their shit together; they know the path in life they're taking. They aren't exceptionally competent however they are well rounded and at least have a basic grasp on social interaction. They have no pressing worries nor obscure passions. Hitori can't relate to this image of a stranger; without further interaction with others, how could one hope to be able to see past this grey archetype of a stranger? Hence she forces her initial interactions, like forcing yourself into a cold shower until you adapt. And she begins to discover that these strangers are far more complex than she initially thought. The class sukeban was in fact kind-hearted, misunderstood and had a complex about how everyone sees her as scary for being taller than the other girls. The class fuku-kaichou who everyone adores and is a social bee in fact is the biggest dojikko who constantly lives in fear of others discovering. The class gaikoku-bijin who everyone adores from afar is a fucking ninja otaku. Hitori was previously blind to their failings because she wasn't close enough. She couldn't see herself in them because she couldn't see flaws in them in the same way she could see flaws in herself. The way to overcome social anxiety is to come to the understanding that every man and woman who walks the streets around you is deeply flawed, has plenty of worries, and, in the grand scheme of things, has no clue what they're doing nor where they're going. Realising this isn't easy. It requires observation, empathy and a concerted effort to live outside of yourself. However, as Hitori shows, when your world is swept from under you and you're forced to fend for yourself, you'll prove to yourself you can achieve beyond what you'd expect.