Blood on the Tracks - Vol. 2 Ch. 11 - Cross

[PossumT]

@SotiCoto So, you already know that you wouldn't think or react in the same way as a normal 14-year-old? Why does it surprise you so much that he'd go into shock and not know how to act?

 

[SotiCoto]

@PossumT : Because I'm not my only basis for reference, obviously. Abnormal as I may be, I've been aware of plenty of 14-year-olds in my life, including 5 younger siblings (or temporary step-siblings in the case of 2 of them)... plus oodles of others I knew when I went to school many many years ago. I've even known a few Japanese people... though the only thing I'll say there is that they weren't 14 (was in University I knew them).
So obviously the reason it is so bizarre is that real 14-year-olds don't behave like that. No, not even under extreme circumstances. It is unnatural behaviour.

 

[Nyaaa]

The mom was surprised there. She expected him to tell the truth. But no. He lied.

 

[DevLogger]

Folks, folks, folks...The 'gawk factor' that takes up several panels is a method of conveying suspense by the author; it is a commonplace tool and the amount of panels it takes up should not be related purely to real time.

Seiko tells her story, while 'reassuringly' placing her hand is on Seiichi's shoulder. She's doing two things here: first, she's reminding him that if she goes down, he will no longer be able to feel her presence, and also intoning to him exactly how the event (has to have) happened. Remember that Seiichi has already lied to his family before about what occured, so if he changes that scripted explanation that his mother just gave, he will also be in trouble; lying through omission of details "Shigeru fell" is still lying. It's likely that Seiko was prepared to be outed by her son, but everything that he 'does' for her only strengthens the control she has over him, and she bet on that instead. I've given up on my previous unreliable narrator theory; it's plain to see that Seiko has some mental issues going on, but she's not doing this simply out of revenge for past situations, she wants to protect her family at any cost.

 

[AnotherRat]

Damn, I really want Seiko's meat buns 🤤

 

[Thanastar]

@SotiCoto people have different responses, making up the following generally (and shaped heavily by traumas, upbringing, and so on)- fight, flight, fawn, and freeze. Not everyone is going to behave like you (common mind fallacy) and even you might- probably will- come to a point where there are no good options, no ones acceptable to you, or so on- and will probably freeze.

Clearly your response is to fight, mine is as well largely- that and flight- but that's not always the wisest thing. Freezing- facing a dilemma where I knew I couldn't afford to act- probably has saved me from being a murder, worse yet a murderer with witnesses- in one occasion. Freezing has saved me from getting completely fucked over (for example- think what would happen if your reaction were to fight- in the damn army) as well. And so on.

And I've learnt and continue to learn. There's things- many in fact- I wish I hadn't done in the "fight/confrontation" response- and I've learned to manage my reaction and let my head cool. Even fawning has its place- whether it be as the grease that relationships- romantic, platonic, business and whatnot- run on- or to divert attention. And if your head cools, or you just plain know either way you hate the person and they deserve every bit that's coming to them? If you "must" (or want to, for self-satisfaction) act all the better to do so when they think you're the last one to do it- all the better to do so without them perhaps ever even knowing it was you.

Making people your enemy is dangerous, and making them feel cornered by you more so- whether that be physical, material, social- as Sun Tzu wrote- "build a golden bridge for your enemies to retreat on." Logically it also makes more sense to either have people's self-interest align with your own or seem that way, also.

 

[RiverChamploo]

Even tho the mother needs to be held accountable for what she did I'm kinda glad Sei lied for her. It kinda adds an extra layer of complexity to their relationship. I said earlier that I believe Seiko's closeness to her son isn't only due to her love for her son, but because he's all she has since I believe she feels isolated from the rest of her family. And now I believe that Sei now feels the same. Although he has love for his cousin, he is no differentfrom the rest of the family, judgmental and at times malicious. His mother is the one who has always been there for him and went out of his way to provide him comfort. Like when his cousin nearly shoved him off a cliff it was his mother saved him just for the two of them to mocked and gaslit by the whole family INCLUDING HIS DAD. This condescending attitude that they both had to put up with brought the two of them closer in my eyes. And it's interesting to see hmSei try to protect his mother, just like how she's been protecting him.

 

[eirianrobotto]

It's night. Do ramen, at least.

Jk.
I understand, it's a storytelling device.