hyuse and chika should stay stapled together in the away mission. they become the most interesting versions of themselves when they're interacting with each other and they leave echoes on each other in a way that doesn't really happen with other characters.
like. so much of chika's depth and nuance was brought to the surface because of hyuse. there was inklings of it. in reiji's conversation with usami post one of the early matches about how chika would volunteer for the dangerous parts and was happy to be used as bait and what-not. and how osamu and yuma wanted to let her get into the habit of valuing herself and that's why they treat her so carefully and preciously...and like the sentiment is there and in the right place but it's almost like they overcorrected. osamu especially can't escape from his bias that chika is someone that he needs to protect and while yuma was the first to recognize that chika should be a combatant so she could fight, he also has his bias that she is a friend. a friend he wants to help and recognises, but ultimately a friend he wants to support.
and chika doesn't need support. like obviously she does, and everyone else has lifted her up to get her to this point, but also it's not what she actually needs.
so it's hyuse who just calls her out and says "you can shoot people." and not even in a cruel way. he's genuinely baffled because he doesn't understand why this has gone on so long and no one has addressed it.
and this sentiment is coming from the fact that this hyuse also has his own bias. and his bias tells her that this is a child soldier. because game recognises game and while yuma is also a child soldier, hyuse feels more structured and directly taught as opposed to yuma who feels like he was given lessons and training, but also heavily encouraged to figure it out on his own and define his own path.
that's why hyuse can speak so concretely about how to break down overwhelming things. that's why he doesn't say ambiguous lines of supportive dialogue, he actually breaks it down and offers insights and actionable, understandable steps.
chika doesn't need steps. from his point of view, chika is already there. chika doesn't need to be pushed or prodded or backed into a corner—she needs to make a decision. and chika panics and retreats. her friends and confidants take over to help soothe her and that's when she's able to finally say things herself instead of people assuming and diagnosing on her behalf. she's able to talk about how deeply she thinks about the way people think about her. about the lengths she goes to in order be amicable and not rock the boat. about how she doesn't say anything because last time she did, her friend got taken and she was so afraid of being blamed for it. more than her grief, it was her fear.
hyuse sees how she has comported herself in order to survive and he sees how that is no longer conducive to her actual goals. because there is a difference between "i want to fight" and "i want to fight".
so that's why he tells her to protect osamu and yuma in his stead. he doesn't tell her to shoot, he tells her now. and that says a lot about him as well.
he gives her a fucking fist bump im still screaming about it.
the way characters see each other being reflective of they themselves is oughhh. seriously one of the most attractive things about world trigger because of the diverse opinions, mindsets, and backgrounds that all feed into who they are, what they do, and why they do it.
