Smile (P5/Royal Story x OC/Male reader)

Councillor Confidant Rank 6 to 9

No one's POV

Currently, Nhazul is at Leblanc with Maruki after he wanted to stop for coffee.

Maruki: I'm sorry for coming over out of blue. 

Nhazul: It's fine. Plus you brought donuts.

Maruki: I'm glad you like them. But you must really have a knack for coffee,Nhazul. This is fantastic.

Nhazul: Want a another cup?

Maruki: Thanks, but I'll pass for today. It's about the research we've been discussing. I'm actually putting it all together in a paper. It's been really progressing lately, thanks to no small part to you. But I feel like I've hit another wall...So I'm sorry to bother you, but I'd appreciate if you'd help me talk through this again.

Nhazul: Sure.

Maruki: Really?! Thank you! You're really saving me here! In deepening our understanding of the heart, I wanted to find a means of helping those who have been hurt by traumas...I already told you that was the point of my research, right? It's thanks to you my project has come this far. But because of all that progress...I've realized a problem. One that may not have a solution.

Nhazul: And that is?

Maruki: Even if my research makes great strides, even if we DO find some miraculous way of healing psychological wounds...With the way things are now, I can only save the people directly within my reach.

Nhazul: Isn't that enough though?

Maruki: True, I guess. It's better then not being able to save anyone. But I can't just be satisfied with that. I mean, there are so many people out there suffering so badly, they can't even speak up and let that pain out. This is a painful, cruel bitter world. And there's only so much one individual can do to fight against that. I've said it before. Working as a counselor only makes that more painfully obvious. I think our current way of doing things just isn't enough. Deep down, I... I don't think it's enough that I can just help people around me. A few people out of a billion. I want to help more people overcome their suffering. Pain can strike the heart in infinitely diverse ways. In turn , we have infinite methods by which we try to treat it. And like I said earlier...there are people who need help, desperately, but can't ask for it. They can't even share their pain. Even if we had a full understanding of the human heart, and an effective treatment to soothe it...I don't think that would be enough to finally beat trauma. And I guess that's what I ultimately realized.

Nhazul: Okay...So what CAN you do?

Maruki: I haven't been able to get the question out of my head,but I don't have any answers. I'm not used to that. If we could peer into the hearts of everyone person alive...Diagnose, understand and then remove the root cause of their pain...It sounds like something out of a dream.

Nhazul: Yeah...I does...

Maruki: Ah, let me put it this way. Counseling takes time because you have to really listen to each individual person, right? I think it'd be better if there was some way to really understand everyone's cognition more quickly and accurately.

Nhazul's thoughts: Everyone's cognition?

Nhazul then thought about Mementos and Maruki spoke up.

Maruki: Then again, that'd be impossible. Maybe truly understanding all people's hearts is beyond human capability. Did I say something wrong, Nhazul?

Nhazul: No. But I was thinking, all hearts share some things.

Maruki: Huh? Yes, there are common factors...No...Wait...You're right...! My God, you're right! That's it, Nhazul! The collective unconscious...If people's hearts are connected in the unconscious, their senses are shared subconsciously...! Ah, it's so simple! Why didn't I realize it before...? Yes, right and ...If I can combine this with my theory in verifying, I can tie it all back to cognitive psience, too!