Bungou Stray Bitches

SHORT SHORT - VICTIM BLAMING

"Not every single bad thing that happens in the world is your fault, you know." Osamu groaned, the sight of her tirelessly mopping the wet floor caused him to feel rather tired himself.
The pipe under the kitchenette sink burst, and while Kirokugakari was busy looking for a contractor who would be able to fix it 'fucking right this instant before heads start rolling' Junko decided that since everybody else had more important work to do than her archive files, she should take it upon herself to keep the water from spreading all the way into the office.
"Everything in the world? No, just everything in my world." she mumbled with those eyes Osamu could never get enough of and could never be on the receiving end, because they were never directed at anything, "what happens on the other side of the galaxy doesn't concern me, I only worry about things that happen in my proximity, and when things in MY proximity go wrong, it is MY fault that they are wrong."
"That's dumb, explain yourself." he demanded.
"I'm not sure what part of it is dumb so I don't know what I need to explain..?"
"Suppose you walk down the street after the rain and an asshole drives past you through a puddle, is it your fault that you're now soaked and dirty and miserable?"
"Obviously."
"You didn't make it rain, you didn't drive the car, how is it your - "
"But I was there to be miserable about it, if I wasn't there I wouldn't have experienced it, the fault lies with me for being there."
It was rare of her to interrupt him, but whenever she accidentally did, she would immediately apologise and bow repeatedly, this time was no different, but normally that pointless display would make him laugh, and in that sense this time was different - because he didn't laugh.

"Really?" He frowned, a little concerned with what her world view would mean for him, "so if something goes wrong in my life it's my fault no matter who's fault it is?"
"It's your fault for experiencing it, yes."
And in a foolish attempt to make her relate to why he found that troubling he shot a response at her, but even as he spoke those words he could hear himself internally screaming at himself to shut his stupid mouth before he sends her spiralling downwards into a flashback or a panic attack, "so all your bad experiences were your fault?"
"Yes." She said without giving it a second thought, like it was no big deal, "I'm the one with the experience, I'm the one with the problem. I am at fault. If something is wrong, I am what is wrong because I am the one who thinks that something is wrong."
And once again his words were too fast to leave his mouth for his judgement to stop it, "that's ridiculous, what crime could you have possibly committed that would justify any of what you went through?"
"...I was born."

It clicked.

"Right... so, if you weren't there to... then...."
"Basically."
"...I will adjust my internal definition of 'fault' accordingly, then, I suppose." Osamu just shrugged and stepped out of the kitchenette, allowing her to continue her pointless battle against the water that continued to overflow.

But he knew what she would say if he called her out on that.

'What else would you have me do? The water is a problem and I'm already here, might as well try to solve it.'

That was her answer for everything, really.