"I got angry again."
Kaito held his head.
Sora asked. "At whom?"
"At my sister. Over something trivial, I ended up yelling."
Hiyori approached. "What happened?"
"My sister went into my room without permission. Then my anger exploded."
Leo asked with interest. "Was there another emotion behind the anger?"
Kaito looked puzzled. "Besides anger?"
"Anger is often a secondary emotion," Leo explained. "A primary emotion is hidden underneath."
Hiyori supplemented. "Primary emotions are hurt, fear, anxiety, sadness, etc. But they're hard to express, so they get converted to anger."
Kaito thought. "True, when my sister entered my room, I felt invaded."
"Invaded," Sora repeated. "That's more like... rather than anger..."
"Anxiety?" Kaito realized. "Anxiety about privacy not being protected."
Leo nodded. "Yes. But anxiety is hard to express. So it comes out as anger."
Hiyori asked. "Kaito, how did you feel after getting angry at your sister?"
"Guilt. My sister cried... and then self-loathing."
Sora understood. "You expressed it as anger, but it was really a different emotion?"
"Exactly," Leo acknowledged. "Inappropriate emotional expression creates regret."
Kaito asked. "Then what should I have done?"
Hiyori answered. "First, notice the primary emotion. Recognize 'My sister entered my room, and I felt anxious.'"
"Just that changes things?"
"Changes a lot," Leo said. "If you recognize the primary emotion, you can express it appropriately."
Sora gave an example. "Like saying 'Don't enter without permission, it makes me anxious'?"
"Yes. That's much more constructive than yelling," Hiyori acknowledged.
Kaito thought. "But in the moment anger wells up, I can't think about that."
"True," Leo nodded. "That's why post-reflection is important."
Hiyori explained. "After getting angry, analyze why. Then patterns emerge."
Kaito wrote in his notebook. "Search for primary emotions behind anger"
Sora asked. "Do other people also have different emotions behind anger?"
"Often, yes," Leo answered. "For example, when angry at criticism, you're actually hurt."
Hiyori supplemented. "When angry at rejection, there's sadness or loneliness."
Kaito recalled. "There was a time I got really angry when a friend broke a promise."
"What was the primary emotion then?" Hiyori asked.
"Feeling betrayed. I was sad," Kaito admitted. "But saying I'm sad felt embarrassing."
Leo explained. "Culturally, especially for men, anger is easier to express than sadness."
Sora noticed. "Socially acceptable emotions differ by gender?"
"Yes. That's also a factor complicating emotional expression."
Hiyori asked. "Kaito, what will you say next time you see your sister?"
Kaito thought. "Apologize. And say that entering my room without permission makes me anxious, so please knock."
"Good," Leo acknowledged. "Appropriately expressing the primary emotion."
Sora supplemented. "Not anger, but communicating anxiety. That's easier for the other person to understand."
Kaito laughed a little. "Feels like I became an adult somehow."
Hiyori smiled. "Understanding emotions is part of maturity."
Leo finally said, "Anger isn't a bad emotion. But understanding what's underneath enables better communication."
Kaito closed his notebook. "Next time I feel anger, I'll pause and think."
Sora nodded. "Another emotion behind anger. Finding it is important."
The four sat quietly. Not just the surface of anger, but understanding its depth might make people kinder.