"I'll take this road."
Haru suddenly chose the left alley.
"Why?" Ren asked.
"Just because."
"No reason?"
Haru turned around. "Is that bad?"
Simon laughed. "A choice without reason. Philosophically interesting."
Ren began thinking seriously. "Could this prove free will?"
"What do you mean?" Haru asked.
"A choice without reason is free from causality."
Simon objected. "No, there might be unconscious reasons."
"Like what?"
"Left-handed people tend to choose left. The way light falls, smells, past memories..."
Haru pondered. "So choices without reason don't exist?"
Ren organized. "Even without conscious reasons, there's unconscious causality."
"Then that's not freedom?"
"Depends on the definition of freedom," Simon said.
Haru stopped. "So is a choice without reason good or bad?"
"Sartre would call it 'the weight of freedom,'" Ren answered.
"Weight?"
"If the choice has no reason, all responsibility lies with you. No excuses."
Simon offered another perspective. "But a choice without reason could also be called irresponsible."
"Why?"
"Because there's no rational basis. Can't be justified."
Haru was confused. "Free but irresponsible?"
Noa nodded. "A paradox."
Ren analyzed. "There are two kinds of reasons. Reasons that exist beforehand, and reasons created afterward."
"Afterward?"
"After choosing, explaining why you chose that way."
Simon gave an example. "After choosing 'just because,' you rationalize it as 'this road seemed quieter.'"
"Is that a lie?" Haru asked.
"Post-hoc, but not necessarily a lie," Ren said. "You might be consciously realizing an unconscious reason."
"So there are always reasons?"
Simon answered carefully. "At least, they can be found later."
Haru stopped. "But there are choices where you can't give a reason. Like love."
"Exactly," Ren admitted. "Can't answer 'why do you like them.'"
"Is that a sin?"
"No," Simon smiled. "Rather, it might be pure freedom."
Noa said quietly, "By having no reason, it's not subject to external interference."
Haru pondered. "If there are reasons, others can evaluate them?"
"Yes. Reasons are public," Ren explained. "Can be shared with others."
"So a choice without reason is mine alone?"
"Private freedom," Simon nodded.
Haru started walking. "Then should choices without reason be protected?"
Ren answered carefully. "As long as they don't harm others."
"The liberal principle," Simon added.
"But aren't completely reasonless choices dangerous?" Haru asked.
"Why?"
"Unpredictable. Untrustworthy."
Ren nodded. "Society expects a certain degree of rationality."
Simon showed an example. "If a judge made a verdict 'just because'?"
"That's not okay," Haru answered immediately.
"Then reasons are necessary?"
"It depends," Noa said. "Reasons are needed in the public sphere. Freedom in the private sphere."
Haru organized. "Choices that only affect me can be without reason?"
"Yes. But few choices affect only yourself."
Ren added, "Because humans are social beings."
Haru looked around the alley. "Does this choice affect anyone?"
"It uses our time," Simon laughed.
"Sorry."
"No, it's a good experience."
Ren said quietly, "Even reasonless choices can be seeds for dialogue."
Haru smiled. "So it's not wasteful."
"Whether it's wasteful is decided later too," Simon said.
The three emerged from the alley. An unfamiliar landscape spread before them.
Haru murmured. "Because there was no reason, we came here."
"Chance becomes necessity," Ren answered.
Simon smiled. "A choice without reason is neither sin nor freedom, but possibility."
Haru took a deep breath. "Then I can choose more."
"But with responsibility," Ren said.
"Isn't that contradictory?"
"Life is full of contradictions," Simon laughed.
The three laughed and continued walking.