"Kaito, you're overthinking again."
Leo called out in the club room. Kaito was checking his phone repeatedly.
"No reply yet," Kaito said anxiously. "It's been two hours already."
Sora showed interest. "Reply from whom?"
"A friend. We had a small argument yesterday... maybe they're angry."
"After two hours?" Leo was surprised. "Too quick a conclusion."
"But they usually reply right away," Kaito gripped his phone tightly.
Sora observed quietly. "Kaito-san, you worry often, don't you?"
"Do I..." Kaito tried to deny, then stopped. "Yeah, maybe I do."
Leo asked. "Does worrying give you anything good?"
"Something good?" Kaito looked confused. "Doesn't worry just happen?"
"To some extent," Sora said. "But excessive worry might be a cognitive pattern."
"Cognitive pattern?"
Sora opened her notebook. "People who worry too much have certain thinking habits."
"Like what?" Kaito asked.
"Catastrophizing. The tendency to imagine the worst-case scenario."
Kaito flinched. "That's exactly me right now."
Leo supplemented. "In German, we call it 'Katastrophendenken.' Disaster thinking."
"Friend doesn't reply → they're angry → friendship ends, that chain," Sora explained.
Kaito nodded slightly. "That's right..."
"But," Leo said. "What about other possibilities?"
"Other?"
"Busy, not checking phone, battery dead, simply forgot."
Kaito thought. "True, those possibilities exist too."
Sora continued. "People who worry too much focus only on negative possibilities. In psychology, it's called negative cognitive bias."
"Why does that happen?" Kaito asked.
"Evolutionarily, the ability to predict danger was advantageous for survival," Sora explained. "But in modern times, it can become overreaction."
Leo gave an example. "In primitive times, people who always thought sounds meant danger survived better."
"But in modern times, that vigilance misfires," Kaito understood.
Sora nodded. "There's a concept called anticipatory anxiety. A state of worrying about things that haven't even happened."
"That's exactly me now," Kaito admitted.
"Anticipatory anxiety is also an attempt to gain a sense of control," Sora added.
"Control?"
"By worrying, you feel you can prepare. But actually, anxiety just increases."
Leo asked. "So what should we do?"
Sora thought. "First, separate thoughts from reality."
"Thoughts and reality?" Kaito asked.
"'My friend is angry' is a thought. Not a confirmed fact."
Kaito was struck. "True, I've been assuming it's fact without confirmation."
Leo suggested. "How about looking for evidence? Evidence that your friend is angry."
Kaito thought. "Evidence... actually, we were laughing normally when we parted."
"Then the possibility of anger is low," Sora pointed out.
"But the worry won't go away," Kaito said honestly.
"It doesn't have to go away immediately," Sora said gently. "Just observe the worry."
"Observe?"
"Just noticing 'ah, I'm worrying now' is enough. You don't have to control the worry."
Leo supplemented. "That's the mindfulness approach."
"Don't see worry as an enemy, just watch it like a passing cloud," Sora explained.
Kaito breathed slowly. "I feel a bit lighter."
Just then, his phone rang. A message from his friend.
"Sorry, was busy at work and couldn't check! Let's hang out tomorrow!"
Kaito let out a sigh of relief. "They weren't angry after all."
Leo laughed. "Two hours of worry was wasted."
"But," Sora said. "You can learn from this experience. Most worries don't become reality."
Kaito nodded. "Next time, I'll wait a bit longer."
"And consider other possibilities, not just the worst scenario."
"I want to gradually change my habit of worrying too much," Kaito resolved.
Sora smiled. "Awareness is the beginning of change."
Leo said. "You don't need to be perfect. Humans are worrying creatures."
"But you also don't need to be controlled by worry," Sora added.
Kaito looked out the window. "I'll learn how to manage worry well."
The three sat quietly. Worry won't disappear, but the way to face it can change. Today, Kaito learned that.