"Why is it always like this!"
Kaito slammed the desk. Tension ran through the club room.
Leo asked calmly, "What's the problem?"
"Your attitude! Always condescending," Kaito glared.
Sora looked at them with a confused expression. Hiyori observed quietly.
Leo frowned. "I just stated facts."
"That's the problem!" Kaito raised his voice.
Hiyori intervened. "Let's calm down a bit."
Kaito breathed roughly. "Sorry. But I'm angry."
Hiyori asked gently, "What are you angry about?"
"Leo's..." Kaito stumbled over words. "I don't know. I just feel angry."
Sora looked at her notebook. "It might be a secondary emotion."
"Secondary emotion?" Kaito asked back.
Hiyori explained, "Anger is often a secondary emotion. Another emotion is hidden beneath it."
Leo showed interest. "What's the primary emotion?"
"Sadness, anxiety, fear, hurt," Hiyori enumerated. "Anger covers them up."
Kaito was confused. "Am I sad?"
"Possibly," Hiyori said. "Anger lets you avoid showing weakness."
Sora understood. "It's a defensive emotion."
"Yes. Directly acknowledging sadness or fear is exposing vulnerability."
Kaito fell silent.
Leo said quietly, "Do you remember what I said earlier?"
"You said my proposal was inefficient," Kaito answered.
"And you got angry?"
"...No," Kaito thought. "I felt like I was being made fun of."
Hiyori asked gently, "Were you hurt?"
Kaito looked away. "...Maybe."
"That's the primary emotion," Hiyori explained. "Hurt, then anger."
Sora wrote. "Hurt → Anger."
Leo reflected. "My way of saying it was bad. Sorry."
Kaito was surprised. "Huh?"
"I didn't intend to hurt you. But I lacked consideration."
Hiyori looked at both. "This is important. Looking only at anger's surface, you miss the real problem."
Sora asked, "So when feeling anger, should we explore beneath it?"
"If possible," Hiyori answered. "Ask yourself, 'What am I really feeling?'"
Kaito said slowly, "I might have wanted recognition."
Hiyori nodded. "Need for approval. When it's not met, it hurts."
Leo said, "Your proposal had good points. I didn't convey that."
"No, I overreacted too," Kaito admitted.
Sora was impressed. "Looking beneath anger enables dialogue."
"Exactly," Hiyori smiled. "Reacting with anger escalates things."
Leo said analytically, "Understanding emotional layers improves communication quality."
Kaito asked, "But feeling anger itself isn't bad?"
"Of course not," Hiyori answered. "Anger is a legitimate emotion. The issue is how it's expressed."
Sora supplemented, "Expressing destructively or communicating constructively."
"Right," Hiyori nodded.
Kaito took a deep breath. "Next time, I'll pause and think. 'Is this really anger, or...'"
Hiyori encouraged, "That's a good step."
Leo added, "I'll also consider the impact on others when speaking."
Sora observed, "You're both growing."
Kaito laughed. "Sounds preachy."
"Sorry," Sora blushed.
Hiyori stood up. "Emotions are complex. But trying to understand matters."
Leo agreed. "Verbalizing emotions improves relationships."
Kaito extended his hand to Leo. "My bad."
Leo shook hands. "Me too."
Sora smiled. She wanted to remember this scene forever.
There's always something beneath anger. Sadness, fear, hurt. The courage to acknowledge it opens the path to true reconciliation.