"I'm not at fault at all, right?"
Kaito said with a slightly anxious face.
Sora and Leo looked at each other.
"What happened?" Sora asked.
"I had plans with a friend but forgot. But they didn't confirm either, and I didn't get a notification on LINE, so..."
Leo quietly asked, "But you did make the promise?"
"Yes. But they're also at fault, right?"
Sora opened her notebook. "That might be self-deception."
"Self-deception?"
"Not acknowledging your fault and trying to justify yourself," Sora explained. "In psychology, it's a common defense mechanism."
Kaito became a bit irritated. "Are you saying I'm lying?"
"It's different from lying," Leo said. "The person doesn't realize it's justification either. That's why it's 'self'-deception."
"What do you mean?"
Sora continued explaining. "The human mind tries to protect self-image. Because admitting 'I'm a bad person' is painful, it unconsciously creates excuses."
"My excuse is a legitimate reason," Kaito objected.
"Really?" Leo countered. "Aren't them not confirming and you forgetting the promise separate issues?"
Kaito fell silent.
Sora gently said, "What's happening in your mind right now?"
"Um... I know. I'm at fault. But I don't want to admit it."
"That's the beginning of self-deception," Leo pointed out.
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Cognitive dissonance"
"What's that?"
"The discomfort when your actions and beliefs contradict. You want to think 'I'm a good friend,' but the fact 'I broke a promise' contradicts that."
"So you try to resolve that discomfort," Leo continued. "Change the facts, change the belief, or justify."
Kaito understood. "So I chose justification?"
"Yes. By saying 'they're also at fault,' you tried to dilute your own fault."
"But," Kaito said, "I really do think they're also at fault."
Sora nodded. "That's the scary part of self-deception. The person genuinely believes it."
Leo explained, "The mind unconsciously distorts memory. Forgets inconvenient parts, emphasizes convenient parts."
"So my memory is also distorted?"
"It's possible," Sora said. "Are you really accurately remembering the details of the promise?"
Kaito pondered. "I'm not confident... maybe."
"That's good," Leo acknowledged. "Noticing self-deception is the first step."
Sora asked, "How do you feel now?"
"Guilt. But also somewhat relieved."
"Guilt is a healthy response," Sora said. "It means you can acknowledge your fault."
"Why relieved?" Kaito asked curiously.
"Maintaining self-deception unconsciously consumes energy," Leo explained. "When you acknowledge truth, that energy is released."
Kaito took out his phone. "I'll apologize to my friend."
"Good choice," Leo nodded.
"But," Kaito hesitated, "what if they're angry?"
"You have to accept that," Sora said. "Being honest is easier in the long run than continuing self-deception."
Kaito began typing a message. "'Sorry, I completely forgot. My bad.'"
"Simple and good," Leo approved. "You'll want to add excuses though."
"I do want to," Kaito smiled wryly. "But I won't."
Sora smiled. "It's wonderful that you noticed the self-deception."
He pressed send. Kaito's expression lightened a bit.
"Does everyone do self-deception?" Kaito asked.
"Everyone," Leo answered. "Completely avoiding it is probably impossible."
"But," Sora added, "you can notice it. And you can correct it."
Outside the window, clouds drifted. Self-deception is a shield protecting the mind. But if you keep hiding behind that shield, you distance yourself from truth. Sometimes, the courage to lower the shield is necessary.
Kaito said quietly, "Next time, I want to notice sooner."
"That's growth," Leo smiled.
Kaito clearly saw the moment self-deception was born today. And he chose to overcome it. A small but certain step.