"I couldn't sleep from anxiety again."
Kaito collapsed onto his desk. The morning classroom was quiet.
Leo looked up from his textbook. "What are you anxious about?"
"I don't know. That's the problem," Kaito said. "Vague anxiety."
Sora showed interest. "Anxiety that's not specific?"
"Right. I can't even explain what I'm worried about."
Leo said analytically, "A response to uncertainty."
"Uncertainty?" Kaito raised his face.
"The future is unpredictable. That uncertainty generates anxiety," Leo explained.
Sora wrote in her notebook. "The true nature of anxiety is fear of uncertainty."
"Precisely, it's feeling unable to control uncertainty," Leo supplemented.
Kaito smiled wryly. "I certainly feel like I can't control it."
"That's the core of anxiety," Sora said. "But there are times when anxiety disappears, right?"
Kaito thought. "Like the moment a test ends."
"Why do you think it disappears?" Leo asked.
"Because the uncertainty is gone," Kaito answered. "Once the result is out, good or bad, at least it's definite."
Sora got excited. "So anxiety isn't a response to good or bad results, but to uncertainty itself."
"Exactly," Leo nodded. "That's why even bad news can feel better than not knowing."
Kaito became serious. "So if we eliminate uncertainty, anxiety disappears?"
"Theoretically yes," Leo said. "But completely eliminating uncertainty from life is impossible."
"Then what should we do?"
Sora suggested, "Accept uncertainty?"
Leo smiled. "Good approach. It's called cognitive reappraisal."
"Cognitive reappraisal?" Kaito asked.
"Reframing uncertainty not as a threat, but as possibility," Leo explained.
Sora gave an example. "Thinking 'there are various possibilities' instead of 'something bad might happen.'"
"But something bad actually might happen," Kaito countered.
"It might not," Leo said calmly. "Statistically, the probability of worst-case scenarios is low."
Sora supplemented, "When anxious, we tend to think only of worst cases."
"Negativity bias," Leo said. "The human brain tends to overreact to negative information."
Kaito was surprised. "Is there an evolutionary reason?"
"Yes. Overvigilance was more advantageous for survival than missing dangers."
"I see," Kaito understood. "But in modern times, that response is excessive."
Sora summarized. "Anxiety is originally a protective signal."
"Right. But it malfunctions often," Leo acknowledged.
Kaito took a deep breath. "So completely eliminating anxiety isn't the goal?"
"Rather, managing it appropriately," Sora said.
Leo nodded. "Coexisting with anxiety. Not eliminating it completely, but reducing excessive anxiety."
Kaito asked, "Specifically how?"
"First, verbalize the anxiety," Leo suggested. "Write out specifically 'why am I anxious?'"
"Vague anxiety becomes manageable when it's specific?"
"Exactly. Then, think of coping methods for each anxiety."
Sora made a practical suggestion. "Separate what you can control from what you can't."
"Good step," Leo acknowledged. "Solve what you can control with action, and accept what you can't."
Kaito started writing in his notebook. "If I know anxiety's true nature, it might not be scary."
"Knowledge is power," Sora said.
Leo looked out the window. "Anxiety may never completely disappear. But you can regain a sense of control."
Kaito's expression became a bit relieved. "I'll try from today."
The bell rang. The three left the classroom.
Anxiety hadn't disappeared. But something changed in Kaito. Uncertainty felt like it could be accepted as part of life rather than fear.