"Kaito, shouldn't you apologize for earlier?"
Sora said carefully.
"Why should I apologize?" Kaito answered immediately. "They're the one in the wrong."
Leo watched with interest. "But you went a bit too far, I think."
"That's separate," Kaito was stubborn.
Sora opened her notebook. "I've researched the psychology of people who don't apologize."
"About me?" Kaito glared.
"General discussion," Sora said calmly. "There are several psychological mechanisms behind refusing to apologize."
Leo showed interest. "For example?"
"First, ego defense. Apology is acknowledging your mistake. It hurts your pride."
Kaito fell silent.
"There's also a concept called cognitive dissonance," Sora continued. "The belief 'I am right' conflicts with the reality 'I was wrong.' To avoid this discomfort, you deny reality."
"Deny reality?" Leo asked.
"Yes. You change your interpretation to 'the other person is wrong' or 'it's a misunderstanding.' To protect your beliefs."
Kaito looked shaken. "Does that mean I'm lying?"
"Close to self-deception," Sora answered. "You're not consciously lying. Unconsciously, you create a convenient narrative."
Leo supplemented. "Confirmation bias. You only collect information that proves you're right."
"Exactly," Sora nodded. "You look for evidence to justify yourself, like 'the other person was also at fault.'"
Kaito thought deeply. "I might be doing that."
"Everyone has this tendency," Sora said gently. "Especially, the lower your self-esteem, the harder it is to apologize."
"Huh? I thought confident people don't apologize?" Kaito was surprised.
"It's the opposite," Leo explained. "Truly confident people can apologize without their self-worth wavering. But people with fragile self-esteem feel apology is self-denial."
Sora gave an example. "Perfectionists also find it hard to apologize. One mistake feels like total personality denial."
"All-or-nothing thinking," Leo said.
"Right. The extreme belief that 'if I make one mistake, I'm worthless.'"
Kaito sighed. "Not apologizing is a sign of weakness, huh."
"In a way," Sora acknowledged. "But once you notice, you can change."
Leo offered another perspective. "There are cultural factors too. The meaning of apology differs by culture."
"What do you mean?" Kaito asked.
"In some cultures, apology is admitting weakness. In others, it's a sign of maturity."
Sora nodded. "Your attitude toward apology is formed by your upbringing."
"My parents never apologized," Kaito muttered.
"That might be a learned behavior pattern," Sora said. "Children imitate their parents' behavior."
Leo said gently, "But as an adult, you can choose for yourself."
Kaito looked out the window. "Is apologizing really that difficult?"
"It is difficult," Sora admitted. "Because it means acknowledging your imperfection."
"But necessary," Leo added. "To repair relationships."
Kaito took a deep breath. "Apologizing is for myself too, isn't it."
"Exactly," Sora smiled. "By apologizing, you're freed from guilt and anxiety."
"The psychological burden gets lighter," Leo supplemented.
Kaito slowly stood up. "I'll be back in a bit."
"Where to?" Sora asked.
"To the person from earlier. To apologize."
Sora and Leo exchanged glances.
"Kaito, you've grown," Sora said.
Kaito smiled sheepishly. "I realized apologizing takes more courage than not apologizing."
"That understanding is a big step," Leo acknowledged.
After Kaito left, Sora murmured, "People who can apologize are strong."
"The strength to acknowledge your weakness," Leo agreed.
Outside the window, clouds drifted by. The walls of psychological defense also crumble slowly. Change always begins with small courage.