"I lied again."
Kaito held his head. Hiyori and Leo looked worried.
Hiyori asked gently. "What happened?"
"I told my parents 'I finished my homework,' but I haven't even done half. Why did I lie?"
Leo said calmly. "Humans lie frequently. Research shows an average of once or twice a day."
Kaito was surprised. "That much?"
"Including everything from small to big lies," Hiyori supplemented. "Social lies like 'How are you?' 'I'm fine' are included."
"But why do we lie?"
Hiyori began explaining. "There are multiple reasons for lying. To avoid hurting others, to protect yourself, to gain benefits."
"In Kaito's case?" Leo asked.
Kaito thought. "...I didn't want to be scolded. Didn't want to disappoint expectations."
"A self-defensive lie," Hiyori said. "Lying to avoid punishment or criticism."
Leo added. "It's also related to cognitive dissonance. To bridge the gap between ideal self-image and actual self-image."
"Cognitive dissonance?"
"Holding contradictory cognitions simultaneously creates discomfort," Leo explained. "The contradiction between 'want to be a good child' and 'haven't done homework.'"
Hiyori continued. "To resolve that discomfort, you lie to hide the contradiction."
Kaito sighed. "But I feel worse after lying."
"That's guilt," Hiyori said. "Discrepancy between moral values and behavior creates guilt."
Leo asked. "Why couldn't you be honest?"
Kaito answered. "...I was afraid of disappointing them."
"Fear becomes the motivation for lying," Hiyori pointed out. "But lying is only a short-term solution."
"Long-term?"
"You lose trust. And your self-image is also hurt."
Kaito said quietly. "True, I hate being a liar."
Leo said. "Interesting is that people sometimes start believing their own lies."
"Their own lies?"
"Self-deception. By repeating lies, you come to believe they're true."
Hiyori supplemented. "Since memory is reconstructed, the boundary between lies and reality can blur."
Kaito asked anxiously. "Then how can I stop lying?"
Hiyori said gently. "First, understand why you lie. Then create an environment where you can be honest."
"Environment?"
"Relationships where you're accepted without criticism even when you fail."
Leo added. "Called psychological safety. With that, the cost of being honest decreases."
Kaito thought. "Does that mean the atmosphere with my parents doesn't allow me to be honest?"
"Possibly," Hiyori acknowledged. "But you can also change things from your end."
"How?"
"Start with small honesty. 'Actually, I haven't finished yet. But I'll finish it today.'"
Kaito said anxiously. "They'll probably get angry."
"Maybe," Hiyori answered honestly. "But trust is born from honesty."
Leo said. "Continuing to lie requires bigger lies. Being honest is easier long-term."
Kaito showed a determined expression. "I'll try. I'll try talking honestly."
Hiyori smiled. "That takes courage."
Leo added. "You don't need to be perfectly honest. But be honest about important things."
Kaito asked. "Important things?"
"Things related to your values. Things that form relationship foundations."
Hiyori said quietly. "Lies sometimes come from compassion. To avoid hurting others."
"That's also lying?" Kaito asked.
"Social lies are also social lubricants. But lies to protect yourself hurt relationships."
Kaito nodded. "Understood. First, I'll try talking honestly to my parents."
The three sat quietly. Lying is part of being human. But by choosing honesty, deeper connections are born.
"Thank you," Kaito said. "I got a bit of courage."
Hiyori and Leo smiled. Small honesty was the first step toward trust.