289: What on Earth Had He Done..

At first glance, Iroha's thought process seemed absurd, but in reality, many people had experienced something similar.

The details might differ, but the underlying principle was the same.

For example, if someone is known to be a thief, people will instinctively suspect them whenever something goes missing.

Or if a person with chronic migraines goes to the doctor, presenting a past diagnosis of migraines, the doctor will naturally assume their current headache is caused by the same condition.

There's a psychological term for this: "confirmation bias."

In simple terms, once people form a belief or accept something as true, they tend to look for evidence that supports their theory while selectively ignoring or dismissing any contradictory information. 

They interpret everything through the lens of their preconceived notions, ultimately arriving at a "truth" that aligns with their expectations.

But in reality, this so-called "truth" is often arbitrary and one-sided—yet those affected by it remain completely unaware.

That's confirmation bias.

To put it simply:

People believe what they want to believe.

Without realizing it, Iroha had fallen into a vicious cycle, one that she could no longer escape by her own means.

The focus shifted to someone else.

Utaha's reaction earlier was not an act—she was genuinely startled.

She couldn't understand how Iroha had suddenly figured out exactly what she was about to say.

But that shouldn't be possible!

Even if Iroha had picked up on her previous attitude, there was no way she could instantly and so precisely read her mind, right?

This was practically mind-reading.

Utaha's mood grew heavier, and her expression became guarded. She felt deeply ashamed of her earlier smugness and underestimation of her opponent.

She had assumed she could easily manipulate Iroha, only to realize that after carefully setting up her plan for so long, her entire strategy had been effortlessly exposed at the very last moment.

In an instant, the situation and power dynamics had flipped.

And judging by Iroha's expression, she had likely been suspicious from the very beginning—not just after Utaha's final words.

She had simply played along with the conversation up until now, waiting for the perfect moment to overturn the table, reveal everything, and mock her in the process.

And in fact, that was exactly what she had done!

The slight upward curve of Iroha's lips made it painfully clear how pleased she was.

Damn you! Even Eriri wouldn't dare treat me like this—how dare you!?

Utaha's anger surged to its peak. Her expression darkened, and her thoughts shifted.

Since she had already been provoked this much, there was no need for subtle tricks anymore. She'd just go all in!

However, just as she was about to counterattack with her usual sharp tongue, taking back the upper hand…

Iroha's next move completely defied her expectations.

Iroha set down her teacup and stood up, looking at Utaha.

Utaha immediately tensed up, thinking that Iroha intended to escalate their verbal conflict into a physical fight. 

Her mind raced for a countermeasure, and her body instinctively stiffened.

She was calculating her odds—if she and Iroha actually got into a classic "girl fight," how likely was she to win?

But contrary to her worst expectations, Iroha didn't lunge at her or try to pull her hair.

Instead, she broke all conventional patterns—she sat down right next to Utaha, pressing her body close in an oddly intimate manner.

She reached out, tightly grasping Utaha's free left hand. 

Then, her face moved in close, wearing a sincere expression that seemed to carry a sense of newfound camaraderie, as if she had just discovered a long-lost ally.

"Kasumigaoka-san! I can't explain the details right now, but actually, our situations are incredibly similar! We're both victims!"

The sudden shift in tone and content left Utaha completely dumbfounded.

She couldn't comprehend what Iroha meant.

What did she mean by "our situations are incredibly similar"?

What did she mean by "we're both victims"?

Fortunately, as a bestselling light novel author, Utaha had a sharp mind and quick reflexes.

It didn't take her long to realize—she might have overthought things.

It seemed, perhaps, possibly… Iroha hadn't actually figured out her real thoughts.

Her words had just happened to coincidentally create a misunderstanding, leading Utaha to draw all sorts of foolish conclusions.

Once she sorted out this most crucial point, everything else became much clearer.

Utaha focused on one key term: "victim."

At the same time, she recalled something Chisato had once said in front of her and Eriri:

"I feel really guilty toward Iroha…"

Piecing together all these clues—her own previous scheme to test Iroha, Iroha's current response…

The answer was beginning to emerge.

Chisato must have done something to Iroha, something that left him feeling guilty.

However, having already misjudged the situation once, Utaha was careful not to jump to conclusions this time.

Right now, Iroha had unknowingly revealed a secret.

This was a perfect opportunity to get more information from her.

She couldn't waste it.

She also couldn't afford to keep changing her expression too frequently—it would look unnatural.

So Utaha maintained her current expression, choosing to go along with the misunderstanding.

She slowly withdrew her hand from Iroha's grasp, responding with a cautious tone:

"How do you know about my situation?"

This was a well-crafted response.

It confirmed Iroha's suspicions while also subtly prompting her to reveal more details—information that Utaha herself didn't yet know.

"It's a deduction!"

From Iroha's perspective, Utaha's reaction was completely natural, perfectly in line with someone who didn't want their secrets exposed.

She understood why the other party would be wary of her. And the best way to break down this communication barrier was undoubtedly sincerity.

But the problem was that what she had experienced was simply too surreal—so much so that telling the truth outright felt like it wouldn't be convincing. 

The reality was too hard to put into words.

So now, it all comes down to personal charisma and eloquence. No matter what, she had to make Utaha believe her!

"Kasumigaoka-san, I know what I'm about to say might sound strange, but please believe me—I am not lying to you."

Even when Iroha spoke seriously, her voice remained captivating—clear and melodious, like a nightingale. 

It was easy to imagine how sweet and endearing it would sound when she was in a good mood or playfully acting spoiled.

Utaha thought that if she were a man, she might not have been able to resist developing feelings for her.

And if that was how she felt, then there was no need to even mention Chisato.

Even though Chisato currently showed no particular interest in Iroha, who could say for sure? If she kept hovering around him, something unexpected might happen.

That possibility had to be crushed before it even had a chance to bloom!

Realizing that this was a critical moment, Utaha sharpened her focus.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"For certain reasons, I can't go into detail, but in a way… I've been deceived and misled by Suzumiya-senpai."

It seemed to take all of Iroha's strength to say those words.

"..."

Utaha's reaction, however, was utterly indifferent.

That's it?

You built up all this suspense just to tell me something I already figured out?

For "certain reasons," you can't explain in detail… That must be about those bizarre dreams.

She probably doesn't know that Eriri and I have been through the same thing, which is why she's holding back.

But… deception and concealment…

Those words felt strangely familiar.

Utaha immediately recalled her first dream.

It seemed that Iroha had experienced something eerily similar to her own story.

But… thinking back to their first encounter with Chisato, Iroha had looked as if she wanted to wrap herself up in a ribbon and present herself to him.

And now, her attitude was completely different.

That suggested her situation was even more complicated than her own.

That said, the overall picture was now much clearer than before.

The only thing still uncertain was Iroha's objective.

But that was an easy fix. She had already opened up this much—it wouldn't take much more to steer the conversation where she wanted it to go.

"You went out of your way to tell me all this—what do you want?"

"I want to help you!"

Iroha answered without hesitation.

She stated her original intention outright:

"I want to help you and Sawamura-san break free from that scoundrel, Suzumiya Chisato!"

"..."

Break free from Chisato?

Do you even hear yourself?

Utaha's eye twitched.

For a moment, she couldn't tell whether this adorable girl was genuinely serious about this or if it was all part of some elaborate scheme.

And if it was a scheme, the goal was obvious—once she and Eriri were out of the picture, Iroha could seamlessly take their place.

After scrutinizing her closely, Utaha started to think she might actually be serious.

Iroha really seemed to believe that Chisato was a bad person.

What on earth had he done to her in those dreams?

Utaha found herself even more baffled—and even more intrigued.

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