How to help someone break free from social anxiety and shyness.
Tanaka Masao's answer was to do something that would make the other person even more socially anxious and shy.
This way, the other person could temporarily forget the insignificant little thing that happened before.
Goto Hitori: Tanaka, I really appreciate it.
Tanaka Masao's approach clearly had a good effect.
For Goto Hitori, being watched with strange looks after doing something embarrassing was just her own business.
But if she were caught gossiping about others, she would truly have no face to live in this world.
Looking at the somewhat anxious Goto Hitori, Tanaka Masao comforted her.
"Don't be so anxious, Bocchi-chan. Everyone really wants to know what they're like in your heart."
"That's right, Bocchi-chan."
Kita Ikuyo also advised.
"No matter what, we won't mind, so let Tanaka say it."
Goto Hitori herself couldn't remember how she had described them, and she was really afraid Tanaka Masao would say something outrageous.
But seeing their curious and expectant faces, Goto Hitori knew she couldn't rely on them and had to rely on herself.
So she struggled to get out of the trash can to shut Tanaka Masao up.
But an awkward scene occurred; she found her butt stuck in the trash can and couldn't get out.
And the more anxious she became, the less strength she had, and she couldn't get out. Goto Hitori was almost in tears.
[Why is my butt so big? It's stuck!]
In her desperate gaze, Tanaka Masao spoke.
"I saw Bocchi-chan with her hands on her hips, laughing up at the sky.
I asked Bocchi-chan why she was laughing, and Bocchi-chan replied.
I laugh at Nijika's foolishness, Yamada's greed, Kita's naivety, and Yukino's flatness."
"I'm foolish?"
"I'm greedy."
"I'm naive!"
"Flat?"
Tanaka Masao's single sentence made the atmosphere in the room a bit strange.
Yamada Ryo and Kita Ikuyo didn't react much; instead, they thought it was a compliment, as it fit their personalities well.
Ijichi Nijika, however, showed a foolish expression and asked in confusion.
"Why am I foolish? Is there a mistake?"
Yamada Ryo & Kita Ikuyo: We originally thought not, but now that we look, it seems to be true.
Just then, the temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly, and Goto Hitori, at the bottom of the food chain, noticed this change immediately.
She cast her gaze towards the source of this oppressive feeling, Yukinoshita Yukino.
Goto Hitori subconsciously shrank her head and said, full of a desire to survive.
"Yukino-sama, you must believe me, I definitely didn't say such things."
Facing Goto Hitori's plea, Yukinoshita Yukino just gently nodded.
"Gotō-chan, I believe you. With your courage, you certainly couldn't say such things, so..."
She cast her gaze towards Tanaka Masao and said very calmly.
"Tanaka-kin, do you have any last words?"
Facing Yukinoshita Yukino's threat, Tanaka Masao didn't care in the slightest.
Are you kidding? He had already left several last words, and he was still perfectly fine.
He put on a very wronged expression and said.
"Yukino, are you not believing me? I'm telling you, don't look at Bocchi-chan being timid all the time; she's actually very bold in private."
The others nodded in agreement. Indeed, Goto Hitori usually seemed very timid, but occasionally she would do some very bold things.
Others might be led astray by Tanaka Masao, but Yukinoshita Yukino would not.
"Tanaka-kin, do you think anyone would believe your nonsense? Those words just now definitely weren't said by Gotō-chan, but by you.
That is to say, all those things just now were your opinions of us."
"Yukino, you're amazing, you saw right through me."
"Hmph, with my understanding of Tanaka-kin, I can naturally easily see through your little schemes."
The rest of the crowd: Oh, so what Tanaka said just now was all nonsense. Actually, I saw through it too, I just pretended to believe it to cooperate.
To cover their embarrassment, everyone joined Yukinoshita Yukino's camp and began to denounce Tanaka Masao.
"Tanaka-kun, how can you say I'm foolish? I demand an explanation!"
"I was first in grade in the midterm exam."
"I... you..., hmph, isn't it just first in grade? If I work hard, I'll also..."
Tanaka Masao's single sentence successfully sank the aggressive Ijichi Nijika.
"I'm not convinced either. How can you say I'm greedy? If you don't give me ten thousand, one hundred thousand, no, one million as a hush fee, I won't agree."
Everyone: Indeed, she is greedy.
Seeing that everyone expressed their dissatisfaction, Kita Ikuyo also followed suit.
"I'm not convinced either. How can you say I'm naive?"
Tanaka Masao raised an eyebrow.
"So, Kita, you're not naive at all?"
"I..."
Kita Ikuyo was speechless. She realized that the word 'naive' didn't seem to be a bad thing. If she didn't admit it, would she have to say that her thoughts were actually evil?
Seeing that they couldn't do anything to Tanaka Masao, the three of them could only cast their pleading gazes towards Yukinoshita Yukino.
Then, seeing Yukino's flat chest, they all shook their heads in unison.
[No, it's not enough at all.]