Unnecessary Lies to Protect a Gentle World

This is a live MC by Yosui Inoue depicted in Hiroaki Samura's short story collection, "Sister Generator." It is not certain whether Yosui Inoue actually said this at a concert, but it sounds like something he would say.

Recently, I've been reminded of the question posed in this manga: "What is kindness?"
—When kindness and consideration become congested, you lose sight of something and it all becomes "very confusing."

It happened the other day while I was shopping at the supermarket.
I was listening to a podcast on my wireless earphones, pondering what to make for dinner.

That was when my smartphone vibrated. It was a call.
Modern earphones are high-performance, allowing for hands-free calls while worn. However, a concern arose.
Wouldn't someone with tiny, fingertip-sized earphones stuck in their ears, talking to thin air, look like they were "talking to themselves" to others?
I couldn't disturb the peace of mind of my neighbors with such suspicious behavior.

To protect the tranquility of my neighbors, I decided to tell an unnecessary lie.

Though it was actually unnecessary, I picked up my smartphone and held it to the ear with the earphone still in it.
It was a pose to say, "I am a sound citizen using civilization to communicate." It was a maneuver to maintain peace.

"Are you okay right now?" the person on the other end asked.
I whispered, mindful of my surroundings. "I'm fine. But I'm at the supermarket, so I'll speak quietly."

Then, for some reason, the other person also lowered their voice. "...I see, sorry about that. Understood, I'll speak quietly too."
It was a voiceless whisper, like someone trying not to wake a sleeping child.

Wait, hold on.
Your voice is trapped inside my earphones.
Even if there were some sound leakage, the supermarket's "Yobikomi-kun" music would drown it out. There is absolutely no reason for you to lower your voice.
Yet, for some reason, the person on the other end continued the conversation in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's hum.

With me pretending to be on the phone and the other person whispering pointlessly, no one noticed the unnaturalness of it all.
All that existed there was "the feeling of caring for someone."

To ensure no one gets hurt, everyone does something that is "a little bit off."
That is how the peace of the neighborhood is protected.