After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

Cold Reading Technique.

Commonly known as the observation of micro-expressions.

The term Cold Reading Technique is a direct translation from "cold reading".

"Cold" implies "unprepared", and "reading" suggests "mind-reading" or "divining".

Without any defense, or even upon the first meeting, this technique involves using language, facial expressions, and physical movements to see through someone's current emotions and even thoughts, thereby creating favorable conditions for the subsequent interaction; this is cold reading.

This is not pseudoscience but a legitimate practical psychology skill often used by psychologists and detectives as part of their professional skills.

And Ayakoji Chiyoko had mastered these methods.

The reason she started learning wasn't anything special—just a casual stroll past a bookstore where she was drawn by the exaggerated slogans on the books like "FBI Agent Investigation Techniques!" and "Real Mind Reading!". She bought them out of curiosity to study.

At that time, she was only eleven years old.

In conclusion, that book was just a simple fairy tale, with less than 30% of the content being referential, but the missing knowledge was supplemented by Ayakoji Chiyoko on the internet.

The greatest credit of the book probably lies in sparking her interest in the Cold Reading Technique.

Having experienced that incident in elementary school, she became particularly keen on learning and training herself to master human emotions to avoid getting hurt.

After such a roundabout way of saying it, Ayakoji Chiyoko actually just wanted to express one thing.

She had read an unwillingness in Kagura Hikaru's body language.

Though slight, it was certainly present.

Frankly speaking, this was a relief.

If Kagura Hikaru truly had developed feelings for Kohinata Motoyo, then Ayakoji Chiyoko might truly have lost control.

But no matter what, that hadn't happened.

Only when she truly calmed down did she realize that these two didn't really look like a couple at all.

To be precise, they didn't look like those standard couples who are mutually in love.

Thinking back, from the moment they walked out of the train station, both body contact and conversation initiation were predominantly started by Kohinata Motoyo.

In their response to the outside world, Kohinata Motoyo was the most reactive; aside from the initial greetings, Kagura Hikaru only spoke once and stood silently by the side for the rest of the time.

He used to be often quiet.

But today, his introversion seemed more severe than before.

It wasn't just about not speaking; there was even no eye contact. While they were talking, his attention was more on watching the traffic on the street, his expression numb.

It wasn't like a child diverting his attention from a boring conversation between a mother and a neighboring auntie.

This condition was clearly not right.

If this could still be reluctantly explained by low blood pressure in the morning, then Kagura Hikaru's repulsion to physical contact with Kohinata Motoyo was inexplicable.

They aren't a couple, aren't they? At least, that's what Kohinata Motoyo claimed.

Since they are a couple, why would he dislike physical contact, which is the core pleasure in a romantic relationship.

There is even a significant portion of people in the world, whose primary purpose in establishing a romantic relationship is to engage in physical contact with the opposite sex.

Ayakoji Chiyoko didn't deny the existence of such people.

Well, she often felt that way too.

Yet, Kagura Hikaru showed repulsion towards Kohinata Motoyo.

It wasn't complete disgust or contempt, but a tolerating resistance.

To use an inappropriate analogy, he was now like a high school girl blackmailed by a sleazy old man in a risqué manga, unwilling and yet not daring to show his real reluctance.

In reality, a situation like "Madam, you wouldn't want…" in thin manga plots would only lead to a police case.

But there are also many situations where one cannot call the police when genuinely coerced because the people making threats are not fools.

Speaking of possible weaknesses that Kagura Hikaru might be threatened with, as far as Ayakoji Chiyoko understood him, it was only the cheating incident.

At the time, he too was threatened by Kohinata Motoyo in some way, which forced him to have an affair.

It's likely that Kagura Hikaru back then was the same as he is now.

So this means, she's starting over again, isn't it?

Using the same methods again, as if playing house with dolls without considering the person's feelings, she arbitrarily declared Kagura Hikaru to be her boyfriend.

"This is not an action worthy of praise."

"Hmm? What?" Kohinata Motoyo asked with a surprised face.

Ayakoji Chiyoko realized she had gotten too serious in her thoughts and had accidentally spoken out loud.

Since that was the case, she might as well lay it all out then.

Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn't the kind of woman to be indecisive. Once she decided to quarrel, she directly confronted her with an air of authority, "You told me yesterday, initially you coerced Kagura Hikaru to be with you by using some leverage. It seems you haven't learned your lesson."

"Um... sorry, Classmate Ayakoji, I really don't understand what you're talking about."

Kohinata Motoyo smiled ambiguously.

"I indeed made a mistake in the past, I shouldn't have meddled in someone else's relationship. But now we are both single, we should have the right to love freely."

Then she turned and tightly grasped Kagura Hikaru's hand, looking up innocently asking, "Isn't that right, Kagura?"

"..."

Facing this kind of childish defiance, Kagura Hikaru looked helpless and nodded.

Now, he looked no different from a puppet being manipulated.

"Kohinata Classmate, are you really satisfied with this... with such a self-deceiving act, are you really satisfied?"

Ayakoji Chiyoko was very angry now, furious that the boy she liked was being manipulated by someone else.

It was even more painful than being insulted herself.

Just as the literal meaning suggests, it felt like there was a fire burning in her heart.

"Stop joking! Kagura Hikaru is not an object for you to manipulate; even despicable actions should have a limit!"

"We are in a society governed by law, oh Classmate Ayakoji, you should speak with evidence."

Kohinata Motoyo remained unfazed, her smile still intact.

Seeing her composed demeanor, she probably anticipated from the beginning that she would break off relations with Ayakoji Chiyoko.

Not only was she sensitive to the likes of Kagura Hikaru, but she could instantly see through others like Kiryu Hina, Ayakoji Chiyoko, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian in a different sense.

She could guess some of the things they were thinking just by putting herself in their shoes.

After all, everyone's goals and motives were the same.

It's just that on this track, some people are behind and some are ahead.

And Kohinata Motoyo had become the person who arrived last but ran to the front at an astonishing speed.

In this game, she had already won half of it.

"Don't get agitated, Classmate Ayakoji, please calm down a bit and don't be governed by your emotions." Kohinata Motoyo earnestly said.

Calm down? Governed?

That's completely off the topic.

It seems with such a person, words were not going to get through.

Raging to the point of laughter, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly swung a fist fiercely towards Kohinata Motoyo's face.

The latter probably didn't expect her to act so suddenly and just stood there without dodging.

Smack.

A hand reached out from the side and firmly blocked Ayakoji Chiyoko's fist.

"Enough, stop it," Kagura Hikaru sighed and said.