Yukinoshita’s Method of Correction [30]

“Essentially, this illusion is a survival instinct,” Yukinoshita Yukino explained, taking a short breath. “Our ancestors, when running through the wilderness, needed to quickly recognize faces—human or animal—and swiftly gauge their expressions to determine whether their surroundings were safe or dangerous, preparing themselves for attack or retreat. From an evolutionary standpoint, the benefits of quickly identifying faces in the environment far outweighed the risks of occasionally mistaking objects for faces. This explains why we retain such sensitivity today.”

Speaking so much at once was taxing for Yukinoshita.

That was why she always paused briefly to draw in a small breath whenever she was about to say something lengthy.

Knowing this, Higashigumo Sugi remained quiet during her pause, letting her continue uninterrupted.

“But...” Yuigahama Yui, whose hands had been slow to shield her eyes earlier, had caught a glimpse of the unsettling footage. “That face really looked just like the Ao Oni.”

“The fusiform face area of our brains, responsible for recognizing faces, integrates visual stimuli extremely rapidly, detecting facial features in about 130 milliseconds—faster than conscious perception,” Yukinoshita continued rapidly. “The downside of having such a sensitive facial recognition system is that these neurons, eager to detect faces, may be mistakenly activated by vague or ambiguous patterns, leading to uncontrolled false identifications.”

Before Yuigahama could raise another question, Yukinoshita swiftly pressed on.

“The face recognition patterns evolved in natural environments are further shaped by our social and cultural contexts.” Yukinoshita picked up the poster she’d previously set aside. “When experiencing pareidolia, we typically match what we see with familiar psychological templates—such as this poster, which deliberately exploits that effect.”

She pointed to the film club president Hojo’s poster, where shadows in the dense forest subtly formed the shape of Ao Oni’s face.

At first glance, it appeared simply as four students walking toward a mansion. But upon closer inspection, the scattered shadows revealed Ao Oni’s frightening visage, making the students seem like they were stepping directly into the monster’s gaping mouth.

Since they’d just seen Ao Oni’s posters, the bluish sphere in the video naturally prompted them to mistakenly interpret its shadows as Ao Oni’s face.

“I just thought we’d glanced at it wrong,” Hikigaya Komachi said, pausing the video at that precise moment. “I rewatched it a bunch of times. It really just looks like something wrapped in blue cloth. But since everyone else saw a face, I started doubting myself.”

“Trust yourself,” Yukinoshita replied, slightly out of breath. “Your judgment was correct.”

“So the situation boils down to something hung outside the film club’s window, not a ghost,” Higashigumo clarified. “Isn’t this already solved?”

“Tanaka is famously timid,” Komachi explained. “Even if we tell him it’s just an object, he won’t believe it. We have to find out exactly what it is, why it appeared there, and who placed it—only then can he pull himself together.”

“But if he’s so easily scared, why would he participate in something like this?” Yuigahama asked, puzzled. “Shouldn’t he avoid it altogether?”

“Tanaka is our best cameraman and editor. Plus...” Komachi hesitated, then confessed, “He’s the type who’s scared but fascinated at the same time. Actually, he was the one who suggested this horror theme. You guys get that kind of mentality, right? It’s like being addicted to getting scared.”

Yukinoshita and Yuigahama nodded, their gazes shifting to the same person.

“What are you looking at me for?” Higashigumo said innocently. “I have completely normal hobbies.”

Komachi pointed at the metal pole in the clubroom. “So that’s not for you?”

“Well, it is for me, but—” Higashigumo caught himself. “It’s not for what you’re thinking.”

Yukinoshita lifted her chin, much like Ash commanding Pikachu to use Thunderbolt. “Go ahead, Higashigumo.”

“...” With no other choice but to clear his name, Higashigumo skillfully demonstrated a flagpole move. “This is how you use it.”

“You can actually do something like that?” Komachi clapped enthusiastically. “Amazing!”

“To avoid further misunderstandings,” Yukinoshita’s lips curled faintly, “please demonstrate it again next time we have visitors.”

“The Service Club just got another perk!” Yuigahama brightened. “First there were drinks, now we get performances too!”

“Have I somehow become the Service Club’s main attraction?” Higashigumo took another sip of his cola. “Such a proposal is completely unnecessary. Zaimokuza didn’t even show any curiosity about it earlier.”

“Zaimokuza probably took it as some kind of divine pillar holding up heaven and earth,” Yuigahama guessed. “It might’ve been better if he’d seen it.”

“If he had, he’d have called it a hero’s trial,” Komachi sighed wearily. “That’s just how chuunibyou brains work—I speak from experience.”

“Maybe we should get back to the maso—no, I mean the haunted—no, I mean the blue thing,” Higashigumo gestured to Komachi’s handheld console. “Can we ask Tanaka and Sasaki directly about what they saw?”

“Tanaka’s in pretty bad shape, so it’s best not to disturb him. Besides, he recorded everything he saw and gave me the footage, which is all here. You can just watch the video,” Komachi replied reluctantly. “As for Sasaki, he just broke up with his girlfriend, and now this scare on top of it has really gotten him down. He’s been skipping club activities lately.”

“Then can we visit the film club directly?” Yukinoshita asked. “There might be some clues there.”

“No problem. Should we go now?”

“Let’s watch the video first,” Yukinoshita pointed at the handheld console. “We should understand the whole situation.”

“All right, from the top~!” Komachi reset the playback to the beginning.

The footage opened at the school gate. It was already getting late, and only a few scattered students were visible.

Tanaka filmed empty space for a while, continually adjusting angles and framing.

Suddenly, someone called Tanaka’s name.

He turned toward the voice, camera following.

A red-haired girl holding a plastic bag entered the frame.

“This is Miki, another member of the film club,” Komachi introduced. “She’s also one of the actors in this film.”

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This is a fan translation of 雪之下的矫正方式 by 微凉温热 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!