Was having mind-reading powers exhausting? Sogo Doma said he honestly didn't know, since he didn't have such a brutal ability. Reading microexpressions could certainly bluff people, but compared to actual mind reading? Heh. Hehehe...
Not to mention acting masters—just someone with a poker face could leave the skill of reading microexpressions completely helpless. Besides, reading microexpressions could only roughly judge someone else's emotions. The reason it looked like mind reading was merely because of how Sogo Doma used information, along with the verbal guidance he employed. A most ordinary chestnut:
When Sogo Doma figured out what someone was thinking, as long as a ripple of having been seen through appeared in their expression or eyes, there was a ninety percent chance that person would think, "How does he know what I'm thinking?"
All Sogo Doma had to do before the other person spoke was say, "That's right, I know what you're thinking..." While frightening them, he would also seize control of the conversation's pace. And once he had control of the rhythm, he could—cough, cough—guide the other person much more easily. Just like now, he could tell what Sakura Yamauchi was thinking at a glance:
"Where did you idiot even get the idea that I'm pitiful?" He rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Huh? Master Sogo even knows that?" Sakura Yamauchi's expression changed again. "I-I just heard people say that everyone has a violent side inside them. If Master Sogo can read minds..."
"Don't worry. I won't be consumed by violent or dark emotions. After all, when it comes to mind reading, I can turn it off whenever I want..."
"Huh!?" Sakura Yamauchi froze again. This was different from manga and TV dramas—the protagonists in those always trained desperately because of their powers...
"Reality isn't fantasy. If it can be turned on,