"Why do I sense a bit of self-doubt in you?" Shiller says, retrieving a tea bag from the lunch box and reading the attached note as he speaks.
"This is not self-doubt." Jason casually tosses one arm over the back of his chair, clumsily taking up the chopsticks as if he's interested in the unique utensil. He shakes his head before adding, "Your consultation fee is somehow shocking, yet Batman can afford it."
"I heard he's funded by Bruce Wayne. Does Bruce Wayne know that he's putting this money towards therapy for his son?"
Jason chokes a bit, mumbling, "That's his own business. Besides, I don't need therapy. It's completely unnecessary..."
Before Shiller could get a word out, Jason interrupts, "I don't know what Batman told you, but... forget it. I know how he describes me, a pitiful kid resurrected from the dead, tortured and full of resentment. Get over it, I've already forgotten about those things."
"Over the years, Batman has introduced me to many people, among them so-called expert scholars like yourself. As soon as they hear I was abused by a madman, they start spewing some terminology I don't understand, about trauma disorders and stress reactions..."
"It's unbearable—the way they look at me—you outsiders are all so melodramatic. Why don't you label every single thing one might experience in life as if it's a mental disease? Soon, you'll all be richer than Wall Street's biggest crooks!"
"Are you saying we're inventing diseases?" Shiller places a cup of hot coffee in front of Jason, who nods and says, "Most of your diagnoses are pointless worries. I'm doing fine and I'll continue to do just fine."
"I can tell you don't enjoy meeting these people Batman introduces you to." After sipping his coffee, Shiller continues, "But at the heart of it, it's not because you dislike doctors, perhaps you slightly do, but it could be attributed to unfamiliarity."
"You're mainly opposed to it because it feels like Batman is implying that you've become his weakness when he takes you to see a doctor. It's not the truth—you're not that fragile—so the advice of these doctors sounds patronizing to you."
"You do have a bit of self-awareness."
"I'm living for that."
To Shiller's response, Jason, who's been lounging back with his leg propped up on the table, appears taken aback. He quickly places his foot down and asks, "Aren't you upset?"
"Why should I be upset? Because you wiped your shoes clean before entering, or handled the chair quietly when you took it?"
"Are you trying to compliment me?"
"I'm attempting to, Jason. You want to tell the world that trauma is part of one's experience, not a defining label. Trauma can temporarily exist in reality or permanently remain in memory, but no one should live their lives based on the wounds they've suffered once..."
"Are you really a foreigner?" Jason asks, somewhat puzzled.
Shiller continues eating his breakfast, unfazed by the untouched food on Jason's table. He quips as if talking to himself, "Like everyone else here, you're exceptionally resilient due to the excessive hardships. You despise being treated as the weak one as much as the next person in this city."
"Would you fare a little better if Batman really let you go?" Shiller chuckles and sips his soup. "You were quite happy when I said Batman is your foster father, weren't you? But when you saw that astonishing bill, besides shock, you felt a tinge of resentment."
"You're worried Batman is being defrauded, thinking that he can't throw money around just because he's rich. You've unconsciously come to consider his belongings as your own, drawing closer to him while feeling slightly guilty."
Shiller sighs softly, "Perhaps you haven't realized that, coming from poverty, you naturally value thrift. Despite pretending to be brazen, you don't feel you're entitled to everything you're currently enjoying..."
"Psychologists always have their reasons," Jason shrugs and says, "You can talk your way through anything—that's your skill, honed countless times and ingrained in your bones."
"Do you think I'm wrong?"
"In this world, everyone has a set of reasons they can relate to, otherwise they wouldn't go on existing," Jason stands up from his chair, pacing beside the sofa while speaking, "Even those unreasonable lunatics in Gotham have their own reasons."
"The difference is, some use the philosophy that convinces themselves to persuade others, while some convince themselves with what others provide. Those are two entirely different breeds—psychologists belong to the former."
"But, those theories in psychology textbooks don't truly become the truth just because they're numerous or they have withstood the test of time."
"People who sum up these philosophies don't necessarily have the experiences themselves. If one person concocts a convincing theory and everyone repeats it ten thousand times, it becomes the truth."