Include the short role when it materially strengthens your consulting story and you can label it clearly as project, contract, or internship work.

The concern is not duration by itself; it is ambiguity. Recruiters are less likely to read it as job-hopping if the nature of the role is obvious.

Keep the entry compact and focus on one or two high-impact bullets rather than giving it the same space as a full-time role.

If it adds little new evidence, leave it out. Resume space should go to the experiences that best support your candidacy.

I had a partner push me on something similar. The best feedback I got was to acknowledge the issue directly instead of trying to talk around it.

This is a good question. I would also pay attention to what the interviewer is reacting to, because that usually tells you whether the issue is clarity or the underlying logic.