It's pretty clear that he's not all right, from how he flinches and stumbles through half his sentences, and the fixed, haunted look he takes on in the middle of conversations—in answer to Akechi's earlier comments, even. He's self-aware enough to know it's obvious.

But the question, asked as honestly and bluntly as Akechi promises, still freezes him in place for a long moment. It's not that people haven't asked if he's all right lately. It's just that they'd never be able to understand the answer, and they forget after a moment anyway. He doesn't... He doesn't like being where he is, but he's gotten used to going unseen there, and now he's being seen. And he doesn't know if he likes that, either.

"It doesn't matter," he says in the end. His voice remains steady, for the most part. "It's my own fault."