And he looks up from his now-tightly clenched hands to glare at her, except now his lips are quivering instead. The patronising—

He takes a deep breath. He's better than this; he's got this. And, shit, he really can't do it alone. Isn't that the lesson this whole year has taught him?

"You're right," he admits, looking away. "I just... I've never been carried, you know. Even before the Metaverse. If I don't do things, they don't get done, and if I can't do them, or won't do them...."

The potatoes in the pot stare back at him with their countless eyes. "I can't leave all this cooking to you, Amamiya-san."