There. That was one of the feelings Kengo hated the most -- when he allowed himself to be vulnerable. Every time it would slip and the realization would sink in, Kengo quickly moved to cover it up and pretend it had never happened in the first place. So instead of allowing it to continue once he noticed Ryusei's reaction, Kengo made a point of thinking how to best avoid the situation.

"For now..." Putting a bit more pressure on Ryusei's shoulder to balance himself, Kengo pushed his body back to sit on the bed again. For a few seconds, Kengo kept his hands on the same spots on Ryusei's body, grasping the fabric with his fingers. Let go. ... right. He had to let go if he was going to lay back down and try to get better somehow, but... he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Kengo repeated the phrase to himself again, a bit stronger, forcing himself to release his hold and bring his hands back. The fabric was wrinkled from how tightly he'd been holding it.

What could he say? There had to be some way to make things less uncomfortable, but nothing came to mind. Instead, Kengo settled for moving himself back on the bed, putting his back against the pillows again and reaching for his water. He never once attempted to make eye contact with Ryusei.