[ Kei looks around for a second, careful not to move his head too much. He observes the party carefully and feels exhausted from all the excitement and joy. Allowing the bottle to drop out of his hand, he's glad that he had finished his beer. Regardless, it wouldn't do to cause a mess. In any case, he lifts his hand up to lightly touch the side of Howard's face. ]

I always felt a little tired around the happy, because it was like their emotions were always bursting while mine were calm and stable. Like being on two different frequencies. The tired that you still feel. It was once the same, wasn't it? The exhaustion I feel comes from another source now... no longer just slipping into apathy but... something I can't quite name. [ He lightly cups the side of his face. ] It scares me. Yet I will not give up on saving myself. But Howard...

[ And his friend stirs, his hand drops away. ]

Don't worry about it. I had a nice chat with a very understanding person. [ Kei offers a warm smile. ] So, there's nothing to worry about. I'm grateful that you fell asleep. Sometimes, there are only things you can tell someone when they're not able to hear it.