...He's not taking this well. He may not realize that his body language has changed, but it's hard for me not to. He's trying to shut off his own reaction to this news, show only the parts that are useful, are helpful right now in this moment.

I shouldn't have said anything.

Or, I haven't yet said enough.

I wish Hino were here to tell me which was which.

"Why would I quit?" He has a sense of immediate finality about all of this, a fatalism that's far closer to 'giving up' than my own perspective. It's starting to upset me.

"I don't know when or even if anything will happen, Gotou-chan," I repeat, trying to make him understand this part. It's the most important part, in my mind. Not that I've got an injury, but that it changes nothing.

"Okay, think about it this way, huh? When will you die, Gotou-chan? Nobody knows except Fate when she'll clip your thread. I don't want it to be anytime soon, I'm sure you don't either, and your family or parents or siblings wouldn't want it to be, either.

"But we can't change when it'll happen, and living fearfully might make Lady Fate get sick of you and clip you off early, has always been my thoughts on the topic."

I have to laugh a little, realizing in one more way how different our perspectives are. But, it's why we make a good team.

"I have to live the same way, Gotou-chan. It's a different reason, but I don't have any more reason to think I'll die tomorrow, than you do."