( faith in kaoru or no, he's surprised that kaoru's willing to comply so easily. well, kaoru could get serious when the situation required it, and rei is only thankful that kaoru deemed this situation one of those. mm, perhaps more than that; he doesn't miss kaoru's unease, nor the unusual luxury of touch kaoru offers him.

whatever kaoru had experienced so far in his brief time here, it seems it had shaken him. it's a thought that settles at the pit of his stomach, unpleasant.

he follows kaoru to the room with an air of apparent obedience, but it's no sooner than they're inside and the door is shut that rei quite instantly crosses over to the bed to slide down onto it, leaning back on his palms in his usual posture: confident, at ease . . . amused, almost, with kaoru's worry. he's touched, actually, but rei's just terrible at expressing directly how he feels. )

Really, now . . . I thought I'd die a second or third time before I'd get to see our Kaoru-kun fret over me. Perhaps I should consider this situation a treat . . . ♪

( not. and anyway, kaoru had a point. though the smile still curls its lips, it loses some of its vigor; it's a little more wry, their situation unpleasant. )

. . . Though it'd been only by chance, I'd some acquaintances in the Up mention they'd seen someone look like you. ( how long had kaoru been there? probably not too long; yet, news rarely escapes rei's ears. ) This city seems a honeytrap for those of your disposition, and this is hardly Yumenosaki. Enma himself would cast me instantly to Hell were I to ignore it.

( so. he was worried about kaoru, even if it were only a rumor— even if it might not have been him. but it was kaoru, and rei arrived late given kaoru says he'd already seen things, but . . . not as late as he could have been. that was something, at least. )

. . . So I turn your question back onto you: How are you, and are you well? I regret you've already seen the uglier faces of this city.