[ He almost laughs. ]

Oh no, lying suits me very well.

[ And he knows Mafuyu will understand - he hopes she understands nothing else of this at all, but she will understand this one thing. ]

I used to be incapable of smiling. This personable appearance came about as part of a 'mask' as someone close to me so aptly put it.

All my relationships were built on half-lies. I had no desire to have Izou come kill me, but I had even less desire to start doing the same thing all over again.