[Kidou makes a small involuntary noise in the back of his throat at 'they cut her up and put her in a bag', tempted to step back in a futile attempt to ward off that imagery. Instead, he slowly sits down across from her, pulling his knees up in front of his chest and holding them there with an arm.

He couldn't find anything to say before this explanation. To his frustration and dismay, he still can't. But what he can do is at least signal that he's here, for whatever tiny scrap that serves. Even though it's true that he'd be here anyway; there's really not anywhere for him to go.

The emotional approach is useless, especially if he wants to stay calm. And he has to stay calm, so he'll need to find another.]

I met someone earlier -

[Kidou starts, his voice somehow still steady despite the topic,]

- with people from his past following him. Illusions of them, nothing more.

[It's easier to take this angle. If he can tackle this as a puzzle he could potentially solve, there's slightly less time for him to focus on the horror of what he's just heard, and witnessed. That can be nothing compared to what Fueguchi's gone through. And yet, a horrible, traitorous little voice whispers in his head, it's nothing compared to what ghouls must be able to inflict on humans to begin with.

This sounds alarmingly like a cycle. He shoves that thought down and continues his spoken train of thought instead.]

He said the only similarity between them was he felt he should have done better by each of them. This and that could be similar things.

[It wouldn't be accurate to say that she didn't hate Fueguchi. Kidou doesn't know that. It's not his place to pretend he does. The one thing he can do is potentially offer her data.]