It's like that with the ways people try to cover up bad things, huh? You always risk making it worse.

[And still, Haru mixes sweetness into the medicine for him, mixes kindness into the firm hand laying down rules around Souji. He sighs, his smile picking up a little bit, but he doesn't know if it's a good or bad thing.

He really, really misses home.]

Thank you. [He sips on the drink, and still grimaces faintly because well, he can still feel the bitterness of alcohol there. But it's not so bad like this.]

I don't think I'll be able to drink much anyway. I just... want to try. [Another little sip, and a brittle laugh at a joke that's not entirely funny.] Though if I start seeing double I really will have made things a bit worse, right? [There's plenty enough of him already, after all.]