[ keigo allowed ichigo to touch his head and hair as he pleased; he figured it must have been a soothing action to him. keigo wanted to impart any little bit of comfort he could.

and his words... they struck a particular chord with keigo, something he couldn't exactly describe. while he had no issues with his memories, the concept of watching someone he cared about go off with someone else... it hit very close to home. keigo closed his eyes and exhaled softly. how could he answer him? keigo himself was a selfish person, at times, but ultimately... he allowed those he cared for to do as they pleased. how could he comfort ichigo when he wasn't sure how he would comfort himself?

after a moment, he shook his head. ]

Maybe it is selfish... but all the same... I understand it.

[ he opened his eyes and fixed ichigo with a pained look, contrasting the way his lips curled into a soft smile. ]

Sometimes, you just feel a pull to someone that you can't explain. Even if you can't remember it-- [ keigo placed a hand to his own heart then. ] --your soul must. And no matter how hard you try to let it go, it'll always be there.

So I think... it's not a bad thing that you feel that way. It doesn't make you a bad person. And... you just have to figure out a way to accept those feelings and still be supportive of that person. It'll hurt... but...

[ keigo sighed. ]

It would hurt you more, I think, if that person were to feel guilt over how you feel. If that makes sense.