[There's a little twinge of something there, then - something that's almost like surprise, but not quite. Humans are capable of great destruction, but they're very weak things in the end, aren't they? And this, too, is little more than a sign of that rotting core - the corrosive center lying at the heart of each and every one of them. Disgusting. Perhaps a softer person (or at least one with a little more sanity) would be able to appreciate those words and the sentiment they carry. It's obvious that it's taken a lot for Elliot to say them aloud, after all. No real surprise there. From the little Kaoru knows of him, he seems a gentle boy in that he handles emotions with kid gloves if they're anything less delicate than indignant anger.

But he's also well aware of the fact that he could be wrong, because every person has facets of themselves that they keep hidden sometimes for days, sometimes forever. Elliot may seem tolerable enough now - sweet, even - but he knows better than to blindly trust or to trust at all. It's what makes that statement something that he would rather sneer than smile at. Bold words coming from someone who knows nothing about their conversational partner...

The look on Kaoru's face is caught in a shade of subdued surprise, but it shifts soon after.]

Elliot-san... [A beat, and then:] You're welcome. [First of all, because Kaoru has a feeling genuine thanks are something of a rarity from him and it shouldn't just be glossed over.]

It's truly an honor to hear that you think so highly of me. I can't be certain of my own worth as a friend, but if you believe it of me, I'll continue to be here for you as best as I'm able.

[The hives will be coming on now any second, surely... But oh, a little nugget of the truth follows, then.]

I wasn't allowed many friends in my youth. I'd like to offer the most, but it's still something that I'm adjusting to... Thank you for your kindness.