[ Part of Shinpachi wants to say that he'd be fine. Because.. well, he would be fine, technically. Shinpachi is clingy as hell and has the biggest mancrush on Sano possible, but he's also a very independent sort of guy. He'd be fine in the end, even if he was by himself.

But Tenka's also right. It'd hurt like hell to have the guy who matters the most to him be mad at him and stop talking to him. There's a reason why the thought of Sano dying along with the other members of the Shinsengumi in the future hurts so much, after all, and even now it manages to make Shinpachi's smile very, very wry. ]

You wouldn't be able to tell by now though. That you two didn't talk for so long, I mean. [ Sousei seems perpetually annoyed and angry with Tenka, sure, but it's in this.. weirdly fond way. It's easy for Shinpachi to look at them and be able to tell they're friends, anyway, but maybe that has more to do with the way he interacts with some of his more sour friends too. ] So in the end it all turned out fine, even though you made that kinda decision..

[ He takes a gulp of his drink. ]

What a lucky bastard, that Tenka. Getting the best of all worlds.