[He still can't handle compliments he knows are honest, so he swings his legs back off the edge of the futon and grasps the edge of it, looking away from him.] ...they tell you when you're on television, the bigger the better. Bigger smiles, bigger gestures, louder voices. Fake it until you make it, and I took it so literally I can't even be sure I know how to not act so deplorably fake I may as well always wear a set mic.

[But he huffs, glancing over at Akira and his textbooks.] I should hope I remember enough about my second year to make sure you can graduate, given I'm what's preventing you from learning in the proper environment.