Kuronue sighed, and bolted his eyes closed. It was like he was struggling to walk out of the ocean as the tide was pulling him back out. The illness was pulling him back in.

He tried to step to the side, mentally, and just...hold some form of sanity for a moment. Some sort of level ground. He felt like he needed to find Kusuriyuri, cling to him and beg for his help, for Yukimura's help. He was slipping.

"I'm sorry, Mamechiho. I do adore you. I don't think so low of you, to think that you would lie to me." It was almost difficult to get the words out, felt more and more like he was speaking a lie. "I just... I couldn't see you, before, because I was...something happened, and I became ill."

He remembered Kusuriyuri telling him to not avoid it. He wasn't avoiding it this time, he just didn't want to have Mamechiho see how shameful he was.