[ it doesn't much matter if she has difficulty meeting his eyes, at least — he clearly has no intention of putting on any sort of amiable facade himself. his expression is cold and blank, gaze set on the tips of her hair so that he can see her face without looking her in the eye. for all that she seemed to be making some sort of progress with him last time, she might as well be talking business with one of her father's associates now.

they keep prying things out of him that he doesn't want to give, doesn't know how to give. if he's going to reassemble his composure here, then he needs to start drawing clear lines between himself and others, ones that have been disturbed by... everything that happened towards the end there. if the Thieves are going to disregard every offer he makes — to avoid each other as if he hadn't survived, or to work together in a professional manner, or to just get it over with and have their revenge already — if they're so determined to try and break him open, pawing clumsily at wounds he's left to fester, then he just won't bother at all. they get none of it.

he breezes coolly past Haru with a murmured: ] Thank you.

[ manners and professionalism. that's all he'll allow them. he just has to remind himself of that, the next time one of them tries to get under his skin. ]

So what was it you wanted to tell me? I assume it has something to do with the Phantom Thieves or the Metaverse, given the secrecy.