That kind of smile -- two years ago, it disarmed, but he could better rebound those shields of cold distance. Two years ago, initially, even Inoue-san's brightest only briefly threw him, though he was thrown. In the months since, exposure to Inoue-san, to the rest, rather than building a tolerance, have left him vulnerable. He's less inclined now to turn aside, to brush someone off with something brusque and rehearsed. More inclined to accept it.

Responding to his bluster with such an easy, friendly smile, with a kind of agreement, playing along -- he's thrown again. It's just the sort of thing Inoue-san would say, with just her sort of smile. It punctures a hole in his bravado (as legitimate as it was).

"Y-yeah, maybe. Whenever you want."