The silence was painful. Obviously, nothing Yusuke said was good news to dump on someone who hadn't even had a chance to get on his feet yet. When he made his agreement with Adachi, he didn't know when or if anyone else he knew would be coming here. His foolish assumption was that they wouldn't, that nobody else would have to get dragged into his half-baked, unplanned mess.

Akira's hesitation said it all.

"I have," he confirmed. "And I have spoken with him about our struggles. Not in great detail, only the basics. He is the only one here who could understand. At least, in part."

He averts his eyes, from Akira down to his fingers, drumming gently against the table.

"Maybe I am naive, but I trust him. He can be difficult to work with, but his intentions are good. Your opinion matters a great deal to me, though."