"Oh, I was just..." Kazuki began to make an excuse, but Annie's harsh words actually made him think about what he said for a second. "...No, you're right. If one of my friends said something like that about themselves, I'd try to tell them otherwise too. I shouldn't let it go just because I'm speaking for myself. Thanks for that."

He regarded her gently. He could see something behind her eyes that was causing her pain, but there was no way to know what it was. He would never ask. And while he was quite good at reading other's emotions, he definitely couldn't read minds.

"Yeah, there's jazz here too," he replied, settling into a lighter tone with ease. "I'd play some as an example for you, but it's a genre that really shines when a group of musicians play it. They play off of each other's creative energy to make something fun and unique on the spot."