...the last time we spoke was almost a week ago. [Which coincides more or less perfectly for when Ion started avoiding everyone, and also when this mysterious pain began.] If what happened on Christmas Eve had been an experiment, it would have certainly been over by then.

[There's a part of that knows Nephry's advice is solid, and perhaps if he paid better attention to it, he could believe in it. But after the way his last conversation with Kohan went, he can't even bring up the courage to talk to him normally, let alone try and work up the courage to tell him how he feels.]

I tried to bring it up, but... he rejected the idea so quickly... I couldn't bring myself to disagree with him. Perhaps it's my fault for not being more direct, but... but if he felt the same, wouldn't he have said something?