"That's true," Heiji said with his usual smile, but he really didn't want to think about this anymore. The more he thought on it, the more he wondered if he was going soft just because he admired Okita so much. Would Kudo or his father see something fundamentally wrong with Okita, at least in the sanity department? Something he'd missed because he was smitten? He was thinking about it now. He couldn't think about it.

That was going to be tough. Not thinking was like concentrating on not seeing anything for Heiji--it was impossible. There was always something going on in the back of his head, whether he wanted it to or not. He needed to stop thinking about this particular subject. Distract himself with something else--anything, really.

He turned as best he could to see what Okita was looking at, and tried to come up with something to say, but he just lost it. He bit his lip as a short laugh tried to escape, but soon realized it was futile and began laughing. "Okay, okay, you win! But seriously, didn't you tell him that it would break if he chewed on it that hard? Looks like you're doing a good job of discrediting him. No one's going to believe he's who he says he is if he looks so 'becoming'!" Heiji continued laughing, coughed a couple times, then tried to settle down. His ribs still weren't being forgiving, apparently.