Utena had never seen her friend like this before. The closest to being truly upset that she had seen her before had been on the night of the ball earlier in the school year, when the dress Nanami had given to Himemiya had half dissolved in front of everyone in the ballroom. And this time, there didn't seem to be an obvious way for Utena to rescue Himemiya from such hurt. How could she when she didn't even understand what she was being accused of?

As Himemiya drew her hand away, Utena reached out to gently take it in her own hands. Though she felt a little awkward doing so, she guided her friend's hand back to her and held it against her chest where her heart was beating. "I don't know why you think I'm not me. Who else would I be?" she asked, her blue eyes full of worry. She kept her friend's hand against her bosom, letting the girl feel the warmth of her own pale hands and the thump of her heartbeat underneath. "I'm not that clever, so this is the only other thing I can think of to prove who I am to you. If that doesn't do it, then I don't know what else to say."