[ It's not something Aoba can help and he isn't about to make some grandiose, farfetched promise he won't be able to keep, but — it's fine like this, isn't it?

It's nothing like starting over, but when Aoba slides his hand away, it's with a sudden confidence, exhaling shortly before directing his gaze upward. ]

Clear, look at me.

[ And once he's certain he's captured his undivided attention: ]

You don't have to ask permission to stay by my side. Just because I don't ... remember what it was like to be close to you doesn't mean you have to avoid me from now on. It'll be difficult at times, probably — you might even get frustrated with me, but — if you're willing to work past that, then I want to try getting to know you all over again. We just need to take it slowly. One step at a time, okay?

[ But he'll leave the decision up to Clear, in the end — while he can't understand the magnitude of the relationship they had before, it's transparent how much it's affected him to lose it, voice perched on the precipice of uneven warbling. ]

First things first: want to help me clean up this mess?