[ it definitely surprises him. it also forces him to struggle for a few seconds, wondering how to answer it.

in the end, he thinks it's only fair to give her the truth. ]

All the time. It's- [ he takes a deep breath. as if he's steeling himself for something. ] It's why I was kind of upset when I first realised I was here, honestly.

Where I was before... It was the closest time I felt like I belonged somewhere and, even then, there were... hiccups.