[Well, his loosened grip was probably responsible for letting that happen, but he doesn't even wince when the tail is yanked free, lashing against the palm of his hand as it does so and leaving a dull stinging pain in its wake. In fact, he barely seems to notice it, instead keeping his eyes on the ground, at his feet, on his own barely moving tail, not looking up until Yuzu starts to speak again.

The answer isn't a yes or a no, so he doesn't have an immediate answer for it-if he even had one to begin with. Frankly, he doesn't even register what she said for a few minutes, only watching Yuzu get smaller (farther away? leaving? maybe), so when the words do catch up with him from what feels like an innumerable distance, it almost feels ludicrously late when they do.]

Ehehe...

[He can't help but chuckle sheepishly at those words. Even when she's on the verge of breaking down, she's that harsh, huh?]

Er, that does happen, doesn't it...? You'd think someone like Sawatari-san wouldn't get caught~, neh? [It lacks his usual bravado, but there's something light in his tone, and something familiar in the way he curls his fingers in his mane.]

But I guess that did happen...mah, that Madoka sure did catch me, huh? [He doesn't even think about how incriminating those words sound, instead finally pulling his hand out from the mane to put to his lips while his brow furrows in thought, apparently talking to himself out loud.] Or, well-technically, she caught Reira, but she caught me by proxy back then too, so I guess that's the same...

[What is he even talking about. Is he even on the same level as Yuzu at this point...?]