No answer. Not immediately. It's the labs all over again in that manner, the way his responses take so long to formulate while his expression crumples into something undescribable. He's shattered, broken, all jagged pieces that he hasn't figured out how to put together again. For a moment, he's not even breathing. Absolute stillness has its grip all around him as he keeps his fingers dug into Ken's shoulders, still looming over him.

Ken's voice forces air into his lungs again, and he jerks back as if he doesn't know how to use his limbs again. His expression starts to force itself back together again but it's... not as it usually is. It's almost there, almost blank, but there's a tension in it that can't be ignored and Chikusa's pupils are still blown out in panic. He twists away on his heel to hide it, back to Ken. His shaking hands, he puts in his pockets.

"...You need to stop hurting yourself, Ken." Quiet, only the slightest shake. "It's going to be harder to fix if you keep messing with broken bones."