"Ow!" Eiji frowned, both at being poked and because of what Ankh had said. He wasn't entirely sure just what to say in response, but that didn't stop him from opening his mouth anyway.

"It's only natural to care about things, isn't it?" Adding the next part was probably a bad move, but the words tumbled out before he could think it over. "Besides, Hina-chan is really worried about you."