"I." His voice shakes, which is mortifying. He takes a deep breath and tries to pull himself together, but the gentleness in Akechi's voice doesn't help. He feels like he's losing his mind, which isn't new. That feeing predates Maruki's reality, really.

I'm fine, sorry, he means to tell Akechi, but a sudden impulse has him saying instead, "Do you, um. What do you remember about the beginning of the year?"

He's never asked before.