[seeing jin ling's expression crease is already more than enough to make sizhui feel guilty, but the remark following it really seals the deal. he opens his mouth, preparing some pinched, steely answer that dies on his tongue; it tastes bitter and unforgiving because jin ling's right, it isn't fair of him to do that.

he withdraws his arm, settles the elbow between them, lets the hand splay across his ribs right over his heart. still going a million miles a minute, but he focuses on it and rewords his thoughts into something more proper before speaking.]

You— you're important to me, too. [sizhui's admittance comes easier since jin ling's said it first, but what follows is a bit more difficult to say,] Whenever I'm around you, my heart... I can't control it.

Like there's a storm raging in my chest, is the only way I can explain how it feels.