[Even though his face is free now, Chuuya doesn't actually turn away. His gaze is still lower, and he's not meeting Akira's eyes, but he's not running away either. He doesn't feel like he needs to anymore. ]

It was never about being a shield, you know? It was always "go attack these people" or "break our friends out of jail" or "you should show them why you don't mess with us." Everyone I met only cared about my gravity powers, or my connection to Arahabaki. I was just...a tool, I guess. A means to an end.

[That's why he gets so defensive and lashes out. For the longest time, he's only really had himself to rely on. Even the Sheep, they would have dropped him if he became inconvenient. Which actually, they did.

...boy, that hurts to think about. ]

Dazai was the first one who treated me like a person, not a tool. When he saw people bossing me around and pushing me into using my ability for them, he got mad about it. It was the first time I ever saw him get angry about anything.

[He's not quite done with what he has to say, but he's pausing there to see Akira's reaction. This is when his gaze finally flicks upwards, so he can see what Akira is thinking. ]