It doesn't help that Dojima is an overcompensating parent where Souji's were absent ones, especially when they haven't even had enough contact over the years to warrant the development of any paternal feelings to begin with.

So, as it happens, the sort of feelings that do develop are really not quite paternal at all, especially when Dojima laughs sometimes and smiles warm over even warmer rims of hot coffee mugs, asking how he's been.

Kind of pathetically crushing on you is not really a valid answer, so Souji smiles back, lowering his eyes to his lap, and says, "Fine," roughly - the sort of roughness that creeps into a boy's voice when his heart's beating like a drum inside his chest - "Just fine."