"Wait, what," he says flatly. He stares as Gongenzaka continues. Gongenzaka clearly does not understand how these things work with earnest belief of his.

And yet he still hears his own hopeful voice saying, "Really?" With that offer of defense.

He frowns again. "IIII don't know, I appreciate it, but these things, they really don't tend to go so well. I wouldn't get too excited about it." And then he proceeds to shake himself of all that stepping forward to the faculty table, a bounce in his step like everything's fine. "Well we haven't got all night, let's do this."