[Heigo fully expects Kei to take the opening he's been given and drop such a heavy subject, especially given that they're at a bar and everyone else is partying so hard, but instead Kei actually takes up the topic and carries it even further. It's not that Heigo is used to being around unintelligent people, not by any means, but he's definitely not used to people hopping onto his bleak trains of thought and riding with him this way.

How interesting that he's found someone willing to discuss the futility of life as part of humankind, not write it off as depressing or heavy. Heigo actually brightens up rather than slipping deeper into his earlier melancholy as he listens, nodding along like he did earlier.]

I'd argue that it's soft and sentimental of you to protect their feelings by letting them keep up the illusion. You might be caught in a catch-22 there. [He grins to make it clear that he's just observing, not accusing.] Although it could be seen as selfish from a different point of view, but I don't think so.

[Is he dealing with quite the same thing? No, he's pretty sure his issue is the exact opposite, and something about the random chance of this meeting and this conversation prompts him to say so more directly than he ever has before.]

Not suffering. I prefer having people interact with the illusions and false images. Sometimes I craft them myself to make sure that's how it plays out.