[Someone believes he's doing things worthy of esteem - that's the opposite of disappointment, really. If Kei had any form of attachment to Heigo, his admiration might even become pride.

So why does his gut suddenly feel like knotted iron? Why do Kei's words feel barbed despite him giving no indication of double meaning?]

I think that's enough authenticity for one conversation. [Meaning: he's not gonna answer any of those questions, thank you very much. But he will say one more thing on the topic -] You're right. Thanking you does make perfect sense, so thank you.

[Then comes his sharp detour onto another topic, as well as his attempt to turn the focus back on Kei.] What's your motivation, then? Your real motivation, the one that drives everything you do and makes every choice for you.