Ah, what a comfort that hand in his hair is. Shinji stinks a little further in to Kai's hold at it, leaving what he has to say next a bit muffled.

"I know." Like, he knows this, and it's reassuring to hear it reiterated, but there's still a part of him braced for the worst. And that's what feels awful about it all, like that part of him should be at ease by this point. None of it's Kai's fault, but it's still something he has to deal with. Just terrible.

He turns his head a bit, to make himself clearer, "I don't like the thought that I might be keeping you from someone better, but I don't want to push you away or let go of you, either."

Like his head and his heart are at odds over this point. It's dumb. Just super dumb.