[His breath stutters and he holds it rather than make it obvious, humming when he adjusts to his heartbeat hammering in his throat.]

There is much to be said about the nature of this place pushing those sorts of bonds on people, anyway. I don't think you're a bad person for being interested, Gaku-san is quite the looker. [He grins faintly, the expression more genuine-- he means that, even if he isn't specifically interested in Gaku, himself. He is simply aware of conventionally attractive traits, and Gaku checks every box, and furthermore he's a veritable malewife.]

[If he's deflecting so the attention stays on Ellis, well, no the fuck he isn't.]