[Hijikata remembers that Zuko's friends thought poorly of Gokudera. Well, it really doesn't matter anymore now, does it? He exhales smoke.]
It's hard to understand, isn't it?
[He also never understood why Mitsuba liked him. Such a gentle woman... what did she see in an abrasive, violent man like him?]
I know you didn't hurt Zuko.
[He doesn't know that at all, but he believes it. Gokudera is an earnest boy. Hijikata saw how happy and excited he was to enjoy a night out with his partners. Whatever reservations the others had about him, he's convinced that they were based on prejudices.]
no subject
It's hard to understand, isn't it?
[He also never understood why Mitsuba liked him. Such a gentle woman... what did she see in an abrasive, violent man like him?]
I know you didn't hurt Zuko.
[He doesn't know that at all, but he believes it. Gokudera is an earnest boy. Hijikata saw how happy and excited he was to enjoy a night out with his partners. Whatever reservations the others had about him, he's convinced that they were based on prejudices.]