Unwillingly, Jei nodded, even though the petty pranks that he had been subjected to were only likely to get worse if he was known to hide behind someone's skirts.

"I'll... tell you. Or someone." Under his breath, he muttered, "It would be all right if they let me hit back."

With a slightly defiant expression, he told another half-truth: "I test myself sometimes. That way... if there is something I do not do, it... it is not because of my eyes...."