Ginko can't pull together a reply to that first part; it's probably true, and he knows that. Right now, Hector still likes him, as he knows some others do.

That promise, however, only makes dread burst in his lungs again. He answers almost immediately, halfway afraid that Hector will somehow hear how tightly he's gripping his stone. "Don't say that."

The best he can hope for is that it's a mere platitude, without any true substance. But, if Hector really means that-- if Ginko lets himself believe it, that will only set them both up to fall harder.