Maruki for once goes completely quiet as his widened eyes regard her with nothing more than actual genuine confusion. From the moment she starts talking about a reality where he gave that Ren a choice to...the fact that Ren accepted it and things changed between them.

"What are you talking about, Yoshizawa-san?"

You know exactly what she's talking about.

He remembered that image when he was trying to defend himself against that Ren but that's not...that's not right. That was just something his brain came up with in immense stress. This can't possibly be right. He shakes his head as he looks away from the red haired girl and curls up his gloved hands. "Why would he face me for his true reality? All I have ever done is use patients for-"

-my powers as subjects for my research.

All of a sudden he stops, realizing just what was going to come out from his mouth. For some reason a knot grows in his chest at the thought of what the girl might think if he continued that sentence. Hence he back pedals and blinks, "I mean use patients' experiences to simply understand how CBT treatment works."

Unless...he managed to figure out a way to manifest and build the perfect reality.

That can't be...

"Is that what Azathoth is supposed to do? All I have been making is infinite snacks in the palm of my hand."