The gesture isn't lost on Tech, not that he knows what to do with someone crying. He quickly turns his attention frontward, giving Rokuro what space he can. No tears seen here, not at all.

"That's not true. We both decided to go to have a drink, made an understandable mistake, and sought to correct it in a manner that did not involve violence. It was... an interesting time." There was a strange sort of satisfaction in proving themselves. But all that bravado is gone. It's just them.

Tech's pace slows at Rokuro's admission then, not that he'd been going very fast to begin with. A friend... That's something he's never had anyone say to him directly. It's not something he's really give much thought to, but then his identity has been largely wrapped together with his squad, and what little they identified as friends saw them as a whole at best. His hand tightens just slightly around Rokuro's.

"...thank you... for being my friend," he says quietly, looking back at Rokuro.