The kid's more right than he even knows. Something inside J twists horribly at the realization: the kid's damaged, badly, and he knows it, and it's so far outside of J's ability to fix right now that he's not sure he even knows where to start. It's mission failure before the mission even began, and if J feels awful about it, that can't even start to compare to how the kid feels.

"Could be," he manages. "Can't say I know for sure." It's an out and out lie, but he's been covering his music sense for so many years that it sells easily. "But if it was...I guess you gotta keep hopin' it'll be that way again. Hold on to that feeling, an' maybe it will."