[Was it really so easy, though? If giving this back to him really solved everything, then that would be one thing. But that was the straightforward answer, and it was, as far as Souji knew, only a temporary solution to whatever he's found himself entangled with this year. And he refuses to elaborate as to what's haunting book, just to cap all this off... If he can't give his reasons for needing it back, then what does Souji have to go off of? What are the odds that he'll do something to damage it instead?

...

Souji, after a moment of staring at the book, looks back at the elder man...before shaking his head.]

...I realize you likely know better. But if you won't share what you know about this, I can't really trust you with it.

[A failure to communicate is the worst thing you can really do here. At least, that's how he feels.]