Pester me all you want, [ Matt says in amusement. ] It'd probably be good for me. And who knows, I might learn to be a better teacher that way.

[ There's a joke about hope on the tip of his tongue. "Don't worry about getting my hopes up, I don't really do that anymore." But even in his head, that sounds a little dark? Or like he'd need to explain more about his mental state than he's necessarily comfortable sharing. There is a difference, Matt's realizing, between having hope and holding a belief--between working towards a goal and believing things will turn out fine. He's not sure how to characterize that difference--maybe gazing up at the stars versus looking towards a distant horizon--but whatever it is, it's a lot for a first meeting. ]

Either way, Sebastian, [ with another small smile, ] I look forward to meeting you.