He probably should be insulted - he's sixteen, that's practically an adult man, but Popp is mentally all over the place right now. He takes a deep, shaky breath. He's not a kid, after all! He has to act like it, and solve his own problem here.

"So... I have to put him off track, then, don't I? I've got to start talking about how proud his future self's going to be when he sees how much I've improved, and it's going to feel awful."