Welp, this clears things up: Kaede is just an emotionally immature dumbass who either lets her impulses determine her behavior or runs away from them (which is, really, just another impulse to give in to). Nanami, meanwhile, has finally reached zen and realized that mind-reading is not something she can do, so she asked Kaede a direct question and is waiting for a direct answer, whatever it may be, without letting her emotions get the better of her anymore.
So, this could just be me projecting, but I've long suspected that Kaede comes off like an undiagnosed ADHD kid. She's actually pretty bright and clever, which makes her good at the things she can focus on, and her impulsiveness is both endearing to those around her, because she's clever and funny, but it's also crippling to her financially and socially. She neglects relationships, procrastinates on dealing with issues. Her impulsiveness makes her fun to be around and gives her a great sense of humor, but the lack of a filter also leads to careless comments like the one that set off Koyuki, and eventually people go away because of all these things, and every time that happens, she sees it as a confirmation that it's just not for her. But it CAN be, she just has to be with somebody who understands how she works and is willing to help her manage it.
But its all left her traumatized and afraid of losing somebody that is genuinely indispensable to her, so she's spiraling right now.
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