Almost at once, he pops back into the ground.

But she already saw him, though... he couldn't brush this one off as a trick of the eyes. He re-emerged and he knows he should be forcing something else out if he wants to learn new feelings, but--

"Watch where you're going! I was almost paste!"

... Alas, he can't force himself out of his first reactions even if he knows that's exactly what he should be doing. It's just too tempting to be his old shitty self.