From the Macross Frontier light novel vol 2 (I think), translated
here.
In the novel, the scene of when Alto took his time when he was asked to take a girl role in "Human bird" movie is shown in more detail scenes, with Michel has a big part in it.
Michel: "Why did you transfer to the pilot department in the first place?"
then he started blabbing about his past, about his parents (he stopped smiling and lost the will to live after his parents died). the different part is when he started talking about his sister buying him a kabuki ticket for him. and they went to watch it together.
Michel telling Alto that he watched the kabuki act of a boy the same age as him performing a princess, how that princess was really pretty and how his sister told him that this world still have alot of pretty things, like that act and the boy-princess. And that's when he decided to try keep on living.
Alto strongly asked Michel "And you're trying to say that princess was me?"
Here he thinks in his heart "I(Ore) , I(boku) , I(watashi) am not that kind of existence"
*ore is what guy uses to address himself, boku is for boys, watashi is for girls/all, in formal events
seems that Alto is losing in his inner conflict with his "girl" part he acted since he was a boy.
So... what Michel trying to tell Alto is he saw the boy Alto and he purely thinks Alto's act/Alto was that of a beauty and was a savior to himself. so he doesn't want Alto to be a pilot killing people, thus dirtying himself.
Alto of course doesn't agree with Michel, opposed it completely WHILE speaking using girl's way of speaking.
"I was always... I was always seen by those eyes... filled of lust, only to satisfy their image of the ideal woman...! only for their arts, for their beauty, for their paths... What are those things! I am, I'm a guy!"
And while he saying that he's crying like a girl, with Michel wiping alto's tears with his handkerchief.
Well, all these ended when they heard Ranka's scream.