Private Finished Looking a Little Down

This was one of his more fulfilling workdays. It wasn't much different from the usual: come in, clean himself up, get put under anesthesia, wake up several hours later brand new, as if he didn't have his organs messed around with for most of the time he was asleep. What made this day special was that someone needed an organ transplant ASAP. Most would be stressed by suddenly being called in to save a life. Konpeitō was thankful to be needed. And at the end? He saved a life and he got extra money for such a specified and important job. That was a recipe for a great day.

So why didn't it feel great? He could think of plenty of reasons. Those reasons he tried to not linger on, yet a small part of him did. His body was a little more grey as he walked down the hospital's halls to the lobby. It wasn't as obvious with his light pink button-up shirt and black suit pants, but there was a noticeable dip in color compared to his usual self. The tense expression he wore also wasn't helping.

The smell signified Serena's approach, but not her aura. The necklace he wore shielded him from the effects of auras.

Konpeitō slowed down his pace slightly as he heard Serena try to catch up with him. He would have kept going on with his usual pace, but he wasn't in the mood to rush. Or to be rude.

"Ah, hello Ms. Seirín." He looked down at his body and grimaced. Two seconds later, all of his colors returned. "I didn't realize I looked... like this." The laughter that followed sounded genuine, though his smile was taut. "Tea and biscuits sound nice though. I don't have any plans after this. I just finished work."

Konpeitō gave a small snicker as he followed Serena. "You don't need to call me Mr. Konpeitō. Konpeitō is just fine. How was work today?"

On most days he was feeling awful, he would have declined any invitation to hang out in preference for his online friends. After breaking up with Vladimir and reflecting on his future plans, he realized how removed he was from everyone else. Who was his closest friend that he could confide in when in need? There wasn't anyone he could be intimate with, other than his therapist. Everyone he was friendly with was held to such an arm's length that calling them to hang out would seem weirdly sudden.

Presenting himself as being cheery all day sounded awful, but he needed to get out more. Everyone else was moving along with life. Somehow, he was becoming further separated from everything. This was as good of a place to fix himself as any.

Serena's day was busy, yet she spoke about it happily. That was nice. Nursing was not the career for him, but he held a deep respect for those who valued and enjoyed their work.

That also went for those who would pay for his meal. "Thank you," he replied sweetly. "I won't order anything expensive." After a few seconds of looking over his options, he went with green tea and a ham sandwich. Neither would do anything for his appetite. What mattered was his taste buds enjoying themselves.

"I didn't realize you noticed my, uh, colors. Did I turn grayer while walking past you? Most people don't notice or rationalize it somehow."

Serena's change in speech was not missed. He was thankful for it. It was a little weird to him. The island exposed him to many different ways of speaking, but he was a very modern man. There came a line that, when crossed, left him confused.

"Aha, I thought I was doing better at keeping it under control. Buuut it's pretty hard staying aware all day and night." He leaned back into his chair, showing off the more casual side of himself. "That's one of the more annoying flaws of my shifting. A friend told me that it makes it easier to understand my emotions. I can't say I like the idea of my emotions being on my sleeve, though."