The large double door to the medical bay seemed inviting. Next to it hung a sign with a red cross printed on it. Seishin tried to look through the frosted glass panels in the door, but he couldn’t make out more than rough blurs of color. Kenko did not knock as he opened the door. As they entered, a strong smell hit Seishin. Even without a sign outside the door, Seishin would have recognized from the smell of disinfectant that this was a medical area.

The room was bright, illuminated by the warm light of the lamps. It had doors led to smaller rooms, and some of them were closed. A row of chairs stood against one of the walls, providing an improvised waiting area. To Seishin’s surprise, before one of the walls was a shoulder-high glass box filled with water. Fish swam around between algae and stones. Despite all this, the room seemed quite empty.

A thump of footsteps sounded behind one of the open doors. A shadow appeared on the tiled floor as a stranger entered the waiting room, turning to Kenko and Seishin with a polite smile. He was young, in his early twenties, but his movements seemed effortless and exhausted. The bright white coat caught Seishin’s attention.

The stranger was a doctor, making Seishin feel queasy. His hair was blond, looking almost golden in the waiting room light. A few strands stood out, and the deep braid appeared a bit loose. He probably didn’t have time to fix his hairstyle. As he approached them, Seishin critically examined his face. Under the blond strands, he scrutinized the eyes of the stranger. One of his iris was green, while the other was unnaturally golden. Around the golden eye was a green tattoo of circles, which gave the impression of having been hastily drawn with a marker. The stranger’s narrow glasses hid the tattoo a bit, but it could not be missed.

“Topas, how are you?” Kenko greeted him in a friendly manner.

“Good, and you?”

A bit of small talk followed; however, Seishin didn’t hear much of it. He had turned toward the aquarium and pressed his nose against the cool glass. “I brought someone with me to introduce to you. It’s Seishin, a newbie.” Kenko introduced Seishin, who was focused on the fish. “Seishin?” Kenko’s words reached the purple-haired man, who glanced over at Topas and Kenko.

“Oh, hello,” Seishin muttered hastily, turning away from the fish tank.

“My name is Topas. Nice to meet you.”

Before he could shake Seishin’s hand, Kenko interrupted the greeting, “Seishin’s hand is slightly injured. Can you help?” Topas lowered his gaze and thoughtfully gazed at the hand Seishin held out to him.

“Good, this shouldn’t take long. Please come with me,” Topas announced, turning away from them. With quick steps, he led them both to one of the open doors. Seishin entered, then sat down on the patient’s couch. “I will send someone to take care of your hand. Please wait a moment.” Topas said before leaving the room with Kenko.

“Seishin, huh?” Topas spoke softly, careful not to let Seishin see or hear him. “Where did he come from?”

“He’s Exper Red1406 from the South Lab.” Topas’s gaze wandered uncertainly toward the waiting room where Seishin sat.

“A Red? The next few weeks should be interesting.”

For a few minutes, Seishin just sat and watched Kenko, who stood in front of him. He was not sure whether Kenko was looking at him.

Finally, the door opened, and a woman came into the room. Her friendly smile was followed by a greeting. “Hello, are you Seishin? I’m going to take care of your injury. Please give me your hand.” Gently, she grasped the injured hand, her fingertips glowing with fine lines appearing under her skin. The lines spread across her skin onto Seishin’s hand. He felt a comforting warmth as the wound began to glow before the pain subsided. Then the glow disappeared, along with the wound.

”It’s gone?” Seishin muttered, stunned. Carefully, he moved his hand, turning it back and forth in wonder. The doctor waved goodbye. “If you need help, just ask. We’re happy to help.”

“Thank you!” Seishin smiled broadly, then rose from the couch. He followed Kenko, who led him out of the room to the exit.

“All the doctors here are members of different organizations. Yet they work together as if they have always been a team,” Kenko said proudly.

Topas, standing in front of the notes on the wall, turned to Seishin. “Satisfied with your hand?”

“Yes. Thanks again.”

Kenko placed a hand on Seishin’s shoulder. “Can you wait outside the door for a moment? I have a little matter to discuss with Topas.”

“No problem,” Seishin replied, opening the door. He stepped out into the hallway, leaning against the opposite wall. As the door closed, the sound from the sick bay disappeared as silence took its place. This quietness flooded Seishin’s mind, helping him to think.

This place is full of hope and cheerfulness. I am afraid it will not be like this forever, though. He put his head back and closed his eyes. I’m afraid. I don’t want to go back.

With a crack, the door in front of him opened, and Kenko left the sickbay. He announced cheerfully, “Now I’m going to show you where you can spend the next few nights.”

With a tentative smile, Seishin followed him.

The TP was confusingly large. Left, right, left, right, right… Kenko knew where he was taking Seishin. Every now and then, a few people passed them by and greeted Kenko. The longer the two of them walked through the corridors, the quieter it became. They stopped in front of a wooden door with a sign that read “Newbies.”

Seishin gave a dejected grumble, but it sounded more like a grunt. “Great. How long do I have to stay a newbie? That sounds dumb,” Seishin muttered.

“Once you join an organization, you won’t be a newbie anymore.” Kenko opened the door, and they both entered the dark room. The air was stuffy and warm as if the room hadn’t been ventilated in a long time. “Phew… I should open the window,” Kenko remarked, disappearing into the darkness.

“Kenko?” asked Seishin cautiously. He didn’t like the darkness, and yet it seemed so well-known and familiar. With a flourish, Kenko pulled aside the curtains and let some light into the room. With a few moves, he opened the windows to allow fresh air to stream in. Blinded by the light, Seishin squinted his eyes shut and blinked at the brightly lit window.

“Why are there windows down here? Isn’t the TP built underground?” He approached the window, placing a hand on the cool glass. Behind it, he saw a room full of plants, flowers, and trees, their branches brushing the ceiling. Delicate vines snaked around a few wooden railings, while other plants carried blossoms in the brightest colors.

“A group has created this garden. In hard times, this place is more important than you’d think.”

“A beautiful place,” Seishin murmured in thought. In the lab, he had never been able to see anything like this. There were no windows and no colors.

Kenko turned to the beds across the room. “Choose a bed. You’ll get new clothes later.”

Seishin settled down on a bed next to the window. Curiously, he pricked the mattress, then lay down. Cozy, he decided.

The sound of Kenko’s footsteps drifted away. He opened the door, then turned to Seishin. “I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll wait and sleep,” Seishin replied, adjusting the pillow under his head. Kenko closed the door as Seishin’s eyes fell shut.

Sleep. That’s all I did in my cell. Sleeping… I had a thin mattress to lie on. No pillow. No blanket. They were afraid I’d kill the guards… with the blanket or the pillow. Seishin sighed deeply, his hand tangled in the bedspread. I’m not dangerous. That was just their excuse to keep me locked up. Hastily, he opened his eyes. He hated those thoughts. I’m tired, but I can’t sleep.

He sat upright, put his feet on the floor, and stood up. Taking a few steps, he faced the window. He tried to calm himself to let the thoughts slip his mind. Silently he stared out the window for several minutes, completely lost in thoughts. “Everything feels so strange,” he muttered.

“I know, I know,” a voice beside him replied. Seishin jumped aside.

“How the heck…? How long have you been standing here?” he asked Kenko, who was calmly looking out the window. Seishin didn’t notice his return.

Kenko smiled amusedly, then replied, “Your new clothes are on the bed. That’s it for today. Tomorrow, we’ll pay another visit to Topas.”

Seishin relaxed, approaching the window again. “I don’t like doctors.”

“The auction will be held the day after tomorrow.” Again, Kenko moved away from Seishin. “See you by tomorrow,” he said goodbye, and then left.

For a few seconds, Seishin remained silent, waiting to see if Kenko had changed his mind about coming back. When the door remained closed, Seishin decided to explore the room. Except for beds and a wooden cabinet, there was not much to see. Another door led to a small bathroom with a shower, toilet, mirror, and cabinets. He stepped closer to the mirror that hung above the sink. Mesmerized, he gazed at his reflection.

”That’s me, right?” It took only a few moments before Seishin caught sight of a female face in the mirror. “Or am I like this? Who or what am I?”

Without bothering with the reflection any further, Seishin went to bed. He tried not to think too much as he drifted off to sleep. He awoke shortly thereafter. A disturbing noise had woken him from his dreams. A knocking, plus a muffled voice.

“Seishin, are you awake?”

Sleepily, he sat up in bed. A little light peeked out from behind the curtains, allowing him to make out the outline of the furniture.

“Seishin?”

He yawned as he grabbed the white coat he had dropped on the floor before sleeping. Quickly, he slipped the soft fabric over his arms, then trotted to the door. He opened the door a crack and winked at Kenko, who waited dutifully outside the door.

“Oh, hey. Sorry, but you—” Kenko fell silent and eyed Seishin up and down. “Seishin? Is that you?”

“Of course, it is. Who else would I be?” Without questioning Kenko’s words further, Seishin replied, “I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do today.”

But Kenko avoided his gaze and held his hand in front of his eyes as if he didn’t want to look at Seishin. “You should wear more than just underwear. Please, not everyone wants to see your boobs.”

“Boobs?” replied Seishin questioningly, looking down at himself. There were breasts. And the fact that Kenko hadn’t recognized him led him to conclude that he was facing Kenko in his female form. “Oh, yeah. I forget that sometimes. That’s my other form. You know about my ability, right? But it’s a secret.” Seishin hastily disappeared into the bathroom.

Kenko stopped in the doorway and smiled in amusement. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

Shortly after, Seishin, in his male form, left the bathroom. “What’s on the agenda today?”

“Breakfast first. I hope you’re hungry.”

On the way to the canteen, Kenko began a serious conversation. “Keep your ID to yourself for now. At least until the auction. No one must know that a Red has shown up. Otherwise, you might get into trouble.”

Seishin thoughtfully looked at Kenko. “What about Akai and Liam? They know about it. Topas, too, I’m sure.”

The two of them stopped in front of the door to the canteen. “Don’t worry! I’ve already talked to them.” Kenko smiled confidently, then opened the door.

Inside the canteen were various chairs and tables, with a few people sitting and eating. To Seishin’s right was a long counter with trays of food on it. Cakes, sandwiches, fruits, and much more were offered. Seishin’s mouth watered as he took in all the delicacies in front of him.

Tobias, the canteen’s chef, stood behind the counter and greeted Kenko. Kenko, meanwhile, turned to Seishin. “What would you like?”

“I don’t know,” came the prompt reply. “I’d like these sandwiches and a peach, please,” Kenko ordered quickly.

“Sorry,” Tobias replied, “we’re out of peaches. But we have apples.”

Kenko sighed, then looked at Seishin. “Yeah, an apple’s good, too. Seishin, would you like one too?”

The purple-haired man looked at Kenko, stunned. “What? No! I don’t like apples at all.” He then fell silent for a moment before hesitantly adding, “What’s an apple?”

Kenko chuckled. Meanwhile, Tobias had put Kenko’s order together on a tray. Kenko took the tray, thanking Tobias. Then he turned to Seishin. “Let’s eat.” Together, they walked over to one of the tables. Seishin’s gaze lingered on Kenko.

I like him. I think I’ve made a friend.