481: Chapter 13 Gone by Days (Part 1)_2 481: Chapter 13 Gone by Days (Part 1)_2 “Yes.”
“That’s good.”
Gongsun Ce removed his glasses.
“The hero is tired.
His clown sidekick is tired too,” he said softly, “Everyone has graduated from their second adolescent phase; it’s time for the heroics to end.”
The doctor put down the last pill and pushed the medicine box toward the young man, looking into his eyes.
“You really have grown.”
“I’ve just become more cowardly.”
“Learning to compromise is also a form of growth.” The doctor stood up and picked up the medical kit, “This house call is on the house.
If you don’t want to undergo psychological therapy, just spend more time with that newcomer.”
“Hey, I just had a bout of being too nice.”
The doctor turned back and looked at his unaware face.
You’re much better when you’re joking and talking with that girl than when you’re alone.
She’s a fresh visitor in your life who doesn’t remind you of past sorrows.
The doctor didn’t vocalize these thoughts, simply stating,
“Since you’ve grown, stop being a sidekick and play the part of a good senior instead.”
After saying this, she turned and left.
·
After leaving Gongsun Ce’s apartment, the doctor proceeded to her next destination.
She surveyed the pedestrians on the street, noticing several black figures among them.
They were the Wing of Death.
The black-clad figures brazenly roamed the Thorn District; this was not a common sight…
Recently, there had been tension and several confrontations between them and the Mutual Assistance Association.
This might be the start of another conflict.
The doctor adjusted her route, avoiding the gangsters from a distance.
But, unexpectedly, one of the gangsters actually approached her proactively.
She recognized the man who dyed his hair yellow and carried a handgun, an old member of the gang’s leadership.
“Doctor sis, sorry to bother you!
Can I take half a minute of your time?”
The doctor stopped, silent.
The yellow-haired gangster nervously rubbed his hands and asked, “It’s like this, our group has taken in some new members these past few days…
They’re not very insightful and tend to cause trouble…
Just wanted to ask if any of them have been bothering you.”
The doctor shook her head, and the gangster sighed in relief, grateful.
“Thank you, doctor sis!
Thank you, I’ll go find those newcomers!”
The yellow-haired gangster left, and the doctor pondered his words.
The Wing of Death didn’t seem to be there to cause trouble this time but rather to look for someone.
Had one of their members gone missing in the Thorn District?
In the current undercurrent-filled environment, missing often equaled dead.
If she thought about it more, she could deduce even more: for instance, that their suspected target was likely a female, and that they held a certain respect for the strength of this newcomer…
But this information was irrelevant to her.
The doctor had no intention of wading into these troubled waters.
She could already see the sign of the “South Wind Pavilion,” so she cast these thoughts aside and entered the doors of the family restaurant.
A familiar hat peeked out at the third booth on the right side of the entrance, and the blonde girl at the table waved to her.
“Senior~~”
“Mm.”
Like every other time they met, her junior greeted her with a warm hug, like a docile large yellow cat.
The doctor scratched her friend’s chin and sat down at the other end of the booth.
The table was set with pre-ordered desserts and drinks.
Kardesia got herself an iced fruit juice and pushed a cup of black coffee towards her, “How’s our foolish old friend doing?”
The doctor took the coffee and looked at his reflection in the black liquid.
“Do you remember seven years ago?”
“Oh my God, I remember,” Kardesia said listlessly.
“He destroyed the whole ship, you turned the soldiers into monsters, blood was everywhere like ketchup…
I almost lost it because Aorus, that piece of shit, was laughing maniacally, until Chi Zijing smacked him in the face with a stick…
You know, senpai?
If our lives were a B-movie series, that day would have ranked at least fifth in terms of shittiness in this series.”
“Freshness 10%?” the doctor asked.
“Too generous, 5%,” Kardesia replied as she poked one ugly hole after another in the cake with her fork.
“Don’t tell me he’s going to lose it again.”
The doctor sipped his coffee and memories of the distant past surfaced.
Silvery-white metal walls, room with no visible doors, surveillance everywhere…
Quieter than Zero Island, but with a different kind of oppression.
“After that day we switched cells, Gongsun Ce and I were locked in a special area because we had both lost control before, just the two of us unable to leave…
just the two of us always taking medication.”
“I was 12 years old then, still unable to control my emotions.
I thought it was all his fault, his reckless actions brought trouble on both of us, causing me to lose control too.
So I cursed him with all my might, using the language of Zero Island, because I hadn’t learned the Imperial Language then.
I knew I was just venting, but I didn’t care.”
“Until I saw his eyes.
I thought I would see sadness, anger, or something else.
But I was wrong; there was nothing in his eyes, just an empty void, murky as a corpse’s.”
—Just like Ayane that day.
The sudden association made the doctor remember the forest of Zero Island, the corpses, the flames, and the laughter.
She fell silent for a while, waiting for her mood to settle before continuing.
“Even without expression, we can see inner life in someone’s eyes.
If a person’s eyes have nothing in them, what’s left in their heart?” the doctor murmured.
“I was stunned, and then I heard Gongsun Ce whispering, very quietly, ‘I’m sorry.'”
“He just sat next to me, his head down, mechanically repeating over and over.
Sorry, sorry, sorry…”
“That’s when I realized he was actually younger than me; I was 12 that year, and he was only 9.
I was venting inexplicable anger on a child without considering his feelings.”
So you indulged his nasty jokes afterward, didn’t you?
Kardesia almost said, but she noticed the doctor’s voice wasn’t as calm as usual, instead tinged with sadness.
The blonde girl sat next to her friend, took her hand.
“It’s not your fault, Senpai.
We were all just kids back then.”
“We’re still kids now,” said the doctor, turning to look out the window.
“Just ten minutes ago, I was at Gongsun Ce’s house, looking at him now.
He’s changed, his hair turned to gray, he’s wearing normal clothes, he’s learned to respect others, he uses acting to hide his emotions…
but deep down he hasn’t changed a bit, still that child in the cell, apologizing over and over to someone whose whereabouts he doesn’t know.”
A somber silence fell between the two.
After a while, Kardesia said worriedly, “I went to see Mo Yuankai yesterday, he’s really changed.
He’s pretending to be spirited, but anyone can see how jaded he’s become…
I never imagined that overly enthusiastic middle-school syndrome kid could turn out like this; what the hell did they go through?”
“Don’t ask,” the doctor shook her head.
“Ah, Senpai, what should we do?”
“I only take care of treating people.”
The doctor thought for a moment and then said, “Gongsun Ce recently started taking on newcomers; find an excuse to take them out for some fun.”
“He’s a mess himself, and he’s taking on newcomers…” Kardesia felt powerless.
“Fine.
I know, I’ll pretend I don’t know anything…
just be the heartless, silly friend who takes them out for wild fun.”
“You’re never silly,” the doctor said.
“You’re a kind girl.”
“I just burned down a street last week because some asshole pissed me off,” Kardesia said without enthusiasm.
“I’m just too kind.”
“Have you picked up anyone for your home lately?” the doctor changed the subject.
“Not recently.
I find it boring.
Their reactions are always the same, either screaming in fright when they recognize me or calculatingly trying to establish a connection with me…” the girl with the top hat sighed.
“Alright, I admit my motives aren’t entirely altruistic; I sometimes hope I can pick up a handsome boyfriend who falls from the sky, but it seems there’s no such prince charming in this world.”
The doctor remembered her friend’s past recounted criteria for a partner and consoled her thoughtfully.
“There’s always one in your dreams.”