the coolness of a cold coffee can is pressed against the younger's cheek without warning. shintaro's head is angled low, gaze fixated in the other direction. "kido told me you were up late. take care of yourself." silence, and more silence - it continues for a bit longer until : "... people worry about you, you know." (he's one of them, despite their relationship ; despite kano's anger towards him. he still worries.)
     the sharp chill against his cheek shakes him from his stupor, and listlessly, almost as though still in a daze, his gaze slowly lifts to identify the culprit â or rather, he should call it the benefactor instead. after all, this time, the person in question brings not spiteâs fuel but compassion. he stares at the can for several long seconds before wordlessly accepting it, clutching the drink while returning his stare to its original focus: straight ahead, but seeing nothing at all.
     late, perhaps, may be an understatement. heâd accidentally returned to the base at the same time kido was just beginning her morning routine, locking eyes with her for a moment before quickly turning away, heading back to his room. he said nothing, she said nothing, but they both knew what would have been said. the last conscious thought floating in his mind before he drifted off into a brief sleep: curse my carelessness. kido, likely hoping not to worry shintaro too much, had only conveyed the bare minimum, but considering who exactly was on the receiving end, it's all too likely that he could guess anyways.
     no wonder that shintaro gives him coffee, a gift all too helpful, then. in the prevailing silence, he pops open the can and takes a sip; itâs jarringly cold, itâs bitter, but he likes it. ( itâs almost a familiar taste â a harsh taste that wonât leave his mouth no matter how hard he tries, the sensation of never being warm again â but this is definitely easier to swallow. )Â
     thereâs no reaction that surfaces on his face as the other attempts to express his care, for itâs something he knows, heâs heard, yet somehow it still doesnât feel real. in particular, if such words come from him â heâs been utterly terrible to shintaro, the boy whose suffering he turned a blind eye to, the boy he wrongfully dumped all blame on, the boy he harmed in a struggle to relieve his own pain. are they just textbook lines, to be used on people who donât seem right despite understanding nothing? are they echoes of a persona, to be repeated to fulfill the image of a caring person? are they genuine, with true feeling behind them? he doesnât want to know. he doesnât want to think. ( what he deserves from shintaro is his ire, not his concern. )
     however, this silence canât continue much longer, lest he allow the genius to draw more conclusions than heâd like. instantaneously, a cheerful grin appears on his face and he turns to face the other, seemingly as energetic as always.  â  eeh? shintaro-kun, were you worried about me~? kukuku, how cute! i accidentally got carried away and before i knew it, time had flown by and left me in the dust! iâll be sure to get a loooong rest tonight to make up~  â












