AE-3803 pushed her cart with Co2, much like every other day, through the long roads of the circulatory system. During one of her delivery routes, amongst the crowd around her, she spotted her loving senpai, AA-5100, carrying a basket with nutrients. AE-3803 ran towards her with extreme joy, hugging her with all her might, she almost knocked both of them down. "Senpai, hello! How have you been? It's been so long!"
Senpai let out gasp in surprise, and put her free hand on AE-3803's head. Patting her kouhai's head softly, she chuckled discreetly. "Come on, it hasn't been a day since we last saw each other. No need to be so dramatic, but it still warms my heart how pure and honest you are when it comes to expressing your feelings." Said the caring Senior Red Blood Cell. "How have your deliveries been going today? Any problems?"
AE-3803 looked up at her Senpai, and, excitedly, shook her head from side to side. "No, no! Everything's been going alright, Senpai. I've been getting better at directions, slowly, but still, better." She stepped away from the hug. "Are you going to the lungs? Let's go together." She said with shiny eyes.
"I'm not going to the lungs, but we can walk together for a while, before I need to take my detour, how does that sound? We can chat along the way too. We haven't had a nice chat for a while, despite seeing each other often." Senpai replied with a tender smile, to which AE-3803 nodded and together they traveled across the veins.
The chat they had was brief, but enough to brighten AE-3803's day. As they parted ways, she stood in place, waving at her senpai until she was completely out of view. Reinvigorated, she continued her delivery route with long strides, and a big smile on her face. In her mind, she wondered if she could, one day, become such a caring and supportive senpai to someone else, just like AA-5100.
"Senpai… Senpai…" Those words resonated on her head, making her giggle as she continued walking, lost in her thoughts. "Senpai!" That last one made AE-3803 realize that the voice wasn't just in her head, as NT-4201 stood in front of her, pouting. "Senpai! Are you deaf?! I've been calling out to you for a minute now, don't you realize that'll make me be late on my errands?"
"Oh, oh! You're my kouhai, NT-chan. It's been a while, I haven't seen you since that blizzard. W-Why are you here?" AE-3803 was happy, but also shocked seeing her again. Even if their time together was brief, it was, still, one of her best memories as an erythrocyte. She assumed her kouhai had move on already, as she, clearly, didn't need any further instruction.
"I-I need help…" She blushed ever so slightly, barely letting out her voice. "A-Are you free later o-on?" She looked at her, eye to eye, hers showing her struggle. AE-3803 was moved by her troubled expression, and nodded rapidly. "Of course! Let's meet here again, once we are done for the day, okay?" She knew that NT-4201 was very serious when it came to work, which is why she decided to hold her questions for when both of them were free.
A small sigh of relief was let out by NT-4201, who merely answered with "Okay, I'll see you then, thank you so much, Senpai." She gave a small bow to AE-3803, and continued her route. Just as she did previously with her own senpai, AE-3803 waved at her until she was lost in the crowd.
"Okay, this is my chance to be an awesome senpai for her. Just like Senpai is with me. I'll support her in everything she needs. Just wait NT-4201, Senpai's here!" AE-3803 thought, getting a bit flustered at the idea of her being a support to NT-4201, who knows the world better than her, was way better at her job, and way more mature. "Now is not the time for that, I need to help my Kouhai!" She slapped her face softly and continued on with her daily tasks.
Hours later, an exhausted AE-3803 was sitting on one of the benches along the road, patiently waiting for NT-4201. She had run through her head everything she could think her kouhai might need help with. Considering her attitude and way of thinking, it had to be something related to work, but why would she would come to her, of all people, for help. Those thoughts kept running wild on AE-3803's mind.
She was about to fall asleep, when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. "Senpai, wake up." The touch was firm, but delicate at the same time. It was NT-4201, who was sitting next to her. "If you're too tired, we can meet tomorrow." She said as she looked down, with the same troubled expression from before. This made AE-3803 spring back to life as she answered. "No. no. I'm sorry, NT-Chan. Tell me, what is it that you need help with, you can trust your senpai!" She put her hand on NT's shoulder.
"W-Well, you see… it's kind of stupid." NT looked down.
"If it's troubling you, then it's not stupid. I'm here for you, so go ahead." AE-3803 said, trying to repeat something similar AA-5100-senpai told her when she was feeling down.
"Okay…" She took a deep breath and then spoke so fast, it was hard to understand. "I'm in love and I don't know what to do!" Then, she covered her face with her hands.
AE-3803 only managed to let out a "Huh?" Shocked by the revelation, and, trying to be a mature and composed senpai, she also took a deep breath, preventing herself from getting flustered. "So, that's what it is, I understand now."
"D-Do you really understand, senpai?" NT's voice was muffled, as her face was still covered.
"W-Well, not completely, this wasn't an option I thought of when I was preparing for this, but I'll do anything in my power to help you. Even if my experience with love is… lacking, to say the least. My senpai might be more helpful, to be honest."
"N-No, there's a reason I wanted to see you. And not anyone else." NT finally uncovered her, still blushing, face.
"Oh, then I'm all ears, NT-Chan." She gave her the most reassuring smile she could offer, which did its job.
"O-okay, I wanted to talk with you because… I'm in love with a neutrophil!" She covered her face again as she couldn't bear the embarrassment of confessing that to her Senpai.
"Wait, whaaat!?"
What it felt like eternity passed since NT-4201 revelation to her senpai, who stood frozen in place, trying to process this new information. The silence made NT even more flustered, leading her to, almost, yell. "Senpai, say something!"
"Uh? Oh, yes, yes. I'm sorry, It's hard to imagine you being in love, NT-chan. But you're still young, and young love is one of the best things one can experience, that's what people have told me, at least." She was trying really hard to be a good senpai, despite being even more flustered than her kouhai. She hadn't had any love conversation with her senpai, or anyone for that matter, so she wasn't sure how to handle NT's sudden request.
"I just needed someone to get this off my mind, since it's all I can think of right now, I can't concentrate during work." NT sounded like she was about to cry, still covering her face.
"No, no, don't cry, NT-chan." AE-3803 didn't know how to handle this, so she, simply, pulled her closer in a hug. "I'll help, don't worry. We'll resolve this love problem, even with my inexperience, so please don't cry, whoever is the lucky one wouldn't want to see you cry, right?" She softly patted her on the back of the head as she spoke.
"I-I'm sorry, Senpai." She pulled back from the hug, regaining her composure.
"So, you're in love with a neutrophil. Which is why you came to see me, right?"
"Yes. Some of my friends are in love, but all of them are between us, Red Blood Cells. Then I remembered you walking around with a neutrophil, which is why I said you're the only one who can help me."
"I-I see, well, I'll more than willing to help, if you…" AE-3803 stopped on her tracks as a revelation flashed through her mind. "Wait, you aren't in love with Mr. U-1146, right?" She asked nervously, almost dropping down her "Senpai-mode."
"Senpai! I'm not that kind of girl!" She said pouting. "I'd never fall in love with my senpai's significant over, that would be pretty rude."
"Oh, you've always been really respectful , I'm proud of…" Once again, another revelation hit her mind. "Wait, what? Significant other?! Nononono, you m-m-misunderstood t-things, NT-chan." The serious and mature "Senpai Mode" was shattered to pieces, as AE-3803 tripped over her words, turning darker than her jacket. "W-we're just f-friends, friends!"
"O-Oh, really? Sorry, senpai!" It was hard to say which one was more flustered at this point, as both were not good at talking love related matters. AE-3803 made an attempt at defusing the situation, trying to keep the conversation about NT's request. "O-Ok, regardless, let's forget about all that. You need help to get closer to this neutrophil, right?"
"Uh huh." She nodded, taking deep breaths to regain her composure.
"Mmm, that'll be hard. My friendship with U-1146 started by accident, we don't really meet, we just bump into each other a lot."
"I see. Well, I've crossed paths with him too. And we've courteously exchanged greetings. He's a good fighter too, and saved me and my friends in some occasions. I'm just too embarrassed to even try talking with him."
"Huh. Now that you've mentioned it, me and U-1146 have met each other throughout our whole existence, and most of the times, he has saved me in one way or another. Would you allow me to ask him for assistance in this too? Only if you want. I know it took you a lot of courage to come up to me, so if you don't feel like it. I understand."
NT-4210 took a moment to consider this. She muttered. "I don't know if I should bother him… he's busy. And I'm unsure if I'm deserving of getting help from both of you." She looked down once again.
"Of course you deserve it! I'll drag U-1146 around if I have to. I'll make sure your smile shines bright, because I know you can make anyone fall in love for you with it." She gave her another tender hug. This time, she heard her kouhai mumble. "Thank you, senpai. You're the best." AE-3803 immediately got teary eyes, but held on to not make her kouhai uncomfortable.
After some minutes of embracing each other in silence, NT-4201 pulled away and said. "Let's meet tomorrow, okay? I'll think of ways we could do this."
AE-3803 nodded and replied. "I'll not rest until I find U-1146 and convince him to help! Even if I have to look around all day. Okay, NT-chan, it's getting late, so I want you to go rest for tomorrow, it might be a big day for you. I don't want to see you tired, okay?"
"Okay!" She stood up and gave her senpai a bow. "Thanks for today, Senpai. I'll take my leave now." After that, she lost herself in the crowd. Being alone once again, AE-3803 finally calmed the nerves from being a legitimate senpai for the first time. She relaxed her body and slumped down on the bench, leaning her head backwards and closing her eyes. She wasn't sure how much time passed while she was in that state. She only heard the familiar voice of her best friend, U-1146. "Yo, working hard? I got tea for you."
Afterword
Hey! Trying to do something a bit different! A longer story as a two-parter, the next part will probably be published 2-3 days after this one. This can still be considered on the same "Timeline" as my other works, despite of not really focusing on RBC with WBC. I decided to pick Kouhai as a protagonist instead, since I think her character is really interesting, and I am a bit sad she hasn't been showcased again in the manga. Plus, I think that showcasing AE-3803's relationship with her in a non-work related matter can be interesting. Plus, who knows who Kouhai's mystery crush will be. Thanks for reading this! And I promise to publish the resolution as soon as I can :D
