Major, personal doctor, and childhood friend.

Those were his boundaries. Just a little bigger, but that didn't mean he was allowed to step out of it.

He thought he was fine with that. Why would he need to? That was all there was. He wouldn't, he thought.

He thought.

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Normally, one wouldn't consider Coo to be a lucky person. He was born on a planet in poverty and in debt, his parents, personal doctors to the king and queen, had either fled with their majesties, or had disappeared entirely, leaving him behind, and he was in the military at a very young age.

No, many would pat him on the back and give him their condolences.

Of course, Coo couldn't expect them to do anything else. They weren't one of them, and they didn't know her. In actuality, Coo was a winner in their situation. To be that close to her was the ultimate advantage, something to be envied. And it was.

But Coo didn't know he was leaving the safe zone, though he told himself he wouldn't.

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"Major."

Coo looked to the side at the stern faced Rik and Ky, and having just come out from another of Piyoko's check up, pulled his stethoscope from his ears. He doubted he'd need to, though, since he was sure what the topic was again. He'd memorized how it would go, and could answer it all flawlessly with his ears shut. First was—

"—Don't get so cocky!"

Ky had interjected, so then was;

"Lieutenant. Patience is a virtue, and how this problem must be solved… for now."

"Apologies. It's just rather frustrating at this point."

Now they would say:

"Major. We acknowledge your position to Pyocola-sama, but do not abuse—"

"We've been over this already." Coo interjected, not feeling particularly gracious as to listen to the whole thing again. "And I've told you, you're worrying for no reason. 'm nothing more than my rank 'n a childhood friend. At most she's like a little sister. That's all."

"But—" Ky started, obviously annoyed.

"Don't got any secret motives."

"It's not—"

"There aren't gonna be any other answers," he said, annoyed as well, "I know 'm not going after anything else, 'n she doesn't think of it anything different."

"Or so you say." Said Rik, finally, who had been silent during their argument. "Perhaps you're not telling the truth; to even yourself, much to our frustration."

Coo was taken aback for a moment. He had never heard that before in this near-daily event, but it made him uneasy. "Don't start talkin' gibberish! Whatever, I'm leaving now."

They were a little lost.

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Major, personal doctor, and childhood friend.

That's all he was to her, and he didn't think of her more than he should. He didn't step out of his lines.

That's what he told himself.

She was just the leader, and he was just her doctor. She was the princess, he was her friend. That was all.

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"Coo… I-I have something I want to tell you, pyo."

He shouldn't have gotten as excited as he did. Why did he? He was just overly curious, he thought, since Piyoko confided in him first. But she always did, didn't she? So why…

"I don't know what to say, pyo, but… there's a person I like, and he is…."

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Coo was stepping out of his boundaries. He didn't need to, he had told himself. And anything that seemed to be him going over them was just what any other Major, personal doctor, and childhood friend would think and do.

He wasn't out of line, he said.

------------------------------------

"….Ky."

Just like any other Major, personal doctor, and childhood friend.

That was all.

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Sometimes, Coo really hated being thirteen, and sometimes, he really hated being a boy. He had read about it in medical books, how, where girls were more emotional, they were more likely to sort out their feelings and be aware of them, while boys would rather vent than figure it out. The years of adolescence were the ones where things starting to develop, so it was more likely for mishaps and let ups and and for issues to arise.

He didn't want to be a girl, though. If he was, he would have missed out on lots of things he enjoyed as a boy, and he would have been unable to experience to feel many things that he did.

Of course, that didn't mean he liked being this frustrated, and not knowing why he was feeling like he did.

He couldn't be sure anymore, and it was getting harder to convince himself that he had never over-stepped anything.

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Ky had been looking for him, no doubt to discuss what had become the usual topic.

Coo could laugh.

"Major, there you ar—"

He didn't finish. Coo had grabbed him by the collar of his clothes, jerking him down to eye level. He was the youngest of the PKO, but he was definitely one of the stronger ones.

"—Huh?.! What are you doing?.!.?"

"You, you better take good care of her." He wasn't angry, no; Coo wasn't sure exactly what he was feeling anymore. But he knew he wasn't a winner anymore, and one could be sure Coo could be a sore loser.

"You're not making any sense. Explain why you're—"

But Coo wasn't listening, and he let go, nearly shoving the other back, and stormed away, heavy aura and all.

------------------------------------

Really, Coo should have been happy for Piyoko, if not a little concerned since she was so young. But he wasn't, despite how she was smiling now.

Blocked everything out with his ears shut and his eyes closed, mouth silent to protest and held himself in on lock and key not daring to think.

Though it was a little too late to admit it now.

He had stepped out of his boundaries and pretended he hadn't; a Major, personal doctor, and childhood friend. But he slipped.

And that was all.