"Here."

NC looked up from the little burrow he made in the center of his bed, which was made out of blankets and an assortment of pillows. As he raised his head, NC saw something in front of his face—dangerously close, in fact.

Flinching a little at the object, NC burrowed himself back into the covers. Much to his embarrassment and consternation, Normal Cell had a laugh at his expense, which only prompted NC to shove the covers away from his face.

And then—

He saw it.

Dangling in front of his face was the embroidered handkerchief that he had given Normal Cell back at the infirmary. Silently, one of NC's hands snaked out of his covers and grabbed the handkerchief so that he could fold it back into one of his pants pockets.

"Aren't you going to say thank you?" Normal Cell groused as his copy studiously ignored him.

NC remained silent as he finished folding the handkerchief and then he began to enclose himself back into the covers of his bed.

Normal Cell, apparently, had other ideas.

Normal Cell yanked the covers back and stated, "We need to talk."

NC shook his head and ripped the covers back while he burrowed himself deeper into his makeshift nest. "I disagree."

Of course, as per usual, NC completely underestimated how stupidly persistent Normal Cell could be. Then again, Normal Cell was also the same cell who kept badgering him into playing solitaire with him even though it was supposed to be a solitary game.

He was that persistent.

Before NC could process another thought, his roommate pulled the blanket away from him, leaving him suddenly shivering from the onslaught of considerably cooler air. Without even thinking, NC shot up from the bed, his lime green eyes filled with rage. Already, his hand was curled up in a fist and he was reaching back, his aim already pinpointed at what he considered to be his enemy.

His arm reached back.

He aimed.

And then—

Normal Cell, despite his lean structure and his unassuming appearance, managed to knock NC's arm away. He then used the brief moment of confusion to grab NC by the collar of his white shirt. Shocked into silence because of the sudden movements, NC remained still.

NC knew that he could still take his creator, but he obediently remained in his hold. For some odd reason, he wanted to hear what Normal Cell had to say. If things were to go awry—which was an outcome NC didn't want to ponder now, but it would come to pass eventually if he wasn't careful—he would have to make sure to dispose of Normal Cell as discreetly as possible.

"All right, I'm listening," NC managed to choke out. He was about to rip his mentor's hand away from his shirt, but the look in Normal Cell's eyes stopped him. Begrudgingly, his hand fell back down to his side and he forced himself to relax. At the very least, he could at least trick Normal Cell into thinking that he was subdued.

(And no, it wasn't like he actually felt subdued because of Normal Cell's disappointed gaze).

"Good." His mentor dragged him up to a sitting position and then settled himself onto the edge of the bed. Both of their eyes bored into each other. One pair of dark black eyes stared straight into lime green. "Are you ashamed? Is that why you don't want any of the other cells to know you're a benign mutation?"

NC looked to the side, not wanting to show Normal Cell how right he was. Perhaps it was because of the foggy memories that he still had floating around his head. Was it truly shame? Was he the sort of cell that could feel shame?

Guilt.

Remorse.

Shamefulness.

What was he?

Who was he?

He had a sudden desire to become a cell that wasn't Cancer, but at the same time… He was Cancer.

Non-Cancer and Cancer at the same time.

For the first time since he had woken up, NC wished that he was born without such memories plaguing him. He wished that he could look upon his lime green eyes in the mirror and know that he was only a benign mutation. He wished he knew who he was.

He wished…

After seeing Little Miss Red so helpless, so eager to hide herself from him… It angered him. He had seen how his dear red blood cell looked upon his mentor without a hint of resentment and fear. It brought an ugly feeling into his stomach.

NC's hands clenched the edges of his blanket.

Why couldn't Little Miss Red look at him like that?

So full of trust.

No worries.

How much had he done to wrong her in his past life?

He could only catch snippets, flashes of memory. He was trying to create a new world, wasn't he? Had he not reassured her from time to time that he would give her a life free from work? Why was this entire situation so confusing?

"My eyes…" It made him unique, but it was a reminder. A casual memento from a lifetime ago. Was he ashamed? "They're unique." He finished lamely.

Normal Cell looked at his roommate, a critical look in his eyes. Slowly, so that NC could stop his advances if he so wished, Normal Cell placed a hand on his shoulder. The pressure and the warmth that Normal Cell emitted… it was akin to the warmth that Little Miss Red had exuded back at the infirmary.

In fact, if his memories could reach that far back, it reminded him of that dank apartment complex. Back when he…

NC took a deep breath, his fists clenching reflexively as he pulled the covers over his head. He… he wasn't special.

He wasn't unique.

He was a monster.

He was a monster who… who…

NC couldn't bear to finish that thought. What were these sensations, these feelings? Had he not felt the bite of resentment, the heat of anger? Yes, he had.

Yet.

Had he felt the coils of anxiety, the waves of sadness overwhelming him?

Cancer was no more, but it was his sense of self from the very beginning. What was he now?

"1998," Normal Cell whispered. Gently, with a gossamer touch, he pulled the covers down so that he could see his creation without the cloth hindering his attempts. At first, NC fought back, but then abruptly released his hold on the blanket. "Look, if you're mad at me for making a mistake, I am truly sorry. If you want to lie about the origins of your eyes, fine. So be it, I suppose." Normal Cell looked at his creation with a stern look. "What I can't condone is your behavior regarding the white blood cell and the red blood cell today."

Normal Cell's deep brown eyes frowned, a little glimmer of… something looking shrewdly back at NC.

"What about my behavior?" NC couldn't help but grumble. "I apologized and then we left everyone on good terms. What more do you want from me?"

Normal Cell simply said, "I want you to talk to me; be transparent."

When NC yielded no answer, Normal Cell huffed a sigh.

"You know them. Or, rather—" Normal Cell's eyes bore deep into NC's eyes. His eyes… dark brown, bordering on black, looked almost knowing. As if he was looking into NC's very coding and structure and seeing right through him. "—you used to know them. Explain."

NC took a deep breath and then—

Someone rapped twice on the door—both knocks were hesitant and barely audible. However, once Normal Cell caught wind of a visitor, he rose from the bed. Much to NC's dismay, Normal Cell muttered, "Don't think this discussion is over."

With fluid, almost languid movements, Normal Cell crossed the threshold towards the door. NC contemplated throwing the covers back over himself, but really, he was only hiding from Normal Cell. Maybe if he could play his cards right, he could sneak out while his mentor was busy with whoever was on the other side of the door. With mischief running through his veins to counteract his existential crisis moments, NC set to work fixing his bed and gathering a few pamphlets detailing the "must-sees" of the body. NC didn't actually require having a guide (it seemed rather useless anyhow), but he would need it as an excuse.

As soon as the blanket was folded and pressed down onto the bed, NC stood tall, glanced at the doorway where he saw a familiar head of red hair stepping inside, moved a bit past that red hair, and—

Wait.

NC paused in the middle of the hallway outside of the apartment, his eyes widening when he realized that he passed in front of—

"NC-1998!" Little Miss Red stared up at who she assumed was just another normal cell. She stepped out of the apartment, her hands clutching a basket filled with nutrients. She glanced at the way he was angled towards the outside and to the pamphlets that he hadn't stuffed into his pockets. "Were you… were you planning on going somewhere?"

NC swallowed and nodded a little.

He had so much to say, but could he really say it? Should he apologize for scaring her earlier? Should he apologize for his advances back at the infirmary? Or worse, should he apologize for the fact that Cancer was standing in front of her—still alive, still a monster, and still wearing lime green eyes as if they were a badge of survival?

He… he wasn't ready.

Normal Cell, sensing that the cells in front of him needed to have a conversation, graciously interjected with a smile and a wry look in his eyes.

"Now that I think about it, Miss Red Blood Cell," Normal Cell started, "Maybe you should share your nutrients with 1998, yes?"

Little Miss Red blanched a little at his offer, but ultimately nodded with a surprising look of determination on her pretty features. Again, NC found himself at a loss for words.

He was Cancer, but that didn't mean that he shouldn't have control over the situation. What happened to him? When did he become so submissive, almost cowed in the presence of his creator and the cell that he had imprisoned?

As much as he would have liked to ponder the matter further, NC's eyes widened.

Her hair!

It was her hair, which was held back in a small braid. Although restrained from falling out of her somewhat messy braid (perhaps she had it herself without a macrophage's help), her hair still shone in the light of the apartment complex. It shined and he perhaps he had never noticed it before, but he realized that there were many underlying shades that made up the vibrant red shade. As NC watched in mute surprise, Little Miss Red tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Looking at her now, NC couldn't help but think that she braided her hair just for him. It must be, why else would she appear on his doorstep?

"Are you sure?" He turned to Normal Cell and found that his mentor looked pensive, but encouraging all the same. "I was actually planning on visiting some sights of the—"

"I can help take you there!"

Little Miss Red, always the unexpected one, spoke up a little too fast and too enthusiastically. If NC didn't have the presence of mind, he would have teased her for it—and probably accuse her of having some sort of underlying motive.

The erythrocyte probably sensed that she sounded too eager for a simple suggestion as that, but she powered through with an apology. She bent forward in an apologetic bow before saying, "I want to thank you for getting help and seeing me in the infirmary." She glanced up at him through her eyelashes. "You didn't have to do that, but you did anyway."

NC felt… dizzy? His face was aflame and the pamphlets in his hands were definitely going to get wrinkled with the way he began to wring them through his hands.

Unbeknownst to 3803 and NC, Normal Cell observed their interaction and knowing that it would probably take a while, he began to shoo them away in the direction of the exit.

"Have fun, you two!"

To the person who is using the reviews as a means for asking questions not pertaining to the story, please ask me questions on my tumblr (devintrinidad). As for your questions pertaining to Chapter 28 of the manga, please look through my tags #cells at work and #hataraku saibou on my personal tumblr search since tumblr won't publish posts with links in general searches.

Please, the reviews are only meant for the story itself. That said, please don't spam. If you want to ask questions, I repeat, please ask me questions on my personal tumblr instead. Have a nice day.