NC was definitely not having fun.

After Normal Cell had intervened, NC had been unceremoniously thrown out of the apartment complex alongside an equally worried red blood cell. Together, they looked at one another, both of them trying hard not to flinch. The whole situation was awkward and was definitely not something NC wanted to relive ever again.

After a moment of silence, NC decided to walk in a certain direction, offering up a lame excuse that there was a small little cafe near the apartment complex. Unbeknownst to Normal Cell, NC had been paying attention when he had left the complex for the first time since his awakening. However, he still offered the cafe as a means to comfort his companion because he wasn't all too sure if Little Miss Red wanted to go with him.

It surprised him to give an option like this to her. Before… He simply hadn't.

However, he knew that she was more likely to attack a bacterium with nothing more than a basket and determination than to be rude to a customer. (Really, in any other world, that's what he would have been). It didn't take long for her strides to match his own, her footsteps falling into line with his. Still, there was definitely a sense of hesitation and unwillingness on her part.

NC wondered what he would have done if he was truly Cancer. Wasn't Cancer—he?—a cell who didn't care about normal societal conventions unless he was trying to blend in? Weren't they almost friends in the past? Cancer was sociable, NC…

NC didn't know anymore.

Out of curiosity, he looked down at his companion and saw that she was still carrying a basket full of nutrients. Although it was her duty, NC stuffed the pamphlets he had stolen into one of his back pockets and gestured for the erythrocyte's basket. When her golden eyes looked askance at him, almost suspicious or fearful of his actions, he rushed to explain himself.

"I could carry the basket for you," NC murmured.

The red blood cell continued to look up at him, confusion more than apparent on her face. At this angle, with him towering over her much smaller stature, he could see that stray hairs were coming out of her braid. Had she made that braid all by herself? Or had the kind macrophages offered up their expertise?

Did she even have a braid back at the infirmary?

Or had she been wearing it back when they had first encountered each other ?

Memories were blurring into each other, making it a muddled mess like he was dipping watercolor paint into water too many times. What used to be clear colors melding into each other like a dance was now a foggy, indistinguishable mess.

His head hurt the more he thought about what was real, what he had imagined when he was a dastardly Cancer Cell, and what he hoped weren't things that he actually had done. He shook his head at those thoughts, but found out that such a harsh movement had him stumbling a little in his steps, his hands coming up to his temples as he tried to reason through the chaos of his mind.

Then—

Cool fingers brushed against his temple and NC blinked.

Gold.

Red.

Concern.

Fear.

It was at that moment, NC realized that he was looking up at his savior: Little Miss Red. It felt nice to be taken care of by such a gentle soul, but then, NC realized that he was on the ground, his arms splayed out by his sides. 3803 kneeled next to his head; any fear that had accompanied her features was now gone. If it weren't for the fact that he was seemingly helpless and vulnerable, he would have been happy. As it was, however, this was not a situation he considered ideal.

He tried sitting up, but 3803 pushed him down with barely more than a gentle shove. Her touch was light, but NC allowed her this one thing. Besides, her eyes narrowed at him slightly when he winced again at the sudden change in his position when he tried sitting up.

He didn't particularly like that look on her face.

Had he been this soft for her as Cancer?

Or was this all new?

Whatever the case, NC wanted this cycle to end. He was just so tired of going through memories that he was sure would cause any immune cell within the vicinity to take him down if he so much as let them catch wind of his thoughts.

Another thought came to mind.

Was he becoming weak? All of these memories of his time as Cancer Cell… would he have been proud to be in such a vulnerable position with the one cell that he favored among others besides the white blood cell who could easily philiopshize with? If this had been any other time, if he had been reincarnated as a new cancer cell, would he have allowed this situation to happen?

Since when had he become susceptible to something as trivial as fainting?

This was horrible.

"Are you all right?"

NC tried sitting up, but again, 3803 pushed him down gently. It was at that point, NC noticed that they were huddled near the base of a bridge. It was a fairly secluded area, with only the brief passing of a red blood cell scampering up through the bridge or the patrols that were held by some of the lower ranked white blood cells. Regardless of location, NC had the inkling that maybe during his fainting spell or whatever that was, Little Miss Red must have either carried or dragged him to this location.

NC didn't know whether or not he should be grateful that his Little Miss Red decided to take pity on him. Perhaps he should feel a sensation closely linked to happiness. If 3803 had done this of her own accord, maybe…

Maybe what?

NC rubbed the back of his head, fully aware that 3803 was glanced down at him with narrowed eyes that were somewhat filled with concern.

"I think…" NC flexed his fingers and slowly rose, fully ready to acquiesce to any attempts Little Miss Red had in restraining him. She must have realized that he was fine—better than fine if there was some sort of bond or relationship about to blossom. "I think I'm fine."

3803 nodded before relaxing next to his side. Beside them, the river steadily streamed through its bed, idle chatter could be heard as a few cells walked over it. For a moment, everything was still until—

"You're not wearing contacts."

Her voice was calm, measured. NC looked to his side and found that Little Miss Red was staring at her lap as if she was the one addressing it instead of him. Belatedly, NC noticed that more of her hair—locks, even—had begun to slip out of the braid. Based on what he observed of the red blood cell, he could surmise that she had been dragging her fingers through her hair or tugging at it. Perhaps it was a coping mechanism—to cope with him.

To help cope with the reality that NC was actually Cancer.

And, yet, not at the same time.

NC would have been just as likely to be as stressed as her if he had ever been put into the same situation.

Still, NC wanted to observe her further. Instead of answering her blatant question, he canted his head to the side and watched her curiously. Thankfully, he didn't need to wait long.

Serious and slow, 3803 spoke up again. "You're Cancer, aren't you?" Her golden eyes looked upon his lime green eyes. There was no sadness, fear, anger. No, instead, NC found himself facing eyes that betrayed no feeling.

Was this revelation as upsetting as NC had feared, or was she readily accepting him? NC decided to bite the bullet and tried to explain himself.

"NC-1816… He says that I'm a benign mutation, not at all like a regular cancer cell." He hoped that his words reached 3803, that his admission that he wasn't a cancerous cell would lay her inquiry to rest. However, erythrocytes were hardy, stubborn cells, AE-3803 included. Naturally, she looked into his passive face and glared at him.

This was something that he had seen before, time and time again when she was in captivity because of his foolish, needy actions. He had wanted something that his favorite white blood cell had. He could have gone after him, but instead, Cancer had gone after the red blood cell. The first time he had ever seen his Little Miss Red, both 1146 and 3803 were talking.

Cancer didn't know what they were talking about, but it must have been something that had caused a troubled look on 1146's face. Cancer had wanted to laugh. That look of unease, of fear… that reminded him of when he was fighting the white blood cell. Despite any misgivings that 1146 must have had, it was clear that he would do anything to do his job—even if the both of them could have been friends.

They could have been allies.

They could have been so many things, but his mutation hindered him.

That stupid, cancerous mutation in his DNA sequence… It had taken a bit of research, but Cancer had learned that his creator had somehow messed up the transposing sequence of RNA.

Perhaps he wasn't paying attention and had neglected to check.

Perhaps, it was an honest mistake that came with doing your job for as long as you remember and your focus happened to slip.

Cancer didn't think it mattered anymore. For some odd reason, he had become fixated upon Miss Red Blood Cell and then he started to follow her.

And then, he began to notice things about her that no one else seemed to see. Her laugh was as vibrant as the daylight cycles, her hair a bright beacon of laughter. But it wasn't just the physical characteristics that called out to him. No, what really drew him in was that she was different.

Like him, she was an abnormality that should not have been raised as a viable red blood cell. Her oxygen deliveries, while many and respectable, were still somewhat slow and she sometimes missed deadlines. Her sense of direction was hampered by her need to consult with maps and other, more experienced red blood cells. Some of them, he noticed with a growing sense of anger and resentment, had talked about her like she was… she was…

It was unavoidable.

Some of those stupid erythrocytes actually talked about his dear Little Miss Red (a nickname that he had picked up when he heard one of the neutrophils with the buggy eyes began calling her that) like she was a cancer! At first, Cancer had been angered by this.

She, compared to him!

She, who did her job relatively well and with far more determination than those with better qualifications!

She, who always had a smile on her face even when she tripped, lost directions, and had been attacked by so many bacteria.

It was unacceptable.

And what Cancer found unacceptable, he knew that he needed to change.

And so, he met her.

Officially, of course. That ride upon her cart, the fact that she was just as kind as he thought she was. That was when…

Well, he didn't want to say that he planned everything to the most minute of details, but when he realized that Little Miss Red could be perceptive towards his advances, he had to act fast.

First, he was like any encroaching cancer. He traced her movements, made sure to make himself as friendly as possible. Heck, he even engaged in fascinating conversation with her. Although her words were somewhat scripted (all because the body had brainwashed her with propaganda that everything had a place except for cells that didn't fit), he still forgave her. Once he had the body under his control, then he could finally give her a taste of what a world was like free from such preposterous ideals and positive platitudes that did nothing but rot one's intelligence.

And then…

He made a mistake.

That one time he tried to indulge himself, not knowing that his dear Little Miss Red would catch him in the act of gorging himself silly on nutrients while another of her cell class lay dead on the ground.

That was mistake number one.

When he took her away into his hovel of a home, trying cycle by cycle to make her listen to his reasoning, only to realize that she would never convert to his way of thinking.

That was mistake number two.

And now—

"I…" He faltered for a moment before he steeled his nerves and looked deep into AE-3803's eyes.

She looked back at him; in her eyes, there was a challenge hidden there, but underlying fear permeated the overall feeling of her eyes.

"I was."

And that was mistake number three.

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.