idk bro gimme a break

Maybe if we didn't meet...

Gepard stared at his lunch. He had nothing in his mind except for mundane tasks.

To eat or not to eat, does it matter? Rather than doing anything, what's the use if nothing will happen?

He closed his lunch box, putting it back to his bag.

He knows he needed to eat, but he's really not hungry. His dry mouth and empty chest, it was awfully too down.

Is he depressed? Can't be. There's nothing to be sad afterall.

It's been months since the trailblazers solved the stellaron problem. It's been months since he was stationed in the Legion defense team. Non-stop fighting, strategizing, and killing. A life of a silvermane guard. Though Bronya had arranged some day off for Gepard . He brushed it off, considering, if no one does it, then who will? Duty calls, nothing is more important than work.

Gepard is sure he's extremely happy to serve and protect Belobog yet... to have fog across his chest, he wonders, what's missing?

He was called by Bronya in her office.

"Go to the Astral Express" This made Gepard perk his head, he was gonna oppose the order until "Gepard, I understand you love to work here. However, as both your leader and friend, it's best for you to take a break. Clearly, you're going thru something. Unload your worries and come back when you're well"

"Who will defend the city while I'm gone? This is an absurd order, Madam, I cannot just-"

"Gepard... Seele will become the acting captain for a while. Besides, I can't let you work in a hazy state. I'm- No- We are worried about you" Gepard felt on edge now. His daily routine consists of him on-patrol or just guarding. Truthfully, he feels scared. Without his job, his mind will begin to think. There's never good results whenever he lets his mind wander.

"I understand" Regardless, he knows Bronya wouldn't drop it, and besides she's the supreme guardian... her words are absolute. It's also hard to oppose, especially when he knows it himself that there's a problem that needs to be addressed.

To think it reached his work performance, Gepard can't help but criticize his self. It felt painfully frustrating to know that his emotions slipped out of his mask. He never lets anything get to him.

Why did he let this one do it?

"Captain!!" Caelus waved his hand up in the air with a jolly face.

Today is the day he'll depart. He isn't sure about this whole thing. Bronya said to treat this as a vacation, but from Gepard's knowledge, the astral express goes to planets with stellarons. So, it's a questionable decision to put him in here. But, he trusts Bronya's judgment since it is true that the trailblazers are a bunch of formidable people.

Maybe it is a vacation afterall.

When Gepard stepped in, he was welcomed with tassles and confetti coming from the side. He glanced at the source and saw a grinning March 7th. "Welcome to the Express!! Captain Gepard!!!"

"Tha-Thank you for your hospitality"

Ms. Himeko gave him a warm smile "Feel free to ask me or Welt any questions."

"That's right, just let us know if you need anything, Captain. As our honorable guest, we want to give you a wonderful experience while traveling with us" To hear such person call him Captain, it was too much of an honor.

"Please, Gepard would be fine, I am off duty" He says.

"Hehe~ You occasionally visit, but now you're with us!!! Oh, by the way, you'ld be staying with me because... those two are roomies" pointing at Caelus and Dan heng.

.

It feels unreal to lie in this comforter/bed and stare at the express' roof. He never really thought he'ld be the one under here and not Serval. He was never the type to venture. If anything, he was contented.

Until... yeah..

"Can't sleep?" March's voice suddenly popped. Gepard thought she was asleep already.

Gepard replied with a monotonous hum and sighed "I... don't know what to feel, I know I lost something yet I can't seem to accept it" opening this with March feels right. He never got the chance to talk about his inner feelings with people, if he wants to... he didn't want to burden them. He didn't want the citizens he ought to protect to think of him less. He had always been the shield of Belobog. If people hear he worries about trivial things, then what would he become?

He heard March shuffling in her bed, she looked down at Gepard and hugged her bear tighter "I get what you mean, I lost something too! I can't seem to retrieve it..." a sad chuckle followed "But ya know! Although I accept that it went away, I can't seem to shrug it off. I always try my best to find it because I want to know if I'll still be myself if I get it back. Tough case, you know?" Gepard awes inside his head. He could resonate with her situation, but hers sounds more complicated. He wants to know about March's case but he didn't want to pry.

"