Saiko awoke in the darkness, eyes wide with excitement as he remembered his plan. Today, he was determined to finish his morning tasks early—Doctor Shuu always told him efficiency was important, after all. And if Saiko finished his duties fast, he'd have a little extra time to visit with Makoto.
Pulling himself up from his thin mattress, Saiko hurried to dress, fumbling with the buttons of his nurse's uniform. He caught a quick look at himself in the shard of mirror he'd kept hidden under a cloth—just a fleeting glance, enough to make sure his uniform was neat. Then he hurried out to begin his morning rounds: preparing food trays, filling water jugs, folding linens just so, and stacking them neatly. He worked with extra care, picturing the way Makoto had smiled at him yesterday.
By the time he approached Makoto's room, Saiko's heart was thudding, nerves and anticipation building together. When he pushed open the door, he was met with the sight of Makoto propped up against his pillows, flipping through the worn pages of a book. The moment Makoto looked up, his face lit up with that same warm, easy smile, and Saiko felt his cheeks go pink.
"Oh, Saiko! You're early today," Makoto greeted him, setting the book down on his lap. "I was just thinking about that brave little cyclops from the story I told you about yesterday. I was hoping you'd come back—I've got more to share."
Saiko's smile widened, and he shyly approached Makoto, setting down the water jug on the nightstand. "Y-yes, yes! Saiko worked fast-fast to see Makoto again. Work done, very tidy-tidy! Doctor says fast work is good work."
Makoto chuckled softly, glancing out of the corner of his eye as Saiko leaned in. "Good boy, Saiko." The words were soft but deliberate, laced with a playful tone that sent a warm shiver through Saiko. "You really are a hard worker."
Saiko beamed, feeling his heart skip at the praise. "Thank you, Makoto! Saiko tries very, very hard." He watched as Makoto flipped a page in his book, fingers tracing over the illustration of a gentle cyclops with a single large eye, resting under a moonlit sky.
Makoto patted the edge of the bed, beckoning Saiko closer. "Come, sit with me. You'd like this part—this cyclops learns to dance with the stars. It's his way of making people happy, his gift to the world." He smiled a bit wider, tilting his head as he watched Saiko, his tone growing softer. "I think you'd make a great dancer, Saiko."
"Dance?" Saiko echoed, wide-eyed and curious, edging closer to Makoto. "Saiko never tried, but... could learn. Saiko would try very, very hard to make people smile, like in story!"
Makoto chuckled, his hand resting casually on Saiko's arm as he continued, "You're already good at making people smile. It's a rare gift." He squeezed gently, sending a jolt through Saiko, who looked down at Makoto's hand in wonder, as if it were something miraculous.
From the hallway, a shadow stirred—Doctor Shuu stood with a tray in hand, his gaze dark and fixed on Saiko's every movement. He watched as Makoto spoke to him in that gentle, indulgent way, lingering on the way Saiko's eye shone with a kind of warmth and happiness that he had never managed to coax out of his creation. Something in him twisted.
"Saiko," the doctor called sharply, stepping into the room and casting a cold glance at Makoto. "Are you finished here?"
Saiko jumped to attention, stiffening as he turned to the doctor. "Doctor! Yes, yes! Saiko finished morning duties—worked fast-fast, tidy-tidy, just like Doctor likes!"
Doctor Shuu's gaze narrowed, flicking from Saiko to the hand Makoto still had resting lightly on Saiko's arm. His lip curled faintly as he set down the tray. "Is that so? Seems you found more time to waste here than to report back. You'd think you could manage to follow simple orders."
