"Saibou no hanashi" - One Shot Collection

The youngest worker of the U-division was casting sideways glances at his friend, who had been rocking on his chair with a cup of tea in his hand and looking at the horizon as though he was meditating. Finally, 4989 couldn't bear his curiosity anymore and broke the older's tranquility to ask him: "What are you thinking about, pal?" "Do you remember your previous life?" replied 1146 with another question, continuing to rock forward and backward. The younger one widened his eyes in surprise. It was no secret that their life cycles were rather short in comparison to other cells', and that some cells did remember their past, like some kind of déjà vu. Sometimes, these memories got activated in extreme situations like, for example, during a battle, when they had to eliminate certain enemies. He briefly thought about it before giving an answer, directing his look at the ceiling. "Well, once I remembered an alternate path to the liver. Dendritic Cell said that it had to be a memory from the past. Ah... and I also remembered the macrophage, who treated me when I had a broken arm in my past life. Maybe due to the trauma, because she adjusted my arm in one go! Kinda like this: Fuaaah!" he said, moving his arms to imitate the macrophage's actions. The older one laughed softly. "Alright, this counts, I suppose. But I meant deeper stuff, memories that make you question everything..." he replied, still gazing at the horizon. 4989 looked at his friend with curiosity. 1146 was serious when he had to be, not like 2001, who was serious all the time. Also, he could joke when it was necessary, not like himself, who did it very often, and on top of that, was mysterious like 2626, but still opening up to his friends when he needed it... He wasn't a Casanova like 2048, but regularly mocked for his talent to make female friends. 1146 had a bit of everyone, but was still unique. The younger one wondered what kind of deep memory his friend could have to immerse him to such a point in almost existentialistic thoughts. "Come on, pal, don't keep me in suspense. What did you remember?" he asked, placing his face on both hands as a sign that he was listening with all his attention. The older one stopped rocking, looked at both sides over his shoulder to make sure that no one else would hear their conversation, making the younger one even more excited. "So it has to be either something very good or something very bad," 4989 thought. "I remembered my life as 1117." "Holy moly! This was a billion years ago!" exclaimed the younger neutrophil, baffled. "Shhhhhh!... Quiet. We're actually not supposed to remember something that old, and I don't want any memory cells, neurons or dendritic cells to ask me questions and write books about me... That's why it's a secret. SE-CRET, so shut up. I'm trusting you here," 1146 scolded him, covering the other's mouth. 4989 just nodded. "Well, how it happened was really strange. I was on a patrol and bumped into some platelets talking to Sekkekkyuu, who was lost and looking at her map... I offered to mark the simplest route to her destiny and asked her for a pen. And then: Bam! It was like a 30-seconds-movie about my life as 1117..." "Oh, pal, this was probably wonderful and interesting... So? How was this life? Were you the same? Has something changed? And what does the pen have to do with it?" 4989 was so excited to learn more that he was talking too quickly and spluttering. "Well, you see... this is the point. In that past life, I already knew Sekkekkyuu." "AE3803?" "Yes, but there she was 'Ae3803'." "Like I said, AE3803." "Yeah, but with a small e..." "Pal, we are talking, not writing. The hell is wrong with you?" *Uncomfortable silence* "Whatever, she was taller back then, but her hair had the same red color and her eyes were as beautiful, deep and shining as they are now..." continued 1146 quietly. The younger one looked mockingly at his friend. "Uy~ 'as beautiful as now'~ Muah~ Muah~ Kissy, kissy~"  "That's it, I won't tell you anything anymore..." replied the annoyed 1146, trying to hide his bright red face. "Come on, friend, I was just joking. Please continue... I won't annoy you anymore, I promise, platelet's honor." "You're a neutrophil..." responded the older one, his visible eye twitching. "Oh, that... Okay, okay. I won't annoy you, neutrophil's honor," 4989 corrected himself and returned to his "You have my entire attention"-pose. The older neutrophil sighed and continued his story. "So, as I was telling you, she was taller, but her eyes as beautiful as they are now. I asked her for a pen... This was how we got to know each other, and then we met again, and I asked her for a pen one more time. I remembered the first time as 1117, so that means that I got to know her when I was 1116! And I was still remembering her..." "It's like a dream inside a dream... What a crazy story, brother, but continue." "And... And well, it turns out that she already was a great worker back then. We were good friends and... aaaah..." 4989 noticed the blush appearing on his friend's cheeks. "And you were in love with her?" he completed the other's sentence. 1146 blushed even more. "...We were, we were... We were living together, do you understand me?" The younger neutrophil opened his mouth so wide that his jaw almost got dislocated. "In-cre-dib-le... So the two of you were living in sin?" "What did we agree on concerning your jokes?" "Okay... Okay, I'm quiet. Continue, continue, it's very interesting." "Alright... So, in that life, we were living together. I remember how our days looked like, how brave and sweet she was... and it's wonderful, because she still is... And I also think that this explains why we are always bumping into each other, why she doesn't fear neither me nor the other white blood cells, and also why I have that affection towards her..." 1146 looked at the horizon again and took a sip from his tea before continuing. "These memories aren't about fights, blood, and bacteria. They are full of happiness, of fun... It would be incredible if I could remember this kind of moments from all the past lives where I had the chance to know her, but... I wouldn't know what to do if she happens to remember them too," concluded 1146, getting hit with 4989's cap. "Are you kidding me?! If that happens, you should go crazy from happiness! You two were happy together and loved each other, you said so yourself... and the love is still there! You know it, I know it, Dendritic Cell under the table knows it too, everyone does!" The older one became as red as AE's hat once again and kicked Dendritic Cell from under the table, chasing him off.  "Yes, but... I don't know, I'm too embarrassed." "Where's your honor, you scum?! You will show right now that you are a man and stop wasting my time and yours! You will find her, invite her to eat ice cream together and maybe go on a walk to a beautiful place, and you will be happy, BECAUSE I FUCKING LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS! DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, SOLDIER?" "Yes, I mean no... no, no, no. I'm going, I'm going..." said the completely baffled 1146, startled by his friend's reaction and his attitude in general. He ran away to go look for the red blood cell, while 4989 was watching his white silhouette disappear on the horizon. "I probably was something like a fairy godmother in a past life... I'm such a great friend," he said to himself, satisfied with what he had done. *** "Sekkekkyuu!" "Hakkekkyuu-san! I'm so glad to see you! Are you working?" "No, actually looking for you. Here's your pen... I remembered that I still needed to return it to you." Poor 1146 just couldn't muster the courage to tell her that they had been a couple in some of their past lives. And hated himself for it. "Oh... that wasn't necessary, but thank you anyway, Hakkekkyuu-san. You know, I have to deliver this to the kidneys... and after this, I'll have an hour off... so I thought about inviting you to eat or drink something, because you're always so attentive and kind to me." "Uhm... of course, with pleasure. I will accompany you to the kidney," he replied, joining the erythrocyte. She stopped and moved his bangs to the side, making now both of his eyes visible. The neutrophil was surprised by that gesture, remembering that he had that hairdo as 1116 and then as 1117. "I've always liked this haircut better, but, well, the other one suits you as well..." exclaimed the red blood cell with a smile. He opened his mouth from surprise and froze. "Sekkekkyuu? Ah..." "Nah, don't listen to me, I just thought that maybe... no, it's nothing, I was just talking nonsense," replied AE3803 and was about to resume her path, carrying the basket on her arm. But he grabbed her wrist. "Hey, lend me your pen... I remember you as well, Ae."