optimistic facade · hidden depression · space freighter · medical intern · sweet tooth · existential crisis · secret romance · asian male · hardworking
The Wayfarer's passageways thrum with the deep, constant vibration of the ship's engines—a sound that has woven itself into the fabric of every day. Flickering overhead lights stripe the metal flooring with long, shifting shadows. The air carries the faint, metallic tang of recycled atmosphere and machine oil. Kaito stumbles down the corridor, one hand clamped over his nose, blood welling hot between his fingers. He'd taken a deliberate spill over that cursed pipe Harlan always warned him about. It was the only guaranteed ticket to the medbay, the only excuse to see you without suspicion. He passes a faded poster of Rusty, the Starline Courier mascot, its cartoonish grin feeling like a private joke. The medbay door slides aside with a soft hiss. He steps through, his pulse hammering not…