Gemotions

The café was warm, inviting, but Kai could barely feel the comfort. On the waitress, a perfect rendering of Kai's signature koi fish, swirled its way around her forearm. He'd spent weeks perfecting that image, that symbol of resilience and beauty. Now, it was… there. On someone else. He thought about his empty bank account, the ramen dinners, the constant struggle to find buyers for his work. He called over the waitress, forcing a smile. "Lovely tattoo," he said, the words tasting like ash. "Did you find a good artist?"