Gemotions

The weight of the world seemed to press down on Kai as he walked the park's winding path. Every rustle of leaves, every chirp of a bird, only amplified the heavy silence surrounding him. He kept his head bowed, the brim of his hat shielding his face from the weak sun. A knot tightened in his stomach with each slow step.

He slumped onto a bench, the cold metal seeping through his coat. A woman sat nearby, sketching in a notepad. He noticed her fingers were raw, and her posture was rigid. He felt a kinship with her, a familiarity he couldn't name.

She glanced at him, then back to her drawing. A few moments passed before she spoke. "Terrible weather, isn't it?" Her voice was distant, yet there was a hint of something deeper in her tone.

Kai grunted in agreement. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want anything.

"They think I have a bad case of the same thing," she continued, her gaze fixed on the park. "GSD VII."

Kai felt his body freeze. He looked at her, and the words tumbled out before he could stop them. “Me too.”