It’s amazing what a good smile could get you.
"Oh stop it you!" The sweet, old female janitor blushed.
"I’m serious," Eren leaned on the wall. He had just shaved his beard. "People say I’m blessed with Psions. But I reckon they favor you more. Sixty-five? Really? You don’t look a day over forty."
"You’ve been gone for a long time, boy. You should see those young and beautiful Awakeners on the TV," she replied, challenging his words, but giving a smile that invited more.
Eren shrugged. "I did. But they don’t wear that uniform like you do."
The janitor crooned at Eren’s obvious attempt at a compliment. She knew he was flattering him, and that it was all superficial. But that didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate it. Every now and again, it was nice to get told that you were attractive, no matter the age.
She walked up and took his hands, dropping off a key in his palms. "If anyone asks, you found this on the floor."
Eren winked at her. "Thanks, baby." She giggled.
He waited for her to leave before using the key to enter the janitorial closet meant only for hospital workers.
It was a small room. The lockers attached on all four walls made it look even more cramped than it already was.
Some of the lockers were open, revealing mops and rags and some kind of disinfectant soap. Their lingering scent permeated the entire room.
Eren began rifling through the closets until he found a janitor’s uniform. One that he could seamlessly slip in. Something that would let him blend into his surroundings like a fly on the wall.
Because that’s exactly what he wanted to do. Be a quiet observer. Inconspicuous enough that the Awakeners in the patient rooms ignored him while they talked freely about their daily lives, and most importantly, the attack they just survived a day ago.
There was no other way to get information. He was running out of time. He needed to figure out what kind of cultivation materials were present in this world, at least, in his immediate vicinity.
He borrowed a few white t-shirts and piled it on himself in multiple layers. His body was still too thin, too emaciated.
If he walked out with just one uniform, he’d stick out as if he was a kid in a trick-or-treat party cosplaying as a janitor.
Thankfully, the custodial uniform was long-sleeved. He could feign some muscle through layering some rags and scraps of fabric underneath it.
And after putting some small rubber stopper underneath his feet, he put on his boots and immediately got a few inches taller.
He still had a short stature, but not enough to be flagged as suspicious.
The key to blending into place was confidence. Hesitation could easily attract attention, especially to Awakeners or Cultivators whose job it was to be aware of their surroundings.
And he couldn’t just take a mop and be done with it. His movements had to be purposeful. As if he was an actual janitor.
He walked out of the room and kept his head at slightly below eye level. Not too confident, not too withdrawn.
The bodyguards gave him no notice as he passed through the off-limits section of the hospital. They were too busy screening the visitors. The fact that he timed his appearance after a nurse accidentally spilled some urine on the floor also helped.
He was in.
He’d only seen glimpses of this place before. The hallways were a lot nicer. The lights, brighter. The doors were lesser, which meant bigger rooms for more important people. It wasn’t that crowded either, which was good for stealth.
This screamed VIP. Awakeners were truly treated like superstars here.
"Please make sure the floor’s not wet," the nurse told him.
He nodded as he began mopping. She was none the wiser of his true identity.
A patient emergency soon drew the nurse out, giving Eren the space he needed to observe his surroundings. He had to figure out who his target was.
He stood near the nurses’ reception, at the intersection of all hallways on the floor. This gave him an easy view on all potential marks.
Not that room, he told himself. Too many nurses and doctors coming in and out. The room by the corner is open, but has a low chance of them revealing secrets.
He began by eliminating the rooms that were either too difficult or too useless. He needed to strike the perfect balance. A patient that was not too important to be surrounded by guards or doctors, but important enough to know secrets about the Awakener world.
A scuttering of hushed voices and footfalls caused him to disappear into a corner.
"Hahaha, love is in the air, isn’t it?"
Nurse gossip. A common occurrence. He leaned on the wall and focused on their conversation.
"What was his name? Eren Grayson?"
"Nieve, what’s going on with you two? You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with him. During your off days too, and while Dr. Reid is the attending doctor? I didn’t think you had the guts."
Nieve sounded uncomfortable. Her legs were fidgeting.
"We’re just... friends. He’s helping me with something," Nieve said. She’s being teased and pushed by her friends even as she tried to persuade them.
"Oh come on," said one of the nurses. "If you want ’help’ with something, then visit the plethora of Awakeners in our ward! Who knows? Maybe one of them will become the next Lance."
"Be picky on who you spend your time on, Nieve. Anyone would be better than that Eren boy. Except maybe one or two crazies among the Awakeners."
The nurses went on a tangent, talking about their immense workload and how the unpredictable and erratic behavior of a certain Awakener patient in their care exacerbated their troubles.
"At least we don’t have to worry about that guy for a while. He’s the psychiatric ward’s problem now."
"Hahaha, true true!"
When they passed by a corner, Eren was nowhere to be seen.