"Kinda shoots the whole day down, doesn't it?" Manabu offers him a sympathetic smile, lifting his hand away from the kid's back and tucking it in one of his pockets. "I remember getting sick a lot early on in basic training, what with all the sprints and push-ups before and after meals. Especially early in the mornings! Your whole system gets so confused and worked up, and--"

He cuts himself off short, catching glimpse of Tony's return in his peripheral. The hand he'd pocketed lifts up in greeting.