Yukinoshita Yukino stayed silent for a long time before softly murmuring, "...Do as you please."
Natsukawa Kanade looked up, startled.
To be honest, he hadn't expected Yukino to agree so easily. This was, after all, an act that involved quite a bit of physical intimacy. Normally, she would refuse him outright, possibly with a touch of indignation.
His initial intention had merely been to tease her and shift the topic later to preach about "taking better care of her body." He'd been fully prepared for her rejection. Yet here she was, giving her consent.
"Are you sure? You're serious?" Kanade asked, still in disbelief.
"You're the one who suggested it, weren't you?" Yukino lifted her head, frowning as she glared at him, her tone laced with irritation.
"Well… I did say that, yes…" Kanade felt a bit awkward. He couldn't exactly tell her that he hadn't expected things to play out this way.
"If you don't mind, then… I'll begin."
"…" Yukino suddenly felt a pang of regret. Why on earth had she agreed to this?
Before she could dwell on her thoughts, the sensation on her ankle stole her attention.
"Eek!"
"…" Kanade glanced at her, tilting his head in confusion.
"I-I wasn't ready," Yukino stammered, shrinking her neck as her cheeks flushed pink.
Kanade looked away and resumed his actions.
"Mm…" Yukino let out another strange noise.
At this point, even Kanade couldn't help but notice. Meeting her gaze, he suggested, "Maybe you should bite down on a towel or something?"
"…" Yukino's eyes widened, and she shot him a glare sharp enough to kill. Her expression screamed, You're dead meat.
"Uh…" Kanade awkwardly averted his gaze, mentally berating himself. How was he supposed to continue like this?
He figured Yukino must have sensitive skin—her ankle, in particular, might be ticklish. That would explain why she kept making such sounds. Initially, he had planned to use just his fingers to minimize contact, but seeing her reaction, he decided to press his entire palm against her skin instead. Perhaps this would reduce the sensitivity.
The effect was immediate. With his palm covering the injured area, Yukino's odd noises ceased. Focusing solely on the task, Kanade began massaging the swollen spot on her ankle.
"…"
"…"
The room fell into a heavy silence. Neither of them spoke as Kanade concentrated on the treatment.
After a while, Kanade decided the massage was sufficient. He released her ankle and examined the area, noting with satisfaction that the swelling had visibly reduced.
"Looks like the technique wasn't wasted," he murmured to himself. Turning his gaze to Yukino, he readied himself for some well-deserved praise—only to freeze.
Her cheeks were flushed a deep red, reminiscent of a sunset painting her fair skin. With her shy expression and delicate demeanor, she looked like an angel.
"…" For a moment, Kanade found himself completely entranced.
"Is… is it over?" Yukino's soft voice broke through the stillness. She lowered her hand, revealing her slightly parted lips as she exhaled lightly, her breaths a little ragged.
In the quiet nurse's office, her soft panting sounded unusually prominent, and Kanade could almost feel the warm, humid air brushing against his face.
"…"
"W-What's wrong?" Yukino asked, her eyes meeting his. Her usual cool gaze had softened into something gentler, almost inviting.
"N-Nothing…" Kanade turned his face slightly away, unable to look at her directly.
The sight of the ever-dignified Yukino appearing so vulnerable and endearing was too much. The contrast tugged at his heart in ways he hadn't anticipated.
"R-Right!" Kanade stammered, forcing himself to focus. "We need to apply more of the spray…"
Shifting his attention back to the treatment, he managed to calm himself a little.
Picking up the cooling spray from the medical kit, Kanade sprayed it over Yukino's injured ankle. The chilly sensation made her gasp again.
"Eek!"
It was clear she was incredibly sensitive, her unpreparedness causing her to react audibly once more.
This time, Kanade didn't dare look at her. Keeping his head down, he silently finished the application and carefully placed her leg back on the bed.
"That's it. We're done now," he said quietly before standing up to wash his hands.
After returning the medical supplies to their proper place, Kanade turned around to see that Yukino had already put her socks back on. The redness on her cheeks had subsided, leaving only a faint trace of warmth. She looked much calmer now.
"Um… you…" Yukino began, her head slightly lowered. Her tone was uncharacteristically hesitant.
She had checked her injury just moments ago and was surprised to find that the swelling had indeed gone down. Part of her had suspected Kanade's actions were just an excuse to take advantage of her, but it turned out he'd been sincere.
"Well… thanks for this," Yukino muttered. Saying it out loud seemed to lift a weight off her chest.
"…" Kanade, drying his hands with a towel, blinked in surprise. Watching her squirm in embarrassment, he couldn't help but find her absolutely adorable. No wonder people couldn't resist teasing her.
"No problem. You're welcome," Kanade replied casually. Then, without thinking, he added, "If anything, I should be thanking you for the treat…"
"…" Yukino's awkwardness vanished in an instant, replaced by a deathly calm. She stared at him blankly and let out a cold scoff.
"Hah."
"Uh…" Kanade suddenly felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down his forehead.
Though Yukino hadn't said anything yet, he could practically hear her preparing to deliver another round of scathing remarks—perhaps even the dreaded "three insults" combo.
But seriously, I'm not a foot freak!
"No, wait! You've misunderstood! I meant your expression—no, I mean the cookies! Yes, the cookies from before! That's what I was referring to!" Kanade flailed, desperate to clarify, nearly blurting out the truth in his panic.
"It's not because I like your feet—it's because of your adorable expression that I said 'thanks for the treat.'" Explaining it that way would definitely lead to even more problems, wouldn't it?
Thankfully, Kanade managed to think quickly and avoid blurting out the truth.
"The cookies you gave me earlier were delicious! Totally my style! I just wanted to express my thanks… or something," Kanade explained, though he wasn't sure Yukino would buy it.
His reputation seemed to work in his favor. Though Yukino's expression remained skeptical, her gaze was no longer as icy as before. Her tone, while still cool, was less cutting.
"I see…"
"…" Kanade nodded repeatedly.
"…" Yukino didn't say anything more, and silence fell between them again.
Although they'd reconnected recently due to various circumstances, Kanade had no idea how to interact with Yukino like an ordinary friend. With others, conversations usually flowed naturally because they'd bring up topics. But with Yukino, it was clear she wasn't skilled at initiating conversations.
Well, that was to be expected. This was the same person who'd once replied to a comment like "You don't have any friends, do you?" with "That depends on how you define 'friends.'" Someone like that wasn't exactly going to excel at socializing.
After some thought, Kanade took the initiative. "Since we're done here… would you like to walk back together?"
"…" Yukino pressed her lips together. She was tempted but eventually shook her head. "No, I still… have a few things to do."
Walking back together might mean running into her sister. Better to avoid that, she decided.
Kanade didn't push her. With a nod, he offered a few parting words of advice. "Be careful on your way back, and don't overexert yourself. Even though your ankle's improved, you should focus on resting it until it fully heals."
Yukino gave a quiet nod, acknowledging his concerns.
After a few more words, the two left the nurse's office.
Since Yukino needed to change back into her uniform, she parted ways with Kanade, heading in a different direction. Once they'd said their goodbyes, Kanade locked the door behind him and left the activity building.
By the time he stepped outside, the sky was beginning to darken. The students on the field, who'd been brimming with youthful energy just moments ago, had mostly dispersed.
Leaving the school grounds, Kanade strolled for a while until he reached a bustling shopping street.
As evening approached, the shops along the street began to open for business. One stall in particular—a takoyaki stand—caught his eye. It seemed to have just set up, and Kanade decided to join the line for a serving.
With his freshly made snack in hand, Kanade turned around to find the sky had turned completely dark.
Feeling a bit hungry, he stopped by the roadside, opened the box, and popped a takoyaki into his mouth. The savory flavor hit just right, and as he savored it, he was about to close the box when he felt a gentle tug on his pant leg.
Looking down, he saw a golden retriever sitting obediently by his side, tongue lolling out as it gazed up at him.
"A stray, maybe?" Kanade murmured. He assumed the dog was hungry and had caught the scent of his food.
"Do you want one?" Kanade asked, crouching slightly to meet its gaze.
The golden retriever tilted its head in an oddly humanlike gesture before leaning closer. Amused, Kanade used a spare skewer to offer it a takoyaki. The dog swallowed it in one gulp and then lowered its head, as if asking to be petted.
Kanade chuckled and reached out to stroke the fluffy head. "Good boy, good boy…"
As he crouched down, Kanade got a better look at the dog. Its coat was well-groomed, it was friendly toward people, and it wore a collar and leash—clearly someone's pet.
What struck Kanade most, though, was how familiar the dog seemed. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen it somewhere before.
Just as he was contemplating taking the dog to the police station, a clear, cheerful voice called out from the side.
"Pace! There you are!"
A girl came running over, scolding the retriever. "Seriously, you can't just run off! And you shouldn't bother other people!"
Then she turned to Kanade, ready to apologize, but froze mid-sentence. "I'm so sorry—wait, President?"
"That's me," Kanade replied with a slight nod.
The girl was none other than Fujiwara Chika.
No wonder the golden retriever had seemed familiar—it was Fujiwara's dog, Pace.
"Ohhh! So it's you, President! No wonder Pace got so excited; he must've recognized your scent!" Chika exclaimed, clapping her hands in realization.
"Uh…" Kanade's lips twitched slightly.
Sure, that explanation made sense, but the way she said it made it sound like he had some kind of overpowering smell. I'm a clean person, okay!
"Come to think of it, it has been a while since I saw you, President…" Chika mused aloud.
"That's nonsense; we just saw each other at lunch," Kanade pointed out, rolling his eyes.
Chika waved off his comment. "I mean outside of school hours, dummy President."
"Hah, only dummies call others dummies," Kanade shot back.
"Oh yeah? Well, you're the dummy!" Chika huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "And I saw what you were doing earlier—don't think you can get away with trying to kidnap my Pace!"
"I wasn't trying to kidnap him!" Kanade retorted, holding up his box of takoyaki. "He came up to me, so I thought he was hungry and gave him one."
To Kanade's surprise, Chika immediately dropped her accusations and switched gears.
"Wow! Takoyaki! I want some too!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm rivaling Pace's.
"…" Kanade gave her a flat look. Even your dog isn't this excited, he thought.
"Well, sure, but this skewer's already been used by your dog…" Kanade held up the skewer as if to remind her.
"Oh, that's fine!" Chika waved dismissively, clearly unbothered.
Kanade stared at her, wide-eyed. You don't mind sharing food with your dog? Before he could comment, Chika grabbed another skewer, speared a takoyaki, and popped it into her mouth.
"Mm! So good!" she said, her face lighting up with delight.
"…"
Well, Kanade thought, guess I misunderstood. She wasn't using the same skewer as Pace after all. But still… wasn't it weird for her to share a skewer with him? She didn't mind at all?
Then again, Kanade realized, this wasn't too strange. After all, there had been times when they'd shared lunch and he'd fed her directly. Compared to that, using the same skewer wasn't such a big deal.
Watching Chika savor her food so happily, Kanade decided to let it go. He didn't want to ruin the moment.