Chapter 17: Saving Her... and Cleaning Up? Guess I'll Need Extra Pay!
Blood splattered across the floor, walls, furniture—even the ceiling. Standing in the middle of the mess, Yukinoshita Yukino could only feel light-headed. Honestly, she had no idea what to do next.
Under normal circumstances, she would've just called a professional cleaning service. It's not like she was stingy with money. But this… wasn't exactly normal.
If she called someone to clean up this massacre scene, wouldn't they immediately report it to the police?
"What else can I do? Obviously... I'll have to clean it up myself."
Letting out a long sigh of hopelessness, Yukino steeled herself. There was no other choice.
Akira scanned the room and then looked back at Yukino. It was clear this task would be overwhelming for her alone.
"Well then… good luck."
With that, he turned to leave. School would resume tomorrow, and it was about time he headed home anyway.
"Wait... hold on!"
Yukino's voice rang out, her body stiffening as she awkwardly called out to stop him.
"What is it?"
"I... could you... not go yet?"
"Miss Second Daughter, I'm a respectable man. I sell skills, not my body. And need I remind you, I'm your older sister's fiancé—at least officially. Isn't this request a little... suspicious?"
Despite hearing such a delicate plea from a beautiful girl, Akira responded with his usual annoyingly upright tone.
Yukino's face instantly turned red—both from anger and embarrassment. What did he mean by "not selling his body"? It's not like she was trying anything inappropriate!
"I... I just..."
She tried to explain herself multiple times, but not a single coherent sentence came out.
"Wait a second... are you scared?"
"Mm…"
She nodded slowly and turned her face away, clearly flustered.
Akira blinked in surprise. This was the Yukinoshita Yukino—confident, poised, and self-assured. Yet here she was, vulnerable and asking for help?
Given the circumstances, though, it was understandable.
After all, asking a teenage girl to sleep alone in a blood-soaked room that looked straight out of a horror movie… yeah, that's psychological torture.
"…Haah."
Yukino tried to stand, but her swollen leg—already bruising purple—gave out beneath her.
Earlier, when she had been hurled across the room by that female Demon, her leg had slammed hard against the floor. Yukino wasn't exactly athletic, so the damage had been substantial.
And yet, despite the pain, she had forced herself to stand, just so she could hand over Akira's sword during the battle.
"What's wrong?"
"I-It's nothing. I just… fell. I just need a moment to rest."
"Let me see."
"Wait, you—"
She reflexively tried to stop him, but Akira was already kneeling beside her.
Since she wasn't wearing her usual long stockings indoors, her bare legs were clearly visible.
Slender. Elegant. Beautiful. Her figure may have been modest, but her legs were undeniably alluring.
It was the first time in her life she'd ever felt a man's gaze fall directly on her legs. Her face flushed instantly.
When Akira saw the deep bruise spreading along her calf, a cold glint flickered in his eyes—not directed at Yukino, but at the Demon who had hurt her.
To ruin something this exquisite… was unforgivable.
"This might sting a little."
He pressed gently against the bruise. Yukino let out a soft hiss, sucking in a sharp breath as her face tightened.
But she didn't scream, didn't complain. She just bit down on her lip and endured it.
Compared to most girls, Yukino was clearly tougher. So tough, in fact, it made people want to protect her even more.
"Thankfully, the bone's not damaged. Just bruised. Still, with swelling this bad, it'll take about a week—maybe longer—to fully heal."
"I see…"
No woman wants scars on her legs. Yukino was no different.
Even if she wasn't the showy type, it didn't mean she enjoyed staring at ugly bruises on her skin.
"Do you have any ice in the freezer?"
"There should be some left."
"Good. I'll grab it and help you with a cold compress."
"…Thanks."
Akira headed to the kitchen, opened the freezer, and grabbed a few ice cubes—probably meant for chilled drinks or wine. After all, Haruno did visit here often.
He also took two eggs. A little home remedy—rolling cold eggs over a bruise could help reduce the swelling.
He wrapped the ice in a towel and pressed it gently against Yukino's calf. The sudden cold made her flinch, but her expression soon softened.
As she looked at the boy in front of her, a pang of guilt began to bloom in her chest.
All these years, she had mocked him, belittled him… and yet, here he was, calmly tending to her injury—after saving her life.
"Does it feel any better?"
"…Yeah. A lot better. Thank you… and… I'm sorry."
"Huh? What are you apologizing for?"
"For how I've treated you all this time… I'm sorry."
Akira smiled inwardly. So her goodwill gauge was finally starting to rise.
He couldn't help but be amused. The 'hero saves the girl' scenario might be cliché, but damn… it was still the most effective romance boost in history.
"It's fine. You don't need to apologize. If I were in your shoes, and some random guy claimed to be my sister's fiancé, I'd probably react even worse."
"Even so… I still want to apologize."
"Alright. Apology accepted."
Yukino gave a soft nod and bowed her head quietly.
Akira glanced around the blood-soaked room again and sighed.
Looks like he wasn't getting any sleep tonight.
With Yukino in her current state, asking her to clean up would be like asking a wall to dance. It'd be smarter to wait for Haruno to come home.
But if they waited too long, the stench of blood would spread, and dried stains were way harder to remove.
He looked back at Yukino, who was still pressing the ice against her leg.
Ah… the life of a hardworking man.
First, he saves her. Now, he's stuck being the janitor?
"Where do you keep your mop and cleaning cloths?"
"Eh? Why?"
"To clean up. If we leave it like this, tomorrow it'll look like a real crime scene."
"But I—"
"Forget it. In your condition, just sit there."
"But…"
"I don't work for free, you know. I already saved your life. Now I'm cleaning your floor. All of this comes with a price tag."
"Eh… so you're saying you want payment?"
"Up to you. A little or a lot, I won't refuse. But doing it for free? Not a chance."
"…Fine."
Yukino glanced at Akira out of the corner of her eye. Did he really think she was that naïve? Using 'payment' as an excuse to make her feel less guilty?
Still… she didn't realize her lips had curled into a small smile.
Somehow… this kind of banter between them didn't feel so bad.
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