Yukino stayed quiet for a long time before finally whispering, "…Whatever."
"Eh?" Natsukawa Kanade lifted his head, blinking in surprise.
He honestly hadn't expected that. This was Yukino, after all. Stoic, proud, icy—usually allergic to physical contact. Under normal circumstances, she would've rejected him without a second thought. She always did.
His original intention was just to tease her a bit. She'd snap at him like always, he'd deflect with humor, and then sneak in a heartfelt line about how she should take better care of herself. That was the usual pattern.
So when she actually agreed, he was completely thrown off.
"Wait, are you… serious?" Kanade asked, brows raised in disbelief. "Like, seriously serious?"
"You were the one who said it, weren't you?" Yukino lifted her gaze, eyes narrowing. Her tone was sharp, with a pinch of baka janai no? in it. (You are an idiot, aren't you?)
"W-Well yeah, I did say that, but…" Kanade scratched his cheek awkwardly, unsure of how to explain that things had gotten off-script.
"If you're not gonna back out…" Yukino muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Alright then… I'll start, okay?"
A long silence. Then…
"...Eep!"
Kanade's hands froze mid-movement.
His head tilted slightly as he turned to look at her with quiet exasperation. "Oi, what was that?"
"I-I just wasn't ready, that's all!" Yukino shrank into herself slightly, her cheeks blooming a soft pink.
Kanade looked away, sighing. He was already beginning to regret this.
"Maybe you should bite a towel or something," he said casually, trying to hold back a smirk.
Yukino immediately shot him a glare so intense it could've stopped time.
"Okay, okay, wakarimashita, sheesh…" he mumbled, quickly turning his head away again.
Still, it wasn't like he was doing this for fun. She was clearly more sensitive than he thought. Even just lightly touching her ankle had made her shiver and twitch. He had intended to only use his fingers, minimizing direct skin contact. But with how ticklish she was, that plan clearly wasn't going to cut it.
So, reluctantly, he pressed his palm directly onto the injured area. The warmth of his hand spread over her skin, steady and gentle.
To his relief, the change in method worked. Yukino stopped making strange sounds, and the tension in her legs slowly began to ease. Taking that as a good sign, Kanade focused entirely on the task at hand, rubbing her ankle with practiced ease.
The room fell into a heavy silence. Neither of them said a word.
Time seemed to stretch on. The atmosphere was oddly still, the only sound being the subtle movement of his hand against her skin.
Eventually, Kanade pulled away and leaned in to inspect her ankle. The swelling had gone down significantly. The redness was lighter, and the heat around the area had faded.
"Nice. Guess that training didn't go to waste after all," he murmured, nodding with satisfaction.
Turning toward Yukino, expecting a sharp comment or even a scoff, he froze.
"Eh…?"
Her face was completely red. Not just blushing—red. As if she'd spent an hour in a hot spring. Her eyes, usually cold and unreadable, were soft now, almost glassy.
"Is… is it over?" she asked in a daze, lowering the hand that had been covering her mouth. Her voice was breathy, her cheeks still flushed.
Kanade gulped.
The quiet infirmary suddenly felt way too small. He could practically feel the warmth of her breath, lingering in the air between them.
"…N-Nothing's wrong," he muttered, quickly averting his eyes.
This Yukino—soft-spoken, vulnerable, cheeks glowing like sunset—was dangerously adorable. The kind of gap moe that could break a man.
"R-Right! Still need to apply the spray…"
Desperate to refocus, Kanade turned back to the medical supplies. His hands were a little shaky as he picked up the cooling spray from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical and gave it a few quick shakes before applying it.
The cold mist hit Yukino's ankle with a psshhhh, and her immediate reaction was—
"Eep!"
"Eep!"
Yukino twitched again.
Yeah… she was really sensitive.
Kanade resisted the urge to comment and kept his eyes strictly on her ankle. He lowered his head slightly, lips pressed into a flat line, and silently continued applying the treatment until it was complete. Once done, he gently lifted her leg and placed it back onto the infirmary bed with the care of someone handling a porcelain doll.
"It's definitely over this time," he said softly, as if afraid his voice would disturb the fragile calm that had settled between them.
Without waiting for a reply, he stood up and headed toward the sink to wash his hands. The water ran quietly in the background as he returned the medical tools into the small first-aid box and neatly tucked it back into its place on the shelf. When he turned around, Yukino had already pulled her socks back on.
Her cheeks, which had been tomato-red just moments ago, had cooled into a soft, lingering blush. That shy tension from earlier had melted slightly. She looked more like her usual composed self… well, mostly.
"Um… you…" Yukino began, her gaze falling to the floor as she fiddled with the hem of her uniform skirt.
"Hm?" Kanade raised an eyebrow, drying his hands with a towel.
"I… I just checked, and the swelling… it's really gone down a bit." She hesitated, still not quite able to look at him. "I thought you were just messing around earlier. Like maybe trying to get away with something stupid..."
Kanade winced inwardly. Ouch. That kind of hurt, even if it was half-true.
"…But it actually helped. So… thanks."
She said it. And just like that, the air between them softened.
Kanade blinked. His expression slackened into something almost amused. Yare yare… for someone so sharp-tongued, she could be surprisingly honest when it mattered. She was even a little awkward about it.
"Ah, don't mention it. You're welcome," he said casually with a wave of his hand. But then—because he couldn't help himself—he added with a cheeky smile, "If anything, I should be the one thanking you for the treat."
Yukino froze mid-movement.
"…Hmph."
The cold aura returned in an instant.
Kanade felt a single bead of sweat roll down his temple. Yabai…
Though Yukino hadn't said anything, that flat glare and frosty snort spoke volumes. He could almost hear her loading up a three-part insult combo in her head.
And now, she probably thought he had a foot fetish. I'm not that kind of degenerate, I swear!
"Wait, no! You've totally misunderstood!" Kanade flailed slightly, his voice rising in panic. "I wasn't talking about… that! I meant—the cookies! Yeah! The cookies from before!"
Yukino blinked. Her frosty expression wavered, shifting to one of slight confusion.
Kanade doubled down, nodding furiously. "You remember, right? The homemade cookies you gave me before? They were really good! Like, really really good. I was just expressing my gratitude, that's what I meant!"
Yukino studied his face closely, clearly still suspicious. But the icy sharpness in her gaze softened just a little, and the room's chill receded.
"…Sou ka," she murmured, her tone neutral.
Kanade sighed in relief and offered her an exaggerated nod of agreement. "Un, un! Definitely."
An awkward silence settled between them again.
It wasn't uncomfortable exactly, just… Yukino-style silence. The kind that came with her not knowing what to say, and him not knowing how to carry the conversation without sounding like a baka.
Even after re-establishing some form of connection with her lately, Kanade still hadn't figured out how to interact with Yukino like a "normal friend." With other people, things flowed naturally—jokes, side conversations, casual teasing. But with her… it was always a slow walk across a frozen lake.
She was, after all, the kind of person who could answer, "That depends on your definition of a friend," when asked if she had any. Yeah… communication wasn't her strong suit.
Still, Kanade decided to try.
"Since you're feeling better, want to walk back together?"
Yukino blinked, her lips twitching slightly. For a second, she actually seemed tempted.
But then she shook her head. "No… I still have something to do."
She looked away as she said it, her voice quieter than before.
Kanade didn't press. He had a hunch—maybe she didn't want to risk running into someone. Maybe her sister. Whatever it was, she clearly wasn't ready to explain it.
"I see. Then be careful on your way back," Kanade said gently. "And don't overdo it with that foot. It's healing, but you should still take it easy for a while."
"Wakarimashita," Yukino nodded, her voice calm again.
With that, they exited the infirmary together.
Yukino headed off first to change back into her uniform, her footsteps light despite the earlier injury. Kanade watched her go for a moment, then turned and locked the infirmary door behind him before heading down the steps of the activity building.
The late afternoon sky was beginning to darken, shades of orange fading into deepening blues. The playground was mostly empty now. A few students were still packing up, their sweat-slicked shirts sticking to their backs as they laughed and waved each other goodbye.
After walking for a while, Kanade arrived at a bustling little shopping street near the school.
The scent of sizzling batter and sweet soy sauce wafted into his nose, and his stomach growled in response. Right on cue, a takoyaki stand was just setting up on the side of the road. Drawn by the smell, he stepped into line and ordered a set.
After securing his precious snack, Natsukawa Kanade turned around and noticed that the sky had completely darkened, dyed in a gradient of indigo and soft violet. The streetlamps had flickered on one by one, casting pools of warm light along the sidewalk. The usual after-school buzz had started to fade, leaving behind a more peaceful, almost nostalgic evening air.
Feeling a rumble in his stomach, Kanade casually leaned against a streetlight, opened the small takoyaki box in his hand, and popped one of the piping hot octopus balls into his mouth.
"Hot...!" he whispered with puffed cheeks as he chewed carefully, savoring the sweet sauce and bonito flakes that danced with the steam.
Just as he was about to pack the box away for later, he felt a strange tug—light, persistent, brushing against his pant leg. He looked down, puzzled.
"Huh?"
A golden retriever sat obediently at his feet, tongue hanging out with a cheerful gleam in its eyes, tail sweeping the ground in small, hopeful wags. Its golden fur shimmered under the streetlight, and it looked up at him with a gaze full of innocent expectation.
"Oi, where did you come from...?" Kanade muttered, crouching down to get a closer look.
The dog had a sleek, well-maintained coat and a collar with a leash trailing behind. It clearly wasn't a stray. Probably someone's pet that had wandered off... or maybe just decided to go on an evening stroll without permission.
"You hungry?" Kanade asked.
The golden retriever tilted its head cutely, as if it understood him. Then, without hesitation, it leaned in just slightly, eyes glued to the takoyaki box.
"Geez... you've got guts." With a sigh of surrender, Kanade picked up one of the extra skewers, slid a ball onto it, and offered it to the dog.
The golden retriever accepted the offering with a quiet "woof," eating it gracefully and then sitting down again, tail still wagging.
"You're really something, huh?" Kanade chuckled and reached out to pat the dog on the head. "Good boy... er, or girl?"
He examined the collar briefly, though the name tag was flipped. Still, something about this golden retriever tickled his memory. The size, the mannerisms, even the sparkle in its eyes...
"Where have I seen you before...?"
Before he could follow the thought, a bright and familiar voice rang out from down the sidewalk.
"Pace! There you are!"
A girl in a pastel cardigan came jogging over, her twin braids bouncing with each step. Her eyes landed on the golden retriever—and then on Kanade.
"Jeez, you really can't just wander off like that! Mou... You're such a handful sometimes," she scolded the dog lightly before turning toward the human next to it. "I'm so sorry! Pace wasn't bothering—Eh? President?!"
"Yo," Kanade said with a casual wave, rising to his feet. "It's been a while, Fujiwara-san."
The girl blinked, then gasped. "Ah! It is you! No wonder Pace was so excited! He must've recognized the President's scent right away!"
"...Don't make it sound weird." Kanade sighed. "I bathed this morning, okay?"
Chika Fujiwara giggled behind her hand, clearly not taking his protest seriously. "He's got a good nose, you know. And besides... I feel like it's been forever since I saw you!"
"We literally spoke at lunch," Kanade deadpanned.
"That doesn't count!" she declared, puffing her cheeks. "I meant outside of school, baka."
"Tch... The one calling others baka is usually the real idiot," Kanade muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue for effect.
"I heard that!" Chika huffed. "And just what were you doing with Pace, huh? Trying to lure him away with food? You're not allowed to kidnap our family's dog!"
"Excuse me?" Kanade raised an eyebrow, holding up his half-eaten takoyaki as evidence. "He came to me. I just shared a snack. That's called kindness, not abduction."
Chika narrowed her eyes dramatically, folding her arms like a suspicious detective. "Hmm... suspicious. Extremely suspicious behavior, President."
Kanade groaned. "You're the one who should be suspicious, leaving your dog to wander freely..."
Before he could finish the thought, Chika's eyes locked onto the food in his hand, her entire mood doing a complete 180.
"Wait... is that takoyaki?!" she gasped, hands sparkling with energy. "Yabai, I want one too! Itadakimasu!"
"Oi—" Kanade barely managed a protest before she snatched a skewer and stuck a takoyaki into her mouth.
"Mm! So gooood~!" she beamed, cheeks filled with joy, and possibly takoyaki.
Kanade stared at her, expression frozen in disbelief. "Even your dog had more self-restraint..."
"What was that?" she asked with an innocent tilt of the head.
"Nothing, nothing..." Kanade shook his head and smiled faintly.
Chika didn't even hesitate to grab another piece, this time dipping it into the sauce like a pro. "Say, President," she said between bites, "You still hang out alone after school like this? That's kinda gloomy, you know?"
Kanade raised an eyebrow. "And you're any less strange? Who talks to dogs like they're kids and eats their leftovers?"
"But I am strange! In a good way!" she declared proudly, striking a victory pose with a skewer in hand.
Kanade chuckled under his breath, not bothering to argue anymore.
As the evening breeze swept by, the two of them—along with the loyal golden retriever—stood on the side of the road, bathed in the soft orange light of the streetlamps, sharing takoyaki like an unlikely little trio. Despite the randomness of it all, Kanade found himself oddly at ease.
Maybe... this wasn't such a bad way to end the day.