Chapter 203: I'm Not, I Didn't!

  "Hero, help me put it on… please…"

  Takanashi Rikka lifted her tearful eyes toward him, her small lips trembling as she spoke. Her fingers clutched at her skirt as if holding back another wave of pain. Her face, pale as milk, was framed by a few loose strands of hair, and her usual spark of defiance was nowhere to be found. Instead, she looked fragile—almost heartbreakingly so.

  Wasn’t she the same girl who would boast about fighting dark wizards and sealing evil forces? Now she was asking for help like a helpless kitten.

  Even with the door shut, this situation was dangerous. If anyone saw him helping her put that thing on, he’d be finished. The gossip alone would spread through the school like wildfire.

  Still… he couldn’t just ignore her. After all, she’d once made him a handmade lunch—he owed her at least this much.

  Maybe he could just use his healing powers to make the pain go away? It would be quick and simple.

  No, he decided. That would just make things worse. This wasn’t some deadly wound or curse—it was just her time of the month. And knowing her, if he actually healed her, she’d probably swear some ridiculous “life debt” and start following him around, calling him “My savior of destiny” or something equally embarrassing.

  After a brief pause, Kouya sighed heavily, picked up the heating patch, and read the small print on the back. “Lift your clothes a little,” he said in as neutral a tone as possible.

  “Oh.”

  Rikka obediently nodded, her movements timid and shaky. She slowly raised her uniform shirt, revealing a small portion of her flat, delicate stomach. Her skin was smooth, porcelain white, almost glowing under the infirmary lights. Her navel peeked out, cute and perfect.

  “Hey—hey! What are you doing!?” Kouya choked, his hand twitching.

  'You’re supposed to stick it over your clothes! If you do it directly, you’ll burn your skin! And why are you showing that much!? Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?'

  “Enough, put it down!” he said quickly, turning away as his face heated up.

  Rikka pouted, puffing her cheeks. “Kouya-kun, you’re so troublesome. Just do it already.”

  'And whose fault do you think that is!?' he thought bitterly.

  Muttering under his breath, Kouya stepped closer, carefully lifted her uniform just enough, peeled the backing off the patch, and leaned forward to place it—

  Then the door creaked open.

  A few familiar voices followed.

  “...”

  For a moment, the air froze solid.

  Then Satania screamed, “OH NO! The squire is undressing Rikka!”

  “Pff—!” Kouya nearly coughed up blood. “What the hell are you saying!?”

  'Why must every single misunderstanding in this school find him!? Did they not have eyes!? Who in their right mind would undress a classmate in the nurse’s office!?'

  “Hentai!” Gabriel hissed, glaring at him with the moral authority of a lazy angel.

  'Oh, say that again. Next time, I will pull your skirt just so you can cry and beg me to stop!'

  “What exactly are you doing?” Vigne asked coolly. A faint black aura began to rise behind her like a storm cloud.

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  “I’m not! I didn’t!” Kouya shouted, waving the heating patch in panic. “You recognize this thing, right!? It’s a heat pad!”

  “Oh?” Vigne blinked, realizing what it was. Her expression softened slightly, though her cheeks turned pink. “So that’s what you were doing….” She reached out, took the patch from his hand, and gave him a look that clearly said Get out before you dig a deeper hole. “We’ll handle it from here.”

  “Fine by me,” Kouya muttered, already heading for the door. “You can have the headache.”

  ---

  The hallway outside was quiet. Kouya sighed in relief as he stepped out, only to spot a familiar long-haired girl struggling to carry a tray of glass containers down the hall. The glass clinked dangerously with every step she took.

  Machiko. Her usually calm face was scrunched up with effort, her arms trembling slightly from the weight. When she noticed Kouya, her expression brightened like sunlight through clouds. “Kouya-kun! Could you help me? I think I might drop these…”

  He nodded and stepped forward to help. “Sure.”

  As he lifted the tray from her arms, their fingers brushed briefly. Her skin was soft and warm. “Thanks,” she said with a small sigh of relief, rubbing her wrists. “You’re a lifesaver.”

  Before he could reply, a faint, unusual sensation brushed against his senses. A strange energy—dark, ethereal.

  “Youkai energy?” he murmured.

  His gaze sharpened as he turned to her. The faint aura wasn’t strong, but it was there—drifting like mist around her. Subtle, hard to notice, but undeniable.

  So she’s been in contact with one recently…

  He remembered the shrine maiden’s warning—there had been youkai sightings nearby. But Machiko wasn’t the type to involve herself with supernatural things. Maybe it was an accident. Or maybe… something was following her.

  He frowned slightly, lost in thought.

  “K-Kouya-kun…”

  Her shy voice snapped him out of it.

  He turned to find Machiko staring at him, her face bright red, her eyes wide and anxious. Her fingers were twisting together nervously.

  “Huh? What’s wrong?”

  She stepped back, looking panicked. “I-I appreciate your help, but that kind of thing… I’ll never agree to it!”

  “What!?” Kouya nearly dropped the bottles. “What kind of thing are you even talking about!?”

  Did she think he was about to jump her or something!? They’d barely exchanged five sentences!

  “I was just… thinking,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “That’s all.”

  “Oh… o-okay then…” she said, voice small, glancing away. “Let’s… go to class, okay?”

  ---

  By lunchtime, Rikka had recovered enough to return to class. Though her color had improved slightly, her face was still pale, and her ahoge drooped like a wilted sprout. She looked tired, fragile—but determined not to show weakness.

  Hiratsuka had checked in earlier, learned what happened, and—unsurprisingly—decided to assign Kouya as her caretaker for the rest of the day.

  “Let’s go to the cafeteria,” Vigne said gently. “You shouldn’t eat cold food right now.”

  Her morning bento had already gone cold, and with her condition, that was out of the question. Something warm would help.

  “I’m coming too!” Satania shouted, raising her hand enthusiastically.

  “Gabi-chan, you’re coming too, right?” Vigne asked.

  Gabriel was slumped over her desk, dead-eyed. “Don’t wanna move…”

  Vigne sighed. “Move now, nap later.”

  A familiar voice chimed in from behind them. “Wait for me!”

  Vigne turned and groaned. “Raphiel, what are you doing here?”

  Raphiel clasped her hands with an angelic smile. “Wherever Lady Satania goes, I must follow. That’s my duty as her loyal companion.”

  ---

  Ten minutes later, the group reached the cafeteria.

  Vigne guided Rikka to a seat near the window and went to buy food. The aroma of soup and fried rice filled the air. Students chattered all around, creating a lively lunch-hour buzz. A warm bowl of ochazuke soon appeared in front of Rikka, steam curling up in soft clouds.

  “Eat slowly,” Vigne said, sitting beside her. “You’ll feel better.”

  “Mm…” Rikka nodded weakly, stirring the rice with her spoon before taking small bites. Her expression relaxed slightly as the warmth spread through her stomach.

  Satania sat opposite them, wolfing down bread with a grin. “So weird! I played this game yesterday called Smash the Golden Egg—but penguins hatched from the eggs! Penguins don’t lay eggs! They give birth to babies, right?”

  Vigne nearly choked on her tea. “Who told you that!? Penguins are birds! They can’t fly, but they do lay eggs!”

  “Eh? Penguins are birds!?” Satania gasped in genuine shock.

  'You’re surprised by that!? This is literally elementary school knowledge!'

  “Tch, they can’t even fly,” Gabriel muttered, poking her lunch lazily. “Pretty useless birds if you ask me. There’s that game company with a penguin logo—total scam. Their gacha rates are garbage.”

  'Shut up, Gabi-chan! Not all flightless birds are useless! Even ostriches can’t fly, but you don’t see them getting roasted for it!'

  Raphiel chuckled softly. “I think penguins are adorable. Summer break’s coming soon. Why don’t we all go to the coast and visit an aquarium? We could watch them swim together.”

  “That sounds fun!” Satania beamed. “And maybe I’ll bring snacks for them!”

  Vigne sighed. “You’re not supposed to feed the animals, Satania…”

  Rikka smiled faintly at the familiar chaos unfolding around her. The warmth from her food—and from her friends—finally began to melt away the lingering pain.

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