The result was that I, the injured party, had to endure the pain to mediate between the two of them.
First, I said to Ya, “Ya, you were too impulsive. Is there anything that couldn’t be settled properly? Since when do you start throwing punches at the first sign of trouble? Do you want to be put in confinement?”
Only then did he notice my injury. “Are you alright?”
He then lowered his head, filled with self-reproach.
As for Tsugikuni Yoriichi… I looked at his cold, earnest expression.
It seemed I had seen it somewhere before. I averted my eyes, and the thought that he was so handsome couldn’t help but cross my mind.
Of course, I controlled my internal turmoil perfectly; no one could tell at all.
As Yoriichi was the one who had reacted in self-defense, I really had nothing to lecture him about. Besides, he must have held back earlier, otherwise, a blockhead like Ya would never have been able to stand before me in one piece.
His quiet demeanor seemed to have the words “so weak” carved into his face. Yes, that’s right, Muzan Kibutsuji also thought the same, and later he was sliced up like a fish.
The incident concluded with Ya offering a sheepish apology. I rejected his offer to look after me.
I wouldn’t have agreed before, and I certainly wouldn’t agree now!
Thus, he could only glance at Yoriichi with dissatisfaction. He was full of complaints but, knowing he was in the wrong, couldn’t say a word, and slunk away.
Only then did I show my pain. I had accidentally twisted my ankle earlier, but to avoid further complications, I hadn’t shown it.
Looking at the empty buckets on the ground, I thought today had been far too smooth. “Forget it, let’s just head home first.”
Yoriichi supported me as I limped home. Once we were inside, I sat down and removed my shoes and socks. My ankle was red and swollen. I tried to move it, but it hurt unbearably with even the slightest motion.
“Hiss, this really hurts! That reckless Ya.” I complained through gritted teeth.
It really was an unprovoked disaster.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who had been silent by my side, squatted down. He placed his fingers on my red, swollen ankle and traced an invisible path, moving lightly. The sudden, slight sensation against skin that was particularly sensitive from the injury sent a wave of itching through me, and I couldn’t help but pull my foot back.
“It’s dislocated here,” he said after his fingers stopped. He looked up and asked, “Should we see a doctor?”
I was stunned, unconsciously staring into his clear red pupils. They seemed to hold secrets, revealing a sense of emptiness—a “Transparent World” that an ordinary person could spend their entire life struggling to glimpse.
I suddenly remembered that it was only because I had lied that he could see something unusual.
But immediately returning to reality, my second thought was: seeing a doctor meant spending money!
Compared to health, that was secondary, but the key issue was that this precious species didn’t exist in the village at all!!!
A doctor.
That kind of luxury was only available in town. As for crude, amateurish medicine… some people in the village knew a little, but whether they could actually heal anything depended entirely on luck. Even if I found one, they might not be as useful as Yoriichi, who could clearly see muscles and bones.
I weighed my options for a moment, gritted my teeth, and said, “Yoriichi, you can see the dislocation, right?”
He nodded.
“Since it’s just a sprain,” I said with determination, “then help me set it back. Just be quick.”
“Me?” he asked with surprise. He probably didn’t expect me to suggest such a thing, making his eyes widen in an unusually round and cute way. He quickly composed his expression, however, and said hesitantly, “I have never done this before.”
He had no experience treating others.
“It’s okay! I trust you!” I patted his shoulder, saying this out of an ultimate, invincible sense of trust. “Just pretend it’s an experiment. There’s no one better for the job anyway.”
He looked at me, and seeing my resolve, he didn’t say anything else. He lowered his eyes, his expression becoming quite serious.
He gripped my foot as if he were holding a sword handle like the carrying pole earlier, his aura shifting in an instant. “Then, I’m beginning…”
“Wait, wait.” I raised my hand. For some reason, I felt quite nervous and began to ramble.
“You, you shouldn’t have told me beforehand! This kind of thing requires the element of surprise. If you tell me, I’ll focus all my attention on the wound and it’s bound to hurt! You should have treated it like a simple task and chatted with me about something else…”
The rambling continued.
After I finished my one-sided stream of nonsense and was sure I couldn’t squeeze out another word, I took a deep breath. “Okay! I’m prepared, I’m not as nervous anymore, and my mental state is totally fine! You can start!”
With that, I closed my eyes, resigned to my fate, and braced for the incoming agony.
It felt like an illusion, but I heard a faint, barely audible laugh. “It is already done.”
“Eh?” I peeked with one eye and saw a very faint smile on his face, as soft and warm as the first ray of morning light.
While I was still dazed, he gently placed my foot back into my shoe. “It is indistinguishable from when it was perfectly fine; you can try walking.”
I was stunned. Not quite believing him, I moved my ankle slightly. It really didn’t feel like the agonizing pain from before; I could move it completely freely.
I stood up and took a few steps. It really didn’t hurt!
I was overjoyed. “That’s amazing! Yoriichi! I knew you could do it!”
He flushed slightly at my unreserved praise, only smiling in response.
Although the sprain was healed, the scrape on my elbow would have to heal on its own.
“I’ve been so unlucky lately. My hand injury had just healed, and now I’ve hurt myself elsewhere… I need to find a way to compensate myself,” I lamented my bad luck, while simultaneously eyeing the chicks in the yard.
I WANT! TO EAT! MEAT!
“So, Yoriichi, could you…” I turned to him, but his expression had returned to its usual, inscrutable state. Only his thick, delicate eyelashes trembled slightly, as if he were feeling some unease.
“I am sorry. I am someone who brings misfortune to others…”
He lowered his head and placed a hand over his chest. I knew that was where he kept his inseparable cloth bundle. His face, which usually revealed little emotion, became tinged with sadness, and the red markings on his forehead seemed to dim in the shadow.
Seeing his crestfallen expression, I inwardly cursed. My words just now must have unintentionally triggered his nerves, likely awakening some bad memories.
Don’t fall into your memories, boy!
I shouted internally and quickly said, “The injury on my hand was because of my own carelessness, and this one was because Ya pushed me down in a rush. Bringing up ‘bringing misfortune to others’ that’s just too irresponsible! Besides, didn’t Yoriichi just heal me? I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart!”
After saying this, I crossed my arms, turned my head to the side, and whispered to the air, “Our new arrival, little Red, is really worrying, isn’t he? Don’t you think so, Midori?”
I began to fabricate the non-existent Midori again. Because of Yoriichi’s red hair and eyes, I simply called him “little Red.”
Pretending to have received a response, I added, “Sure enough, that’s what you think, right? So, what can I do to make him feel better?”
I caught a glimpse of him moving slightly. He looked toward my side and asked slowly, “Can Midori appear during the day as well?”
Seeing his response, I felt a bit relieved. I gestured behind me. “Of course, because he appears with a lotus leaf umbrella over his head! He has new support for his leg, too. Now that I think about it, this new look suits you quite well. You look much more beautiful. You don’t usually appear during the day, do you? Is it because there’s a newcomer in the house?”
I pretended to pat the air and nodded. “He’s so happy when I praise him; he’s jumping around in place, swinging his hair. So cute! It’s a pity you can’t see him.”
I vividly described the non-existent creature; most people would likely be suspicious and say I was crazy.
But the grey, snow-like gloom that had gathered in his eyes vanished. “No, I feel… I think I can see it.”
Can see it?
I froze and looked to the side. Where? I was just spouting nonsense! Could he be the one who can actually see ghosts?
Could there be something hidden around us? If Yoriichi said there was, it wasn’t impossible!
“A, are you joking?”
I became vigilant, trying to find the ghost that might be hiding in some corner. His hand passed before me, lingering in the void. I looked back and found that he had leaned in close, staring unblinkingly at… my side.
“There is indeed a Midori beside Megumi. Because I believe in it, the surrounding air seems to have become warmer.”
He then shifted his gaze gently to me. “Thank you for accepting me as family.”
Thump, thump, thump… I could hear my heart beating violently, as if it were about to jump out of my chest.
Don’t cause trouble at a time like this, heartbeat!
I tried to distract myself, thinking, Come to think of it, has he been talking a lot more lately?